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Hermann von Gottschall vs Amos Burn
12th DSB Congress, Munich (1900), Munich GER, rd 1, Jul-23
Italian Game: Classical Variation. Giuoco Pianissimo (C53)  ·  0-1

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
0-1

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
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Kibitzer's Corner
Jun-24-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  KEG: von Gottschall misplayed the opening, and Burn was on top by about move 8. Burn thereafter, playing cat and mouse with his less experienced opponent, and though not always playing the most dynamic moves, slowly built his advantage. Recognizing that the game was slipping away from him von Gottschall tried a wild exchange sacrifice that got him nowhere, after which Burn cruised to victory.

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5
4. c3 Nf6
5. d3

The Giuoco Pianissimo. A perfectly sound but unambitious opening for White.

5... d6
6. b4?

This move is not bad as a theoretical matter, but von Gottschall clearly did not understand the line and was quickly in trouble. The "?" is for playing a decent line he did not understood.

6... Bb6
7. Qb3

There are various plans that White can try here, e.g., 7. a4 (following up on b4) or 7. Nbd2 or 7. 0-0 or 7. Bb3 or even 7. h3. The text threatens nothing (if Black is awake), loses time, and robs the Bishop of a possible retreat square.

7... 0-0

So much for White's "threat."

8. Bg5

He should play 8. a4 (or perhaps just admit his last move was bad and play 8. Qc2 immediately).

8... Ne7

8...h6 would have exposed the futility of White's last move. The text was surprisingly poor, especially coming from a fine positional player such as Burn. It allows White to mess up his King-side pawn structure with 9. BxN

9. Nbd2

Not in the spirit of the opening, and making no effort to exploit the weakness in Burn's last move. von Gottschall should have played either 9. a4 (consistent with his opening) or 9. BxN (messing up Burn's hair).

9... c6

Giving White another chance to play BxN. 9...Ng6 would have solved all of Black's problems and given him much the better game.

10. Qc2

Another bad choice by White. He had two reasonable moves: 10. 0-0 or 10. BxN. The text merely concedes the error of 7. Qb3.

10... Ng6

The position now was:


click for larger view

Burn has emerged from the opening with the better game. What followed was not particularly inspiring, but Burn slowly but surely wound up with a positionally won game.

11. h3?

Accomplishing nothing and giving Burn a chance to dominate the board qwith 11...d5! Better were 11. 0-0 or 11. Bb3.

11... h6?

Burn decided to chase the Bishop before playing d5, but this only allowed von Gottschall a chance to improve his game and trade off a pair of Bishops.

12. Be3 d5

Best, but not as strong as it would have been one move earlier.

13. BxB axB

Burn's eagerness to open the a-file is understandable, and the text does give him an excellent game. But 13...QxB was perhaps even stronger.

14. Bb3 Be6

Burn is still better after the text, but 14...Nf4 was even stronger.

15. Rd1

White's King is a sitting duck here. He should have played 15. 0-0. Even 15. Kf1 was better.

15... Qe7

Not best or fastest, but Burn is biding his time and slowly building a strategically winning position.

16. g3

"?"--(Tournament Book). While 16. g3 is hardly a move to celebrate, it was not one of the major causes of White's poor position here.

16... Nd7

16...Qd7 was better.

17. Nf1

von Gottschall continues to mangle his own position. 17. Kf1 (ugly but gets the King out of harm's way) 17.h4 or even 17. a4 were better.

17... f5

Burn continues his cat-and-mouse game with his over-matched opponent. 17...b5; 17...Rfd8; and 17...Rf38 were all better.

18. exd5 cxd5

18...Bxd5 was surely stronger, but Burn was in no hurry.

19. Ne3?

An awful move, giving Burn a live target to attack. 19. a4 or 19. N1d2 were both much better.

19... Qd6?

This may be good enough to win, but 19...f4! was much stronger.

20. d4

Good moves for White are hard to find here. He might have considered 20. Nf1 or 20. Ng2, but these also would not have brought about a position anyone would want to try to salvage.

20... e4

The position now was:


click for larger view

By this point, von Gottschall realized he was in big trouble, and--as I will show in my next post on this game--decided on desperate measures.

Jun-24-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  KEG: Part II

Having been outplayed, von Gottschall decided to take extreme measures. First, however, he had to find a square for his Knight.

21. Ne5

He had nothing better.

21... NgxN

21...NdxN may have been slightly better since it would have permitted Burn to capture the pawn on his next move with his Queen. In either case, Black is clearly for choice.

22. exN Nxe5

This left:


click for larger view

White is down a pawn and his position appears to be in the last throes. So von Gottschall decided it was time for drastic measures. 23. 0-0 was nominally best, but after 23...Nf3+ Black would rule the board. So...

23. Rxd5?!

Better to go down with a bang than with a whimper! von Gottschall was almost certainly lost anyway, so why not swing for the rafters. Unfortunately, Burn was an especially unflappable competitor and unlikely to wilt.

23... BxR
24. NxB

At least von Gottschall has the threat of a nasty discovered check. But it is Burn's move.

24... Kh8

This defensive resource does the trick and is sufficient for victory. But 24...Nd3+ was even stronger and would pretty much have ended White's chances of resistance.

After the text, White no longer has a discovered check or any serious threats.

25. 0-0

"Too late!" (Tournament Book).

25. Kf1 was probably a little better, but the game is nearly over.

25... b5

This nicely restricts White's play, but 25...Nf3+ would have been crushing.

26. Qe2

He should probably have tried 26. Nf4 if he wanted to play on (or perhaps 26. Rd1).

26... Nd3

26...Nf3+ would have been even better. But even after the text, the hopelessness of White's position is obvious:


click for larger view

27. Qe3

27. f4--horrible as it looks--was the best he had.

27... Ra3

"!"-- (Tournament Book).

27...Rad8 was also good.

28. Qb6

This offer to trade Queens was tantamount to resignation.

28... QxQ

Reducing to a clearly won endgame was of course fine for Burn.

29. NxQ

The remaining endgame held out no hopes for White, the position now being:


click for larger view

What followed (given that von Gottschall chose to play on) was a massacre, as I will discuss in my next (and presumably last) post on this game.

Jun-24-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  KEG: Post III

The balance of the game held few surprises.

29... Rd8
30. Rd1 g6
31. c4

In a hopeless position, von Gottshcall was prepared to try anything.

31... bxc4

31...Rd6 would have been even better, but the text most certainly did the trick.

32. Nxc4 Raa8
33. a3

33. Nb6 was perhaps a better try, but it too was basically hopeless.

33... b5
34. Na5 Rac8
35. Nb7 Rf8
36. Nd6 Rc3


click for larger view

Looking grim for the von Gottschall fans.

37. Rb1

Perhaps 37. Bd5---nah--that loses too.

37... Rb8
38. g4?!

Still hoping for a miracle.

38... Rb6
39. Nf7+ Kg7
40. Nd8

Now he loses a piece.

40... Kf6

Burn could have been even more brutal with 40...Nf4. But he is content to win a piece.

41. gxf5

Hopeless, as is everything else.

41... gxf5
42. a4 bxa4
43. Bxa4 Rc8

This left:


click for larger view

von Gottschall finally conceded the futility of further resistance.

0-1

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