Introduction

A match of 12 games duration, between Herbert Heinicke and Heinrich Wagner held in Hamburg, Germany in 1930.

Heinicke (aged 24) had made his entrance to master chess winning the Hamburg 1927 tournament. At first, he only slowly grew in strength, but then significantly improved in the German tournaments in the period 1936 - 1948 (1).

Wagner (aged 41), was at his peak in the mid-1920s (2); his best performance was to be his joint third at Breslau (1925) (24th DSB Congress). He remained a strong master until his withdrawal from chess due to his distaste for the Nazi regime.

Progress of the match

Wagner had white in the odd-numbered games. The match had a disastrous start for Heinicke who was five points down before he scored his first win.

Heinicke's stubborn persistence with the French, Exchange (C01), despite Wagner's mounting and rapid score of victories as white, cost him dearly. Heinicke lost five points and only made one draw with the defence in this match. He tended to emerge with a small disadvantage from the opening, and then, in defending a passive position, fall victim to a tactical shot.

Round     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 
Heinicke  0 0 ½ ½ 0 0 0 1 0 ½  0  1 3½
Wagner    1 1 ½ ½ 1 1 1 0 1 ½  1  0 8½

Progressive scores:

Round     1 2 3  4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 
Heinicke  0 0 ½  1 1 1 1 2 2 2½ 2½ 3½
Wagner    1 2 2½ 3 4 5 6 6 7 7½ 7½ 8½

The Games

Game 1

Heinicke had almost equalized on the black side of a French Exchange variation when he fell into a trap

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26...Nd5 seems a natural move (<26...Na8> was necessary), but Heinicke overlooked that his opponent's two bishops and <d> pawn could weave a subtle mating net.

27. Bc4 forced an immediate resignation as , for example, <27...Nb4> 28. Bc5 Nc6 29. d7+ Ne7 30. d8=Q mate.

Game 2

Wagner employed an Old Indian defence, which he would use three further times in the match. In a game of opposite wing attacks, Heinicke was breaking through to Black's king when in a winning but tactically sharp position he blundered away a piece.

Game 3

Wagner as White played a passive variation of the French Exchange variation with a very early <h3>. With no advantage for white, the game was drawn at move 17.

Game 4

Having nearly lost using the Old Indian defence in Game 2, Wagner reverted to a Queen's Gambit Declined. Heinicke was content not to press too hard and to draw with the White pieces. After a disastrous start, Heinicke had made two successive draws.

Game 5

As in Game 3, Wagner played the French Exchange variation with a very early <h3>.

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Heinicke blundered with <20...f6?> and White broke through after <21.Nc5!> with his domination of the <e> file. He was now three games down in the match.

Game 6

Wagner returned to an Indian defence, having put it to the side after his fright in Game 2. This time he fianchettoed his King's bishop. Heinicke played passively swapping off pieces and then began to make mistakes culminating in the loss of a piece.

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<48...Rxg4+> threatening to skewer the King against the Rook with 49...Rg8+

Game 7

This was a very similar disaster for Heinicke to Game 5. He continued to play the French after being crushed twice. Perhaps he saw no problem only random miscalculations, rather than the positions he had to defend playing to his opponent's taste whilst emphasizing the flaws in his own play?

Heinicke played more positively, but then a series of inaccuracies led to a final denouement,

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<24.Nxe4!!> allows the overloading of the black Queen with <Re5>.

Game 8

Finally, Heinicke won his first game of the match. Wagner defended with the Old Indian Defence.

Game 9

Another French Exchange variation and yet another disastrous short loss for Heinicke with the black pieces. This was the shortest decisive game of the match. Heinicke allowed White immense pressure against his King-side for no counterplay and was quickly overwhelmed.

Game 10

Wagner again defended with an Old Indian defence having won Game 6 with it. This was to be the longest game of the match in which neither player established any significant advantage. This was the most accurate game of the match.

Game 11

Heinicke maintained his costly predilection for the French Exchange variation. He finally established near equality from the opening but then blundered losing a pawn to his very tactically aware opponent.

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After <28 ... Qe6?> 29. Bxh6! wins a pawn as after 29...gxh6 30. Bf5 overloads the Queen which cannot protect both black Knights.

Game 12

Despite being 2½ - 7½ down, Heinicke managed to win this last game of this match. Wagner remained faithful to the Old Indian defence, although again he varied the disposition of his pieces in the opening.

Wagner blundered in a complex ending allowing his opponent two connected passed pawns which proved to be a decisive advantage

Notes

(1). http://www.chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/...

(2). http://www.chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/...

User: Chessical - original text and compilation.