Introduction:

This was a match played at Leipzig's prestigious Augustea Chess Club and it commenced on March 12th, 1895 (1).

It was between two German masters residing in Leipzig who were both prominent chess writers: Hermann von Gottschall and Curt von Bardeleben

This was their second match, the first being in 1890 with von Bardeleben winning by 5 - 1. Von Bardeleben again overwhelmed his opponent, this time by 4 - 1.

The players:

Von Gottschall was a German master who had emerged at Nuremberg, 1883 coming third. He did not play outside of Germany, and his later results were modest: 13th = at 4th DSB Congress, Hamburg (1885) 5th-8th Berlin, 1890; 8th-9th at Dresden, 1892 and 4th-6th Game Collection: 1893 Kiel Komplett. He was an influential man in German Chess, being the editor of the "Deutsche Schachzeitung".

Von Bardeleben although at 32 he was only a year older than his opponent, Von Bardeleben had a longer and more successful career. For the last two decades of the nineteenth century, he was one of the top 20 players - http://www.chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/....

He gained entry into the first rank of masters by winning the Berlin Hauptturnier (1881) which qualified him the next Meisterturnier at 3rd DSB Congress, Nuremberg (1883) where he came fifth. His first at Vizayanagaram, London (1883) and then fifth in the Third Meisterturnier at 3rd DSB Congress, Nuremberg (1883) clearly showed he had surpassed the journeymen. His next significant successes were a clear fourth in the Fifth German Chess Congress of the Deutschen Schachbund 5th DSB Congress, Frankfurt (1887) and 4th= at the 6th Deutscher Schachkongress at 6th DSB Congress, Breslau (1889) before finally tying for first at 8th DSB Congress, Kiel (1893).

Also of note was his 3rd-4th in the very strong Bradford tournament of 1888; 1st-2nd at Leipzig, 1888; 4th-7th Breslau, 1889; 5th-8th Berlin, 1890; 8th at Berlin, 1891; 6th-7th at Dresden, 1892.

Summary:

The scores of three of the match games were given in "Deutsche Schachzeitung" of which von Gottschall was the editor along with the score of an additional game which appears to be an exhibition game. Game 5 is missing, but we do have a brief description of it in the match review printed in the "Deutsche Schachzeitung".

Not all of the dates for the games are available, so some have been surmised as indicated:

Game 1 - Tuesday, 12th March 1895, Augustea Chess Club, von Gottschall - von Bardeleben, 61 moves Bishops/Vienna, 1-0.

After equalising, von Bardeleben played poorly in the early middle-game and lost in a long ending.

Game 2 - Friday, 15th March 1895, Augustea Chess Club, von Bardeleben - von Gottschall, 33 moves, Queens Pawn with early e4, 1-0

Von Gottschall's careless <21...Bd6> squandered a valuable tempi assisting von Bardeleben's attack which progressed apace with <22.Nh5!>

click for larger view

Game 3 - Monday, 18th March 1895 (?), Augustea Chess Club, von Gottschall - von Bardeleben, 30 moves, Four Knight's, 0-1.

von Bardeleben's energetic rooks won the game:

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29...Rf4!

Game 4 - Thursday, 21st March 1895, Augustea Chess Club, von Bardeleben - von Gottschall, 62 moves, Zukertort (Colle), 1-0

von Bardeleben neatly won a pawn with <19.Nxf5>

click for larger view

and eventually won the ending through finding several further "petite combinaisons".

Game 5 - Monday, 25th March 1895 (?), Augustea Chess Club, von Gottschall - von Bardeleben, 46 moves Bishops, 0-1.

Exhibition Game - Wednesday, 27th March 1895, Theatercafe zu Leipzig, von Bardeleben - von Gottschall, 62 moves Zukertort (Colle), 1/2-1/2.

Score:

                 1 2 3 4 5 
von Bardeleben   0 1 1 1 1   4
von Gottschall   1 0 0 0 0   1

Progressive score:

                 1 2 3 4 5 
von Bardeleben   0 1 2 3 4   
von Gottschall   1 1 1 1 1

Contemporary report:

"From Leipzig. In the Augustea Chess Club, a match of five games between Curt of Bardeleben and Dr. H. von Gottschall; Curt von Bardeleben won four of the games to win the match.

The conditions were: the victor being the player who first scores four wins, the drawn games not counting.

Time limit: 20 moves per hour.

In the <First Game>, von Gottschall opened soundly with the Bishop's Opening. From a small advantage in the middle game he secured the victory in an extremely finely managed endgame (61 moves).

The <Second Game> was undoubtedly the most interesting of the whole struggle and was won by von Bardeleben in splendid fashion in 33 moves through an energetic middle-game attack.

The <Third Game>, in which von Gottschall opened with the Four Knights and he initially stood favourably. In a well-initiated attack he was, however, too precipitous and a consequence shed material and then lost through a further oversight in the middle-game (30 moves).

In the next game <Fourth Game>, von Bardeleben as White chose Zukertort's Opening. Through superior piece play in the middle-game, he gained a slight material advantage and despite his opponent's first-rate defence, he won after 62 moves an immensely difficult and interesting endgame.

In the <Fifth and final Game>, Dr. von Gottschall again played the Bishop's Opening. This was the most inaccurate game of the entire match. In the middle-game, Black after several weak moves lost material and von Gottschall's position appeared to be winning. His adversary, however, by skilful manoeuvring succeeded in improving his defensive position substantially, whereupon von Gottschall should have been content with a draw. In the heat of battle, however, he blundered, and in consequence of that, von Bardeleben won the game in 46 moves." (2)

Having won the match with four successive wins, there was another game reported as occurring on the 27th March 1895 at another venue - Theatercafé zu Leipzig. This had von Bardeleben with white reprising his opening of the <Fourth Game>. Von Gottschall managed to hold the ending with two pawns for a piece. (3)

.

Postscript:

Von Bardeleben proceeded to London where he played a match against Joseph Blackburne which commenced on the 25th April 1895 (4) - Game Collection: Blackburne - Bardeleben (1895). He then played a match with Richard Teichmann before participating in Hastings (1895).

Von Gottschall, in contrast, concentrated on editing the "Deutsche Schachzeitung" and did not play competitively again until the 11th Deutschen Schachbund Congress at Cologne in August 1898.

Notes:

(1). "Deutsche Schachzeitung", No.4, April 1895, p.104-106.

(2). "Deutsche Schachzeitung", No.4, April 1895, p.122.

(3) "Deutsche Schachzeitung", No.5, May 1895, p.146.

(4). "Deutsche Schachzeitung", No.5, May 1895, p.146.and "British Chess Magazine", June 1895, p.268.

See also http://www.edochess.ca/matches/m108... .

Text

Original text and tables by User: Chessical .

Found games:

Game 3, found by User: Tabanus, in the "Algemeen Handelsblad" of 3rd May 1895 and also in "London Evening Standard" - Tuesday 23 April 1895, p.7. The "Algemeen Handelsblad" score has a misprint.

The exhibition game's score, found by User: Chessical, is from "Deutsche Schachzeitung", No.5, May 1895.