Joseph Henry Blackburne – William Norwood Potter
London, October 10, 1875
rbnqknbr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RBNQKNBR w HAha - 0 1
London, October 10, 1875
rbnqknbr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RBNQKNBR w HAha - 0 1
Played at the West-End Chess Club on the 10th of October, 1875, for a Prize offered by Dr. Ballard, the Bishops and Knights on both sides being displaced — viz., the Bishops standing on the Knights’ squares, and the Knights standing on the Bishops’ squares.
1. Ng3. This, as Mr. Blackburne observed at the time, threatens mate in two moves.
1. ... d5. Better, we should say, than 1. ... e5, to which 2. d4 would be an inconvenient answer.
2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf5 Ne6 4. b3 c3 5. d4 g6 6. d5 gxf5 7. dxe6 Qxd1+ 8. Kxd1 fxe6. The advanced c-Pawn must, of course, fall; and Black therefore comes out of the preliminary skirmish with a doubled Pawn ahead. Still his position, consequent upon White’s move of f2-f4, which soon follows, and which cannot be prevented, is a constrained one.
9. Nd3 c6 10. f4 Bf7 11. Bd4 Rg8 12. g3 Nd6 13. Bxc3
1. Ng3. This, as Mr. Blackburne observed at the time, threatens mate in two moves.
1. ... d5. Better, we should say, than 1. ... e5, to which 2. d4 would be an inconvenient answer.
2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf5 Ne6 4. b3 c3 5. d4 g6 6. d5 gxf5 7. dxe6 Qxd1+ 8. Kxd1 fxe6. The advanced c-Pawn must, of course, fall; and Black therefore comes out of the preliminary skirmish with a doubled Pawn ahead. Still his position, consequent upon White’s move of f2-f4, which soon follows, and which cannot be prevented, is a constrained one.
9. Nd3 c6 10. f4 Bf7 11. Bd4 Rg8 12. g3 Nd6 13. Bxc3
13. ... Bc7 [RR 13. ... Ne4! (Steinitz) 14. Bd4 Bc7∓]
14. Ne5 Bh5 15. Bd3 0-0-0. Perhaps Black’s best move at this point was 15. ... Ne4, notwithstanding the possibility of the Pawns being trebled on the e-file.
16. Kc2 Ne4 17. Bc4. White probably does wisely in not capturing the Knight.
17. ... Rd6 18. Rhd1 Rgd8 19. Bb4 c5 20. Be1 Nf6 21. Bf2
14. Ne5 Bh5 15. Bd3 0-0-0. Perhaps Black’s best move at this point was 15. ... Ne4, notwithstanding the possibility of the Pawns being trebled on the e-file.
16. Kc2 Ne4 17. Bc4. White probably does wisely in not capturing the Knight.
17. ... Rd6 18. Rhd1 Rgd8 19. Bb4 c5 20. Be1 Nf6 21. Bf2
21. ... Bb6. 21. ... b6, though it admits of Bc4-a6+, was no doubt better than the move in the text, for the weakness of the c-Pawn is a cause of subsequent embarrassment.
22. Rxd6 Rxd6 23. Rd1 Nd5. Exchanging Rooks was possibly preferable.
24. a3 a6 25. Kb2 Nc7. 25. ... Nxf4 may appear plausible, but it involves the loss of a Pawn, though at the same time no worse result than a draw would seem to follow.
26. Rc1 Rd2+ 27. Kc3 Rd6 28. Kb2 Rd2+ ½ : ½. Both parties concluded to persist in the same moves, and the game was therefore abandoned as drawn.
22. Rxd6 Rxd6 23. Rd1 Nd5. Exchanging Rooks was possibly preferable.
24. a3 a6 25. Kb2 Nc7. 25. ... Nxf4 may appear plausible, but it involves the loss of a Pawn, though at the same time no worse result than a draw would seem to follow.
26. Rc1 Rd2+ 27. Kc3 Rd6 28. Kb2 Rd2+ ½ : ½. Both parties concluded to persist in the same moves, and the game was therefore abandoned as drawn.
This repetition is forced upon Black by the weak condition of his c-Pawn, while, as far as White is concerned, the latter being a Pawn behind, cannot afford to risk much. Had he considered to adventure something, two lines of play were open to him — viz., 27. Ka1 when checked, or 28. Rc2 in reply to 27. ... Rd6; whether either of these courses would yield any profit, and to whom, is a question to answer which would require a good deal of analysis.
No comments:
Post a Comment