Chess is a scientific game and its literature ought to be placed on the basis of the strictest truthfulness, which is the foundation of all scientific research. W._Steinitz

The Blackburne-Steinitz Match,
London 1876
Researched by Nick Pope

    The third game, played on Tuesday, was opened by Steinitz with the Allgaier Kieseritzky Gambit, which the theorists thought completely demolished by Paulsen’s defence.  It was at once surmised that Steinitz would not have adopted this attack unless he had some novelty in store.  And so it was; for he sacrificed another pawn on the twelfth move by bringing the Q Kt to B 3, which led to the exchange of queens, and the recovery of the lost pawn, with, as Steinitz thinks, an even position.  His opponent and Mr Zukertort opine, however, that Black has the best of the game, and future analysis and practice must decide between the conflicting views.  The ending was carefully played on both sides, and seemed to lead to a drawn position.  But on the 25th move Blackburne, by a fine coup, which took the opponent by surprise, won a P; and two moves later on he might have won the exchange, but missed his opportunity, owing to being pressed for time.  Steinitz, who had managed to keep time in hand, adopted the usual policy under the circumstances, namely, to make the game as difficult as possible for the opponent who was pushed for time - even at the expense of correctness, and at some risk.  By this means he succeeded in pretty nearly equalising the game, though he was still a P behind at the time of the adjournment on the 31st move.  After the adjournment only three moves had been made on each side, when Blackburne made an oversight which cost him two pawns, and gave his opponent an easy victory in the end game.
The Field, London, 1876.02.26
Steinitz,W — Blackburne,JH
(3)
C39/03
King’s Gambit Accepted: Kieseritzky (Berlin)
1876.02.22
GBR London (West-End Chess Club)
Annotations by Blackburne & Steinitz
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 Nf6 6.Bc4 d5 7.exd5 Bg7 8.d4 0-0 9.Bxf4 Nxd5 10.Bxd5 Qxd5 11.0-0 c5 12.Nc3
** Obvious as this move seems, it has not received any analytical attention, and we believe that this is the first occasion of it having been introduced into practice in an important match game.  White must recover the pawn he now offers, and the position afterwards is about even; but Blackburne and Zukertort are of the opinion that the retention of the two bishops gives the second player the superior game, though his pawns on the queenside are separated.
12...Qxd4+ 13.Qxd4 cxd4 14.Nd5 Nc6 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.Ne7+ Kh8 17.Nxc6 Bb7 18.Ne5 Rac8 19.Rf2 Be4 [?:??-1:00] 20.Rd1 [1:00-?:??] 20...f5 21.Nd3
** White could not well venture upon taking the d-pawn, for it would have involved the loss of the exchange, e.g.: 21.Rxd4 Rce8 22.Ra4 Bxe5 23.Rxe4 fxe4 24.Bxe5+ Kg8, and ought to win.
21...Rfe8 22.Re2 Kg8 23.Ne1 Kf7 24.Bg3 Re6
** The initiation of a finely conceived scheme, altogether overlooked by the adversary.
25.Bf2 Bxc2
** White ought on the previous move to have played 25.Kf1, which would have frustrated this neat design.  As it stands, if White take the bishop with the rook, Black would answer 26...Rxe1+, etc.
26.Rxe6 Bxd1 27.Rd6 Ke7
** Fortunately for Steinitz, his opponent was at this point short of time, or else the latter could not have failed to see that he could win the exchange by 27...Be5, threatening 28...g3.  White had then no better reply than 28.Rxd4, and he would have had very hard work afterwards to draw the game, even if he found time to strengthen his position by pawn to g3.
28.Ra6 Rc7 29.Kf1 Rd7 [?:??-2:00] 30.Ra3 [2:00-?:??] 30...Ke6 31.Nd3 Bf8 32.Ra5
** Preventing the adversarys king from crossing, and better than checking at a6, which would only have had the effect of drawing the king up to the support of his passed d-pawn; for Black could have safely answered 32...Kd5, followed by 33...Ke4 if the knight checked at f4, and White would then have found it of no avail to protect the knight by 34.Bg3, threatening mate with the rook, since Black could provide an escape by 34...d3, which also cleared the road to his own victory.
32...Bc2 33.Ke2 Kf6
** Black played this with the anticipation that White would answer 34.Kd2, whereupon he would capture the knight, followed by 35...Kg6, which would have given him a good game.
34.Ra6+
** White failed here to take the promptest advantage of the opponents error.  He might have taken the a-pawn with the rook at once, but still the move adopted, drove the king back, forced the gain of a pawn, and secured at least a draw.
34...Kg7
** A grave error, for it loses two pawns at once.  He ought to have 34...Ke7; but even in that case his game was not comfortable, and he must have lost the a-pawn by the answer of 35.Nc5, without being able to make any impression with his passed d-pawn, which could easily be stopped.
35.Rxa7 Rxa7 36.Bxd4+ Kf7 37.Bxa7 Bd6 38.Be3 Ke6 39.Kd2 Bxd3 40.Kxd3 Kd5 41.a4 f4 42.Bf2 g3 43.Bg1 Bb4 44.Ke2 Ba5 45.Kf3 Kc4 46.Kxf4 Bc7+ 47.Kg5 Bd8+ 48.Kg4 Bc7 49.Be3 Be5 50.a5 Kb5 51.b4 Bd6 52.Bc5 Be5 53.Kf5 Bc3 54.h5 Ka6 [?:??-3:00] 55.Ke6 (...), 1-0.
** And after some more moves Black resigned. Duration 7 hours.
The Field, London, 1876.02.26

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