Introduction

Rezso Charousek (aged 22) vs Geza Maroczy (aged 25), Budapest, Tuesday 12th November 1895 - Thursday 19th December 1895 (1), which is 14 games in 38 days.

Maroczy

Maroczy had come to international attention by winning the Hastings Minor tournament (7th British Amateur Championship) in 1895. He and Charousek were emerging as the leading Hungarian players. In 1893, they crossed swords in the first Hungarian correspondence chess championship tournament, organised by the newspaper "Pesti Hirlap", in which they shared first prize - Charousek vs Maroczy, 1893. When later they both became members of the Budapest chess club they played casual games together.

This was the second match between these two young and emerging Hungarian masters. In April 1895, they had played a short match comprising of three games which Charousek won by two games to one (+2 -1 =0). (2)

Charousek

This second match prefigured the major accomplishments of Charousek's five-year career which was cut short by his death from tuberculosis at the age of 26.

Charousek abandoned his legal studies in 1893 and moved to Budapest to pursue a career as a professional player. There he played matches against local masters (such as Moritz Englander, Gyula Makovetz and Gyozo Exner) before he received his first tournament invitation:

+ Nuremberg (1896) -12th (8.5 /18), but defeated the world champion Emanuel Lasker.

+ Budapest (1896) - equal first with Mikhail Chigorin (8.5 /12) ahead of Harry Pillsbury, but Charousek lost the playoff 3-1. They also were playing in the Hungarian correspondence chess championship, where Charousek won the first prize ahead of Maroczy. (3)

+ Berlin (1897) - first (13.5 /18) ahead of Carl Walbrodt and Joseph Blackburne.

+ 11th DSB Congress, Cologne (1898) - equal second with Chigorin and Wilhelm Cohn.

+ Budapest 1898 (Nagy-Teteny Tournament), first (8.5 /12) ahead of Maroczy.

Charousek was quickly recognised as a player of undoubted talent:

"Charousek (pronounced Karooshek), a Hungarian player, of Bohemian origin, twenty-two years of age. Charousek is a personified "Handbook". He has the theory of the openings and a stock of the best games played in any match or tournament at his fingers' ends; plays with lightning rapidity, and, above all, he has unlimited confidence in himself." (4)

"Mr Blackburne gave his opinion about the Tournament (Budapest 1896 - e.d.) and the players, paying a high compliment to the young Hungarian who carried off first honours. No doubt Charousek is one of the most talented players of our time. We gave in the Westminster Gazette of September 5, 1896, his portrait and biography, and said then that "since Paul Morphy and Ignatz von Kolisch no more promising chess player has risen." At the recent tournament, he not only played his own game but the whole round quasi simultaneously. No sooner has he made his move than he wanders from board to board, and by the end of the seance he knows the positions of every single board by heart." (5)

Progress of the match

It is notable that they remained very competitive when playing each other over the board. After this match, all their tournament games together were decisive.

Maroczy had white in the odd-numbered games.

Round      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Charousek  0 1 0 ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 1 ½  0  ½  0  0  5
Maroczy    1 0 1 ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 0 ½  1  ½  1  1  9

Round      1 2 3 4  5  6  7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Charousek  0 1 1 1½ 2½ 2½ 3 3 4 4½ 4½ 5  5  5 
Maroczy    1 1 2 2½ 3  3½ 4 5 5 5½ 6½ 7  8  9

The Games

Game 1
Maroczy as white built up a K-side attack with White in a Ruy Lopez. He tripled in the <f> file before sacrificing the exchange to break through with mating threats.

Game 2

Maroczy defended with the French Defence and established a good position against Charousek's over-aggressive and loosening opening play:

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Maroczy then made an extremely uncharacteristic blunder with <12...Bxf2?>, overlooking that Charousek could provide support for both of his attacked pieces after the simple<14.Kd2>.

Game 3

The white pieces won again, this time with Maroczy triumphing against the Queen's Gambit Declined. Charousek played too aggressively. Although he eventually ended up with a passed pawn on <d2> it was moribund whilst his opponent's passed pawn on <a6> could be forced through.

Game 4

Maroczy defended with a Scandinavian Defence. This was outside his usual repertoire and an earlier casual game he had played against Charousek had been a disastrous loss - Charousek vs Maroczy, 1893. This time, Maroczy established a better position from the opening bearing down on his opponent's weak <d> pawn. Despite this, he was unable to capitalise upon his advantage and the game was drawn.

Game 5

Defending a Four Knights Opening, Charousek made some minor errors that Maroczy did not exploit, and the game was drawn without much incident.

Game 6

Charousek played inventively for a vigorous King-side attack against Maroczy's French Defence. Charousek did not find a way to break through and with exchanges, his advantage slowly diminished into a drawn ending.

Game 7

Charousek defended against the English Opening using a King-side fianchetto. Maroczy missed a win in the ending after Charousek played <36...a6?>

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Instead of Maroczy's move <37.Rc7?>, <37.Rb8!> would have won as Black could eventually check with the Rook to Queen the <b> pawn.

Game 8

For the second game in a row, Charousek blundered in the ending

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Maroczy defended with the Classical variation of the French Defence and had equalised.

Charousek completely misplayed the position beginning with <50.Kg4?> and Maroczy's <c> pawn was faster than his own <h> pawn.

Game 9

Maroczy offered an Evans' Gambit which Charousek accepted. The game followed old theory - W Paulsen vs Anderssen, 1869 - for twenty moves. Charousek was able to consolidate the pawn and eventually won the game by forcing his <a> pawn to queen.

Game 10

Charousek, as White, played against the French Defence in the style of Mikhail Chigorin with an early <Qe2> and a Kings-side fianchetto. Despite being known for his knowledge of gambit play, Charousek also chose to use fianchetto systems in this match, also see games 11 and 13.

Game 11

Charousek defended using a Modern Defense and Maroczy chose the direct Three Pawns Attack in response. Charousek hit out against his opponent's centre very quickly with <e5>.

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Maroczy achieved an appreciable advantage, but he could not find an immediate win,

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With <17.e5!> the advance of this pawn should have been decisive for Maroczy. Instead, Charousek fought on into an inferior endgame, but Maroczy did not give him a second chance.

Game 12

Charousek's opening was the quiet Italian Game with <d3>. His plan was to build up a King-side attack whilst the centre was closed. He advanced his <g> and <h> pawns against Maroczy's castled King. Maroczy played carefully and methodically showed up the weakness of Charousek's position as pieces were exchanged. Maroczy came close to winning the ending but had to finally concede a draw.

Game 13

Maroczy played Bird's Opening which we can be reasonably believed not to have been anticipated by his opponent. Maroczy had played this opening in at least one casual game against Charousek, but it was never a significant part of his repertoire.

Charousek used a King's-side fianchetto development and had come close to equalising. He then underestimated his opponent's potential for a King's-side attack and Maroczy was able to storm his king.

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Charousek resigned because of :<30...fxg6> 31.Qh3 Kh8 32.Nxh6 Qe8 33.Qf3 Re6 34.Qxd5

Game 14

For the fourth time, Marocy defended with the French Defence having had an equal score with it so far in the match (+1=1-1). Charousek played to win from the opening of the game, aggressively advancing his <g> and <h> pawns against Maroczy's castled king. Charousek's impetuosity overstepped the mark. Despite sacrificing a bishop in a desperate attempt to reach Maroczy's king, Charousek's attack quickly burnt out.

Notes

(1). Di Felice, "Chess Results, 1747-1900", page 160.

(2). Di Felice, "Chess Results, 1747-1900", page 161.

(3). "The Standard", (London, UK), Monday 7th September 1896.

(4). "Westminster Gazette", (London, UK), Saturday 25th July 1896.

(5). "Westminster Gazette", (London, UK), Saturday 16th October 1897.

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