CHESS IN LONDON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1555, 27 August 1881, Page 23

CHESS IN LONDON.

The match between Mr Blackburne and Herr Gunzberg was won by the former, after a neck-and-neck struggle ; the final score being:— Mr Blackburne, 7; Herr Gunzberg, 6 ; drawn, 3. It will be remembered that the foreigner Btartedwith a handicap allowance of two gameß, so that he actually won over the board four games— a very creditable performance against so formidable an antagonist. We think we are correct in stating that Herr Gunzberg, who is a very rapid player, furnished the live brains for the automaton, whose play was always remarkable for speed as well as quality. We give below the final game of the match, wito abridged notes, from the Field. Although the opening moves have all the monotony which belongs to the French Defence, the later portion of the game it very instructive :— •• French Defence." White. _ *]*&■. Mr Blackburne. HerrGunaberg. , IPtoK4 Pto s? 2 P to 0 4 PtoQ4 SKttoQBS KttoXBS 4 P takes P P takes P 5KttoKB3 BtoQ3 68t0Q3 C»Btles 7 Castles Ktto B3 9RtoKsq i!°|^! X 10 B to B 4 B to X Xt 5 HBtoK5 S^^tA , 12PtoKR3 B takes XV ISQtaktsß Kt i takes B UQtakesKt PtoQB3 15RtoK2(&) Kttoß2 WQRtoKsq ll°, Kt iL 17PtoQR3 IJ^S" 5*5 * 18 Q takes B sjof 8 q W^toKKtS Bto8 to , Kt i 208t084 R takes R 21 R takes R («) §*?kesft? ke sft 25 B to B 4 P to X Xt 4 I S6BtoK3 KttoQS 27Rt087 S*** 0 - 86 28BtoBsq SJ O^ I 29 Kto Baa RtoKS 1 30 R takes RP PtoKß4fo) 31RtoR6 l to , Xt5 r, 82 P takes P(fc) £*?k??? k ??o P 33PtoQKt3 SM°sk ,34RtakesP KttoKs 35Pt0Q84 s**?? B,w*8 ,w* 868t0K3 Xt takes PW 37 B takes Xt S*°, Kt S, v 88 P takes P & takes B cb 89KtoKsq(i) • »*° k « sP 40 R takes P(*) £ te £? 41RtoB3(i) V^Vo 42RtoB3ch KtoU 43 X to Bsq S! 0 /^ 7 / v 44RtakesP R takes P(m) 46KtoK2 SJ o ,^ 46KtoQ2 KtakesP 48 R to Xt 5 eh X to X 5 49RtoK5eh S&t 5.,*5 „* SORtakesP 5t055 to s! eh 51KtoKt4 £J°£™ B 52PtoQ5 RtoQKtB B4KtoKts 2^, Q8 t,/\ 55PtoKt4 Rt»kesP(o) 56 R takes R Resigns Cp) (a\ The second player cannot afford such a retreat in the opening. Bto X 8 appears the best defence. (M Here QtoK Xt 3 appeara preferable. It would have kept the adverse Xt fixed for some time, unless Black retreated it to X sq, for Xt to X R 4 would only drive the White Q to as good a post ■* B \ wttto leaving the Xt exposed to the attack of the hostile Pawns on the X side. . (c) By capturing the Q, he would obviously have lost three pieces, which are more than her value. (d) White's R is now strongly placed on the 7th row in a commanding position for the end game ; and the Black X cannot come nigh at B square, on account nothing new by B to Q B 7, for Black might reply Xt to X 3, attacking the R and the (f) He overrates the strength ot his position, and institutes an attack which proves compromising for his position on the Q side, ft to X 3 gave him a good and lasting defence, and the opponent could not then expect to make more than a draw of it. (a) Xt to Q 3 would have saved the second P. If ( the adverse R then attacked the Xt P, the Xt could retreat to B sq, followed by Rto X sq when pinned. His game was not then comfortable, but the material balance would not have weighed so heavily against j **$) An error of judgment, which leaves him open to a strong counter attack. He ought to have left the X side alone, and should have proceeded at one« to attack the Xt by P to.Q Kt3,ra order to win the second P It was only in consequence of the KB file having been opened for him that Black could delay the progress of White's pawnß on the Q side. (i) i Black defends himself with great ingenuity. It will be easily seen that, in case the opponent now takes the Q P his X will be driven out by Xt to Q 8, dis eh, followed by Xt to B 6, eh, and Xt takes P, which would give Black a fair defensive position. (?) Best, evidently ; for if Kto Xt sq, Black would remove the R on the row, threatening mate. (k) P takes P wasstronger. (I) Very clever. White would actually lose if he now attempts to capture the X R P, for the R would check at Xt 8, followed by P to Xt 7 ; and, if then White's X attack at B 2, the winning answer would beRtoKRB. . (m) His last chance is gone now. He should have | tried to gain the two centre pawns by X to Q 3, for White would afterwards have found it a very hard task to ensure victory with his two passed pawns on the extreme Q wing, with bis own X far off, while Black's X was near enough for manoeuvring to stop the pawns. . . . . „ (?i) The k comes now in time to support hispawnß and ensure a victory. ...... , , . { d\ This loses at once ; but the alternate advance of the two pawns by Bimilar movements, as previously adonted by White, could not be prevented. (p) The White X moves to Xt 6 or R 6, and then the P cannot be stopped.