Hastings International Tournament.

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 44

Hastings International Tournament.

Game between Messrs Lasker and Blackburne. Ruy Lopez. White. Black. White. Black. (Lasker) (Blackburne) (Lasker) (Blackburue) IP-K4 P-K4 24QxB Xt B 3 2 X Kt-B 3 Q Kt-B 3 25 Q- R 3 eh. K-Kt 1 3BKv 5 V-Q 3 20 F-B 3 Xt R 4 4 P-Q 4 B-Q 2 27 R-Q 2 R-K 4 5 Kt-B 3 PxP 28 K-Kt 1 Kt-B 5-g 6KtxP KtxKt 29Q-R4 Kt-K3 7Qx Xt B x B-a 30 R-Q 5 Xt-Xt 4 BKtxß Kt-K2 31Q-Kt3 RxR 9 0-0 Kt-B3 32BPxR P-KR4 10 Q-83-6 P-Q R 3 33 P-Kt 5 P-R5 11 Kt-R 3 Q-B 3-c 3i Q-Kt 4 PxP 12 Q-Q Kt3 0-0 0 35 K.t xP P-R6 13 P-Q B 4 R-Kl 3(5 R-Kt 2 PxP 14 R-K 1 Q-Kt 3 37 RxP Kt-Ro.cn 15 B-Q 2 B-K 2 a 38 K-B 1 Q-B 3 16 Q-BS B-B3 39 P-K5 P x PA 17 Q R-Kt 1 B-Q 5 40 RR 2 P-K 5 18 P-Q Xt 4 Kt-K 4 41 Rx Xt Q-R {Lch 19 R-K 2-c Kt-B 6ch 42 K-Kt 2 P x PT;h 20 K-R 1 Xt xP ! 43 K-Kt 3i Q-K 4ch 21 K-B4 Xt-Xt 5 44KxP Q x P eh 22 B-Kt 3 B-K 4 Resigns 23 Q-Q3-/ Bx B ' Notes by Rev. W. Wate. (a) Against so formidable a competitor Black quite justifiably plays for a draw from the outset. White has to force the attack against these exchanges, and misses his way. (6) Cutting off the Xt from his square of retreat. The object, of course, is to hamper the Black b, but it does not come off. (c) For Black has nothing to fear from the exchange of queens, and if white plays otherwise can castle (queen's rook) with advantage. It seems that White should have accepted the exchange, and the draw which would, have followed. (d) True to his principles, Black declines the complications which would result from taking the pawn. 15 rx p ; 16 Rxß,q xr ; 17 R-K 1, and 18 R-K 8 eh, &c. (e)Au ovei sight, of which immediate advantage is taken by his keen-eyed opponent. If the kt were taken at move 20, the rook is now lost by q-r 4 eh. The dorrect defence appears to be R-Kt 3. if) White's game is now extremely difficult. Exchanging bishops would leave the X still weaker, he therefore brings the Q to the rescue. (ff) We do not tee the superiority of q-kt 4, as has been suggested. (A) If 39 q x p, 4 Q-Q R 4, with prospects of a draw. (£) Tchigorin maintained that White might still have got so?i c slight drawing chances out of the following play : 43 Q x B P, q-kt 7 eh ; 44 K-Kt 3, rxr eh ; 45 KxR, q x kt ; 46 Qx P, q-q 6ch ; 47 K-Kt 4, q-b 5 eh ; 48 K-Kt 5, q x r p ; 49 K-Kt 6, &c, but in all probability Black would still win. [Note byCH. Ed. Witness.— In the first, third, and fifth games of the Steinitz-Lasker match, Steinitz (Black) played 5 kt-k 2 and. lo3t. In this game Blackburne adopts Steinitz' it defence and wins by varying hisplay at this point. Steiniu's defence has consequently been condemned, but after thiß who can say that 3 p-q 3 is bad.]