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 fourth game was played on Thursday.  Blackburne, who had the first move, repeated the same attack of the Scotch gambit which he had tried on the previous occasion.  Steinitz this time, in the ninth move, adopted the defence of P to Q R 3, at once followed suit by Q to K 4 (on the Q Kt attacking the Q), and afterwards P to Q Kt 4, which shuts out the K Kt from action.  Blackburne developed his forces rapidly, regardless of the loss of the piece threatened by Black advancing the P to Q Kt 5, to which he had at any time a fine answer by Kt to Q 5.  Steinitz kept himself strictly on the defensive, brought his Q R out of the range of the hostile B, and developed at last the Q B by P to Q 3, followed by B to Q 2, as he had nothing to fear from the hostile Q B P.  Thus he stood resisting the attack which the opponent, who was a P behind, was bound to pursue energetically.  The storm was at last on the 18th, commenced by Blackburne, who adopted a ruse de guerre which has been often successfully tried by Anderssen, namely, of sacrificing a piece in order to complicate the position at a point when his opponent was hard up for sufficient time to reflect upon his moves.  Steinitz hit upon a safe defence, which soon reduced matters to simplicity, and perceiving an opportunity of offering the exchange of queens of the 26th move, which the adversary was obliged to accept, unless he was willing to submit to a harassing attack with a piece behind.  After that exchange, Black remained with a clear piece ahead, and even a weak move made in a hurry could not much hurt his prospects of winning.  Having recovered time and breath on the 30th move, Steinitz proceeded after an hours adjournment to force the gain of pawns, and the exchange of one of the rooks, and the superiority of his forces soon proved too much for Blackburnes clever and obstinate resistance.
The Field, London, 1876.02.26
Blackburne,JH — Steinitz,W
(4)
C45/04
Scotch: Pulling (Horwitz)
1876.02.24
GBR London (West-End Chess Club)
Annotations by Blackburne & Steinitz
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qh4 5.Nb5 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Kd8 8.0-0 Bxd2 9.Qxd2 a6
** This is superior to 9...Nf6, adopted by Steinitz at this point in the second game of the match.  It has the effect of blocking the kings knight for some time.
10.N5c3 Qe5 11.Na3 b5
** Best at once, but not so much with the view of attacking the two pieces as with the object of paralysing the action of one of the knights.
12.Bf3 Nge7 13.Rad1 Qf5
** It may be observed, that on this and the previous moves Black had to avoid the temptation of forking the two knights by ...b4, as on each occasion White could have obtained a winning attack by the reply of Nd5.
14.Rfe1 Rb8 [?:??-1:00] 15.Qe2
** This was a loss of time; he ought to have played 15.Qe3 at once.
15...d6 16.Ne4 [1:00-?:??] 16...Bd7 17.Qe3 f6 18.g4 Qg6 19.Nxd6
** In match games regulated by time limit the expedient is often adopted, to try to confuse the opponent when he is short of time, by raising complications even at great hazard.  The present incorrect, strictly speaking, sacrifice belongs to that category.  The defense was extremely ticklish, and, as Steinitz had nearly exhausted his second hour, the chances were in favor of his not hitting always upon the right move in the course of the vehement attack to which the sacrifice gave rise.
19...cxd6 20.Rxd6 Kc7 21.Bxc6
** This exchange gave the most chances of continuing the pressure of a violent onslaught.  Had he played the 21.Qf4, Black might have replied 21...Ne5; for if 22.Rxe5, the pawn would retake, attacking the queen.  Blackburne informs us that at the time he sacrificed the knight he contemplated at this point to move 21.Qc5, and, upon the opponent answering 21...Qg5, to leave the queen en prise, and take the e-knight with the rook, e.g: 21.Qc5 Qg5 22.Rxe7 Qxc5 23.Rexd7+ Kb6 24.Rxc6+ Qxc6 25.Bxc6 Kxc6 26.Rxg7; but he overlooked that at this stage Black could force the exchange of rooks, with a winning position, by playing either rook to g8.
21...Nxc6 22.Qg3 Kc8
** He could not capture the g-pawn with the queen, on account of the reply 23.Rxd7+, winning the queen.
23.Red1 Rb7 24.Qg2 Nb8
** Better than 24...Ne5, which would have been of little use for aggressive purposes, while now the knight affords additional protection to Blacks much-exposed right wing.
25.R1d4 h5 26.Qd5 Qg5 27.Qxg5 fxg5 28.Rg6 Bxg4 29.Rxg5 Re8 30.Kg2 [2:00-?:??] 30...Rf7 31.h3 Bd7 [?:??-2:00] 32.Kg3 Re2 33.Rxh5 Rexf2 34.Rc5+ Nc6 35.Rd3 Kc7 36.Nb1 Kb6 37.Rcd5 Nb8 38.Nd2
** White might have here won the exchange, but it would have simplified the position too much, e.g.: 38.Rxd7 Nxd7 39.Rxd7 Rxd7 40.Kxf2 Rd1 41.Nc3 Rd2+, winning easily.
38...Bc6 39.Ne4
** Best.  Had he moved the rook at once, the answer of 39...Rg2+, would have been deadly.
39...Re2 40.Nc3 Rxc2 41.Rd2 Rxc3+ 42.bxc3 Bxd5 43.Rxd5 Rc7 44.Rd3 Nc6 45.Kf4 Rf7+ 46.Ke4 [3:00-?:??] 46...Rf2 47.a3 Ra2 48.c4 bxc4 49.Rg3 Rd2 50.Rxg7 Rd4+ 51.Kf5 c3 0-1.
** There is no means of stopping the pawn now, excepting at the cost of a clear rook. If 52.Rg2, the answer is 52...Rd2; and if 53.Rg1 or 53.Rg3, with the intention of afterwards stopping the pawn accordingly, either by 54.Rc1 or 54.Rc3, Black may still advance the pawn to c2, followed by 54...Rd1, for the rook will be lost after taking the pawn by 55...Nd4+.
The Field, London, 1876.02.26

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