The Gunsberg-Steinitz Match,
World Championship 1890-91
Researched by Nick Pope
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STEINITZ HIMSELF AGAIN.
HE WINS THE EIGHTEENTH GAME IN THE
CHESS CONTEST.
GUNSBERG OPENS AGAIN WITH THE EVANS
GAMBIT-AN EXCITING STRUGGLE.
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The eighteenth game in the championship chess
match
between Steinitz and Gunsberg, which was played yesterday at the
Manhattan
Chess Club, proved attractive for many reasons, first of all on account
of its inevitable influence on the ultimate outcome of the contest, and,
in the second place because of Gunsberg again opening an Evans
Gambit,
the game upon which is centred an unusually keen and widespread
interest. |
Up to Whites seventh move the game
proceeded on
the well-known lines, and then Steinitz introduced a new form of defence
by moving 7....K Kt-K 7 in place of the move which he made in the
fourteenth
and sixteenth games of this contest, P-K R 3. Gunsberg devoted
twenty-three
minutes of his time in deciding upon the reply, 8. Q-R 4.
Steinitz,
however, emerged from the opening with his pieces intact. He
castles
on his sixteenth move, and then proceeded with an advance of his pawns
on the Queens wing, driving his opponents pieces back and
giving him
considerable security on this part of the board. |
On his thirtieth move, however, the veteran
seemed
to overlook a possible combination on the part of his opponent. By
playing 30....P-K Kt 3, he lost the pawn, and also allowed the Hungarian
to disconnect the three strong pawns on the Queens side. Six
moves
later the afternoons sitting was adjourned with the position again
slightly
in favor of Steinitz. |
On the resumption of play at 7 oclock the
veteran
improved the advantage which he previously possessed. Gunsberg
made
a gallant fight, but to very little purpose, for Steinitzs play,
with
one or two unimportant exceptions, was of the most masterly
character.
He pursued the counter-attack which he had set up with all the vigor of
a young player combined with the skill of an experienced
campaigner.
The Hungarians valiant resistance was much admired by the
spectators,
but long before he gave up it was declared that his fight would prove
unavailing.
Gunsberg resigned on his fifty-fifth move, making the score-Steinitz, 6;
Gunsberg, 4; drawn, 8. Only two games remain to be played, the
first
of which will be contested to-day and the other on Saturday. |
New-York Daily Tribune,
1891.01.22
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EVANS GAMBIT AGAIN.
GUNSBERG PLAYED THIS OPENING AT
YESTERDAYS CHESS MATCH.
Brilliant Tactics Shown by the Veteran,
Who Kept the Game Well in Hand Right
Through-Gunsberg Made a Gallant
Fight, but had at Last to Surrender.
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Excitement and interest in the chess encounter
between
Steinitz and Gunsberg has been growing apace in the interval between the
seventeenth game, which was played last Saturday, and the eighteenth
game,
which was contested yesterday. It being Gunsbergs turn to
open,
there was much speculation as to whether he would again offer an Evans
Gambit or turn his attention to one of his two favorites-the Giuoco
Piano
of Ruy Lopez. |
What gave yesterdays game a deeper interest
was
the bearing which its result would have upon the final issue of the
match.
Should Steinitz win it, it was considered that the match would be
decided
in his favor, for it would require that Gunsberg should win both the
remaining
games to even draw the match. Should the eighteenth game be drawn
there would remain a chance for Gunsberg to draw, if not actually win
the
match, while if he should win this game his chances to make the match a
draw would be little short of a certainty and his hopes of winning it
would
be raised considerably. It will thus be seen that the interest was
enhanced to an almost incalculable extent by these various
considerations,
and that the members and visitors at the Manhattan Chess Club yesterday
afternoon were fully en rapport with the prevailing spirit of the
fight. |
When play was adjourned at 5 oclock the
game [...]
as will be seen, had again turned somewhat in favor of Steinitz. |
The Sun, New York,
1891.01.22
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Gunsberg,IA Steinitz,W
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(18)
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C52/01 |
Evans Gambit: Steinitz
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1891.01.21 |
USA New York, NY (Manhattan Chess
Club)
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Annotations by Steinitz
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4
Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5
[0:01-0:01]
6.0-0 Qf6 7.d4 Nge7
** |
In the early games played between
Chigorin and Steinitz at Havana this move was always adopted by the
defense:
7...Nh6, as in the cable match, was an afterthought that came up in one
of the consultation games at the end of the match. |
8.Qa4 Bb6 9.Bg5
** |
Chigorin generally played here 8.d5
first, followed by 9.Qa4. |
9...Qd6 10.Na3 exd4
[0:25-0:05]
** |
Whites
establishing a center is now much neutralized by having his knight at a3
and his being able to maneuver it to c3, his strongest post. |
11.Nb5 Qg6 12.cxd4 a6
** |
Threatening ...axb5 followed by
...bxc4. |
13.d5 Ne5 14.Nxe5 Qxg5 15.Nf3
Qh6[0:25-0:32]
16.Bb3 0-0 17.Rac1 c6 18.Nbd4 c5 19.Ne2 d6 20.Ng3
Bd8[0:45-0:45]
** |
A weak move; 20...Bc7 was much
superior. |
21.e5 b5 22.Qa3 c4 23.exd6 Nxd5 24.Bc2 b4
** |
Somewhat doubtful. It was perhaps
more advisable to keep the pawns on the queenside together. |
25.Qa4 Qxd6 [0:58-1:05]
26.Be4
Nb6 27.Qc2 Rb8 28.Bxh7+ Kh8 29.Rcd1 Qh6 30.Bf5 g6
** |
A grave error; 30...c3 was the
correct
play and he had then much less to fear from the knight coming in at f5
after exchanging bishops. |
31.Bxc8 Rxc8 32.Qb2+ Qg7 33.Qxb4 Bc7 34.Rd4 Rfd8
35.Rh4+
** |
Serious loss of time that greatly
compromises his prospects of drawing. |
35...Kg8 [1:10-1:50]
36.Ng5
Rd7 37.Re4 c3 38.Rfe1
** |
38.Rc1 at once was here much
better. |
38...Rdd8 39.Ne2 Nd5 40.Qa4 Qf6
** |
This move releases the king and
greatly
strengthens Blacks
attack. |
41.Nf3 Bb6 42.Rc1 c2
43.h3
** |
Perhaps 43.Kf1 was a better
defense. |
43...Qb2 44.Qb3 Qxb3 45.axb3
a5[3:05-2:55]
46.Rc4 Rxc4 47.bxc4 Nb4 48.g3 Bxf2+
49.Kxf2 Nd3+ 50.Ke3 Nxc1
[3:30-2:56]
51.Nxc1 Rd1 52.Ne2 a4
** |
Not to let the adverse king pass at
once and also gaining important time for finishing quickly. |
53.Nfd4 c1Q+ 54.Nxc1 Rxc1
[3:32-2:58]
0-1.
The Sun, New York,
1891.01.22
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New-York Daily Tribune,
1891.01.22
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