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Wilhelm Steinitz vs Mikhail Chigorin
Steinitz - Chigorin World Championship Match (1889), Havana CUB, rd 10, Feb-07
Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense. Main Line (D07)  ·  1-0

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)3...Bxf3 was played in Steinitz vs Chigorin, 1889 (0-1) 6...dxc4 7.Bxc4 Qd7 8.dxe5 Na5 9.e6 fxe6 10.Bxe6 Qc6 = +0.09 (25 ply) ⩲ +1.08 (24 ply) 9...Ngf6 10.Rg1 g6 11.Qxb7 Bg7 12.Bf4 Rb8 13.Qxc7 Qxc7 ⩲ +0.64 (24 ply) ± +1.73 (27 ply) after 10.Be2 Qb4 11.Bf4 Qxb3 12.axb3 Bd6 13.Bxd6 cxd6 14.Nb5 better is 12.O-O-O O-O-O 13.Nb5 Nxd5 14.Bg5 a6 15.Bxd8 Kxd8 16.Nc3 ⩲ +1.35 (25 ply) 12...O-O-O 13.a3 Qd6 14.Ne4 Qb6 15.Bc4 Ne8 16.Rc1 Kb8 ⩲ +0.74 (26 ply)better is 13.a3 Qd6 14.Rg1 Nxd5 15.Nxd5 Qxd5 16.Qe2 c6 17.Bc4 Qd6 ± +2.18 (25 ply) ± +1.54 (19 ply) after 13...Be7 14.Bf4 Bd6 15.Bxd7+ Nxd7 16.Bxd6 Qxd6 17.Rhe1+ 15...O-O 16.Bh6 Ne8 17.Kb1 Kh8 18.Bf4 Qa5 19.Bb3 Bd6 ± +1.53 (25 ply)+- +3.46 (24 ply)27...Kxf6 28.Qxa6+ Kg7 29.Re1 Nb6 30.d6 Rhf8 31.Re7 Nc8 +- +10.53 (26 ply)1-0

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

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Given 37 times; par: 39 [what's this?]

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35434 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Sep-12-04  aw1988: This game has one of the worst pawn structures i've ever seen.
Sep-15-04  Giancarlo: Yes, I have to also say after move 8 white is looking pretty messed up. But Black does nothing to take advantag of the situation. I think although Black has an early advantage, he must lock it up by contesting the huge advantage white has in semi-open files because of the doubled pawns, which now mught actualy be a plus side for white as we see by the sacrifice on e7 which led to either mate or the loss of a queen. The exchange on f3 may have done good for white, as Black could no longer castle KS because of the open g-file. However, it may have been not a bad choice for nlack to attempt the KS castle as he was stuck in the middle at the end for a nice combo by white, while the white King was tucked away safely on the QS.
Apr-08-07  Whack8888: Chigorin had some really great ideas but often it seemed he failed to fully take advantage of his ideas--still a very interesting player to study.
Feb-28-08  Knight13: < Giancarlo: Yes, I have to also say after move 8 white is looking pretty messed up. But Black does nothing to take advantag of the situation. > He never got a chance to; White kept him busy making defensive moves.
Sep-14-12  SFVinyard: I can't believe how brilliant Steinitz played this one out. Great opening by black tho. I think Blacks obvious first mistake is 14. be7. Black wants to castle, but if he had known about the rook move after, he probably would have decided to fianchetto the bishop instead?

Steinitz was so quick to be aggressive after getting the double pawns, which seems so right. If black could find a way to buy some time and trade pieces, black probably does great. Course easier said than done.

Very nice rook sac to. Blew my mind.

Sep-15-12  RookFile: Ye olde two bishops. They help white.
Apr-04-14  Tal1949: The opening play by black was horrible, with his pieces moving counter-intuitive to the direction that he was trying to go in. It was hard to pinpoint the problem with the opening. It seemed like the whole thing was completely broken.
Jan-05-15  Smite: Fritz 13 thinks black is losing after move 7. Still a great game to analyze.
Jun-05-20  Chesgambit: don't exchange Queens nice straregy
Jun-05-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: It's hard to believe this was a WCC game. I agree with <Tal> that Black's opening was terrible. But it's easy to see the biggest problem. How do you not play 6...cxd4? It's with tempo, and not playing it allows <that Pawn> to be captured <with tempo> the next move.

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