Category Archives: Quiz

 [Event "Hastings"]  [Site "Hastings"]  [Date "1895.??.??"]  [Round "10"]  [White "Steinitz, W."]  [Black "Von Bardeleben, C."]  [Result "1-0"]  [Annotator "Variations by ChessBase"]  [SetUp "1"]  [FEN "r3k2r/pp1qn1pp/2p2p2/8/3P4/5N2/PP2QPPP/2R1R1K1 w kq - 0 17"]  [PlyCount "17"]  [EventDate "1895.08.05"]  [EventType "tourn"]  [EventRounds "21"]  [EventCountry "ENG"]   {I would like to start with one of the most famous games of the 19th century.  There initially was no reason why this game should become famous. First of all,  neither combatant played in the best way possible. But if Steinitz just missed  some STRONG moves (from our modern point of view!), Bardeleben made one BAD  move already in the opening and had to give up any idea of castling. Then,  there was a significant difference in the players' respective chess strength,  although Steinitz had lost his World Champion title the previous year.  The  game acquired its fame (and I think forever!) thanks to the incredible events  that took place between moves 17 and 25 (and could last until the 35th move,  had Curt von Bardeleben not disappeared from the tournament hall in a terrible  emotional state, without even informing Steinitz of his resignation! And deep  down inside I understand his reaction!!).  Naturally it isn't difficult for a  chessplayer with an attacking style to make Steinitz's 17th move, but JUST  this one move. It is clear that after this move there MUST EXIST good  compensation for the sacrificed pawn. But Steinitz converted a good positional  IDEA (the pawn-sacrifice, 17.d5!!) into a detective story with an exciting  scenario, the outcome of which (the "last move" of Black) would not fail to  attract anyone!  #  Here we are starting our discussion of "Dembo-rules", a  set of original and very useful chess rules. The first of them will be the  rule about gifted moves.} 17. d5 $3 {This move is gifted according to my  classification system. What do I mean?  Moves can be classified in three  different levels:  THE FIRST LEVEL - a reasonable move. It is evident from  this move that the chessplayer invests some thought on it and tries to conduct  a plan, to improve his pieces etc.  THE SECOND LEVEL - a competent move. It  implies that the chessplayer understands the position, is a serious student of  the game, reads chess books, has a good trainer. Overall, that he has strong  chess foundations!  THE THIRD AND HIGHEST LEVEL - the "gifted" move. It is a  move with an unusual, original idea, often involving a certain degree of risk;  a move which many chessplayers would reject for one very simple reason: it  wouldn't come to their mind! To avoid any misunderstanding, let me clarify  that this move does not necessarily lead to a win, it is not necessarily the  objectively strongest. No! But it is very interesting, it is gifted. I would  also like to clarify that such a move may often contradict the principles that  characterize moves of the first two levels! Such contradiction is however  absolutely logical! Something gifted is often extraordinary and therefore  provokes arguments...  So, we start with a gifted move, 17.d5!!  This GIFTED  MOVE offers White prospects for a brilliant attack and brought  world-wide  fame to this game.  White opens files towards Black's uncastled king and at  the same time obtains an excellent square for his lazy knight!  This move  brings us to the first "Dembo-rule": "don't be afraid to sacrifice a pawn for  the initiative!" And this move (pay attention!) also showcases another  "Dembo-rule": "if it looks impossible but you want to do it VERY MUCH, it is  possible!" What do I mean by that? Of course you understand that after the  move 17.d4-d5 your pawn will be captured (so it looks impossible to push the  pawn!), but you VERY MUCH want to get rich piece-play, therefore this move  turns out possible.} cxd5 (17... Kf7 18. dxc6 Nxc6 19. Rcd1 $40) 18. Nd4 {The  knight looks excellent on the blockading d4-square! I think it is safe to  assume that this position was studied very carefully by A.Nimzowitsch and had  great influence on the development of his views. This is high-level positional  play!  When I show this game to my students, I usually tell them (before  showing the move 17.d5!!): "Look here: your knight on f3 has no good moves, no  good squares, it doesn't do anything, and at this moment you play as if you  are a piece (or three pawns) down. But after the pawn-sacrifice on d5 your  knight enters the play with great effect and at the formal cost of only one  pawn. What a strong centralized piece you have obtained in return! AT THE  MOMENT it is the most dangerous and threatening piece on the board!"  By the  way, White has two immediate threats: 19.Nf5 and 19.Ne6.} Kf7 19. Ne6 {/\ 20.  Rc7} Rhc8 {The struggle for control of the 6th and 7th ranks is swinging in  White's favor. Thus, Black tries to create counterchances based on White's  back rank; you see, White now has to consider an exchange on c1 in every  variation.} (19... Rac8 20. Qg4) (19... Nc6 20. Nc5 Qc8 21. Qb5 Rb8 (21... Nd8  22. Nd7 Nc6 23. Qxd5+ Kg6 24. g4 $40) 22. Na6 Ra8 (22... bxa6 23. Qxd5+) 23.  Qxd5+ Kg6 24. Nc5 Rd8 25. Qe4+ f5 26. Qh4 $40) 20. Qg4 $1 {White increases the  pressure by threatening a mate in two.} g6 21. Ng5+ {The knight merrily  behaves like a "hooligan", but now in addition White has the e-file. Hence  began miracles...} Ke8 (21... fxg5 $4 22. Qxd7 $18) 22. Rxe7+ {This blow is  crying out to be played, but now White must carry out his entire operation  with checks, as the Rc1 is hanging. Is it possible?} Kf8 (22... Qxe7 23. Rxc8+  Rxc8 24. Qxc8+ $18) (22... Kxe7 23. Re1+ Kd6 24. Qb4+ Rc5 (24... Kc6 25. Rc1#)  (24... Kc7 25. Ne6+ Kb8 26. Qf4+ $18) 25. Qf4+ (25. Ne4+ {+- ChessBase} dxe4  26. Rd1+ Ke6 $19 {Dembo,Y}) 25... Kc6 26. Re6+ $18 {Dembo,Y}) 23. Rf7+ $1 {You  can call this rook a nuissance, a fly in your milk, a pain - whatever you  like! But what to play with Black? He makes all the best moves, but his  misfortune lies in the fact that Steinitz's conception is not only long,  beautiful, colourful; it is forced too!} (23. Qxd7 $4 Rxc1+ $19) 23... Kg8 $1 (  23... Qxf7 24. Rxc8+ Rxc8 25. Qxc8+ Qe8 26. Nxh7+ $18) 24. Rg7+ $1 Kh8 $1 (  24... Kf8 25. Nxh7+ Kxg7 26. Qxd7+ $18) 25. Rxh7+ $1 {That's all! The black  king has reached the edge of the board and now has to return. But now White  can use the h-file for his attack - the key to victory.  Black actually didn't  make his next move and his reaction was quite unusual: he left the tournament  hall without notice! And, I repeat, it is possible to understand him...} (25.  Rxh7+ $1 Kg8 26. Rg7+ Kh8 (26... Qxg7 27. Rxc8+ $18 {Dembo,Y}) 27. Qh4+ Kxg7  28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Qh8+ Ke7 30. Qg7+ Ke8 31. Qg8+ Ke7 32. Qf7+ Kd8 33. Qf8+ Qe8  34. Nf7+ Kd7 35. Qd6# {...and Black got a zero.  1-0  It seems to me that it  was not the variations themselves that prompted Black to disappear from the  playing hall. One can lose a game, especially if the opponent has, until a  year before, been World Champion!  It seems to me that Black couldn't provide  any more resistance to the combination's titanic flow of energy; a superhuman,  cosmic energy indeed.  Play LIKE THIS!  Two questions come to mind after going  through this game:  1) Who can put into words what was going on in  Bardeleben's heart and mind as he was leaving the playing hall? The conclusion  of the game greatly resembles murder, thus his nerves collapsed.  2) From  which move had the brilliant tactician Wilhelm Steinitz seen the variation all  the way to its conclusion (35.Qd6#)?  Perhaps from the GIFTED MOVE 17.d5(!!)?})  1-0