Wednesday, October 15, 2014

The Accidental Tourist


Notes by Johann Jacob Löwenthal


CHESS IN ITALY

The two lively games which we have the pleasure of presenting here, form part of a selection from many recently played in Florence, for which we are indebted to an esteemed correspondent, “A. F.”, whose former contributions, in the shape of some elegant and ingenious problems, have already made his signature agreeably known to the readers of this magazine. The whole of the games in question, are played according to the mode in the use throughout England, Germany and France; for the amateurs of Florence, without any disrespect to the Classic Italian School, have bravely set their countrymen the example of submitting to the rules of play which are adopted by the Chess community throughout the rest of Europe.
Considering the extreme rarity with which Chess communications reach us from Italy, it is a notewhorty fact, that within only a few days of the arrival of the games forwarded by our Florentine friend, we had the gratification of receiving a MSS. collection of no less than fifty fine games played at Rome, which have been collected by Signor Dubois, and presented by that distinguished player to the Editor in a manner so flattering and graceful
“As made the things more rich”.

Baruch – Gerolamo Tassinari
Florence, 1853
Evans Gambit C51

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. 0-0 d6 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Bb2 Nf6 10. d5 Ne7 11. Bxf6 gxf6 12. Nbd2 Ng6 13. Bb5+ Bd7 14. Bxd7+ Qxd7 15. Nc4 Nf4 16. Nxb6 axb6 17. Nh4 Rg8 18. Qf3 Qg4 19. Qxg4 Rxg4 20. g3 Ne2+ 21. Kg2 Rxe4 22. Kf3 Re5 23. Rfe1 Nc3 24. Rxe5+ fxe5. And after a few more moves White surrendered.

Baruch – Gerolamo Tassinari
Florence, 1853
Evans Gambit C51

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. 0-0 d6 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. Bb2 Nf6 10. Nbd2 0-0 11. d5 Ne7 12. Bxf6 gxf6 13. Nh4 Ng6 14. Qh5 Qe7 15. Nf5 Qe5 16. g3 Bxf5 17. exf5 Ne7 18. Bd3 Qc3 19. Ne4. The game now becomes extremely animated and interesting. 19. ... Qe5 20. Rae1 Nxf5 21. Nxf6+. 21. Ng5, it appears to us, must have given White a winning superiority. 21. ... Qxf6 22. Bxf5 h6 23. Re4 Kg7 24. Rg4+ Kh8 25. Bg6. Ingenious. 25. ... Qg7 26. Bc2 Qf6 27. Bg6 Qg7 28. Bxf7. White might have drawn the game now by persisting in moving the Bishop to c2 and g6. 28. ... Qxf7 29. Qxh6+ Qh7 30. Qg5 Rf5 31. Qd2 Rg8 32. Qc3+ Rg7 33. Kh1 Kg8 34. Rh4 Qg6 35. Re1 Rxf2 36. Rhe4


36. ... Rf1+ 37. Kg2 Rg1+. Mr. Tassinari plays the termination very neatly. 38. Rxg1 Qxe4+ 39. Kf1 Rf7+. And White surrenders. 0 : 1. (Johann Jacob Löwenthal, The Chess Player’s Chronicle, Vol. 1, 1854, pages 168-171).

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