Apr-28-19
 | | KEG: Schlechter and Maroczy were a half-point behind Pillsbury going into the penultimate round at Munich 1900. Thanks to some coaching from Maroczy, Halprin managed to hold Pillsbury to a draw. And Maroczy (playing White) defeated the hapless Billecard in this round. Thus, Schlechter--playing Black against the much stronger von Gottschall (who had held Maroczy to a draw at Munich 1900 and who had defeated Schlechter in their one previous game)--had to win to keep pace. This was especially critical since Schlechter was to be paired against Maroczy in the final round. Schlechter did indeed manage to win, helped in large part by a blunder by von Gottschall on his 27th move. Until that point, Schlechter, though emerging with a better position from the opening, had not achieved anything close to a major advantage. Was he waiting for a blunder? In any case, when given a chance thanks to von Gottschall's very bad 27th move, Schlechter took immediate advantage and quickly forced resignation. 1. d4 d5
2. e3 Nf6
3. Bd3
This hardly looks like the most formidable set-up for White, but it can be a weapon if Black is not careful. Tarrasch, Rubinstein, and Capablanca all played it on occasion, and for a while it was a favorite line of Marshall. 3... Nc6
3...c5 looks best at first blush, but the text has its points as Schlechter quickly demonstrated, and was played when facing 3. Bd3 by the likes of Pillsbury, Maroczy, Reti, and Rubinstein. 4. f4
4. Nf3 looks best, but this "Stonewall" formation was a favorite in this opening of Marshall and Showalter. 
click for larger view4... Nb4
This effort to trade Knight for Bishop, was--astonishingly enough--introduced by Tchigorin himself (the great lover of Knights) at Hastings 1895 and later played by Lasker, Maroczy, Reti, and Rubinstein. 5. Nf3 NxB+
6. QxN
This novelty has apparently not be repeated in any recorded game. Everyone else has played the better 6. cxN opening the c-file and preparing for an eventual e4. The text does have the virtue of keeping White's pawn structure intact and allowing for an later c4: 
click for larger viewWith his two Bishops and more flexible pawn structure, Black is better. It is thus not surprising that everyone else who played this opening as White opted for 6. cxN. 6... e6
Possibly a reflexive choice, but one which needlessly blocks the White-square diagonal for Black's c8 Bishop. 6...c6 and 6...g6 both were somewhat better. 7. 0-0 Be7
A safe and solid choice. Schlechter seemingly believed he could outplay von Gottschall from any even position, and so avoided undertaking sharp play on the Queen-side with 7...a5 or7...b6. Instead, Schlechter patiently waited to see how matter developed before committing himself to any specific plan. 8. b3 0-0
9. c4
Taking advantage of the fact that he had not played 6. cxN. But von Gottschall had better moves available, e.g., 9. Ne5; 9. a4 (anticipating a possible b5 by Black) or 9.Ba3. 9... b6
Not yet ready to commit with c5.
10. Nc3 Bb7
11. Bb2 c5
Finally committing himself. But in light of White's play, he might have triede 11...dxc4 or played 11...Ne4 immediately. 
click for larger view |
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Apr-28-19
| | KEG: Post II
12. Rac1
Given the possibility of pawn exchanges, White should first have defended his Queen with 12. Rfd1 or 12. Rad1 so he would be at liberty to play dxc5 if appropriate. 12... Rc8
13. Ne5 Ne4
Reckoning that the resulting Black pawn on e4 will be a strength rather than a weakness. Since Schlechter had the better chances before this move, more logical seems 13...dxc4 or 13...cxd4 or perhaps 13...Qe8. 14. NxN dxN
15. Qe2
click for larger view15... Qe8
Schlechter's Queen maneuvers in this game are fascinating. Here he plays to bring the Queen to g6 with Qe8...f6...Qg6, later he played a subtle little combination involving 22...Qe8 and 23...Qc6. Later still, he played 25...Qd6 and then, after von Gottshcall erred with 27. Na4?, Schlechter brought his Queen into the enemy camp with lethal effect. 16. Rcd1 f6
17. Ng4 Rd8
Schlechter could also have played 17...cxd4.
18. Nf2 Qg6
Maybe 18...cxd4 or 18...Qf7 were better.
19. Ba3
"!"--(Tournament Book)
19... Rfe8
20. dxc5 bxc5
click for larger viewSchlechter's edge was now gone, and with his isolated pawns was probably even somewhat worse. 21. RxR
von Gottschall should have tried to attack Schlechter's weaknesses with 21. Qe1 immediately (with Qa5 to follow). After the exchange of Rooks, Schlechter found a clever way to solve his problems. 21... RxR
22. Qe1
click for larger viewThis move, which would have been powerful one turn earlier, no longer has the same effect since the square e8 is now available; a possibility Schlechter exploited. 22... Qe8!
Schlechter, in my mind, is one of the most underrated great players. The text shows his positional and tactical skills. As will be seen, the move indirectly protects the seemingly weak Black pawn on a7 and eventually allowed Schlechter to turn the game around. 23. Qa5 Qc6
"!"--(Tournament Book)
Perhaps only here von Gottschall recognized that 24. Qxa7?? was impossible because of 24...Ra8 winning the White Queen. 24. Rd1 RxR+
25. NxR Qd6
The computers all play the safer (and perhaps theoretically better) 25...Qb6. But Schlechter preferred to play to win by maintaining threats with his Queen. 26. Nb2 h6
click for larger viewTo this point, von Gottschall has played reasonably well, and chances were about even. Schlechter--who needed a win--had kept the Queens on the board. Both sides had threats. But here, von Gottschall blundered, and Schlecter never gave him a second chance. |
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Apr-28-19
| | KEG: Post III
27. Na4?
A fatal blunder, especially against Schlechter. von Gottschall had no way of obtaining an edge here. As noted in the Tournament Book, if 27. Qax7 (probably best), Schlechter had fine counterplay with 27...Qd2! 28. Kf1 (forced) Qc1+ and a forced perpetual check if he wanted it (since the White King cannot go to g3 without getting mated). But von Gottschall had no reason to think he would lose in that line. After the text, however, Schlechter's Queen had access to d1, and the game was soon over: 27... Qd1+
28. Kf2 Qc2+
29. Kf1 Qb1+
30. Qe1 Qxa2
click for larger viewWhite was almost certainly lost here, but Schlechter would would still have had some work to do had von Gottschall hung tough. But von Gottschall from here played like a deer in the headlights, and got crushed. 31. Qc1?
After this von Gottschall was finished. He should have tried to make a fight of it with 31. Bxc5, though he would still have been lost after 31...Qxb3 32. BxB (or 32. Kf2 Qc2+ 33. Kg3 e5! 34. fxe5 Bd8 35. Nc3 [Not 35. exf6 Bc7+ and White gets mated] Bc7) Qxc4+ 33. Kf2 QxN. After the text, the rest of the game became a massacre. 31... Qxb3
32. Nxc5?
This only made matters worse. But von Gottschall had no real chance of surviving even after 32. Bxc5 Bd8 (or 32...QxN) 33. Nb2 a5. 32... Qa2!
Keeping the White King pinned and exploiting the pin on the c5 White Knight. 33. Kg1 Ba6
Not the only way to win here, but it certainly did the job. 
click for larger view34. NxB?
Hopeless. If he wanted to play on, von Gottschall should have tried 34. h4. The rest was brutal. 34... BxB
35. Qd1 Qxc4
click for larger view36. Qd8+
Useless, but so was everything else.
36... Kh7
37. Nc7?
Leaving his King to his fate. But his position was beyond salvation. 37... Qe2
click for larger view0-1
von Gottschall decided not to find out how long it would take Schlechter to mate him from here. |
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Kibitzing
