| Jan-08-03 |
| Dr Young: Is this bishop sacrifice an opening line and if it it is, how can white avoid the disaster that happened to Mayet in this game? |
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| Jan-08-03 |
| ughaibu: Best way to avoid this kind of disaster is to not take the bishop. |
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Aug-02-03
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| kevin86: Great mating combination! Adolf knows his kingside attacks! |
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| Feb-15-04 |
| oblivion95: Trading the Knight for the other Bishop with 9.d4 also takes the steam out of Black's attack. But yes, refusing to take the Bishop is the safest route. White had his chances in this game.
e.g. 11.fxg3 is dangerous, but it actually works. White ends up a piece ahead. But note that 12.Nd3 loses to 12...Rh4! |
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| Mar-18-04 |
| Aliyah: This is the first game in Rashid Ziyatdinov's interesting book, GM-RAM (Thinker's Press 2000), presenting the 250 or so positions he claims are sufficient (though perhaps not necessary?) to know to become a Grandmaster. There are also 59 games he says must be memorized, and this game is the first on the (chronological) list. Actually, the game ends with White's resignation after Black's 12th move (Bxf2+). I don't think Chesscafe should be in the business of altering the historical record. Finally, it's a lovely game! |
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Mar-18-04
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| chessgames.com: <I don't think Chesscafe should be in the business of altering the historical record.> I don't think Chessgames.com should be in that business either; anyhow this is the game as we received it. Numerous other online databases indicate that it was played to mate (which is doubtful but possible), perhaps somebody else has another published example to use as a third opinion? |
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Mar-18-04
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| Calli: I've also seen it published with white resigning after 13...Qd1+. I think this was a casual game and not recorded during the play. Even the players can remember these kinds of games differently. Ed Lasker, for instance, reported the famous offhand encounter Thomas-Lasker with slightly different move orders. Without a scorecard there is no certainty. I think that <Aliyah> is likely correct that Mayet resigned before mate and that the ending moves have been added to the score in order to explain the combo. The best possible source would be the original german publication or some book that quotes the original. |
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| Mar-18-04 |
| Aliyah: In addition to GM-RAM I checked the game in the following source, where again it ends 13...Qd1+ 0-1. Graham Burgess, "The Quickest Chess Victories of all Time" (Cadogan Books 1998), pp. 178-179. Burgess doesn't give his source. Chessgames.com is a wonderful resource (so is Chesscafe - but never mind about that for now); I just want it to have a well-deserved reputation for integrity and reliability. Calli is right - the original publication or a publication with a direct evidential link to the original would be the best possible source. Speaking of Lasker-Thomas (which I assume is what Calli means), I've even seen the game given with White's Queenside castling as the mating move! Striking, remarkable, unique, deeply satisfying, but not true! |
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Aug-18-04
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| AdrianP: <oblivion95> I think you're right that White is winning with 11. fxg3 Here's my main line:
11. fxg3 Nxg3 12. Re1 Rh1+ 13. Kf2 Qh4 14. Nf3+ Ne4+! (meeting a check with a double check...!) 15. Ke2 Qf2 16. Kd3 and the White K has reached safety. Does anyone see anything better for White? |
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| Mar-17-07 |
| Rubenus: In that times, they usually played out the mate so I think this is good. |
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| Mar-17-07 |
| MaxxLange: <Rubenaus>exactly what I was thinking |
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Mar-17-07
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| keypusher: <I've also seen it published with white resigning after 13...Qd1+. I think this was a casual game and not recorded during the play. Even the players can remember these kinds of games differently. Ed Lasker, for instance, reported the famous offhand encounter Thomas-Lasker with slightly different move orders. Without a scorecard there is no certainty.
I think that <Aliyah> is likely correct that Mayet resigned before mate and that the ending moves have been added to the score in order to explain the combo.> Quite right. It's also possible that Anderssen announced mate after 12...Bxf2+. Errors that make nonsense of the game score are one thing, and should be corrected; disagreements about exactly which move a casual game ended on (in the middle of a forced mating sequence, no less) are another, and shouldn't bother anybody. |
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| Mar-17-07 |
| MaxxLange: How did the "announcing mate" custom work? When did it go out of fashion? I wonder what happened when someone announced mate when there was not a forced mate? |
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Mar-17-07
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| Calli: Oxford Encyclopedia of Chess Games gives 13...Qd1+ 0-1. Their source is Chess Monthly (Zukertort & Hoffer, 1882). A bit disappointing that the source is not closer to the actual game date, but its better than using modern books. |
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| Nov-08-07 |
| Phoenix: 11.fxg3 should save white, as others have posted, but did Black have to allow that? 9...Nxe4 is the move I thought Black would play when I covered the scoresheet. 10.Qxg4 (10.d4 Qh4 of course, while 10.g3 Qd5 eyes h1) Bxf2+ 11.Rxf2 Rh1+ 12.Kxh1 Nxf2+ 13.Kg1 Nxg4 14.Nxg4 
click for larger viewOK, maybe Black dismissed this line because White has an equal number of pawns and three minor pieces for the queen, but Black is way ahead in development with a much safer king. Even if it is not winning for Black (again, really hard to believe), it is certainly much better than allowing 11.fxg3. |
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Jan-21-08
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| fourqueens: 11...Bxd4 was a pointless move by Anderssen. White should have responded with simply 12.cxd4 when white is still losing, but not as much as the variation below. 11...gxf2 is totally winning. 12.Rxf2 Rh1+ 13.Kxh1 Nxf2 14.Kg1 Nxg4  |
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| Jun-01-08 |
| rob68000: <fourqueens> : 11...Bd4 is fine. After 12. cxd4 gxf2 13. Rxf2 Rh1 and 14. Nxf2 wins easily for White. |
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| Oct-03-08 |
| MorphysMojo: Whites' problems actually start w/ 5. Bxc6. Why give black the lead in development,and the space? Violate such basic fundamentals: get mated early. Some of blacks' inaccuracies already posted here probably would not make a difference against a player that just did not know to enact what his opponent knew. Adolph knew the opening fundamentals: control the center, develop pieces, gain tempos when possible, and safeguard ones' own king. Mayet played as if he did not know these basics. 4. c3 would have been a much better looking move had white tried 5. a3 instead of the 'black-helping" 5. Bxc6. |
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sac: 7...h5
