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Joseph Blackburne vs Wilhelm Steinitz
Steinitz - Blackburne (1876), London ENG, rd 2, Feb-19
Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack. Blackburne Variation (C45)  ·  0-1

8
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White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)6.c3 was played in Paulsen vs Winawer, 1882 (1-0)8...Nf6 was played in W J Wilson vs Paulsen, 1861 (0-1) 9.Nxd2 Qf5 10.Nf3 d6 11.Re1 Nge7 12.c4 Bd7 13.Bd3 Qf6 ⩲ +0.72 (23 ply) 9...a6 10.N1c3 Qh4 11.Na3 d6 12.Rad1 Be6 13.f4 Nge7 = -0.30 (26 ply)= +0.48 (22 ply) after 10.Bf3 Qb4 11.N1c3 a6 12.Bxc6 bxc6 13.a3 Qf8 14.Nd4 Qd6 better is 10...Qh4 11.f4 a6 12.Nd4 Nxd4 13.Qxd4 d6 14.Bf3 Re8 15.g3 = +0.22 (25 ply) ⩲ +0.80 (22 ply) 12.Bf3 Qc5 13.Bxc6 axb5 14.Bxb5 Re8 15.Ba4 c6 16.Bb3 d5 ⩲ +0.85 (23 ply)= -0.10 (25 ply) after 12...h6 13.Bxa6 Qg5 14.Qxg5 hxg5 15.Bc4 Rf8 16.Rad1 d6 better is 14.Bc4 h6 15.Qg3 Qg4 16.Qxg4 Nxg4 17.Bxf7 Rf8 18.Bd5 = +0.21 (26 ply)= -0.30 (23 ply) 19...Re8 20.Qxf7 Ne5 21.Qb3 b5 22.g3 Qg6 23.f4 Neg4 = -0.16 (27 ply)better is 20.Bf3 d6 21.Nd5 Nxd5 22.Bxd5 Re8 23.Bxf7 Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1 ⩲ +0.67 (26 ply)better is 20...Re8 21.Bf3 Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 Nd4 23.Nd6 Nxf3+ 24.Kf1 = 0.00 (29 ply) ⩲ +0.65 (27 ply) 21...bxc4 22.Qxc4 Ne5 23.Rxe5 Qxe5 24.Bxa8 Re8 25.h3 Re6 = +0.42 (29 ply) 22.Nd2 Qf5 23.Nce4 Kc8 24.Nxf6 gxf6 25.Be4 Qg5 26.g3 Qh5 ⩲ +1.37 (23 ply) 22...Re8 23.Rxe8+ Nxe8 24.Nce3 Nd6 25.Qa3 Qe5 26.Bg4 b4 ⩲ +0.52 (23 ply)+- +6.40 (28 ply) 24.Nxf6 Qxf6 25.Rxd7+ Kxd7 26.Qd3+ Nd4 27.Ne5+ Qxe5 +- +7.40 (29 ply) ⩲ +0.98 (31 ply) 29...Qe8 30.Rxd7 Qxf7 31.Rxf7 Rb6 32.f4 g6 33.Rdd7 Rc6 ⩲ +1.10 (28 ply) 30.Qe6+ Kb7 31.Rxd6 cxd6 32.Rxd6 Qxd6 33.Qxd6 Rgc8 ± +1.87 (28 ply) ⩲ +0.58 (25 ply)better is 32.Rc3 Rb6 33.Qd4 Rc6 34.Qxg7 Rxc3 35.Qxc3 Qe2 36.Rf1 ⩲ +0.80 (24 ply)= +0.12 (27 ply) after 32...g5 33.Rc3 Kb7 34.Qd5+ Kb6 35.b3 Qd7 36.a4 Rbe8 37.f3 better is 33.Rc3 Kb7 34.h3 c5 35.Qg4 Rg6 36.Qf3+ Kb6 37.Rcd3 Rd8 ⩲ +0.51 (22 ply)= 0.00 (29 ply)better is 35.f3 Qc5 36.Qxc5 dxc5 37.Kf2 Rd8 38.h4 g6 39.b3 Rd4 = +0.32 (29 ply)better is 35...Re8 36.Rxe8 Qxe8 37.Qd5+ c6 38.Qd2 Re6 39.Re3 Rxe3 = -0.31 (29 ply)= +0.20 (24 ply) after 36.Qd5+ Kb6 37.Qe4 Rbf8 38.f3 Rf4 39.Qe3+ Kb7 40.Qe7 better is 40.a3 Qb6 41.Qxb6+ Kxb6 42.R8e7 Rxe7 43.Rxe7 g5 44.Kf2 = +0.20 (25 ply) ⩱ -0.52 (29 ply)better is 41.Qf2 Rxe7 42.Rxe7 Rd1+ 43.Re1 Qd5 44.a3 Qd2 45.Rxd1 ⩱ -0.80 (29 ply)better is 41...Rxe7 42.Qxe7 Rd2 43.Re2 Qc5+ 44.Kf1 Rd1+ 45.Re1 ⩱ -1.50 (30 ply) ⩱ -0.94 (29 ply) after 42.R7e3 Rd2 43.b4 Qd5 44.R1e2 Qxa2 45.Qe1 Rxe2 46.Rxe2 better is 50.Qe2 Qc4 51.Qe5 a5 52.Kd2 Qb3 53.Kc1 b4 54.cxb4 axb4 ⩱ -1.42 (30 ply) ∓ -1.94 (26 ply) after 50...a5 51.Qd2 a4 52.g3 Kc6 53.Qe2 Qb1+ 54.Kf2 Kb6 55.h4 53.Kd1 bxc3 54.bxc3 Qf1+ 55.Kc2 Qxf3 56.Kb2 Kc6 57.Qe1 -+ -2.62 (27 ply)-+ -4.02 (25 ply) after 53...Qe4+ 54.Kf2 gxf4 55.gxf4 b3 56.h4 a4 57.Kg3 c6 56...c5 57.Qb2+ Kc6 58.Ke1 Qe4+ 59.Kf2 Qxf4+ 60.Kg2 Qg4+ -+ -5.29 (25 ply)-+ -12.21 (26 ply)68.Kc2 c4 69.Kd1 Kg4 70.Kc2 Kh3 71.Kd2 Kxh2 72.Ke3 Kh3 -+ -132.73 (46 ply)0-1

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

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Given 16 times; par: 111 [what's this?]

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35435 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Feb-28-05  TedBundy: It's rather pretty and instructive to see how Steinitz deftly sidesteps Blackie's ingenius threats to slowly improve the position of his pieces. Then he wins a pawn and it's all over. While he made it easy, I think with all my modern knowledge of chess strategy, Blackie may have overrun my patzer's 2005 defence anyway.
Feb-28-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  tamar: Sheer tenacity wins out. Blackburne should have won this one. I can imagine the looks of rage he shot at Steinitz as he could find no way to finish off the perpetrator of the maddening Rh8-g8-f8-g8 rope-a-dope strategy.

23 Qa3! is very nice, but Blackburne missed the crowning shot.

24 Ne5?! seems to be the turning point. It is not bad, but slowly lets the advantage slip away. 24 Nd6! or 24 Nxf6 would have ended the game within a few moves.

24 Nd6! cxd6 25 Qxd6 would have overtaxed even Steinitz with threats all over, Qc7 mate chief among them, but also against d7 and b8 very quickly.

Or if Steinitz refused the piece with 24...Qg6 25 Nxb7 Rxb7 26 Nxf6 Qxf6 27 Bxc6 is the straightforward win of a piece because 27...Qxc6 28 Qe7+ mates on the back rank.

24 Nxf6 would win too almost as prettily because of the weakness of d7. If 24...Qxf6 25 Rxd7+! Kxd7 26 Qd3+ quickly overwhelms Black.

Mar-01-05  TedBundy: Wow. Great analysis. Makes me feel better to know while I would lose, Steinitz just missed doing so. Maybe ingenuity and cleverness is too taxing and tiring as compared to simple, practical moves.
Apr-03-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gypsy: <A central pawn is worth a little trouble> Steinitz

I think Steinitz got more trouble than he bargained for. But Black tenacious defense, and that how he slowly took over the game, that is a real treat.

Apr-04-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gypsy: <tamar> Something seems to be off kilter in the <24 Nxf6 would win too almost as prettily because of the weakness of d7. If 24...Qxf6 25 Rxd7+! Kxd7 26 Qd3+ quickly overwhelms Black.> line. (= OK, I can not figure this one out.)
Apr-04-05  RookFile: Looking at the position before 37. f3, White has excellent practical chances for a draw or a win, because he has the safer king. It's not hard to see a move like a4 at some point prying open black's king position even further.

I imagine Blackburne looked at 37. Re7 and rejected it for some reason. Not sure why, maybe 37... Qf5. If there is a problem with it, the 37. R3e2 suggests itself. White has absolutely no reason to panic, as
long as his king is safer than black's, he has excellent chances.

There is no hurry.

Dec-19-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: ...But I truly think that if one's opponent plays the scotch then ....Qh4 is the best response by FAR!
Feb-12-18  ColdSong: Blackburne's handling of compensations for the pawn seems nice and convincing to a certain extent,but things go curiously wrong after the critical position (29...d6).
Feb-12-18  paul1959: <ColdSong> Critical position for sure. This was Blackburne last chance for an advantage with 30 Qe6+ Kb7 31 Rxd6 cxd6 32 Rxd6 when Black has to give up its Queen for the Rook. After 30 R5d3 the game was equal until Blackburne blundered his a-pawn
Dec-11-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  nizmo11: A middle game without any pawns in the center.
Blackburne's missed wins on move 24 were pointed out earlier, but another critical position arose at move 19:


click for larger view

Here computer thinks that Black should have given the pawn back with 19...Re8 20.Qxf7 Ne5 21.Qb3 b5 with a decent play.
But of course playing like this would have been against Steinit's own principles.

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