Smooth

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Notes by Johann Jacob Löwenthal

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Gerolamo Tassinari – Francesco Discart
1853
Spanish C64

The annexed game, played by Signori Discart and Tassinari, is from the selection contributed by our ingenious friend, Signor A. F—, of Florence.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5 4. c3 Nge7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. d4 exd4 7. cxd4 Bb6 8. d5 Nb8 9. d6. This certainly serves to cramp Black’s movements, but at the same time it breaks up the adverse centre. 9. ... cxd6 10. Qxd6. Ed. Note: Even stronger is 10. Bf4 – claimed by Morphy as “improvement on that given in the leading treatises of the day” – 10. ... Bc7 11. Nc3 a6 12. Bc4 b5 13. Bb3 Bb7 14. Bxd6 Bxd6 15. Qxd6 h6 16. Rad1 Nc8 17. Qf4 Nb6 18. Ne5 Qf6 19. Qxf6 gxf6 20. Ng4 Kg7 21. Nxf6 Bc6 22. e5 a5 23. Rd3 Rh8 24. Ncd5 Nc4 25. Bxc4 bxc4 26. Rg3+ Kf8 27. Nb6 Ra7 28. Rd1 Bb5 29. Rd4 Rc7 30. Rdg4 1 : 0 P. C. Morphy – Schulten, New York 1857. 10. ... Nbc6 11. Bf4 Ng6 12. Bg3 Re8 13. Nc3 Re6 14. Qd3 Nce5 15. Nxe5 Nxe5 16. Bxe5. 16. Qd5 would have been better play. Black could afterwards have played Kg1-h1, and f2-f4, with a fine attacking position. 16. ... Rxe5 17. Rad1 Rh5 18. Bxd7 Bxd7 19. Qxd7

19. ... Qh4. The attack and counter-attack kept up for the next few moves, render this part of the game exceedingly amusing. 20. h3 Rg5 21. Rd5 Rg6 22. Rf5. Black’s main object is to plant his Queen at g3, which would be at once a decisive blow. In this he is cleverly baffled, and not by merely defensive strokes, but by a vigorous and well-sustained assault on his own territory. 22. ... Rf8 23. Nd5. Threatening a fatal check at e7. 23. ... Bd8 24. Rf4 Qg5 25. Rg4 Qe5 26. Rxg6 fxg6 27. Qxb7 Kh8 28. Qb4 Re8 29. f3 Bh4 30. Qc3 Qb8 31. Rc1 Qg3 32. Rf1 Qb8 33. b3 h5 34. Qc7 Qxc7 35. Nxc7 Rc8 36. Nd5 Rc2 37. a4 Rb2 38. b4 Bg3 39. Rc1 Kg8 40. Kf1 Rf2+ 41. Kg1 Rb2 42. b5 Kf7 43. Nc3 Ke6 44. a5 Be5 45. Kf1 Bxc3 46. Rxc3 Rxb5 47. Rc6+ Ke5 48. Rxg6. And White surrendered. 1 : 0. (Johann Jacob Löwenthal, The Chess Player’s Chronicle, Vol. 1, 1854, pages 240-242).