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James Leslie Main vs Arthur Ford Mackenzie
"Built Ford Tough" (game of the day Aug-02-2011)
Kingston, Jamaica (1880)
Sicilian Defense: General (B20)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Aug-02-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: Probably the most interesting thing about this game is that Black, one of the outstanding problem composers of his day, was blind.
Aug-02-11  Oceanlake: Hope Black was treated to a tot of rum.
Aug-02-11  sevenseaman: Amazing ploy after 13...Qf6.

<PB> I think we never need mention chess blindness.

I was a soldier; my opposite no. (in a training exercise) failed to spot me at 3 yards. No camouflage; we were in a cluster of trees and I had aligned my self motionless along a tree in his full view, a mere 3 yds away. He swept his vision over me but missed spotting.

Aug-02-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: "You can have any color you want--as long as it's black."
Aug-02-11  PaulLovric: love it wen you can announce a mate
Aug-02-11  Once: A very pretty little mate.

Another attractive finish, if slightly longer, would have been 16...Ne3+ 17. Be6 Bxe6+ 18. g4 Bxg4#


click for larger view

But I guess that's just showboating.

Aug-02-11  IRONCASTLEVINAY: only one game in database
Aug-02-11  abuzic: abuzic: If J L Main was sighted then a blind with vision, a sighted without: 7.Ng5?, the blind saw it and castled (he probably "saw" other things but chose the best"; the sighted didn't see what's coming and played 14.Nf3; the blind saw the mate, announced and executed it: 14...Qf4+
Aug-02-11  Sho: Fun, fun, fun game.

And Jamaica (1880s) no less!

It's like the last game of the swashbuckling-era of chess--in Jamaica!

How cool is that? Thanks CG.

Aug-02-11  TheTamale: Very nice mate, It's neat when a piece that hasn't even moved can play a part in it.
Aug-02-11  kevin86: The bishop and the knight's attack on the queen are just window dressing. The knight mate is adequate enough...
Aug-02-11  rapidcitychess: <Winning is too mainstream for me>

-James Main

The mate was just beautiful.

Aug-02-11  Mkhitar: I tought 14.Qf3 is better. However, it leads to another checkmate after 14..Qh6! with 15..Qh4# or 15..Qh2#, or whites are forced to give the Quin with 15.Qg4 and any way resign due to material loss:)
Aug-02-11  50movesaheadofyou: 13.Kg3?? it's suicide mon!
Dec-17-11  jomugl: Mackenzie would not have been blind in 1880; he went blind in the mid-1890s as a result of contracting Hansen's disease/leprosy.

I am not a chess player, merely an historian in Jamaica who has a great interest in A F Mackenzie and his career.

Dec-18-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: <jomugl> Thank you for that information. I had no idea.

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