Steinitz vs Lasker, 1896 Game 1

Steinitz vs Lasker, 1896 Game 2

Annotate...
Black is all tied up after 13...Nxe7. (13...Kxe7 Re1+ 14.Kf8 was preferred) 16...c6?? allows the combination. 22.Rxe7+! every White piece is en prise. 24.Rxg7+, the rook cannot be taken.(Fine has the ending as 24...Kh8 25.Rxh7+) At the resignation, Steinitz demonstrated to onlookers the conclusive mate in 10. - Fine

<Aug-06-04
patzer2: White's 21. Ng5+! is a strong discovered check, followed by an amazing 22. Rxe7+! deflection move.

If 22...Qxe7, then 23. Rxc8+ Rxc8 24. Qxc8+ Qd8 25. Qxd8+ Kxd8 26. Nxh7 Ke7 27. f4 Kf7 28. Kf2 Kg7 29. Nxf6 Kxf6 30. g4 is a won endgame for White.

According to Estrin in 64 no.23 for 1986, Geller made this discovery in the sleeping car of a train travelling between Moscow and Murmansk.

"Liegt deine Partie aber ganz darnieder / Dann geh mal raus und komm nicht wieder!"

Der Berliner Meister war ein hochsensibler, auf seine Umgebung allerdings oft skurril wirkender Mensch. Als er beim Schachkongress nach vorzüglichem Start und wohlberechtigten Hoffnungen auf ein gutes Abschneiden gegen <Steinitz> in einen Mattangriff geriet, gab er die Partie nicht etwa auf, sondern verschwand einfach aus dem Turniersaal und ließ sich nicht mehr blicken! Diese Form der Kapitulation praktizierte er später häufig, sodass man ein damals geflügeltes Wort mit seinem Namen verknüpfte!

For more on this, please see Sarah Beth's <SBC>'s post here (to which I have contributed, as well), "The Pride and Sorrow of American Philosophy":

http://blog.chess.com/batgirl/the-p...

The particular article in which the modest commentary occurs is Professor Richard S. Robin's "Metaphysical Reflections on Peirce on Chess" presented here:

http://www.100bestwebsites.org/alt/...

(Professor Robin had conferred with former U.S. Chess Champion Patrick Wolff in writing this paper.)

Relative to America in the 19th century (though perhaps not in the 18th century), I am inclined to agree with Professor Max H. Fisch's estimate of C. S. Peirce's intellectual achievements:

"Who is the most original and the most versatile intellect that the Americas have so far produced? The answer 'Charles S. Peirce' is uncontested, because any second would be so far behind as not to be worth nominating. [He was] mathematician, astronomer, chemist, geodesist, surveyor, cartographer, metrologist, spectroscopist, engineer, inventor; psychologist, philologist, lexicographer, historian of science, mathematical economist, lifelong student of medicine; book reviewer, dramatist, actor, short story writer; phenomenologist, semiotician, logician, rhetorician and metaphysician." -Max H. Fisch in Sebeok, The Play of Musement

http://www.peirce.org/

Best wishes to all!

(: ♗ Bishop Berkeley ♗ :)

I have indeed read "The Metaphysical Club." It is wonderfully engaging: a magnificent piece of historical biography.

I might also recommend "William James: In the Maelstrom of American Modernism," by Robert D. Richardson. Another excellent book.

Indeed, very few people know about the connection between C.S. Peirce and Chess! I only discovered the connection when the book that contains Professor Robin's article was lent to me by his (Professor Robin's) son. I think the connection is almost wholly unknown to the world of Chess history.

By the way, here are a few links on the philosophy of C.S. Peirce, for those who might be interested:

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/p...

http://www.iep.utm.edu/p/PeirceBi.htm

http://www.nyu.edu/pages/linguistic...

http://www.cspeirce.com/

And here's the general Wikipedia article, for those who might like to learn a little more about this remarkable thinker:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charle...

Incidentally, Peirce's father, Harvard Professor Benjamin Peirce, was present at the famous New York Chess Club Testimonial Banquet for Paul Morphy given upon his triumphal return from Europe on May 25, 1859. Sarah Beth <SBC> has an excellent account of this event:

http://sbchess.sinfree.net/note13a....

Thanks again! I second your recommendation of "The Metaphysical Club" with enthusiasm!

(: ♗ Bishop Berkeley ♗ :)

I suppose I now have my list of "books to read" cut out for me for quite some time :-)

On another matter. About a month ago You posted on P.Morphy's page in regards to the Presidential elections and provided links to "ElectoralMaps". Great work, and a most useful site. Thank You again.

Today a CG member <ckr> left a most fascinating anecdote at Mprphy's for You. At least it was fascinating for me since I had not heard it before. It has to do with both, a US Pres.elections and Paul Morphy.

Since You may not visit Morphy's site soon, and in case You are not familiar with the story in question, I'd hate to see You miss that post. So I'll take the liberty of re-postng it here:

<ckr: <BB>A most excellent presentation but I would like to also add that after the 1852 election the Whig party failed and was never again a viable political party. The truth is that the Whig's once again were about to trounce the Democratic nominee. But those shady Dem's had leaked to the press that the Whig's war hero had been kicked in the back side not once but TWICE!! by a 9 year old in knickers (propped up by a stack of books) back in December of 1846. This highly public embarrassment effectively shattered their campaign which resulted in Pierce winning by a landslide.

So while it is not often mentioned it was that 9 year old, Paul Morphy, that gave rise to the Republican party and modern politics.>

I'll stop over at the Paul Morphy page and have a look....

Hope you are in good spirits....

(: ♗ Bishop Berkeley ♗ :)