Schlechter gives a line that looks very unclear.

" if 34...Kg8 35 Qc3 Rdd6 36 Qg3+ Rg6 37 Bxg6 Rxg6 38 Qe3 and wins"

It would have taken great discipline to pass over the sacrifice, which seems to fail only in this one narrow line, but I agree that Schlechter normally did this better than his contemporaries.

Schlechter's notes show he had been thinking of the sac earlier, when it was very sound.

"If 29...Q-Q2 then KtxKtP etc, at once."

Psychologically, the many moves that the Black Queen took Qf6-d6-g6-d6-c5-c4-a6 only to end up out of play on a6 may have contributed to Schlechter's decision.

But even though the Queen is separated from the battle, Black's minor pieces and rooks defend quite well.

" if 34...Kg8 35 Qc3 Rdd6 36 Qg3+ Rg6 37 Bxg6 Rxg6 38 Qe3 and wins"

but after 38...Bf5 39 g4 Be4+ 40 Kg1 h5! 41 f5 Bxf5 42 Rxc6 Rxc6 43 gxf5 Qc4 44 Qg5+ Ng6 45 fxg6 White's attack is stymied and the Black Queen and Rook overwhelm the exposed King. -3.56/15 Shredder 8

Indeed, that is a good question.

<35 Rxc6> I didn't notice that. It is quite a shot. Black must check on f1 and lose all his pawns in some variations. But his d pawn is very strong also.

I am staying in CA for awhile, and tried a borrowed Fritz 8 out on the position.

34...Kg8 35 Rxc6 Qf1+ 36 Kh2 Qxf4+ 37 Qxf4 Rxf4 38 Rxb6 d4 and it is an exciting race between Black's quick d pawn and White's 2 connected pairs of pawns.

Schlechter's line only went up to "38 Qe3 and wins" After 38...Bf5 39 g4 Be4+ 40 Kh2 Re6 41 Re6 Ne6 Black has some good winning chances, for example 42 Rxc6 Qf1 43 Rc8+ Kf7 44 Kg3 Qg2+ 45 Kh4 d4 Black's d pawn rather than the mating threats is most dangerous 46 Qg3 Qd2 47 g5 hg5 48 fg5 d3 and Black is winning.

click for larger view

(1). <34...Kg8> 35.Qc3 Rdd6 36.Qg3+ Rg6 37.Bxg6 Rxg6 38.Qe3 Bf5 39.g4 Be4+ 40.Kh2 Re6! (stronger than <40...h5>) is advantageous for Black

(2).The alternative attack with 34...Kg8 35.Qc3 <35.Rxc6! - Beatgiant> may also fall short, 35...Qf1+ 36.Kh2 Qxf4+ 37.Qxf4 Rxf4 38.Rxh6 <d4!?> 39.Rxb6 d3 40.Bd1 d2 41.Bb3+ Be6 - with advantage to Black.

This apart, games such as these show that Schlechter's reputation as a <drawing master> is too simplistic.

But now I understand why <Kg1> is good in 34...Kg8 35. Qc3 Rdd6 36. Qg3+ Rg6 37. Bxg6 Rxg6 38. Qe3 Bf5 39. g4 Be4+ <40. Kg1>. It prevents 40...Re6 41. Rxe6 Nxe6 42. f5, and now White's attack on h6 gets in before Black's Qe2.

Now Black can but does not have to take a perpetual with 42...Qd1+, but can try 42...Bxg4 with winning chances if he is adventurous.

43 hxg4 Qa3! 44 Rxc6 Rxg4+ 45 Kf2 Qa2 46 Qe2 Qb1 leads to a very perilous situation where Black's Queen and Rook win.

<34...Kg8> 35.Qc3 Rdd6 36.Qg3+ Rg6 37.Bxg6 Rxg6 <38.Qb3>, perhaps <38...Be6> is best.

There is the poison of <39.Rxc6?> Qf1+ 40.Kh2 Rxg2 mate to keep White on the back foot.

<How about my earlier suggestion of 34...Kg8 35 Qc3 Rdd6 36 Qg3+ Rg6 37 Bxg6 Rxg6 "38. Qb3", to answer 38...Bf5 with 39. b5, did you find a refutation of that too?>

No refutation, but the lack of play is dreary for White after after 38...Bf5 39 b5 Qxb5 40 Qxb5 cxb5 41 g4 Be4+ 42 Kg1 h5

or

Schlechter's impressive score 15 wins 12 draws and 3 losses though, was not that of a drawing master.

Lasker speaks about Schlechter's "charming an attack out of almost nothing" in ref to another of his wins at Ostend Rubinstein vs Schlechter, 1906

34....Kh8 worse, of course

Analysis by Stockfish 060620 64 BMI2:

1. +- (5.08): 34...Kg8 35.Qe1 Rdd6 36.Rc3 Bf5 37.Rg3+ Bg6 38.Bxg6 Nxg6 39.Re8+ Kh7 40.Rf3 Rf5 41.g4 Rff6 42.f5 Qc4 43.Kg2 Nf8 44.Qe7+ Kg8 45.Rxf8+ Rxf8 46.Qxd6 Qe2+ 47.Rf2 Qe4+ 48.Kh2 Qe3 49.Rg2 Rf7 50.b5 c5 51.Qxd5 Qf4+ 52.Rg3 Qf2+ 53.Qg2 Qf4 54.Qa8+ Kh7 55.Qf3 Qd2+ 56.Rg2 Qd6+ 57.Qg3 Qd4 58.Re2 h5 59.Qe5 hxg4 60.Qxd4 g3+ 61.Kxg3 cxd4 62.Re6 Rxf5 63.a4 Rf1 64.Rd6 Ra1 65.Rxd4 Kg7 66.Kf4 Kf7 67.h4 Rh1 68.Ke5 Ke7 69.Kf5 Rf1+ 70.Kg5 Ke6 71.h5 Rf5+ 72.Kg4 Rf8 73.Rc4 Rg8+ 74.Kf4 Rf8+ 75.Ke4