Nobody’s Perfect

Singularly enough, we find in the last issue of the Nuova Rivista degli Scacchi (No. 67 for July and August, 1886), a paper written by Signor S. Dubois, under the caption, “How many errors makes in a game the greatest player?” in which the writer, after examining very ably and at lenght the matter of this question, comes to the conclusion, in accord with the opinion expressed by the great French master, Labourdonnais, that, generally speaking, a player, be he ever so strong, will not make in a game fewer than two or three mistakes, slight or great. We are much of the same opinion. Brooklyn Chess Chromicle, No. 1, October 15, 1886, pp. 1-2

A Man in the World

Serafino Dubois played chess according to both the Italian and the international modes, and was a renowned theoretician as well as a cosmopolitan writer, but apparently he never indulged — at least as far as it is known — in the art of chess composition. Or maybe... yes, because the distinguished problemist Fabio Magini claims that a posthumous “protostudy” by Dubois can be found on La Tribuna Illustrata, No. 21, 1901, where the following diagram is shown as “Finale No. 38 by S. Dubois (Rome)”:

8/1p2r1p1/p4pk1/2NP4/5K2/P4P1P/1P6/8 w - - 0 1

White is to play and win: 1. d6 Re1 (or 1. ... Re8 2. d7 Rd8 3. Ne6! Rxd7 4. Nf8++−) 2. d7 Rd1 3. Ne6! Rxd7 4. Nf8++− and finis. This seems a bit too easy for such a “finale” to rise to the dignity of “study”, and most likely it is a matter of specimen from Dubois’ actual play.

Fragments from an Unwritten Short Story

Serafino Dubois – J. F. Versteeven
Rotterdam, April 11, 1865
Bishop’s Opening C24

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. f4 Nxe4 4. d3 Qh4+ 5. g3 Nxg3 6. Nf3 Qh3 7. Bxf7+ Kd8 8. Rg1 Nf5 9. fxe5 Be7 10. Bf4? It’s just improvisation. Sounder was 10. Qe2 Rf8 with unclear game (though a bit easier for Black), Holving – Kallgren, 25th Rilton Cup, Stockholm 1994. 10. ... Bh4+? Versteeven gives a wrong and useless check. The right move was 10. ... Rf8! with excellent play for Black, since the White Bishop could not keep staying on the diagonal h5-e8. 11. Kd2 Rf8. Too late. 12. Bh5 Nd4 13. Nxd4 Rxf4 14. Rxg7 Qxh2+. Black is eager to regain his Pawn and seems to forget that he is still far behind in development on the Queenside. 15. Kc3 Rf8? Black thinks to have solved everything, while in reality he’s falling down into the abyss. He should have played 15. ... c5! with very unclear consequences but good possibilities to save the day.

16. Qf3! A deadly blow to the King. 16. ... Be7. Her Majesty is taboo, for if 16. ... Rxf3 then 17. Rg8+ Ke7 18. Re8 mate. 17. Rf7 Rxf7 18. Qxf7 c6 19. Qe8+ Kc7 20. Qxe7 Qxh5 21. Ne6+ Kb6 22. Qb4+ Ka6 23. Nc5 mate. Source: Sissa, 1865, pp. 118-119.

A Point of Age

Serafino Dubois – S.
Rotterdam, July 18, 1864
King’s Gambit Accepted C37

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 g4 5. 0-0. The Muzio Gambit. 5. ... gxf3 6. Qxf3 Qe7 7. d4 Nc6 8. Qxf4. For 8. c3 Ne5! see Dubois – Anderssen, London 1862. 8. ... Nh6? 8. ... Nxd4 9. Bxf7+ Kd8 10. Nc3 c6 11. Qf2 is unclear but quite promising for White, Anderssen – Neumann, Berlin 1864, match game 1. The best is probably 8. ... Bh6! 9. Qxf7+ Qxf7 10. Bxf7+ Kd8 11. c3 Bxc1 12. Rxc1 Nh6 which seems to leave White with insufficient compensation for the sacrificed Knight, Schlechter – Chigorin, Vienna 1903. 9. Nc3 Nxd4 10. Nd5 Ne6 11. Qe5 Bg7 12. Nxc7+ Kd8. On 12. ... Kf8?? 13. Bxh6 wins outright. 13. Nxe6+ fxe6 14. Qb5? One would have expected 14. Qh5. 14. ... Ng4?? Had Black played 14. ... Nf7, the brave Serafino would have been in serious trouble. Now it’s all in its place: 15. Bg5 Bf6 16. Rxf6 Nxf6 17. Rf1 Rf8 18. e5 Ke8 19. Bxf6 Qf7 20. Qc5 d5 21. Bb5+ Bd7 22. Bh4 Qg7

White announced mate in six moves: 23. Bxd7+ Kxd7 24. Qd6+ Kc8 25. Rxf8+ Qxf8 26. Qxf8+ Kc7 27. Qd6+ Kc8 28. Qd8 mate. Source: Sissa, 1865, pp. 14-15.

Nobody is immortal

Today, I and Alessandra were remembering when, about two years ago, we organized a certain not so important chess event at the Associazione Culturale “Il Delta della Luna” in Florence, Italy. All financial and organizational details were, quite understandably, on our shoulders, but inevitably a little plethora of Federazione Scacchistica Italiana’s representatives (especially, Tuscany ones) — or at least they claimed to be second-hand chess officials — as well as a bunch of non-Italian representatives, gathered around us in order to exploit any possible lucrative opportunities. Oh, they did it wonderfully well! And they did not hesitate, for pursuing their noble “political” aims, to mix themselves with all the worst you could imagine coming from Prato — that’s not so far from Florence, Genoa and Milan as we might have hoped.
What do I remember of them? Well, nothing but bad things — just to put it euphemistically.
Did they act in that way under the aegis of a national or international federation or by their own initiative? I don’t know, do you?
We are not so rich to afford losing money in courts that protect only plutocrats and ochlocrats, so we had to content ourselves with living (still alive) in our small but precious nowhere land. It seems a little thing, hardly worth a breath, yet it wasn’t easy at all.
It was a very sad experience, from all possible point of views, and sincerely speaking, when our old publisher asked me to write down the “story”, I felt so ashamed of my countrymen that I preferred to keep it with mine.
Even I would have been a bit too embarrassed to hand him the bill.
He could not have paid it. And, honestly, I could not have accepted it.
So, to make it short, in all our life we’ve written only “Serafino Dubois il Professionista”. It isn’t a horror novel, it wasn’t a best-selling book.

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.

Through untold ages

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Notes by Daniel Willard Fiske

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Serafino Dubois – S. Lécrivain
Paris, September 9, 1855
King’s Gambit C33

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Bc4 Qh4+ 5. Kf1 g5. The game is opened in accordance with the old or so-called classical method of conducting the Bishop’s Gambit. 5. Nc3 Ne7 6. d4 Bg7 7. Nf3 Qh5 8. e5 0-0 9. Ne4 h6 10. h4 b6 11. Kg1 g4

12. Nfg5 Ng6. If 12. .. hxg5 13. hxg5 Qg6 14. Bd3 [Ed. Note: The immediate 14. Nf6+ Bxf6 15. exf6 wins as well] 14. ... Nf5 15. Qxg4 d5 16. Nf6+ Bxf6 17. exf6 and wins. 13. Qd3 Nc6 14. Bd2 a5 15. Rf1 Nce7 16. Rxf4 Nxf4. Permitting his adversary to terminate the contest at once, but in any case White’s position is a winning one.

And Mr. Dubois mates in two moves [Ed. Note: 17. Nf6+ Bxf6 18. Qh7 mate]. 1 : 0. As in many previous instances we are indebted to our correspondent, Mr. Louis Centurini, of Genoa, Italy, for the manuscript of this game. It was played at Paris, September 9th, 1855. (Daniel Willard Fiske, The Chess Monthly, Vol. V, 1861, page 144).

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.

@SerafinoDubois

Artwork © Just-ASimple-Fangirl

In Italy they castle in various manners; the King and Rook being allowed a choice of all the intermediate squares, as well as those on which they originally rested. There is even one mode of castling, extant in Salvio, and other old writers, termed “alla Siciliana”, in which the King made the leap of the Knight. I was formerly of opinion, with Sarratt, that it would improve Chess to introduce the Italian method of Castling into this country. George Walker, “The Art of Chess-play: A New Treatise on the Game of Chess”, London, Sherwood, Gilbert & Piper, 1846, p. 6

Gallicism

Serafino Dubois – Jules Arnous de Rivière
Paris, July 20, 1855
Sicilian Defence B21

Notes by Georges Bertola, “1856 La Régence (2)”, Europe Échecs, December 14, 2015.

1. e4 c5 2. f4 e6 3. c4!? Nc6 4. Nf3 f5. Sans doute prématuré mais joué sous l’influence du champion de l’époque Staunton. Voici un exemple: 4. ... g6 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. Be2 d6 7. 0–0 Nge7 8. a3 a6 9. Rb1 0–0 10. Qc2 f5=/+ Horwitz – Staunton (Londres 1851). 5. e5. Fermer la position n’est pas la suite critique 5. exf5!?. 5. ... Nh6 6. Nc3 Be7 7. Be2 0-0 8. 0-0 a6 9. d3 b6 10. b3 Bb7 11. h3 Qc7. “Les noirs développent leur jeu avec beaucoup de soin et de jugement”. (Dubois). 12. Be3 Rad8 13. a3 d5?! Meilleur 13. ... d6!. 14. exd6? “Si les blancs prennent le pion avec 14. cxd5 les conséquences sont avantageuses pour le joueur en second, supposons 14. ... exd5 15. d4 cxd4 16. Nxd4 Nxe5 17. fxe5? Qxc3 18. Bxh6 Bc5 19. Kh1 Qxd4-+”. (Dubois). Puis près de 20 ans plus tard, il renforça la variante avec 17. Ne6! (17. Rc1!) 17. ... Qxc3 18. Bd4! Qc8 19. Nxd8 avec gain de la qualité pour un pion. 14. ... Bxd6 15. Ng5 Rf6 16. Qd2 Nd4 17. Bxd4 cxd4 18. Na4. “Mauvaise place pour le cavalier”. (Dubois). 18. ... Bc6 19. Nb2 e5! 20. fxe5 Bxe5 21. Bf3 Bg3 22. Bxc6 Qxc6 23. Rf3

23. ... f4? “Permet de dégager le cavalier et force l’échange. 23. ... Qd6!”. (Dubois) 24. Ne4 Rg6 25. Nxg3 fxg3 26. Raf1 Qd6 27. Qb4 Qxb4 28. axb4 b5. “Une très bonne répartie et très inattendue, arrêtant la marche des pions et enfermant le cavalier pour fort longtemps”. (Dubois). 29. c5 Re6 30. Rxg3 Re2 31. Rf2 Rxf2 32. Kxf2 Nf5 33. Rf3 Ne3 34. Rxe3. “Hasardeux; 34. Rf4 était plus sûr”. (Dubois). 34. ... dxe3+ 35. Kxe3 Kf7 36. d4 Re8+ 37. Kf4 Ke6 38. Ke4 Kd7+ 39. Kd5? “39. Kd3 eut probablement sauvé la partie”. (Dubois). 39. ... Re3! 40. Nd1 Rxb3 41. Nf2 Rxb4 42. Nd3 Rb3 43. c6+ Kc7 44. Nc5 Ra3 45. Ne6+ Kc8 46. Kc5 Rc3+ 47. Kb6 b4 48. d5 Rd3 0 : 1.

Paul Charles Morphy (L.) and Jules Arnous de Rivière (R.) playing at Paris, 1858. Photo: Wikipedia.

By default

Serafino Dubois – Joseph Henry Blackburne
International Chess Congress; Grand Tournament; London, June 30, 1862
Owen Defence B00

Notes by Johann Jacob Löwenthal, “The Chess Congress of 1862”, London, Henry G. Bohn, 1864, pages 60-61.

1. e4 e6 2. d4 b6 3. Nf3 Bb7. Bringing out the Bishop to g7 and b7, in close games, has recently been in vogue. This double “Fianchetto” may perhaps be safely adopted, but it has not received much attention at the hands of analysts, and it would therefore be difficult to pronounce definitely on its merits. 4. Bd3 c5 5. c3 cxd4 6. cxd4 d6 7. 0-0 g6 8. Nc3 Bg7 9. Re1 Ne7 10. Bf4 a6. Necessary to prevent White from playing Nc3-b5. 11. Qb3 0-0 12. Rad1 Nbc6 13. e5 d5 14. Na4 Nc8 15. Rc1 Na5 16. Qc3

16. ... Bc6. Black had a very cramped game, the move in the text was perhaps his best. 17. Qb4 Bxa4 18. Qxa4 b5 19. Qb4 Ne7 20. Bg5 Nec6. This part of the game is played by Mr. Blackburne with uncommon skill. 21. Qc5 Qd7 22. b3 Rfc8 23. Qa3 Ra7 24. Bd2 Bf8 25. Qb2 Rac7 26. Bxa5 Nxa5 27. Rxc7 Qxc7 28. Qd2 Qc3 29. Qxc3 Rxc3 30. Rd1 Ba3 31. Kf1 Nc6 32. Ke2 Rc1 33. Rxc1 Bxc1 34. Bb1 Bb2 35. Ke3 h6 36. a4 bxa4 37. bxa4 Kf8 38. Bd3 Nb4 39. Ne1 Ke7 40. Nc2 Nxd3 41. Kxd3 ½ : ½. Drawn by mutual consent.

Timothy David Harding wrote in his book “Joseph Henry Blackburne A Chess Biography”, Jefferson, North Carolina, McFarland & Company, 2015, page 36:

This rather uneventful against the Italian champion, whose arrival in London had been delayed, was played on the first day of the public sessions in the St. James’s Hall. It should have been replayed next day, when Steinitz beat Barnes and some other games were also played, but only the 5 July article in the Illustrated News of the World says what happened: “Mr. Blackburne was announced to play against Signor Dubois but the latter gentleman was to unwell to attend”. The article was written by Löwenthal, the tournament manager, who evidently was satisfied with the excuse provided by Dubois, but presumably this postponement was not properly communicated to Blackburne or the press. Boden wrote in The Field of 26 July that “Mr. Blackburne scored one by default of Mr. Dubois”, but ultimately the committee disagreed with that view. Boden had already complained on 12 July that regulations had not been strictly followed in some cases and made recommendations for more strict observance in future tournaments. Then on 9 August, after the committee had made its decisions, Boden (while admitting that they had acted “with perfect impartiality”) stated more explicitly that the tournament manager had perhaps mislaid Blackburne’s claim document: In first place, Mr. Dubois is allowed to score a game by default of Mr. Blackburne, although Mr. Blackburne had the prior, and therefore the only claim to that game, he having, as we understood from himself, handed in its printed form at the expiration of the time of the first appointmemt to play, indicating that he claimed the game by default.

Joseph Henry Blackburne
Image courtesy of Westminster Papers, April 1876

罗马博物馆列表

Il torneo qui raffigurato fu il primo organizzato in Italia a livello nazionale e fra le persone convenute è raffigurato il vincitore, l’ingegnere Pietro Seni in piedi al centro con le spalle all’arazzo. Fra i giocatori vi sono anche Serafino Dubois ed Augusto Ferrante, il primo autore di un libro sul torneo del 1875 (Dubois 1875) ed il secondo, che in gioventù fu garibaldino, redattore della colonna sugli scacchi nelle riviste “L’Album” e la “Tribuna illustrata”. A.M.

• “Il Museo di Roma racconta la città”, Roma, Gangemi Editore, 2012, p. 383

Letters to Juliet

“L’Arroccamento Italiano e l’Arroccamento Francese o Europeo Lettera di Serafino Dubois al Dottore A. van der Linde”, Roma, Tipografia dei Fratelli Monaldi, 1874.

Giovine Italia Pavilion

The New York Clipper, Vol. XI, No. 11, Saturday, June 27, 1863, p. 84

The New York Clipper, Vol. XI, No. 11, Saturday, June 27, 1863, p. 84

信譽

Nordisk Skaktidende, Volume 7, Wilhelm Priors, 1879, p. 19

The whole of this game is played very brilliantly by Signor Dubois.

The Japan Daily Mail, A. H. Blackwell, 1893, p. 80

海战

Lord Vernon – Serafino Dubois
Southport, August 1862
rnbqkbnr/ppppp1pp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

Serafino Dubois gives Lord Vernon the Pawn and Two Moves. Remove Black Pawn at f7.

1. e4 — 2. d4 d6 3. f4 Nf6 4. Bd3 e5 5. Nf3 exd4 6. 0-0 c5 7. Re1 Nc6 8. c3 Bg4 9. h3 h5 10. e5 dxe5 11. fxe5 Nd5 12. Bg6+ Kd7 13. hxg4 hxg4 14. Ng5 Kc8 15. Qxg4+ Kb8 16. Nf7 Qh4 17. Qxh4 Rxh4 18. e6 Kc7 19. Bg5 Rg4 20. Na3 Ne3 21. Nb5+ Kb6 22. a4 Rxg2+ 23. Kh1 Rxb2 24. Bxe3 dxe3 25. Rxe3 Be7 26. c4 Nd4

White to play and mate in two moves, idem to say 27. a5+ Ka6 (or 27. ... Kc6 28. Ne5 mate) 28. Nc7 mate. 1 : 0. (Source: Schachzeitung, October & November, 1862, page 327).

速寫

Position from a game played by S. Dubois (Black).

N. N. – Serafino Dubois
r1b1k2N/ppp3pp/3p4/4p3/2BbP1n1/3P2qP/PPP1Q3/R1B2K1R b q - 0 1

Black to play and mate in five moves.

1. ... Nh2+ 2. Qxh2 Bxh3+ 3. Ke2 Bg4+ 4. Kf1 Qf3+ 5. Ke1 Qd1 mate. (Neue Berliner Schachzeitung, 1865, pages 246, 348).

國王的新衣

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Notes by Daniel Willard Fiske

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Serafino Dubois – Duke of Rignano
Rome, 1844
King’s Gambit C39

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 h5 6. Bc4 Nh6 7. d4 d6 8. Nd3 f3 9. g3 Nc6 10. Nf4 Ng8 11. Be3 Bg7 12. Nc3 Bd7 13. Nfd5 Na5 14. Qd3 c6 15. Bg5 f6 16. e5 Nxc4 17. Qg6+ Kf8 18. exf6 Nxf6 19. Nxf6 Bxf6 20. Kb1/Re1. This is one of the Italian methods of Castling. For a description of the modes of Castling allowed by the Italian school see page 138 of our present volume.

20. ... Bxg5 21. hxg5 Rg8 22. Qh6+ Rg7 23. Ne4 Nd2+. This sacrifice of the Knight relieves Black for the moment. 24. Nxd2 Qxg5 25. Qxd6+ Kg8 26. Ne4 Qd8 27. Nf6+ Kf7 28. Nxd7 Rg5 29. Ne5+ Kg7 30. Qe6 Qe8 31. Qb3 f2 32. Ref1 Rf5 33. Qxb7+ Kg8 34. Nxg4 Rb8 35. Nh6+ Kf8 36. Qh7 Rf3 37. Qh8+ Ke7 38. Qe5+ Kd7 39. Rxh5 Qxe5 40. Rxe5 Rh8 41. Nf5 Rh2 42. c3 Rg2 43. Kc2 Rg1 44. Ne3 Rxe3 45. Rxe3 Rxf1 46. Rf3 Kd6 47. g4 Kd5 48. Rf4 Rg1 49. Rxf2. And White wins. 1 : 0. This instructive game was played at Rome in 1844. The noble opponent of Mr. Dubois is well known as a strong Italian amateur. (Daniel Willard Fiske, The Chess Monthly, Vol. ii, 1858, pages 302-303).

Rien ne va plus

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Notes by Daniel Willard Fiske

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Serafino Dubois – S. Lécrivain
Paris, 1855
King’s Gambit C39

1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5. This opening is known in Italy as the Great Gambit, because Allgaier only examined the variation springing from 5. Ng5. 5. ... h5. 5. ... Nf6 has, within a year or two, come to be regarded as stronger (see Chess Monthly Vol. i pp. 234-236). 6. Bc4 Rh7 7. d4 d6 8. Nd3 f3 9. g3 Ne7 10. Bg5 Bh6

11. Nf4. This is perfectly safe. 11. ... Bxg5 12. hxg5 h4. If 12. ... Ng6 13. Nxh5 Qxg5 14. Nf6+ and wins the Exchange. 13. gxh4 Ng6 14. Nxg6 fxg6 15. Qd2 Qe7 16. Nc3 c6 17. Kf2 Be6 18. d5 Bd7 19. e5 dxe5 20. d6 Qg7 21. Ne4 Bf5 22. Nf6+ Kd8 23. Qa5+ b6 24. Qxe5 Rh8 25. Rhe1 Kc8 26. Qe7 Qxe7 27. dxe7 Bd7 28. Rad1. And White wins. 1 : 0. We owe this unpublished game, with the notes, to the kind attention of Mr. Centurini. (Daniel Willard Fiske, The Chess Monthly, Vol. ii, 1858, pages 272-273).