Chess Improvement

Chess Strategies: Classic Steinitz Game Vs Von Bardeleben

April 16th, 2009

Learning to play strong moves from a brilliancy by Steinitz is a lot more fun than seeing how many games you can blitz out on the Internet in an hour!

STEINITZ MOPS UP…
I can’t believe
I saw the whole thing.
Steinitz – Von Bardeleben, Hastings 1895

WHITE-BLACK
1. e4 e5
Both players realize the importance of controlling center squares.
White controls d5 and Black controls d4. Notice also that both sides have a queen and one bishop ready to move out along diagonals to do battle.

2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5
4. c3 Nf6
5. d4 exd4
6. cxd4 Bb4+
7. Nc3
Steinitz offers a gambit; he sacrifices a pawn for Development.

7. … d5
Black refuses the gambit. However, accepting it with …Nxe4 is stronger than this.

8. exd5 Nxd5
9. O-O
BEST MOVE!

9. … Be6
10. Bg5
gaining a Tempo

10. … Be7
Notice that 10….f6 is refuted by 11.Re1.

11. Bxd5 Bxd5
12. Nxd5 Qxd5
13. Bxe7 Nxe7
14. Re1 f6
15. Qe2 Qd7
16. Rac1 c6
17. d5 cxd5
18. Nd4 Kf7
19. Ne6 Rhc8
20. Qg4 g6
21. Ng5+ Ke8
22. Rxe7+ Kf8 *
See Note Below for what happens if Black captures the rook.
………………………………….

Since Black sees that he loses after taking the intruding white rook with either the king or with the queen, he moves the king out of check –
However, is there a clear win for White here?

YES, and Steinitz spotted it.

Here then is your assignment, boys and girls! From now until the end of the game, BECOME STEINITZ. See How Many of Steinitz’ Moves You Can Anticipate…

23. Rf7+
The student sees at once that queen takes rook is refuted by rook takes rook on c8.

23. … Kg8
White’s only winning move is incredibly hard to find here.
HINT: Do Not Even Think About Taking The Black Queen, WHICH
ALLOWS YOU TO BE CHECKMATED with …Rook Takes Rook On c1.
So what then is strong for White at 24??

Spend time with this until you are sure you have found a plan that wins even if Black makes his best moves until he is eventually Checkmated.

WHAT THEN DOES WHITE DO NOW?

24. Rg7+ Kh8
25. Rxh7+ Kg8
26. Rg7+ Kh8
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#
An Epaulet Mate
———————————

NOTES
*
What if Black takes knight with king at 22…?
22. … Kxe7
23. Re1+ Kd8 **
24. Ne6+ Ke7
25. Nc5+ Kd6
26. Qxd7+ Kxc5
27. Rc1+

**
23. … Kd6
24. Qb4+ Rc5
25. Qf4+ Kc6
26. Re6+ Kb5
27. a4+ Ka5
28. b4+ Kxa4
29. bxc5+ Kb5
30. Re2 d4
31. Ne6 Re8
32. Nxd4+ Kxc5
33. Rc2+ Kd5
34. Qf3+ Kxd4 ***
35. Qd1+ Ke5
36. Qxd7

***
34. … Kd6
35. Qa3+ Ke5
36. Qc5+ Qd5
37. Re2+ Kf4
38. Qxd5 Rxe2
39. Nxe2+ Kg4
40. f3+ Kh4
41. g3+ Kh3
42. Nf4#

*
On the other hand, Black also loses if takes with queen at 22:
22. … Qxe7
23. Rxc8+ Rxc8
24. Qxc8+ Qd8
25. Qe6+ Qe7
26. Qc8+ Qd8
27. Qxd8+ Kxd8
28. Nf3 Kd7
29. Kf1 Kc6
30. Ke2 Kd6
31. Nd4 a6
32. Ke3 b6
33. g4 a5
34. h4 a4
35. g5 f5
36. Kf4
White wins — Zugzwang is here.
36. … Kc5
37. Ke5 f4
38. b3 axb3
39. axb3 f3
40. Nxf3 Kc6
41. Nd4+ Kc7
42. Kxd5 Kd7
43. b4 Ke7
44. Kc6 Kf7
45. Kxb6 Ke7
46. Kc7 Ke8
47. b5