The King Hunt

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The King-Hunt

·

John Nunn & William Cozens

Algebraic Classics Series

Series Editor: Dr John Nunn GM

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The King-Hunt by W.Cozens was published by G. Bell and Sons in 1970

This selection of algebraicised games ©B. T. Batsford 1996'

Additional material© John Nunn 1996

ISBN 0 7134 7945 0

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. A catalogue record for this book is

available from the British Library.

Typeset by John Nunn

and printed in Great Britain by Redwood Books, Trowbridge, Wilts for the publishers,

B. T. Batsford Ltd, 4 Fitzhardinge Street, London WlH OAH

A BATSFORD CHESS BOOK

Editorial Panel: Mark Dvoretsky, Jon Speelman

Specialist Adviser: Dr John Nunn

General Adviser: Raymond Keene OBE Commissioning Editor: Graham Burgess

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Symbols

1-0 White wins 0-1 Black wins lf2-1f2 Draw ! ! Excellent move Good move !? Interesting move ?! Dubious move ? Bad move ?? Blunder + _Check ++ _{Double check}

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Introduction

The original edition of this book, written by William Cozens, was published in 1970. At the time I was an aspiring young player spending long hours studying the nuances of the Sicilian Defence and the Benoni. Cozens's book was like a breath of fresh air. Reading this book transported me into a fantasy realm in which material was of little or no consequence. The only thing that mattered was to drive the enemy king into the open and pursue him to his death. I enjoyed the book enormously and played over every game, but finally I had to return to the comparative tedium of opening theory.

When Batsford started a program of algebraicising classic books, I imme diately suggested The King-Hunt as a candidate. To my delight, this project came to fruition and you are holding the result in your hands. The original book has been converted to algebraic and re-edited. I then checked over the analysis, which in some cases has led to a substantial revision of the annota tions. Four of the original 45 games were eliminated during this phase. Fi nally, I added 14 new annotated games, taking the history of the king-hunt from 1968, where Cozens left it, up to the present day.

I selected the new king-hunts mainly on aesthetic grounds, although I did employ the purely formal criterion that the king had to reach at least the fifth rank during the hunt. In many king-hunts it is quite obvious that the king is going to be mated. This applies to some of the early examples in this book

(the games are in chronological order), when the art _{of the king-hunt was still}

fairly primitive. I regard this as an artistic flaw, in that the excitement of the chase is severely diminished if the odds are so heavily stacked against the quarry that the result is a foregone conclusion. The hunter may face difficul ties because of counterplay by the opponent-for example, if he is himself is under threat of mate in one the hunt often has to be conducted using only checks. However, the most common reason for uncertainty about the out come is simply lack of attacking material. Extracting the king from its normal position usually involves sacrifices, and each investment of material reduces the possibilities available to the attacker. If, in addition, the defender's pieces control vital squares in the attacker's camp, administering the coup de grdce may prove unexpectedly troublesome.

Of course, opportunities to conduct a full-blooded king-hunt are rare in deed, but if one arises in one of your games, be sure to make the most of it. A

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6 Introduction

lifetime of warm memories awaits if you carry the hunt through to a success ful conclusion, and a lifetime of vain regrets if you make a mess of it. Four tips for aspiring king-hunters:

1) In most cases material sacrifice will be required to drive the enemy king into the open. If the attack looks promising, don't be too lazy to calculate it to a conclusion, one way or the other. In quiet positions one can often rely on one's instinct, but there is no substitute for calculation in a king-hunt.

2) Unless you are under threat of immediate mate yourself, it may be bet ter to play a quiet move than to keep checking. Cutting off the wandering king's escape route is often the best way to tighten the noose.

3) King-hunts can lead to a bewildering thicket of variations, yet the same mating patterns often arise in different lines. Try to reduce the burden of cal culation by noting transpositions and spotting ways you can force the play into previously calculated variations. You may miss the quickest mate, but better a slower mate than no mate at all.

4) Don't over-sacrifice. The temptation to add the icing to the top of the cake may be hard to resist, but a switch to simple chess may be better than a dodgy 'brilliancy' . In game 26, for example, White's first sacrifice was cor rect, but the second one only jeopardised the win.

I hope that readers will enjoy the 55 games in this book as much as I have, and will be inspired to pursue a few kings themselves.

Happy king-hunting!

Notation

Chess notation is written using a co ordinate system. Thus the starred square is written 'c5 ' . A move con sists of a figurine indicating the piece being moved, followed by the destination square. Thus the indi cated knight move is written 'lDc 3'. The figurine is omitted in the case of a pawn move, so the indicated pawn move isjust 'e4'. 'x' means a capture and'+' means a check.

John Nunn London, 1996

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Hoffman - Petroff 7

Game l

One of the fathers of modern chess was Alexander Petroff (born 1794 ), the Russian after whom the defence 1 e4 e5 2 li:lf3 lLlf6 is named. He was an in dependent thinker and never feared to disagree with the teachings of the great Philidor, the king of 1 8th-century chess. Not many of his games have sur vived but among them is this evergreen which appropriately begins our col lection of king-hunts.

Hoffman - Petroff

Casual Game, Warsaw 1844 Giuoco Piano

1 e4 e5

2 m lLlc6

3 i.c4 i.c5

4 c3

This way of playing the opening is forte rather than piano. The genu ine Piano development is 4 d3, an ex ample of which is shown in Game 26.

4 ... lLlr6

If Black prefers solid defence he can play 4 ... i.b6 followed by 5 ... 1We7 as Euwe does in Game 30. The line chosen here attacks the white e pawn instead.

5 d4 exd4

6 e5

The best move is 6 cxd4, as Greco had shown more than two hundred years before this game was played. To the present move Black has an ex cellent reply.

6 •.• lLle4

But this isn't it, and 6 ... lLlg4 is even worse. The correct move is the counterattack 6 ... d5 ! .

7 .td5 (D)

7 ... lLlxf2

B

Evidently this move had been Petroff's intention. King-hunts be yond number have begun with the sacrifice of knight or bishop on f2 or f7. To question its soundness in the present case would be pernick ety: this was before the days of tour nament chess and t�e game was more important than the result.

8 � dxc3+

9 �g3

Although not wrong it itself, this is an unnecessary risk. 9 �fl would have left him with a knight against three pawns, and prospects as good as Black's. 9 10 .txb2 1 1 lLlg5? cxb2 lLle7 A mistake, although it requires brilliant play to exploit it. After 1 1

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8 Game2

.i.e4 the position would be roughly equal.

1 1 ••• �dS

At first sight 1 l ...lill5+ 12 �f4 .i.e3+ is very tempting, but White can coolly reply 13 �xf5 't!fxg5+ 14 �e4 c6 15 .i.xf7+, followed by 16 1Wf3+, leading to an unclear posi tion.

12 �(D)

With sardonic satisfaction, no doubt, White returns the compli ment of Black's 7th move. He is at tacking queen, rook and knight, and if 12 ... �xf7 White will get two pieces in return, with a winning posi tion.

8

12 ••. 0-0!!

This completely unexpected re source leaves White with nothing better than take the queen, after which his king will be hunted down by four black pieces and inevitably mated.

13 �d8

14 �bJ

15 e6

If 15 g4 Black has the exquisite 15 ... �f4#.

15

16 �g4

17 �e6

17 g3 is a slightly more tenacious defence, guarding f4 and h4. How ever, Black can force mate in eight by 17 ... �xd8+ 18 �g5:t'5+ 19 �g4 (or 19 �M l:f4+) l:f6+ 20 �h4 l:f4+ 21 �g5 �6+ 22 �h5 g6+ 23 �h6 l:h4+! 24 gxh4 .i.e3#. In this mating position, thirteen moves af ter the diagram, Black is still virtu ally a whole queen down.

After the move played Black mated in four by:

17

18 �g5

19 �g4

20 �bJ

Game 2

In the 1840s English chess was dominated by Howard Staunton (born 1810), a social lion but also a considerable scholar-not by any means only in the field of chess-who had read all the known literature of the game. At his peak he was the world's leading player at a time when the title of World Champion did not exist. His style in match play was, like that of many a master since, careful to the point of dullness; but he visited many provincial chess clubs and did great work for the game by exhibition play in a very different style.

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Staunton -Amateur 9

Here is a Muzio Gambit, typical of the time. This obsolete opening re mains the best standard example of advantages in space and time being more than adequate to overcome superiority of dead pieces.

Staunton - Amateur

Exhibition Game, about 1850

Muzio Gambit

1 e4 e5

2 f4

Philidor had laid down the princi ple that 2llJf3 was inferior because it obstructed the f-pawn. The corre sponding principle on the queenside is still generally accepted today, but it is a matter of experience that the King's Gambit leads to so much tac tical skirmishing that positional con siderations take second place, and almost all masters have preferred 2 llJf3 throughout the 20th century. Akiba Rubinstein was a notable ex ception.

2 ... exf4

Game 10 features the declined form of the King's Gambit.

3 M g5

This is the classical method of holding on to the pawn. Much of the romance of the opening has been de stroyed by the modem defences 3 ... d5 and 3 ... llJf6.

4 .i.c4 g4

5 0-0

Black has moved only pawns, and White can afford to sacrifice a piece as early as the fifth move. Centuries of analysis have never really refuted the Muzio Gambit. Instead of cas tling White can offer the knight in two other ways: 5 lbc3 and 5 d4.

5 .•. gxf3

6 1i'xf3 1i'f6

Black's position is critical, even though he is a piece up. The queen move defends f7 and even threatens to win a second piece by ... 1Wd4+. White replies with a pawn sacrifice, opening yet more lines.

7 e5! 1i'xe5

8 d3

Many games have been won at this point by 8 .i.xf7+ and 9 d4, but White's game is so strong that there is no need to try to force it in this way.

8 ... .i.h6

9 llJc3 c6?

Yet another Black pawn move, af ter which his chances of survival are practically nil. His idea of restricting the c3-knight and preparing ... d5 is far too leisurely. It was essential to block the e-file by 9 ... lbe7, when modem theory considers the posi tion to be roughly level.

10 .i.xf4 So as to meet 10 ... .i.xf4 by 1 1 l:.ael. 10 11 �hl 12 he1+ 13 .:.e4 1i'd4+ .i.xf4 (D) lbe7

Much better than 13 1Wxf4, which would allow Black the exchange of queens.

13 1i'g7

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10 Game 2

w

Deliberately allowing the fork. When one has every piece in strong play and the opponent has virtually none, this sort of luxury is permissi ble.

14 ... d5

Now Black's position is demol ished by a further double sacrifice. Though a rook and bishop ahead he is given no chance to move anything except his king.

15 i.xd5! 16 l:.xe7+! 17 ti)xd5+?

cxd5 �xe7

The first sign of faltering. White could have won by 17 "ii'c7+ i.d7 (or 1 7 ... �e6 1 8 lbb5) 18 lbxd5+ �e6 1 9 l:.e 1 + �f5 (or 1 9 ... �xd5 20 c4+ �d4 21 Wd6#) 20 "ii'f4+ �g6 21 "ii'g3+ �h6 22 'it"h4+ �g6 23 lbe7#.

17 ... �e6

Relatively best, since 17 ... �f8 would be followed by 1 8 "ii'd6+ �g8 19 lbe7+ �f8 20 "ii'd8#.

18 'it"e4+?

Now White is no longer winning. The far from obvious line 18 lbf6! �e7 19 W"c7+ �e6 20 lbe4! would still have been decisive.

18 ... �d7?

Had the black queen interposed she would have been lost for nothing after 19 l:.f6+, but 18...�d6! 19 'it"e7+ �xd5 20 l:.f6 i.e6 21 l:txe6 fxe6 22 Wxg7 lbc6 would have been slightly better for Black.

w

19 'it"e7+ �c6 (D)

20 'it"c7+?

Once again White misses the win: 20 lDb4+! �b6 (20 ... �b5 21 a4+ �b6 22 "ii'd6+ lbc6 23 lbdS+ mates in a few moves) 21 l:.f6+ 'li"xf6 22 "ii'xf6+ lbc6 23 'it'xb8 lbxb4 24 Wd4+ �b5 25 W"c4+ �a5 26 'tlkc5+ b5 27 a3, picking up the knight.

20 •.• �xd5

Not 20 ... �b5 2 1 Wc4+ �a5 22 'it"b4+ �a6 23 "ii'a4#.

21 c4+ �d4??

An awful blunder allowing White to mate in four. After the correct move 2 1 ... �e6, the only question is whether White has sufficient attack to force a draw. It is hard to answer

this definitely, but I see no guaran

teed draw after 22 d4 (threatening d5#) W"xd4 (22 ... lbd7 forces an im mediate draw after 23 l:.e 1 + �f6 24 'it"f4+ �g6 25 Wg3+) 23 Wxf7+

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�d6 24 .:tf6+ �c5 25 1i'e7+ �xc4 26 b3+ (26 'ii'e2+ �c5 27 'ii'e7+ �b5 28 'ii'e2+ �a5 29 1i'el+ �a4 evades White's checks) �d3 ! (not 26 ... �b5?? 27 a4+ �a5 28 'ii'el+ 'ii'b4 29 1i'e5+ b5 30 'ii'c7#) 27 lXf3+ �d2 and the checks are running out. White's problem is that he must do more than win Black's queen for his rook. Matschego - Falkbeer 11 22 'ii'd6+ �e3 23 'i'f4+ �e2 Or 23 ... �xd3 24 .:tdl+ and 25 'iWd2#. 24 .:t'l+ �e1 25 'i'd2#

This pursuit of the king right across the board to the eighth rank recurs many times in the course of this book.

Game 3

Ernest Falkbeer (born 1829) is, like Petroff, remembered for a defence which

is still played today: 1 e4 e5 2 f4 d5. _{He was a Hungarian but lived for many}

years in England. The following game, in which he does not employ the Falk beer Counter-Gambit, shows him trifling with weak opposition; but the breathless nine-move chase, introduced by a queen sacrifice, is far too good a king-hunt to be omitted.

Matschego - Falkbeer

Casual Game, Vienna 1853 Kieseritzky Gambit

1 e4 e5

2 f4 exf4

3 lDf3 g5

4 h4

4 �c4, as played in Game 2, al

lows Black a free choice between pushing on with 4 ... g4 or setting up a pawn chain with the moves ... �g7 and ... h6. The present move, by con trast, forces Black's hand.

4 •.. g4

5 lDe5

This is the Kieseritzky Gambit. One alternative is the Allgaier Gam bit 5 lDg5, when White is committed to the sacrifice of the knight since it

has no retreat. An example is shown in Game 13.

5 ••• lDf6

6 �3

A developing move, but not a good one, for the knight on e5 will now be driven backwards to a poor square. 6 d4 is better; another supe rior move would be 6 �c4 attacking f7.

6 d6

7 �4 �e7

s d4 lDh5

Black defends his front f-pawn, attacks the h4-pawn, and opens what is in fact nothing less than a mating attack.

9 �e2

10 �d2

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12 Game 4

Apparently the only way to avoid a disastrous loss of material after

1 l...f3+.

11 .•. lDc6

Black conjures up another deadly threat: 12 ... .!Llb4+ 13 Wd2 f3+ 14 lLle3 .i.f2.

12 a3 .i.fl (D)

Objectively speaking, this plan is wrong, since Black has a simple win by 12 ... f5, ripping through White's pawn centre to get at his king.

w

13 lbd5 .i.xd4

14 lL!xc7+ Wd8

15 lL!d5

White decides to recentralise his knight. It would have been better to try taking the rook, but after 15 .!L!xa8 dS! 16 c3 dxc4+ 17 Wc2.!Llg3 Black still has a very dangerous in itiative.

15 ... r5

The right idea.

B

16 l'illld6 fxe4+

17 Wc4 (D)

Trying to save his knight-but unsuccessfully!

17 ... 'iixd5+!!

Of course, White can also resign after 17 ... .i.e6, but there is never anything wrong with a forced mate! The white king is drawn into the cor don of black pieces, and the whole of the nine-move king-hunt runs like clockwork. Every white move is ab solutely forced. It might almost be a composed ending in the style of the period. 18 Wxd5 19 Wc4 20 Wb5 21 Wa4 22 .!L!xb5 23 Wxb5 24 Wxc6 25 Wd6 .!L!f6+ .i.e6+ a6+ b5+ axb5+ l:a5+ .i.d5+ lbe8#

Game 4

Yet another 19th-century master whose name is immortalised by an opening

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Max Lange - V on Schierstedt 13 different ways (by transposition), kept the analysts busy for half a century. He was a very strong player, a match for most of his contemporary masters. The following game, however, is played against an amateur and Max Lange gives full rein to his imagination.

Max Lange -V on Schierstedt

Exhibition Game, about 1856 Scotch Gambit

1 e4 eS

2 rn lbc6

3 d4 exd4

4 .ibS

If White does not wish to play 4 lt:lxd4 the usual moves are 4 .ic4 and 4 c3. The text move produces a crude sort of Ruy Lopez. By 4 ... lt:lf6 Black could transpose into the Berlin De fence, but his chosen line is probably better.

4 .tcS

S 0-0 lt:lge7

6 lt:lbd2

Players of this line often try 6 lt:lg5 here, threatening to sacrifice on f7 and then pick up the loose bishop by 'ifh5+. Max Lange prefers to de velop the other knight, but plays the same combination a few moves later.

6 dS

7 exdS 'ifxdS

8 .ic4 1i'd8?

Too passive. The queen should have moved to f5 or h5.

9 lt:lgs lt:les

9 ... 0-0 was out of the question be cause of 10 'ifh5, but now White re gains the gambit pawn, leaving the black king exposed.

10 lfJxrT

11 .ixf7+

12 'ifhS+ g6

13 'ifxcS

Material is equal. Black has the queenside pawn majority, but what carries more weight is the difference between the two king positions, es pecially given the presence of bish ops of opposite colours.

13 lbc6

14 lt:lf3 l:.e8

15 .ih6

With this move White makes the corner uninhabitable for Black's king. He threatens 16 lt:lg5+ after which 16 .. .'�g8 would lose outright to 17 'ifc4+. The opposite-coloured bishops, as usual, strongly favour the attacker.

15 ... .ifS

16 :aet?!

A very strange move, because there is no reason why White should not play 16 lt:lg5+ �f6 17 lt:lxh7+ �f7, and only then 1 8 l:.ae 1, reach ing positions similar to the game, but with an extra pawn.

16 'ifd7

17 'ifc4+ .ie6

18 lt:lgS+ �6

19 'ii'e2

This looks like deliberate provo cation, in full expectation of Black's next move. In fact, 19 'ifc5 ! would have been stronger.

19 ••.

As anticipated.

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14 Game 4

w

20 0!?

The idea of sacrificing the queen in order to open the f-file is beauti fully conceived but objectively not the best.

20 ••. l:r.xe2

Black correctly accepts the sacri fice. 20 ... .i.f5 would have forced White to find another way to make progress, and then he might have hit on the strongest line: 21 tbe4+ �fl 22 'ii'c4+ .i.e6 23 tt)g5+ �f6 24 'ii'c5 ! with a very dangerous attack.

The rest of the game is fascinat ing to watch. The four white pieces cordon off the black king and with relentless subtlety shepherd him across the board towards a2. One intriguing feature of the play is that Max Lange makes no fewer than five non-checking moves during his mat ing attack--one of them an elegant knight sacrifice.

21 fxg4+ �e5

There is no safe route backwards for the king.

22 l:r.xe2+ �d5

22 ... �d6 loses the queen after 23 �+ and 24 tt)f6+.

23 �

Threatening to fork the king and queen.

23 ...

24 a4!

�c4

Cutting off escape via b5. Now

Black tries in vain to get away to a5.

24 'ii'xg4

25 b3+ �b4

26 .i.d2+ �a3

27 M! (D)

Threatening 28 l:r.a1 + with the twin sequels 28 ... �b2 29 l:r.a2# or 28 ... �b4 29 �#. At the same time he defends the rook on e2. If Black takes the knight, White brings a bishop to c3 instead and the net is drawn tight.

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27 ..• dxc3?

This leads to instant death. Black had two reasonable defensive tries:

1) 27 ... �b2 28 h3 'ii'xe2 (forced, because if the queen is not attack ing e2, White mates by 29 l:r.b1+ �xc2 30 .i.el + �d3 3 l l:r.dl#; thus 28 ... 'ii'h5 loses to 29 g4 !) 29 tt)xe2

�xc2 30 .i.g5 ! and, while White un

doubtedly has the advantage, this position is by no means a sure win. Black has two pawns for the piece,

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his king is active and the d-pawn is dangerous.

2) 27 .. .'�b4 ! and it is doubtful if White has anything better than to re peat moves.

28 .i.xc3 tDb4

Still Black fmds an answer to the threat of 29 :tal#. Morphy -Amateur 15 29 lh1+ 30 l:xa2+! 31 l:e1 � �xa2 1-0

For now :tal# is inevitable. Com pare Game 39 in which, a century later, Popov's king found itself in a very similar situation against Pen rose.

Game S

Paul Morphy (born 1837) is at once the most glamorous and one of the most baffling figures in the whole history of chess. The story is well known: his prodigious powers as a teenager; his defeat of all corners in Europe and Amer ica by the age of21; his subsequent horror of the taint of professionalism; his eventual revulsion from chess and his abandonment of it when he was about 30; then the shadows closing in upon his last fifteen years up to his death at the age of 47.

Almost the whole of Morphy's serious chess is to be found in one tourna ment (New York 1857) and two major matches (against Harrwitz and An derssen) and it is here that one must look in making any attempt to assess his stature as what would now be called a grandmaster. But his fame rests almost

equally upon some three _{hundred other encounters-exhibition games, most}

of them played blindfold-odds games and miscellaneous friendlies. We se lect an odds game-a mere trifle.

Morphy-Amateur

O dds Game, New Orleans 1858 Two Knights Defence First the rook on al is removed from the board. Then play begins:

1 e4 2 ffi 3 ..tc4 4 tDgS 5 exdS eS lbc6 lUt'6 d5 �dS?

A well-known mistake, allowing the Fegatello sacrifice which was fa miliar many years before Morphy's

day. Here Black has various play

able moves, for example 5 ... tDa5,

5 ... �4 or 5 ... b5.

6 tDxrT

Theory (with the rook on al !) rec ommends 6 d4, but in an odds game Morphy plays the most forcing line.

6 ... hn

7 'i'f3+ �e6

The whole point of the variation is that this king move is Black's only way of preventing a complete disas ter by losing the knight on d5, so a king-hunt is already in full swing. It

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16 Game 6

does not often end as decisively nor as prettily as in the present case.

8 lbc3 �4?

The best way of making a real fight of it would have been 8 ... tDb4 9 'ife4 c6 10 a3 �6 1 1 d4 �7 etc.

9 i.xdS+ �d6

10 'iff7!

With the attractive threat of 1 1 �#.

10 ..•

1 1 i.xe6

i.e6 �e6 (D) Black has contrived-perhaps un wisely-to exchange off a pair of bishops, on the principle that this gives added weight to his rook odds. But he will never get round to using his odds; the rest of the game is head long flight. 12 lLle4+ �dS w 13 c4+! �e4 14 'ifxe6 'ifd4 15 _'ii'g4+ �d3 16 'ife2+ �cl 17 d3+ �cl 18 0-0#!

Compare with Game 4 1 in which White resigns just in time to avoid the move ... 0-0-0#.

Game 6

Adolf Anderssen (born 18 18) was undoubtedly one of the game's greatest natural players. In his insatiable zest for play and in creative imagination he is to be compared only with Labourdonnais before him and with Alekhine, Tal and Kasparov since. He was a Breslau mathematician, and the wonder is that he remained very little known outside his own country until he was over 40.

In those days there was no official World Championship but there is no doubt that after Morphy's withdrawal from chess, Anderssen was the strongest player in the world. In 1 866 he narrowly lost a match to Steinitz, but An derssen came back to win the tournament at Baden-Baden in 1 870 (see game 9), the best result of his whole career.

Over seven hundred of Anderssen's games are on record and to play through them leaves the brain reeling at his inexhaustible fertility. His oppo nent in the following game-Baron Kolisch-was, unlike tbe losers of our five games so far, himself of master strength. The game was one of several played during Anderssen's visit to Paris in April, 1860. It develops into a gi gantic king-hunt, with the black king hounded over seven files and all the eight ranks.

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Anderssen -Kolisch

Casual Game, Paris 1860 Petroff Defence

1 e4 eS

2 rn ltlf'6

This counter-attack is a solid way of avoiding the Ruy Lopez.

3 �eS 1fe7?

Immediately regaining the pawn with 3 ... lilxe4 is bad, leaving Black in difficulty after 4 1i'e2. The stand ard continuation is 3 ... d6 and then 4 ... lilxe4. Kolisch's move results in Black losing time with his queen.

4 rn 1Wxe4+ 5 i.e2 i.cS 6 0-0 0-0 7 d4 i.b6 8 c4 c6 9 M 1We7

Black is well behind in develop ment and White's next move puts him in real difficulty.

10 i.gS

A highly unpleasant pin. Black adopts a radical solution of the prob lem.

10 h6

11 i.h4 g5

12 i.g3

In addition to his backward devel opment Black now has a seriously weakened kingside. There is bound to be trouble in store.

12 ... dS

A predictable reaction from the aggressive Kolisch. He strikes out bravely for freedom but in his dan gerous situation the cautious 12 ... d6 might have been more prudent.

Anderssen - Ko lisch 1 7 13 lile5 14 cxdS 15 �dS 16 f4 lilbd7 �dS cxdS

Anderssen is in his element: he breaks up the black kingside still more and opens a file for his own rooks. But there is a definite risk involved in leaving his d4-pawn pinned.

16 gxf4

17 �d7

He must make this exchange, for 17 .i.xf4 loses a piece: 17 ... lilxe5 18 .i.xe5 1Wxe5. Most masters would have unpinned the d-pawn by 16 'ith1 before embarking on f4, but Anderssen was never happier than when juggling with disaster.

17 ••• fxg3

18 ltlf'6+!

The enemy king was always An derssen's priority. In any case 18 lilxf8 would have been not only petty but decidedly bad, for Kolisch would not have missed the opportu nity of playing 1 8 ... 1Wh4 ! 19 h3 i.xd4+ 20 'ith1 .i.xh3 !-knockout!

18 .•• 'itg7

19 1Wd3

The first mating threat appears.

19 ••. l:.h8 (D)

20 .i.hS

White steps up the pressure and clears the e-file for possible rook ac tion. 20 lL!xd5 would again have al

lowed the annoying 20 ... 1Wh4; this is

presumably why Kolisch deliber ately refrained from 19 ... gxh2+.

20 ..te6

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18 Game 6

w

22 .eS

Typical of Anderssen's style was his subtle use of prepared batteries. In the present position the knight on f6 is screening potential attacks against f7 and h8, so there is a deadly threat of 23 lLlxd5.

22 .•• _.c7

23 _.e3?!

Surprisingly, Anderssen retreats just when he could have won the game with a pretty combination: 23 lLld7+ �g8 24 J.xf7+ ! J.xf7 25 _.e7 l:th7 (25 ... J.xd4+ 26 �h l only introduces the extra threat of lLlf6+ winning the queen) 26 lLlf6+ �h8 27 _.xc7 J.xc7 28 �xh7 with a deci sive material advantage.

23 ..• .d6

24 :C4

Given the initiative and some tar gets to shoot at, the most complex winning schemes proliferated in Anderssen's brain. Here he is not only doubling rooks but also pre paring 'ii'g3 with another subtle bat tery aimed at the undefended black queen. He was a consistently far-see ing player in the tactical rather than the strategic sense.

24

25 :an

26 .g3!

l:tc8 l:tc7 Anderssen now threatens to open his two batteries with successive sacrifices, thus: 27 �h7+ l:txh7 28 l:txf7+ J.xf7 29 'ii'xd6+. Kolisch ap parently missed the threat; in any case the white attack is bound to win through before long.

26 l:tc4

27 l0117+! �e8

28 _.g7 (D)

Attacking the rook, putting a fourth attack on the f-pawn, and at the same time casually defending his own d-pawn. Something has to go.

8

28 •••

29 _.xb7 l:txb7 l:xd4

Black also lays a battery, hope fully threatening to win both rooks by 30 ... l:txf4+. But now comes the king-hunt. 30 J.xf7+ 31 -.xn+ 32 .g8+ 33 :t7+ 34 _.e8+ 35 �bl J.xf7 �d8 �c7 �c6 �c5 l:tb4

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Kolisch defiantly continues with a mating threat of his own. But now the pursuit is resumed in earnest and a blaze of eleven consecutive checks brings the game to an end.

36 .l:.cl + .l:.c4

37 b4+ 'it>xb4

Or 37 ... 'it>d4 38 .l:.dl + 'i!tc3 39

.l:.f3+, mating in three _{more moves.}

38 .l:.b 1 + 'it>a3

39 .l:.fJ+ 'ittxa2

Steinitz - Rock 19

No craven resignations in those days; they were game to the end. By now the moves were probably com ing at table-tennis tempo.

40 1i'e2+! 'it>xb1 41 .:. b3+ 'it> cl 42 1i'e1+ 'it>c2 43 1i'b 1 + 'it>d2 44 .l:.d3+ 'it>e2 45 1i'd1+ 'it>fl 46 .l:.fJ#

Game 7

Wilhelm Steinitz (born 1836) bestrode the second half of the 19th century like a colossus. After beating the ageing Anderssen 8-6 in a match which had gone 4-all, 5-all and 6-all, he was regarded as World Champion and defied all challengers for twenty-eight years, yielding at last, at the age of 58, to Emanuel Lasker, thirty-two years his junior. Steinitz found chess a happy-go lucky game to be played by the light of nature; he left it a thorough-going sci ence.

What is not so well remembered today is the fact that he had his own ro mantic period as a young man in Vienna, where he gloried in the name of 'The Austrian Morphy' . The following game was played in an exhibition in Lon don and nothing annoyed Steinitz more than its attribution to Morphy by sev eral chess writers.

Steinitz -Rock

Exhibition Game, London 1863 Evans Gambit

1 e4 eS

2 lLlfJ lLlc6

3 ..1c4 ..tcs

4 b4

For sixty or seventy years this gambit held its own in first-class master practice and produced brilli ancies galore, White winning the short games and Black the long ones.

In the end it was the cold appraisal of Lasker which evolved a simple treatment of the defence which was tantamount to a refutation-until Kasparov's successful revival in the 1990s! 4 s c3 6 0-0 7 ..1a3 ..txb4 ..tas lLlf6

In the Evans Gambit the stand ard attacking moves d4, 0-0, ..1a3, 1i'b3, etc., can be transposed in a

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20 Game 7

bewildering number of ways, pro viding plenty of chances for Black to go wrong. 7 .ta3, as played here by Steinitz, is less forcing than 7 d4 but it succeeds brilliantly because Black allows his king to be caught in the centre.

7 ... .tb6?

7 ... d6, to be followed by ... 0-0, should give Black a safe game.

8 d4 exd4

9 'iib3 dS?

10 exdS �

When White plays 'ii'b3 in the Evans Black always likes to be able to counter with ... ltla5, hoping to destroy the light-squared bishop. No doubt it was with this in mind that Black vacated the square with 7 ... i.b6. But this time Steinitz is ready with an astonishing answer.

11 l:el+

Black's plan has more than one refutation: the simple 1 1 i.b5+ c6 1 2 dxc6 bxc6 1 3 l:e1+ .te6 14 l:xe6+ would also have forced res ignation.

1 1 ... .te6 (D)

This must have been Black's in

tention, for if 12 it'b4 Black escapes

with 12 ... ltlxc4 13 'ii'xc4 'ii'xd5. In

any case it is Black's only chance; the alternative 1 1...�d7 is hopeless: 12ltle5+ �e8 13 i.b5+ c6 14 dxc6. However, as in many chess brillian cies, someone has been taking too much for granted.

12 dxe6!!

A game won by Staunton from

Cochrane some twenty years before (which may have been known to

w

Steinitz) ran, after White's 6 0-0 above: 6 ... .tb6 7 .ta3 d6 8 d4 exd4 9 cxd4 ltlf6 10 e5 dxe5 1 1 'ii'b3 'ii'd7 12 dxe5 ltla5 13 exf6! ! lLlxb3 14 l:e1+ �d8 15 .te7+ �e8 16 fxg7 l:g8 17 i.f6+ 'ii'e6 1 8 .txe6 .txe6 19 axb3 with an extra piece for White. The sacrifice as played by Steinitz leads to an even more sum-mary execution. 12 ltlxb3 13 ext7++ �d7 14 .te6+ �c6 IS lLleS+ �bS 16 i.c4+ �aS 17 .tb4+ �a4 18 axb3#

Some sources claim that this game was played at queen's rook odds. Curiously enough this would make no difference, for Steinitz does not get round to developing even his queen's knight, and although the rook does give check on the last move it would still be mate even if the rook were not there. One sus pects that some journalist, noticing this, introduced the 'queen's rook odds' in an attempt to gild what is already a perfect lily as it stands.

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Other sources give the game as hav ing been played at queen's knight odds; still the mate holds good. It

Anderssen - M ayet 21

only remains for someone to _suggest

odds of queen's rook and queen's knight. It would still be mate!

Game S

We revert now to Anderssen and one of his greatest chess friends-Cad Mayet (born 1 8 10)-who was one of the group of seven Berlin masters known as 'The Pleiades' . Anderssen and Mayet used to visit one another in Berlin and Breslau and they must have played hundreds of light-hearted games together. Their last meeting was in Breslau in August, 1867, and the following game is possibly the last they ever played. It is an exhibition of glo rious skittles, not to be judged by the standards of tournament chess. At the finish Mayet is three pieces up, with his king mated on c 1.

Anderssen - Mayet

Casual Game, Breslau 1867 Evans Gambit 1 e4 2 lill3 3 ..tc4 4 b4 5 c3 e5 lbc6 ..tcS ..txb4 ..tf8 This is an experiment, of course, and Anderssen is only too happy to accept the challenge to refute it. Ste initz also tried out this move-as one

might expect-as well as 5 ... ..te7

and 5 ... ..td6 in his continual attempts

to improve on the usual lines of de fence.

6 d4 exd4

7 o-o .!Das

As in the previous game, Black adopts this method of trying to re move the bishop from its strong di agonal, and again he receives an unpleasant reply, though in the pre sent case he must surely have been half expecting it from Anderssen.

8 ..txt7+

A move which Anderssen would make without a second thought. Ob jectively speaking, it is probably un sound, but it creates many practical difficulties for Black.

8 9 tDtS+ 10 cxd4 11 'ii'a4 12 w 13 f4 rbr7 �e7 'ii'e8 b6 c6

White has an enormous lead in development, but opening lines is by no means easy.

13 ... d6

14 ..ta3 �d8

A casual spectator at this point might have been excused for think ing that Black had set up his king and queen on the wrong squares to begin the game. Seventy years later a similar state of affairs arose as follows: (Vecsey-Nagy, Budapest 1 937) 1 c4 e5 2 lbc3 f5 3 e4 �f6 4 exfS d6 5 g4 hS 6 g5 �g8 7 ..th3

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22 Game 8

'ii'xgS 8 d4 'ii'f6 9 �dS 'ii't7 10 �f3

�d8 1 1 �gS 'ii'e8 (D)

w

Compare this position with An derssen-Mayet: it is even more re markable. Although this game is by no means a king-hunt its finish is noteworthy: 12 dxeS "ifxeS+ 13 �fl �h6 14 �6+ ..ixe6 15 fxe6 W'e4 16 ..igS+ �c8 17 e7+ �g4 18 ..ixg4+ hxg4 19 'ii'xg4+ 'ii'xg4 20 e8'ii'#.

Back now to Anderssen-Mayet:

15 �f3 ..td7

16 l1ad1 ctrc7

The king is being hunted at long range and is already on the run.

17 d5! (D)

White is still a clear bishop in ar rears, but no doubt quite happy. In order to have any chance, he must break open the position before Black can mobilise his dormant kingside pieces.

17 ..• c5

18 'iWc2 b5

When Black wins an Evans Gam bit it is usually because of his queen side pawn majority. The black pawns are potentially quite dangerous, and already he seems to be threatening

B

19 ... b4, but this is a little risky. He

should have taken the chance to de velop a kingside piece.

19 e5 a6

On second thoughts Mayet de cides that his 'threat' of ...b4 had bet ter not be carried out! After 19 .. . b4 20 ..ixb4 ! cxb4 21 �bS+ �b6 22 �c7 ! l1c8 23 "iff2+ �c7 24 'iWxa7+ White's attack is very dangerous.

20 e6 ..ic8

The only piece which ventured off the edge retires to base.

21 lbd4?!

White has worked up quite a dan gerous initiative, but the impending ... �c4 makes it hard for him to break through. The move played aims to activate the f3-knight, but it has a fatal tactical flaw. 2 1 �eS !? dxeS 22 �e4 might have been a bet ter chance.

21 ... �b7?

Had Black played 2 1...cxd4, the drastic sequel would have been 22 �xbS+ �b6 23 1Vc7+ �xbS 24 l1b1 + �a4 25 'ii'c2+ �xa3 26 1Vb2+ and 27 'ii'b4#. However, by playing 2 1 ...�4 ! Black would threaten both ... �xa3 and ... cxd4, thereby

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winning another piece and probably the game. The move played is less clear-cut.

22 � lLlf6

Development at last!

23 .!lJg5 lbxd5

24 lLlr5 ..txe6

Black has been busily picking off pawns and now has a colossal ma jority of 4-1 on the queenside, but

he has also opened lines for White's pieces.

25 :ret ..txf5!

Well played; by now May et must have had hopes of turning the tables after all, for he is still a bishop and two pawns ahead.

26 11fxr5 .!LJe7

27 .!lJe6+ �b6?!

Black starts to go astray; after 27 ... �b8 White would have had problems justifying his sacrifices.

28 l:xd6+!

A stunning blow. If 28 ... .!LJxd6,

White continues 29 'ii'xc5+ �a5 30

'ii'c3+ lt>b6 3 1 'ii'c7#! Why did these gorgeous opportunities always hap pen to Anderssen?

28 ... �aS??

Anderssen - Mayet 23 Possibly shocked by the previous move, Black recklessly exposes his king. 28 ... .!LJc6 29 ..txc5+ lLlxc5 30 'ii'xc5+ 'ili>b7 would still have fa voured Black.

29 11fc2! lLlxd6 (D)

w

29 ... .!LJc6 was the last chance, but Black can be forgiven for overlook ing the next move, which forces mate in seven. 30 ..tb4+!! 31 11fc7+ 32 tbc5+ 33 11fa5+ 34 11txb4+ 35 l:r.e2+ 36 11fel# cxb4 �a4 �a3 �b2 �c2 �cl

Game 9

All our examples so far have been casual or exhibition games. Tournament chess is made of sterner stuff and only occasionally produces the really big king-hunt; nevertheless most of the games to come are tournament games. The next is a historic one which played a decisive part in the great interna tional congress at Baden-Baden in 1870. This was a double-round tourna ment of nine heavyweights. Anderssen, now aged 52, scored his greatest triumph by winning it with a score of 1 1/16. When his last round game against Louis Paulsen--one of the greatest of all defensive players-began to

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24 Game 9

look drawish, Anderssen cheerfully staked his chances of first prize on an in tuitive sacrifice of the exchange, and won.

But what pleased him most, no doubt, was his cracking pair of wins against Steinitz, who had recently defeated him in match play for the World Champi onship. Both games were very fine, but in the second one Steinitz was made to suffer as few World Champions have ever done. He had to watch helplessly while his king performed a lively dance over fourteen of the sixteen squares in his quarter of the board with the old assassin from Breslau shooting at his feet all the way.

Steinitz -Anderssen

Baden -Baden 1870 Vienna Game

1 e4 eS

2 lDc3 i.cS

Black has considerable choice in the Vienna, White's second move be ing less forcing than 2 �f3. After

2 ... �c6 3 f4, many of the normal

King's Gambit lines are playable. The most active defence is 2 ... �f6, aiming at an early ... d5. The theme of Anderssen's move is to play the solid ... d6 without shutting in the bishop.

3 f4 d6

4 �f3 �6

5 i.c4 c6

Other moves commonly played

here are 5 ... 0-0 and 5 ... �c6. An

derssen selects an elastic pawn for mation, for which both he and Steinitz had a predilection. Steinitz commonly used it, for instance, on the white side of the Ruy Lopez.

6 fxeS

Unnecessarily releasing the ten sion. He could have continued to build up with 6 d3.

6 dxeS

7 -.e2

He cannot win the pawn: 7 �xe5? 1Wd4.

7 ...

8 d3 �bd7 bS

Anderssen begins a big queenside advance, which leads eventually to a breakthrough in this sector, the white king being meanwhile unable to castle. w 9 .ib3 10 a3 11 �1 12 i.a2 13 �3 14 �fS aS �6 a4 0-0 i.a6 (D)

Steinitz has aggressive inten tions of his own on the kingside but Anderssen keeps him too busy else where.

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14 15 u:b4 16 c3 b4! 1Wxb4+ 1WaS Since he goes to b6 two moves later, he might very well have moved there direct; however, the tempo lost doesn't have a great deal of signifi cance.

17 lL!gS l:.ad8

18 1Wf3 1Wb6

19 i.b1 a3?

White intended to step up the pressure on Black's weak a-pawn by .i.c2, but Black could have coun tered this by 19 ... 1Wb5 followed by

... lLlb6. Instead, Black panics and offers a piece sacrifice.

20 b4!

Accepting the offer is best. but he could also have played safe with 20 bxa3. If Black then continued with 20 .. .'tfb3, he could play 21 d4. How ever, Steinitz tended to accept any sacrifice which was not obviously sound (and a few which were).

20 ••• i.xb4

The necessary consequence of the previous move.

21 cxb4 1Wxb4+

22 �e2

Since 22 i.d2 would be met by 22 ... '1Vb2, the king's travels begin.

22 ••• a2! (D)

The best practical chance of con fusing the issue.

23 i.d2!

Again the best move, gaining a useful tempo. 23 l:lxa2 'ti'xbl (not 23 ... lLlc5 losing to 24 .i.a3) 24 J:lxa6 lLlc5 25 J:lxc6 1Wa2+ 26 �1 1i'c2 27 J:lxc5 1Wxc5 28 �e2 also favours

Steinitz - Anderssen 25

w

White, but not 23 .i.xa2? �5 24 lLle7+ �h8 25 lL!xc6 1Wc3 26 .i.d2 i.xd3+ 27 �e3 'iVb2! with advan tage to Black.

23 .•• 1Wbs

24 J:lxa2

Not bad, but a simpler line was 24 .i.xa2lLlb6 (24 ... �5 25 i.c4 wins) 25 J:lhbl 'ti'xd3+ 26 'ti'xd3 i.xd3+ 27 �et i.xbl 28 J:lxbl returning some material in order to reach an ending which should be a fairly comfortable win for White.

24 ••. lLlcs

The threats are mounting, and not only against the d-pawn; Black may also drive away the knight by ... h6 and then play ... lL!fxe4. Steinitz de cides on a policy which was to win or save many a difficult game for him later in his career-to return some of his winnings. Nevertheless, in this case it is a serious mistake. After 25 J:laS! 'ifb6 26 'ti'e3 ! Black's position collapses, since 26 ... J:lxd3 loses to 27 .i.xd3 .i.xd3+ 28 1Wxd3! lt!xd3 29 lLle7+ �h8 30lbxf7+! and White forces mate.

25 J:lxa6? 1Wxa6

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26 Game 9

All part of the typical Steinitz de fensive scheme. He intends to swap off the dangerous knight, but An derssen seizes the opportunity to turn the tables. Simply 26 'W'g3 g6 27 ll:Je7+ �g7 28 ..i.c3 would have given White an enormous attack on the dark squares.

B

26 ... li:tb8!!

Thus Anderssen finally achieves his long-range object of outflanking the stranded king on the queenside and now, absolutely in his element, follows up the attack with blow after blow.

27 ..i.xc5 li:tb2+

28 �e3 1Wa5!

With the threat of 29 ... 'ii'd2# he now regains one piece.

29 li:td1 1Wxc5+

30 d4 exd4+

31 'M4

If 3 1 li:txd4, then Black mates in four: 3l...'ii'c1+ 32 �d3 1Wd2+ 33 �c4 1Wb4+ 34 �d3 1Wb3#. Or if 3 1 li:Jxd4, Black simply takes the other knight, winning easily.

31 h6! 32 ll:Jh3 liteS! Threatening 33 ... We5#. 33 Wd3 g5+ 34 � g4+ 35 �g3 li:txe4 36 •n (D)

36 lbxh6+ is useless, for after 36 ... �f8 Black is threatening to play 37 ... li:te3+.

B

36 •.• We5+

37 �h4 gxh3+

By a neat piece of play Black has contrived to take the knight with check. White cannot reply 38 ..i.xe4 because of the reply 38 .. ."ti'xe4+ 39 �xh3 •g4#.

38 �3 li:tb3+

And now if 39 ..i.d3 Black wins the knight by 39 ... li:tf4!.

39 g3 li:tf4!

The same move is still playable.

40 li:Jxh6+ �f8

41 Wc4

Steinitz has somehow managed to conjure up a double threat of his own: 42 'ii'xf7# or 42 Wxb3. But his sufferings are not yet over.

41 ... li:th4+!!

42 �g2

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42 43 �xh2 44 �h1 45 �g1 0-1 llxh2+! 1i'xg3+ 1i'h3+ llg3+ Riemann - Tarrasch 27 The end of the dance would have been 46 �f2 llg2+ 47 �e1 1i'g3+ 48

..tn 1i'f2#-the final phase of the

hunt was conducted under threat of mate in one.

Game 10

Another of the game's most famous players now appears as victim of the hunt. Tarrasch was in fact not yet twenty years of age. He reappears as the hunter in a famous chase in Game 19.

Fritz Riemann (born 1859) was only three years older than Tarrasch, who far outstripped him as a player in later years. In the present game, however, Riemann certainly shows to great advantage.

Riemann - Tarrasch

Casual Game, Breslau 1880 King's Gambit Declined

1 e4 eS

2 f4 .tc5

This quiet way of declining the King's Gambit puts difficulties in the way of White's castling.

3 ll:lf3 d6

4 c3

Equally playable is 4 ll:lc3, a line in which White has the option of eliminating the black bishop by ll:la4.

4 ••• .tg4

5 .te2

At this point Marshall later intro duced a complicated line beginning 5 fxe5 dxe5 6 1i'a4+.

5 6 .txf3 7 d3 8 1i'e2 9 rs .txf3 lLlc6 lLlr6 0-0

This constricting advance is often used by White in the King's Gambit Declined and Vienna Opening. In the present case it would seem to achieve little, since Black has al ready exchanged his light-squared bishop, but in fact it works out very well.

9 ••• h6

In later years Tarrasch would cer tainly have reacted immediately with 9 ... d5, an advance which he never achieves in the present game.

10 g4! �7

11 h4! f6

Black is playing to prevent White from advancing g4-g5, but he does not long succeed.

12 b4!

Riemann proceeds in masterly fashion to gain ground on both sides of the board, leaving his king in the centre for the time being.

12 .tb6

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28 Game 10

It is most unusual to see a double outflanking manoeuvre carried out so early in the game. At move 13 White has already moved every pawn.

13 ••. a6

14 � 1i'd1 (D) Encouraged by this removal of one guard from the square g5, Rie mann now decides to sacrifice a pawn and then try for an immediate mating attack on the h-file.

w 15 g5! 16 hxg5 17 .i.xg5 18 .i.h5! fxg5 lilxg5 hxg5

The attack is very strong. When this bishop goes to g6 there will be an immediate threat of .:.hS+ fol lowed by 1i'h5+ and 1i'h7#. Black just manages to stave off the worst, helped by the fact that Riemann has not castled, and so has to spend a move mobilising his other rook.

18 �8!

19 .i.g6 lN7

20 0-0-0

It is hard to see why White did not first play a5, so as to remove the

pawn from the attack of Black's queen with gain of tempo.

20 ••• lDh6

When annotating the game a dozen years later Tarrasch realised that this last defensive move was superfluous and that he could have played 20 ... 1Wxa4 instead. He gives analysis to show that the black king could have weathered the storm and that when the immediate kingside threats had subsided he could have taken over the initiative; but this sort of thing is not so easy to see in the heat ofbattle�specially for a teen-ager.

21 1i'a2+ �h8

22 lDc4 .ta7

23 .:.d2 b5 (D) At last Tarrasch finds time to be gin a counter-action, but it comes too late: he is over-run.

w 24 .:.dh2!! 25 :X..6+! 26 :X..6+ 27 'W'hl! bxc4 gxh6 �g8 1i'g7 Tarrasch pointed out that by in terpolating 27 ... .i.e3+ he could have given Riemann more trouble in the

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later stages, as the g-pawn would have been defended.

28 d4!

This is masterly play, shutting out the bishop. The tempting 28 :h7 on the other hand would have been a blunder: 28 .. .'ii'xg6!! 29 fxg6 :n+ and 30 ... :f2+, when Black wins.

28 ... exd4

After 28 ... :f6 29 :h7 :xg6 30 fxg6 1t'f6 31 g7 ! White has a deci sive attack.

w

29 i..h7+ rMT (D)

30 f6!!

With a beautiful piece of queen virtuosity in view: 30 ... 'ii'h8 31 'iWhs+ �e6 32 'ii'g4+ �n 33 1ld7#; or 32 ... �e5 33 'ii'f5#. Tarrasch sees it

Riemann - Tarrasch 29

and gives up his queen instead, re maining indeed with two rooks for the queen, only to succumb to the big king-hunt.

30 .•.

31 :xt6+

When one's king is as exposed as this, a queen is a much deadlier en emy than two rooks, especially with a bishop and advanced pawns to pro vide support. 32 .... 6+ 33 'ii'xg5+ 34 i..f5+ 35 i..e6! �e7 �d7 �c6

The key move, threatening 36 1i'd5+ �b6 37 a5#. The non-check ing move shows the master-hand, as usual. 35 �b7 36 i..dS+ c6 37 1t'g7+ �b6 38 aS+ �b5 39 1t'b7+ �a4 40 1i'xc6+ �a3 41 'ii'xc4 1-0 4l...�a4 42 'ii'b3+ �b5 43 c4#. Tarrasch generously included this game in his own collection Dreihun dert Schachpartien.

Game 1 1

Visits to Europe by American chess players in the 19th century were ex tremely rare. One of them was the entry of Preston Ware in the Vienna Tour nament of 1882. This was one of the strongest meetings ever, with eighteen of the world's best players in a double-round tournament. Ware would almost certainly have finished in last place but for the fact that two players withdrew at the halfway point and defaulted all the rest of their games. However, he had the consolation of a win against the World Champion (who also won the tour nament) and he must certainly also have enjoyed the following game.

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30 Game 11 Ware - Weiss Vienna 1882 Stonewall Attack 1 d4 d5 2 f4

These two pawn moves, together with the supporting moves e3 and c3, form the Stonewall, which can be used either by White or by Black. It was with this same pet opening that Ware succeeded in winning a mara thon game against Steinitz.

2 e6 3 tbf3 lLlf6 4 e3 i.d6 5 i.d3 c5 6 c3 lDc6 7 0-0 a6 8 .td2

In an opening which sets six white pawns on the dark squares, the prob lem piece is certainly the queen's bishop, which would seem to have no prospects at all. Ware used to tackle the problem methodically, playing the bishop outside the pawn chain through the one gap which re mains-to h4.

8 ... 0-0

9 a3

Now he has seven pawns on dark squares·. 9 10 h3 11 .tel 12 tbbd2 13 'ifxd2 b6 .tb7 tbe4 tbxd2 tba5

Black's knight play is unfortu nate. First he gratuitously exchanges off the one which was a key defender

at f6; now he starts a pointless raid with the other one. The threat of ... tbb3 is an empty one, White hav ing time to evade it, while at c4 the knight will be out of play. He would have been wiser to play this remain ing knight across to the deserted kingside.

14 l:td1 15 'ii'e2 16 i.h4

With the problem of this piece solved White now has a powerful kingside attack in the making.

16 ... 'ifc7

17 tbg5

The fortress of the black king is now certain to be destroyed. This method of attack is sounder than 17 .txh7+ 'iti>xh7 1 8 tbg5+ 'iti>h6 !, which is not at all clear.

17 ... h6

18 'iib5! tLlc4 (D)

This knight alone has wasted enough time to lose the game irrevo cably. The excuse for returning to c4 is the possibility of a fork at e3 or b2. Meanwhile his house is on fire.

w

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He has little hope now of surviv ing, with the white rooks ready to join the attack.

20 1i'g6!

Threatening the simple 21 "ii'h7+ �f7 22 .i.g6#. White's dark-squared

bishop turns out to be a very power

ful factor in the attack.

20 :.rs

21 1i'xe6+ :n

22 1i'g6

Now the threat is 23 "ii'h7+ �f8 24 W'h8#.

22 ... �fB

23 W'h7 �e8

Only by flight can the king avoid mate.

24 .i.g6 .i.fB (D)

w

Protecting the g-pawn; but now the white f-pawn threatens to com plete the destruction of the position by marching to the sixth rank. The pinned rook is beyond salvation, so the black king continues his flight.

2s rs �d7

26 .txn lilll:eJ

So the knight achieves his ambi

tion at last. The exchange will be re

gained, but the king is homeless.

Ware - Weiss 31

27 .i.e6+

This allows Black's king to es cape, at least temporarily. White could have won straight away by 27 Wg6! (cutting off the king's escape route) "ii'd6 28 .i.e6+ �c6 29 .i.g3 1We7 30 :de l .

27 ••• �c6

28 1i'g6! .i.d6

Desperately trying to improvise a new shelter, but this in turn will be violently destroyed.

29 :Cel lDxd1

c4 (D) 30 .:Xd1

w

Black has emerged only a pawn down, and now he tries to delay the opening of files on the queenside.

31 .i.xdS+!!

With a new and fatal extension of the king-hunt, Ware brings the game to its close. The black queen's rook never has a chance to show that it even exists.

31 �xdS

32 1i'e6+ �c6

33 •xc4+ �d7

34 .e6+ �c6

All the time the bishop on h4 is playing its part.

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32 Game 12 35 d5+ 36 1i'e2+ 37 1i'c2+ �b5 �a4 �b5 38 a4+ 1-0 38 ... �a5 39 b4+ �xb4 40 cxb4+ �xb4 41 �el+ �a3 42 :al#.

Game 12

Our next game introduces one of the most original and creative players in the whole of chess history-Mikhail Chigorin (born 1850). His full strength de veloped late, and few games remain even from his twenties, but eventually he came to challenge many of the more dogmatic aspects of the teachings of Ste initz. At about the age of 40 he played much superb match chess, including two good attempts at the World Championship and a drawn match with Tar rasch.

Dorrer - Chigorin

Correspondence, 1884: the game lasted eight months

Steinitz Gambit

1 e4 e5

2 M lDc6

Compare the note at this stage in Game 9. In _{the present position 3 f4} is often played, and some of the usual defences to the King's Gambit also hold good here. There are, how ever, some differences, and the pre sent game illustrates one of them.

3 f4 exf4

4 d4

The Steinitz Gambit. With the two knights still at home this move would be unplayable. Steinitz tried stubbornly for many years to prove that it is good in the present position, but although White won some fine victories, analysis eventually drove the opening out of use.

Steinitz was prepared to accept the immediate displacement of his

king to e2, maintaining that it was in no great danger. In the present game Chigorin sees that it does not stop there, but is driven up to d4, back to bl, up to the centre again and finally right away to be mated on a7-a six-teen-move tour.

4 ..•

5 �e2

Chigorin experimented tirelessly in all the gambits, both with White and Black, and the present move is a case in point. Commoner lines were S ... gS, S ... b6, S ... dS and, probably best, s ... d6.

6 m g5

7 lbd5

This is one common theme of White's play in the Steinitz Gambit. The early move of the black queen has left c7 undefended. In _{some vari} ations Black permits the fork.

7 .•. �d8

8 g3 &ike7

Black prepares to expel the white knight and then to break up the

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white centre pawns, letting the gam bit pawn go.

9 t;)xe7 10 gxf4 11 (i)e1 12 ..tg2 ..txe7 g4 t;)f6 d5

The first assault on the centre pawns.

13 eS t;)e4

14 �e3 (D)

Quite in the spirit of the gambit. 'The king is a strong piece,' declared Steinitz.

B

14 .•• f6

At first sight Black could have won material with the combination 14 ... t;)f2 15 �xf2 g3+, but White would reply 16 �e3 ! 'W'xd1 17 ..tf3 , regaining the queen with a roughly level endgame.

15 c4? fxeS?!

However, now there seems to be nothing wrong with 15 ... t;)f2! be cause the black queen could escape to a4. Therefore, White would lose the exchange for nothing.

16 dxe5 �e8!

This quiet move bears all the hallmarks of correspondence chess.

Dorrer - Chigorin 33

Chigorin safeguards his central po sition by simply avoiding the check, visualising 17 'W'xd5 ..tc5+ 18 �xe4 ..tf5#.

17 t;)d3 d4+!

This is the trouble with using the king in mid-board. In any hands but those of Steinitz himself (and some times even in his) it gets too hot to hold.

18 �d4

To 18 �xe4 Black replies 18 ... c5 ! threatening 19 ... ..tf5#.

18 ..trs

19 ..txe4 .l:.d8+

20 ..td.S c6

21 b4 bS

With the white king on d4 and all the long-range black pieces still on the board Black of course plays to break up the position. Chigorin is in his element in this sort of game. Watch his queenplay.

22 �c3 cxd.S

23 cS

Dorrer plays to keep lines closed.

23 Wh3!

24 'iVn d4+

25 �c2 Wh6!

26 ..td2 'iVe6!

Threatening to win a piece by 27 ... 'W'c4+.

27 �b2 'iVc4

28 (i)e1 d3

29 .l:.cl 'iVdS

30

t;)g2

..te6 Now the threat is 3 l ...'iVxa2+ 32 �c3 'W'b3#.

31 .l:.a1 aS!

Reinforcements are arriving all the time. Since White cannot play 32

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34 Game 13

a3 because of mate in two by means of 32 ... 'ii'b3+, nor 32 bxa5 because of 32 ... i.xc5 Black is bound to get the a-file for his rooks.

32 'it'f2 axb4

33 i.xb4 :.as

Black is now threatening to win the queen by 34 ... l:r.xa2+.

B

34 �b1 l:r.a4

35 a3 (D)

35 •.. d2!!

Clearing the lines beautifully for the finish. If now 36 'ii'xd2 the queen is overloaded: 36 ... l:r.xb4+! 37 'it'xb4 'ilt'xg2 while 36 i.xd2 creates a self interference: 36 ... 'ilt'b3+ 37 lt>cl l:r.c4+. 36 �c2 37 axb4 38 'iPxd2 39 �e3 40 �e4 41 �dS l:r.xb4! 'it'b3+ 'it'b2+ 'it'c3+ i.f5+!

If 41 �xf5, then Black replies 41 ...'ii'd3+ with mate the following move. But it makes little difference now. 41 42 �c6 43 �b6 44 �a6 45 �a7 0-1

It is mate next move.

'it'd3+ 'it'd7+ i.d8+ 'it'c6+ i.e4

Game 13

Jean Taubenhaus, Polish born ( 1850), spent most of his life as a chess profes sional in Paris, competing in a dozen tournaments between 1885 and 1914. Here he has a rare old set-to with Pollock. First White has his king driven to the third rank and both rooks captured by the black queen; then the tide of bat tle turns and the black king has to start running. A skittle? Not a bit of it: this was an important international tournament game!

Taubenhaus -Pollock Nottingham 1886 Allgaier Gambit 1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 00 g5 4 h4 g4 5 tbg5

The Allgaier Gambit, deliberately offering the knight which could be safeguarded by 5 tbe5, as played in Game 3.

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6 &rucn

The king-hunt may be said to have started, but before it reaches its con summation White himself has much to suffer.

6 ... �

7 d4

This move (instead of 7 ..tc4+)

bears the name of Edmund Thorold of Bath, a strong amateur who seems to have had no contact at all with London chess. In the present game the move amounts to no more than a transposition.

7 ... f3

From Black's point of view this is the most vigorous line, seeking to render the white king's position as insecure as that of his opposite

number. Black could also play 7 ... d6

but probably his best policy-as in most King's Gambit lines-is the immediate counter-sacrifice of the d pawn by 7 ... d5.

8 ..tc4+ d5!

9 ..txd5+ 'iii>e8

10 gxf3 g3

According to contemporary the ory, 10 ... lLif6 is the most accurate move.

11 f4

After 2 1 single moves there is only one piece off the back rank, but there is havoc among the kingside pawns. With the benefit of a century of hindsight, one can say that 1 1 ..te3 is better. 11 12 ..tc4 13 llg1 14 11M3 lLir6 g2 ..tg4 Taubenhaus - Pollock 35 The white queen, having been driven away from her original di agonal, takes up position on another, with the threat of 1 5 e5, intending either 16 exf6 and 16 1Wg6+. To this Pollock prepares a wicked reply.

B

14 lLic6!

15 e5? (D)

15 ... lLie4!!

Threatening mate in two starting with 16 ... 1Wxh4+. White must take the knight.

16 1Wxe4 'ii'xb4+

17 'iii>d2 'ii'f2+ 18 'iii>c3 'ii'xg1

Black is now a rook ahead and seems to have a won game. If, for in stance 19 'if g6+ 'iii>d8 20 'ii'f6+ 'iii>c8 21 'ii'xh8, then 2l ...'ii'xd4+ 22 'iii>b3 lLia5+ 23 'iii>a4 'ii'xc4+ 24 'iii>xa5 b6#.

19 ..te3!

Taubenhaus begins a desperate rescue operation involving the sacri fice of his other rook.

19 ... 'ii'el+?

A natural enough continuation in the heat of battle, but it lets the game slip. When a player has con ducted his attack in the brilliant vein

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36 Game 13

of Pollock thus far it seems some how ungracious for the annotator to point out, after quiet analysis, what he should have done; but Black could surely have won here by forc ing the exchange of queens by play ing 19 ... i.f5 ! 20 'ifxc6+ (20 'ifxf5 'ifxe3+ and 20 'iff3 'ifh2) bxc6 21 i.xg l . Then the connected passed pawns should certainly carry the day.

20 lDd2 g11i'

21 i.xg1? (D)

When one's opponent has two queens one hurries to annihilate one of them, but this, nevertheless, is too hasty. Now was the golden opportu nity to interpolate ii'g6+.

B

21 .•. 'ifxa1?!

Making life far more complicated for himself. There were two better options. Firstly, Black could have exchanged queens, remaining with rook against two pawns. Care would still have been needed against the strong white centre pawns but the extra material should have carried the day. Secondly, and even more convincingly, Black could have played 2 l ...i.b4+ 22 �b3 lba5+ 23

�xb4 'ii'xd2+ leading to an easy win.

Instead, with a greedy impulse rare indeed in Pollock, Black takes the other rook, and in the process buries his queen away out of play. The rest of the game is pure king hunt.

22 'ifg6+ 23 1i'f6+

�d8 �c8?!

This further slip puts in another step in the wrong direction. Black could have continued 23 ... lbe7 24 'iWxh8 �d7, when, compared to the game, Black has the extra defen sive move ... lbe7. In this case Black would retain a near-decisive advan tage.

24 'ifxh8 �d7

25 'fih7+ i.e7?

Even here 25 ... lbe7 was correct, when Black could still look forward to victory. The move played finally dissipates Black's advantage.

26 e6+ i.xe6

Not 26 ... �e8 27 1Wg8+ i.f8 28 1Wn+ �d8 29 1Wd7#, nor 26 ... �d6 27 lbe4#.

27 i.xe6+ �e6

28 d5+! (D)

Taubenhaus is making the most of his chances. When he unwillingly played 18 �c3 he could hardly have foreseen that, ten moves later, his own king would be playing a useful part in the encirclement of the black one.

28 ... �xdS?

A disastrous move giving White a forced mate in seven. After 28 ... �d7 29 dxc6+ bxc6 30 lbf3 the position

The King Hunt

The King-Hunt

John Nunn & William Cozens

Algebraic Classics Series

Series Editor: Dr John Nunn GM

Contents

Symbols

Introduction

Notation

Game l

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4

Game S

Game 6

Game 7

Game S

Game 9

Game 10

Game 1 1

Game 12

t;)g2

Game 13