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Max Weiss vs William Pollock
"Abstract Art" (game of the day Jan-04-2010)
6th American Chess Congress, New York (1889), New York, NY USA, rd 35, May-11
Spanish Game: Morphy Defense. Anderssen Variation (C77)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Oct-04-04  percyblakeney: Impressive game by Pollock against the winner (together with Chigorin) of New York 1889. Very nice finish.
Dec-22-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: The sacrifice 18...♕e1 must have been a shocker.
Feb-24-07  sambo: All told, an amazing game. Black is almost out of pieces by the end but pulls it out.
Mar-24-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 <The Anderssen Variation, quiet yet effective Opening Explorer > b5 <5 ... Be7?! 6. Bxc6 & 7. Nxe5 is a stock trap. 5 ... d6 is also common; Stripunsky vs D Fernandez, 2006 went 6. c3 Bd7 7. Nbd2 g6 and White won.> 6. Bb3 Bc5 <More active than 6 ... Be7, although the Bc5 might get hit by d3-d4 later> <[last book move]<>> 7. c3 d5 <Prelude to the Marshall Gambit - Pollock tried this in another game J Mason vs W Pollock, 1889 and won. 7 ... d6 8. 0-0 0-0 9. Bg5 Akopian vs I Sokolov, 2007 > 8. exd5 <8. Qe2 declining the gambit Pawn is safer for White> Nxd5 9. Qe2 0-0 10. Qe4 <10. Nxe5!? Nxe5 11. Qxe5?? Re8 wins the Queen> <[10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. d4 Ng6 12. dxc5 Ndf4 ]<>> Be6 11. Nxe5 <[11. Ng5 g6 12. 0-0 ]<>> Nxe5 12. Qxe5 Nb4 <[12 ... Bd6 13. Qg5 ]<>> 13. 0-0 <13. Qxc5??/Bxe6?? Nxd3+ & 14 ... Nxe5> <[13. cxb4 Bxb4+ 14. Kd1 Bxb3+ 15. axb3 Qxd3+ 16. Bd2 0.34/14]<>> Nxd3 <A Knight on the sixth rank becomes a monster> 14. Qh5 Bxb3 15. axb3 Re8 16. Nd2 <[16. Be3 Bxe3 17. fxe3 Qd7 ]<>> Qe7 <Black controls the open file> 17. b4 Bxf2+! <A nice tactic against f2> 18. Kh1 <18. Rxf2 Nxf2 19. Kxf2? Qe3+ mates> Qe1 19. h3 <Protects the weak back rank - consider 19. g3 or 19. Qd1> Nxc1 <Black sacrifices the Queen for a King hunt> 20. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 21. Kh2 Bg1+ 22. Kg3 <22. Kh1 Be3+ 23. Kh2 Bxd2> Re3+ 23. Kg4 Ne2 24. Nf1? <24. Kf5? Ng3+ is a Family Fork, as is 24 ... g6+> <[24. Qf5 Rd8 25. Rxa6 h5+ 26. Kh4 ]<>> g6 25. Qd5 h5+ 26. Kg5 Kg7 <White's King has no escape from the mating net> 27. Nxe3 f6+ 28. Kh4 Bf2+ 29. g3 Bxg3# 0-1.

<[Fritz 7]<>>

Aug-17-07  Karpova: Wilhelm Steinitz:
<‘This sacrifice of the queen for no more than two pieces is based on a most profound and brilliant idea, such as has very rarely occurred in actual play.’ ‘Mr Pollock’s play from the 17th move renders this game one of the finest monuments of chess ingenuity, and altogether it belongs to the most brilliant gems in the annals of practical play.’> New York, 1889 tournament book, page 3.
http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...
May-09-08  whiteshark: "For winning this game Mr. Pollock was awarded the special price of $50 donated by Professor Isaac Leopold Rice for the most brilliant game in the second round."

from the tournament book

Jan-04-10  RandomVisitor: After the suggested improvement 11.Ng5 g6:


click for larger view

Rybka 3:

<[+0.61] d=18 12.Nd2> Qd7 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Nf3 Rf5 15.0-0 Qd6 16.h3 Re8 17.Bc2 a5 18.Kh1 a4 19.Bd2 Ref8 20.Bh6

[+0.54] d=18 12.0-0 Qd7 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Nd2 Rf4 15.Qe2 Rf5 16.Nf3 Qd6 17.Re1 Raf8 18.a4 b4 19.Bd2 Na5 20.Bxd5

Jan-04-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Once: Gobsmacked of Godalming! What a stunning game. Like seeing Nicole Kidman for the first time, it makes you wonder "where have you been all my life".

The queen sac is profound, but the real star of the show is black's dark squared bishop. 21...Bg1+ forces the white king out into the open, where a vicious king-hunt ensues. The final position is a joy, so here it is again:


click for larger view

For once, I am not going to turn Fritz loose on this game to try to find a resource for white. True beauty can be spoiled by silicon.

Jan-04-10  remolino: Nicole Kidman semi-naked, you mean
Jan-04-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  sleepyirv: Looking at this game is sort of like looking at a Jackson Pollock painting: I don't know what's going on, but I'm still enthralled.
Jan-04-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Once: <remolino> I was thinking more of her acting ability, but now you mention it...
Jan-04-10  weisyschwarz: Masterpiece by Pollock. The only time I will ever say that.
Jan-04-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: Beautiful game by Pollock worthy of the great artist in inspiration! Wonderful artist the "real" Pollock" was. One of the greats and Pollock was clearly an inspired chess player also.
Jan-04-10  WhiteRook48: clearly white didn't know what he stepped into
Jan-04-10  dzechiel: Great game. It clearly has the earmarks of correspondence chess.
Jan-05-10  patzer2: <RV> At 20 depth Fritz 10 seems to find a possible win for White after 11. Ng5! g6 12.0-0 Qd7 13. Qh4!, when play might continue:

13...h5 14. Nxe6 Qxe6 15. Bg5 Nce7 (15... f6? 16. Bxf6 Rxf6 17. Bxd5 Qxd5 18. Qxf6 ) 16. Nd2 f6 17. Bh6 Nf5 18. Qe4 Rfd8 19. d4 Be7 20. Nf3 a5 21. Bd2 a4 22. Bc2 Nb6 23. dxe5 fxe5 24. Bf4 Bd6 25. Rfe1 Nd7 26. Qe2 Rab8 27. b3 e4 28. Bxd6 Nxd6 29. Nd4 Qd5 30. bxa4 bxa4 31. Bxa4 Ne5 32. Rad1 .

Just curious. What does Rybka show after 11. Ng5! g6 12.0-0 Qd7 13. Qh4!?

Jan-05-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  kevin86: the king gets chased from pillar to post and was mercifully captured.
May-26-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: <patzer> 20...Kf7 might be an improvement in that line
Jan-05-13  joegalby: mason v gunsberg won the prize for the best game of the first round
Jan-23-13  Abdel Irada: A flawed beauty, but a beauty nonetheless.
Dec-07-14  Knight13: 10. Qe2 and 11. Nxe5 were wasted and unnecessarily risky moves that are better used in playing O-O.
Aug-20-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: While the refutation of the pawn snatch 11.Nxe5 was most elegant, as was the queen sacrifice, it is surprising that Weiss' sense of danger deserted him.
May-02-17  Straclonoor: Knight sacrifice gives only advantage. it's not enough for win

Stockfish 300417 64 BMI2 -0.79 (depth 31) 13.cxb4 Bxb4+ 14.Nc3 Bxb3 15.Qe2 Re8 16.Be3 Bd5 17.O-O Bb7 18.Rac1 Qd7 19.a3 Bf8 20.d4 c5 21.dxc5 Bxc5 22.Rfd1 Bd6 23.Rd3 Qe6 24.Rcd1 Be5 25.Nd5 Rad8 26.Nf4 Qf6 27.Rxd8

Jan-02-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  kingscrusher: Nice one :)
Mar-09-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  Korora: A perfect checkmate, as each flight square is off limits for exactly one reason.
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