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William Davies Evans vs Bernhard Horwitz
"O Captain! My Captain!" (game of the day Apr-06-2014)
Casual game (1845), London ENG, Dec-??
Ponziani Opening: Ponziani Countergambit (C44)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Apr-06-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: The pun refers to the song by Slim Whitman. It appears in the film Mars Attacks!
Apr-06-14  Bobby Spassky: By coincidence Chris Evans plays Captain America in the movies this weekend.
Apr-06-14  BKITU: Am I the only one disappointed this wasn't an Evans Gambit game?
Apr-06-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sneaky: <the song by Slim Whitman> Offramp is kidding of course, the pun is from a poem in Walt Whitman's Leave of Grass.

The discrepancy with the pun is that in the poem, the Captain has died. Here the Captain is very much full of life.

<Am I the only one disappointed this wasn't an Evans Gambit game?> I would be disappointed, except that he plays it like a gambit (I didn't know that was possible!) and then has the game effectively won by move 13 (or earlier?). It's almost like it doesn't matter what opening Captain Evans plays, he'll gambit a pawn for quick development and soon have the game in the bag.

I'd nominate Captain Evans as the strongest and most influential amateur of all time.

Apr-06-14
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: <Sneaky: ...I'd nominate Captain Evans as the strongest and most influential amateur of all time.>

Could well be! The old Giouco Piano really was a quiet game - literally!

The captain's b4 gambit livened it up like Al Czervik turning up at that dance in Caddyshack.

Apr-06-14  ughaibu: He wasn't so strong here: Cochrane vs Captain Evans, 1843
Apr-06-14  celtrusco: <BKITU: Am I the only one disappointed this wasn't an Evans Gambit game?> This is an "Evans's gambit".
Apr-06-14  Rookiepawn: I think the error here is 10. Nd4? After the exchange the N in e7 seems a little bit under pressure...
Apr-06-14  newzild: <Rookiepawn> Yes, 10...Nd4 looked bad to me too. I think he should have tried 10...Bd7, aiming to castle long. Then he can meet 11. Rd1 with 11...Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Qa3, when 13. 0-0 0-0-0 looks survivable. Some other tactics: After 17. Bb3, Black can't play 17...Rhe8 because of 18. Rxd7! Rxd7 19. Nc6+ bxc6 20. Qxe8+ Rd8. After the final move 27. Nxc6+ bxc6 28. Qc7+ Ka8 29. Qxc6+, Black is soon mated by the bishop, e.g. Kb8 30. Qb6+, Kc8 31. Be6#.
Apr-06-14  morfishine: Food for Thought: "Captain Crunch"

*****

Apr-06-14  RookFile: That bishop on c4 was a pain for black. It stopped him from castling kingside.
Apr-08-14  kevin86: Not quite an Evans' gambit , but it certainly had the feel of one. The mate will follow soon.
Oct-17-16  Aunt Jemima: Wasn't 14. Nxb4 even easier?
Dec-04-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: Is there a source for this game which includes the move pair <24.h3 c6>?

The game appears in the January 1846 <CPC>, p.13, and the <ILN>, January 3rd 1846, minus the pair, ending <26.Nc6+ bxc6 And White mates in four moves.> In fact, it's mate in 5, but the omission of <24...c6> would allow Black to avoid immediate mate with <26...Kb6>.

But the <1843> date is certainly wrong.

Dec-04-23  sudoplatov: EDO has Horwitz estimated at 2509 and Evans ad 2333. Neither has enough games to be accurately rated.

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