Yours Truly

La Nouvelle Régence, No. 6, June 1863, p. 185

Paris, July 19, 1863 My dear Mr. Journoud, I would be very grateful if, in the next issue of La Nouvelle Régence, continuing the publication of Mr. Dubois’ article on the “State of Chess in Italy”, you’ll be so kind as to remark, where and when the author tells about Mr. Bellotti, that I played with the latter only three games, adopting the Italian mode of Castling. Mr. Dubois should mention the facts without exaggeration, even wishing to praise his countryman more of than he himself ever would dare. Yours truly Jules Arnous de Rivière

Coffee house King

Jean Dufresne – Serafino Dubois
Rotterdam, 1863
Evans Gambit C51

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4!? Bb6 5. a4 a6 6. c3 Nf6 7. d3 d6 8. 0-0 Bg4 9. h3 Bh5 10. Nbd2 h6 11. Kh2 g5 12. Qe1 Qd7 13. Ng1. White’s manouvres are really a bit too much farraginous. 13. ... Ne7 14. f3 Ng6 15. g4 Nf4! 16. Nb3. If 16. gxh5 there might follow 16. ... Bxg1+ 17. Kxg1 N6xh5 followed by ... Qd7xh3 with powerful compensation. The text, however, promises nothing better. 16. ... Bg6 17. Bxf4 gxf4 18. Qh4. La Nouvelle Régence’s commentator Paul Journoud calls this “A useless move and a waste of time”, suggesting instead 18. d4, but after 18. ... h5! Black launches a tremendous attack as 19. Qh4 Qe7 simply transposes into the game. 18. ... Qe7 19. d4 h5! Threatening ... Nf6xg4+. 20. g5 Nh7 21. Rf2 Nxg5 22. Rg2 f6 23. Qe1 h4 24. Rg4 Qh7 25. Qe2 Bf7 26. Re1 Bxc4 27. Qxc4 Qf7 28. Qxf7+ Kxf7. Black remained a Pawn up with the clearly better position. 29. Kg2 a5 30. b5 Ne6 31. d5 Nc5 32. Nxc5 Bxc5 33. Ne2 Rag8 34. Nc1 Rxg4+ 35. fxg4 Rc8 36. Nb3 Bb6 37. c4

37. ... c6! The strongest coffe house player of all times conducts the ending with masterly timing. 38. Rc1 Be3 39. Rc3 cxd5 40. exd5 e4! 41. Nxa5 Bd2 42. Nxb7 Bxc3 43. Nxd6+ Kg6 44. Nxc8 f3+ 45. Kf2 Bd4+ 46. Kf1 e3 47. Ne7+ Kg5 0 : 1. Source: La Nouvelle Régence, No. 12, December 1863, pp. 365-367.

Le professeur Dubois, dans Rome

Above is a little poetry in rhyme dedicated by Ernest Nivernais to Italian chess (Grand)Master Serafino Dubois, included (p. 146) in Nivernais’ article “Il Puttino. – M. Staunton et La Stratégie. – Signor Dubois. – Un Congrès d’Échecs en Angleterre.”, La Stratégie, Volume 2, 1868, pp. 144-147.