Quelli che non benpensano

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Notes by Johann Jacob Löwenthal

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Marchese Gondi – Gerolamo Tassinari
Florence, a day in the life
Queen’s Gambit Accepted D20

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4. Heydebrandt and other authorities consider it better to decline the gambit by playing 2. ... e6. We believe that the gambit may be accepted with safety. The style of the player, however, must in a great measure guide him as to the course he should adopt. If he has a predilection for close games, he will do well to decline the gambit, but if he prefers an open or attacking he may accept it boldly. 3. Nc3. 3. e3 is generally recommended. 3. ... Nf6 4. e4. 4. e3 is given in the Handbook. 4. ... e6 5. Bxc4 c6 6. Nge2 Be7 7. 0-0 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. a3 Nbd7 10. Be3 0-0 11. f4 Ng4 12. Rf3 a6 13. Rc1 c5. A good move, as the sequel shows. 14. d5. Taking Pawn with Pawn would have been bad, Black wou’d have replied with 14. ... Nxe3, following it up with ... Be7xc5, winning, at least, the Exchange. 14. ... c4 15. Bb1 Nxe3 16. Rxe3 Bc5 17. Nd4 Qb6 18. Nce2 exd5 19. e5 f6 20. e6 Rae8 21. Kh1. Necessary, as Black threatened to capture the advanced Pawn. 21. ... Nb8 22. Rh3 f5 23. b4. 23. Bxf5 would have been preferable. 23. ... cxb3 24. Nxb3 Bxa3 25. Ned4. A useless sacrifice, which turns the tables in favour of Black. White should have played 25. Rcc3, maintaining the attack. 25. ... Bxc1 26. Qh5 h6 27. Bxf5

27. ... Nd7. Black conducts the attack with great ability. 28. Qg6 Nf6 29. Rxh6 Bxf4 30. Rh7 Re7 31. Bc2 Ne4. After this White’s game was past redemption. 32. Bxe4 dxe4 33. Nf5 Rxf5 34. Qxf5 Qf2 0 : 1. And White surrenders. (Johann Jacob Löwenthal, The Chess Player’s Magazine, 1865, pages 88-89).

As The British Chess Magazine says in its January 1948 issue, at page 16, the Marchese Gondi was the maternal grandfather of Stefano Rosselli del Turco.