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Bernhard Horwitz vs Henry Bird
London (1851), London ENG, rd 1, May-27
English Opening: Great Snake Variation (A10)  ·  1/2-1/2

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)2...Bg7 was played in N J Fries-Nielsen vs Yusupov, 1980 (0-1) 3.d4 cxd4 4.exd4 d5 5.cxd5 Nf6 6.Nc3 Nxd5 7.Qb3 Nb6 = +0.34 (25 ply) ⩱ -0.64 (23 ply)better is 4...e6 5.Nc3 Ne7 6.a3 Nbc6 7.Rb1 O-O 8.b4 d5 9.bxc5 ⩱ -0.61 (22 ply)better is 5.Nc3 O-O 6.g3 e6 7.Bg2 d5 8.O-O Nc6 9.d3 d4 10.Ne4 = -0.07 (22 ply)better is 5...Nc6 6.d3 O-O 7.Nc3 b6 8.O-O e6 9.Bd2 Bb7 10.Qb3 ⩱ -0.82 (24 ply)= -0.26 (21 ply) after 6.Nc3 O-O 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 b6 9.d3 Bb7 10.Bd2 e6 11.Rb1 7.Nc3 O-O 8.Rb1 b6 9.b3 Bb7 10.Bb2 e6 11.Ng5 Nf5 12.g4 = -0.09 (20 ply) ⩱ -0.87 (25 ply) after 7...e5 8.fxe5 dxe5 9.d3 f5 10.Nb5 O-O 11.Nc3 Be6 better is 8.d3 e5 9.fxe5 dxe5 10.Nb5 f5 11.Nc3 Be6 12.Bd2 Nf7 = -0.44 (22 ply) 8...e5 9.fxe5 dxe5 10.d3 f5 11.Rb1 a5 12.b3 Nf7 13.e4 ⩱ -1.14 (22 ply)= 0.00 (22 ply)better is 9...a6 10.e4 Bd7 11.h3 f5 12.Rb1 b5 13.b4 cxb4 14.cxb5 = -0.35 (21 ply)= +0.32 (22 ply) after 10.Rb1 a5 11.a3 Bd7 12.Bd2 e5 13.e4 f5 14.Ne3 Qd8 15.fxe5 10...Bd7 11.Rb1 Rae8 12.Bd2 e5 13.fxe5 dxe5 14.e4 f5 = -0.17 (22 ply)better is 11.e4 Bd7 12.fxe5 dxe5 13.Ne3 Qd8 14.Nd5 f6 15.a3 Nf7 ⩲ +0.73 (23 ply) 11...dxe5 12.e4 Bd7 13.Ne3 Qd8 14.Nd5 Be6 15.a3 a5 16.Qf2 = +0.14 (23 ply) 12.e4 Bg4 13.Qh4 g5 14.Qxg5 Qd8 15.h3 Bxf3 16.gxf3 Qxg5+ ± +1.52 (21 ply)= +0.50 (24 ply)better is 14.Ne3 Be6 15.Nd5 Bxd5 16.cxd5 f5 17.Be3 Rac8 18.Qc3 f4 ⩲ +0.73 (22 ply)= +0.16 (25 ply) 15.h3 Nf6 16.Ne3 Qd6 17.Nd5 Nxd5 18.cxd5 f5 19.Bg5 f4 = +0.21 (23 ply) 15...f5 16.exf5 gxf5 17.b3 Rae8 18.Bb2 Nh6 19.Rae1 f4 ⩱ -0.65 (22 ply)better is 16.Qf3 Nh5 17.Ne3 Qd6 18.Nd5 f5 19.Bg5 Rae8 20.Bh4 f4 = +0.17 (24 ply)= -0.39 (22 ply) after 16...Nd7 17.Qg3 Ne5 18.Rb1 Rad8 19.Ne1 Qa6 20.a3 Rd7 better is 17...Rad8 18.Qd2 Qd6 19.Rf3 Be5 20.g3 f5 21.exf5 Ng7 = -0.10 (23 ply)= +0.45 (23 ply) after 18.Bxb2 Qxb2 19.Ne3 Qd4 20.g4 Ng7 21.Rad1 Ne6 22.Qh6 Kh8 18...Bf6 19.Rxb6 Bxg5 20.Rxb7 Bxc1 21.Rxc1 Nf4 22.Rd1 = +0.32 (27 ply) ± +2.26 (24 ply)better is 19...Qc7 20.Nxd4 cxd4 21.Bxd4 Rad8 22.Qe3 Qd7 23.Bxa7 ± +1.66 (22 ply) ± +2.26 (25 ply) 22.Rxb7 f5 23.exf5 Nf6 24.fxg6 hxg6 25.Rb3 Rd6 26.Rf3 ± +2.18 (25 ply) ⩲ +0.81 (30 ply) 25...Nf6 26.Rxf5 Nxd5 27.Rg5+ Kf7 28.cxd5 Rde8 29.Rf1+ ⩲ +0.71 (24 ply)better is 26.Re6 Rdf8 27.a5 bxa5 28.Rc6 f4 29.Rxc5 f3 30.g3 a4 ± +1.52 (23 ply) ⩲ +0.98 (26 ply) after 26...Rdf8 27.a5 Nf6 28.Ne7+ Kh8 29.Rexf5 Rxe7 30.Rxf6 27.Rfe1 Kf8 28.a5 bxa5 29.Ra1 Re8 30.Rxe8+ Kxe8 31.Rxa5 ⩲ +1.18 (23 ply) 27...fxg4 28.Rxf7 Kxf7 29.Re7+ Kg6 30.Rxa7 Nf5 31.Rb7 = +0.25 (26 ply) 28.Rfe1 Kf8 29.R1e4 Ne8 30.Rxf4 Rd7 31.Kf2 Rxf4+ 32.Nxf4 ± +1.88 (29 ply) ⩲ +0.64 (29 ply) 29.Rf1 Ne6 30.Kg2 h6 31.h3 Kg7 32.Rf3 Rf8 33.Rf2 Rf7 ⩲ +0.83 (29 ply) ∓ -1.56 (28 ply)better is 31...Re3 32.Rd7 Ne6 33.Rd6 Nd4 34.Rxb6 Rxd3 35.a5 Rd2 ∓ -1.56 (27 ply) ⩱ -1.01 (26 ply)better is 37...Kg6 38.d4 cxd4 39.Kxd4 Kg5 40.h3 Kh4 41.Ra3 Rd6+ ⩱ -0.65 (27 ply)= -0.15 (32 ply) 48.Rxc5 Nxd3 49.Rb5 Nf2 50.Re5 Rxe5+ 51.Kxe5 Nd3+ 52.Ke4 = 0.00 (47 ply) 48...Nc6 49.dxc5 Re5+ 50.Kg4 Rg5+ 51.Kh4 Kf6 52.Rb6 Rxc5 ⩱ -0.96 (30 ply) 49.Rb3 Nc1 50.Rb1 Ne2 51.dxc5 Nd4+ 52.Kf4 Ne2+ 53.Kf5 = 0.00 (42 ply) ∓ -1.63 (31 ply) 51...Nxc5 52.Rb8 Re5 53.Ra8 Re7 54.Ra5 Rc7 55.Kg4 Nb3 ⩱ -1.45 (37 ply)= 0.00 (76 ply)54...Kg8 55.Rb8+ Kg7 56.Rb7+ Kg8 = 0.00 (75 ply)1/2-1/2

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35437 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-07-06  Knight13: This opening is like the transposed version of the Bird's Opening.

And 16. Qxe5? is bad. I think 16. Rb1 and 17. b4 or 17. a3 followed by b4 is better. Note that 16. Rb1 makes the Qxe5 move safer.

Jan-07-07  shulman4prez: http://files.xboxic.com/xbox-360/vi...
Dec-19-08  just a kid: Love the opening name.
Dec-19-08  whiteshark: <22.Rxb7 > was better


click for larger view

Dec-19-08  just a kid: <whiteshark>I got a draw.Can you supply a analysis line or something.
Dec-20-08  whiteshark: <just a kid> Learning is essential to improve in chess. Thus I would like to suggest that you show me your drawing line first. :D

(Hint: White's threat is Ne3-g4 --> Nh6+ --> Nxf7)

Dec-21-08  just a kid: It's rather long and I don't want to type the whole thing out.
Feb-20-09  2064: 22. Rxb7, Rxd3

Pawn formation devastated and knight in danger. Bad idea, Hurwitz’s move was sound.

Jan-06-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: 22.Rxb7 was probably better, as <whiteshark> mentioned.


click for larger view

...Rxd3 23.Ng4!

Feb-23-15  Marcelo Bruno: It's very interesting that, if Black plays 52. … Kf6, he loses the game with 53. Rf7+ followed by 54. Rxf2. This I consider a remarkable game where all the 3 result possibilities (1-0, 0-1 and ½-½) were contemplated until the end. A chef d'œuvre to be seriously studied by anyone.
Sep-23-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  wwall: After 51...Nf2 (threatening 52...Rg4 mate), White has a perpetual check after 52.Rb7+. But instead of 51...Nf2, why not 51...Nxc5, winning the pawn? Black may have some winning chances after 52...Ne4 or 52...Kf6 or 52...Re5.
Oct-21-16  Aunt Jemima: 16. Ne3 looks safer and more solid, heading to d5.
Oct-21-16  Aunt Jemima: 23. g4 Ng7 24. a4 looks better than playing a4 straight away.

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