CHESS MASTERPIECE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1460, 8 November 1879, Page 24

CHESS MASTERPIECE.

Trie following la one of the most brilliant games V6r P •' Ftom the Field."— Evans's Gambit. White. Black. Pro!. Anderssen. He™ Dufreene. IPtoK4 PtoK4 2KttoKB3 KttoQBS 8 B to B i B to B 4 4PtoQKU l^S 3 ? 6Pto Q BS BtO , R * D 6Ptt>Q4 Pta £ ll L I >x 7 Castles ■ PtoQ6(a) BQtoKt3 Qt083(6) lOEtoKsq £?*,&?*,* 11 B to Q R 3 P to Q Xt 4 (c) 12 ft takes P R to CJ Kb sq lStftoß* KBtoKtS(d) u3KttoQ2 S* o^^ 16&t0K4; , Q^W 16 B takes Q P Q to R 4 (fir) 17 Xt to B 6, eh (A) V tones Xt 18 P takes P Eto J t sJ/ q 19 Q R to Qiq H) Q takes Xt fa) 20 it takes Xt eh Xt takes R (*) 21 Q takes Q?on(Q KiakesQ 228t0K86 KtoBLEq. double eh 28 B to Q 7 eh X to B sq 24BtoktsKtmate Notes by Mr Stelnita. • (a) Many experiments have been made to atop the progreesolthft ittuckin the Evans* Gambit, of which the one adopted by Herr Dufreane is apparently very feasible, for *t any rate it prevents the formation of a ttrong centra ; yet it, like most other defences, has not stood the test of experience or analysis, and it hsa been found that It only, enables Black to tide over the difficulties of the early part of the game without breaking finally the superiority of White's position. * (6) QtoK 2at this stige has also been tried, but is considered Inferior on account of the reply Bto Q R 3, followed, in answer |to P to Q 8, by R to X keg,k eg, (c) This is the key move to the chief counter-attack in the compromised defence after the third P has been taken on Black's seventh move, and evidently the discovery of its force is due to M. Dufresne, who early adopted it in the present form of the defence. The sacrifice of the P in this variation is bold and Ingenious, but unripe, for thereby Black virtually abandons his surplus of Pawns, since his advanced P to Q 6 must ultimately f»U, and the forces will therefore be even, while the position is manifestly in the first player's favour. (<Z) He ia bound to seek protection for his B if he wishes to Castle on the X side, for otherwise a piece would be lout as Whit© would capture the KKt with tho Q B. (c) The development of the B was of no use, for he had no time to open the diagonal by removing the Q Kt. Not a momentlonger should Castling have been delayed, and against tho main line play, which wai apparently at White's command, the defence could then procaed thus : -14 Caitlea, 16 Xt to X 4 15 X to R ig. 16 B takes QP 16 Pto X 88, 17 Q Rto Qsq 17 Qto X" sq ; and, as soon after, Blaclt gets rid of the X P,' either by capturing, or else by the opponent exchanging it for the X iJ P, the diagonal of • White's adverse Q B will be closed by Pjto Q 3, with a satisfactory game, and we do not see that the equilibrium can be disturbed by any sacrifice ,on White's part, for suppoiing 18 P takeß P 18 P takesJP, .19 Xt takes P l 9 R |takes Xt, 20 QtoKR 420 Q toB 2, and White cannot proceed with Xt to Xt 6, on account of B take* P, eh. (0 A feeble move, but he was already bound to submit to some lo3s. Probably Castling was still the best resource', though it would have involved the loes of the exchange, e,g. :— l6 Castles, 16 B takes Q P 16 Kto R ig. This seems best ; for if Qtoß 4or Qto R 8. the answers are respectively Xt to X Xt 3 or Q B to Q B sq ; Mid if Qto X 8, the attack by QKt to X Xt 6 obtains an irresistible advantago. 17 Xt to <J U 5 17 Pto KB i, 18 Xt Ukes Q P 18 Xt to Q 6, 19 P takea Xt 19 B takos Xt, 20 PtoK Xt 3 ; and, as the X B can come back to X B eg in. case of need, there is no danger for Whlt&\j ponltion, and Black will gain nothing by manosavriug the Q to X R 6. (g) Xt to X B 6 or Xt to Q 6 eh was threatened, and he had apparently nothing better, for moving the X to Q iq would manifestly not have secured his position. (/») Attention. The initiatory sacrifice would now bo considered not uncommon in a similar position, ai:d * tyro might perhaps hit upon it in actual play after having seen many examples {of the sami character ; but it wai.new at the time when thia game occurred. (i) An evergreen in the laurel crown of the departed Chess hero. This introduction would excite admiration in a problem to the construction of which the composer might have devoted wpeks of labour yet hero it is in actual play, and, for depjth and brilliancy united, the combination of which it Is pregnant has hardly its equal in the records of hand-to-hand entest. (j) He did not see it ; and if he had, he could have only altered the finale into a beaut it ul end position instead of a problera-liko mate. R takes Pch would have led to the following termination :—l9: — 19 R takes P eh, 20 X takes R best 20 Xt to K4, 21 Q takes QP eh 21KtoBsq. If Black's X takes Q then White also comes out with a winning gime fby Bto Xt 6 dia eh ; for not alone doe 3he recover the Q, but he must afterwards -gain another piece, wherever the X may have moved to. It shouid also be observed that White cannot carry it to any mate by any other move in reply to X takes Q. Any such atteini t would fail ; for in reply to B to Xt 5 double eh the X would play to X 8, and in reply to B to B 5 double eh tho X gets safe at X tq. If, however, instead of the mnvo of the X which wo propoeo, Black takes the Q with the Xt, than follows.-— 22 R takes Xt eh 22 Kto Q sq ; or else ho loses tho Q tt once by Rto X 5 dis eh, 23 R takes Ktch 23KtoBeq, 24RtoQ8ch24KtakesR, 25 B to B 6 dis eh, and mates ia three more mores. To prococd with tbe propotod line of Jplay :— 22 Q takes Xt eh 22 Kto Xt Eg. 23 B to X 4, and wing. (h) Again he might have been ungenerous enough to make VV bite's main conception disappear, as a variation for the discovery cf the analyst by nioving the Kto Qsq, c. g :— 2l Kto Q sq, 22 R taken Pch22 X to BEg bust ; for if Kto X tq, "White proceeds with R to X 7 eh, followed accordingly by Rto X 3 dis eh, or else by B to X 2 dis eh, 23 X to Q 8 eh 23 Xt takes R ; any other answer loses tho Qat on:e, 24 Qto Q 7 eh 24 X takes Q. 26 B to B 6 double eh, and mates next move. (1) " Lerno nur das Gliick ergtelfen, Dorm das Gliick ist immor da "*

ii Goethe* advice. But how many are capablo of following it ? And how many players would have conceived *uch a wonderful termination, six moves deep, In actui\ fight ov«r the board ? The preparation of White's nineteenth move evidently foretold this ex<raordinarlljr brilliant sacrifice and its beautiful sequence, and an examination of the position shows clearly that Anderssen's grand coup must have been the result of accurate calculation ; for 'Whits wa3 menaced with mate in a few moves, wheh could not be avoided in any other way. * " Learn only to gra«p fortune, For fortune is always within reach."