Theodor von Scheve vs Richard Teichmann (1902)

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Theodor von Scheve vs Richard Teichmann
Monte Carlo (1902), Monte Carlo MNC, rd 9, Feb-17
Queen Pawn Game: Krause Variation (D02) · 0-1

White to move.

ANALYSIS [x]

0-1

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Jan-28-19		zydeco: A duel of invading queens. White's can't find any meaningful targets. Black's gets to play off the f2 square and the poorly-connected rooks. Although I don't see anything devastating for black after 28.Rc2 (if ....Qd3 29.Rbc1).

Jun-10-22		KEG: von Scheve thrived at Monte Carlo 1901 with his unusual Queen's Pawn variations. By 1902, however, the other competitors knew what was up when von Scheve had White, and von Scheve ended up in 17th place (as opposed to tied for 3rd the year before), losing to 11 of the top 12 finishers, defeating only Tchigorin (who had an up and down tournament in this event). After von Scheve's precipitous 13. e4, Teichmann obtained much the better game and missed some early chances to pursue winning prospects. But beginning on move 26, as the move-30 time control loomed, both side erred badly, Teichmann blowing a win at least three times after von Scheve miscues. Surprisingly, upon reaching move 30 in a position he could have held, von Scheve seemed to go to pieces and handed an easy win to Teichmann. One side note. The commentary on this game in the Tournament Book was especially bad. 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c5 3. c3 click for larger view A von Scheve favorite with White. Janowski adopted it after this game (for whatever reason), and it was later played at least twice by both Rubinstein and Vidmar. Objectively, it gives White little or no advantage. It does have the merit of avoiding any dangerous lines that could get White into trouble. Teichmann adopted a relaxed approach to facing this White opening, and stayed out of trouble--apparently awaiting a time to outplay his far less talented opponent. 3... Nc6 3...Nf6 or 3...e6 are perhaps best, but Teichmann would have ample time for those moves later, and had some notions on how to unravel von Scheve's normal confidence in this form of opening. 4. e3 von Scheve decided not to try to snatch a pawn with 4. dxc5. His move was certainly reasonable, but it conferred no edge for White. 4... Nf6 As on his last move, Teichmann dared von Scheve to take the Black c-pawn. 5. Bd3 von Scheve wanted no part of 5. dxc5, but the text was yet another concession that von Scheve only sought safety and wanted to avoid complications. 5... Bg4 click for larger view Teichmann decided to take the initiative, even at the cost of giving von Scheve the two Bishops. 6. h3 BxN 7. QxB click for larger view 7... e5?! "!"--(Tournament Book) Not completely sound, but Teichmann did not want to play a slow positional game with such moves as 7..Rc8 or 7...e6. 8. dxe5 Nxe5 9. Bb5+ The best way to try to turn the tables on Teichmann's aggressive designs. 9... Nc6 Again courting possible trouble. The sound 9...Ned7 was the best way to avoid trouble, but Teichmann was looking for action. The position was now: click for larger view

Jun-11-22		KEG: Post II 10. Nd2 Still focused solely on safety, von Scheve by-passed the opportunity to play for the initiative with 10. c4 (either immediately or after 10. 0-0). 10... Bd6 11. 0-0 Again not tempted by 11. c4. 11... 0-0 12. BxN And here von Scheve relinquished his only real advantage: the two Bishops. 12... bxB click for larger view Despite his wimpy play to this point, von Scheve's position was stable and he was as yet in no real danger. But here he tempted fate a but: 13. e4?! von Scheve could have continued his minimal risk policy with 13. b3. With the text, the game opened up, and not to his advantage. 13... Re8 Seizing the soon to be opened e-file. 14. exd5 cxd5 click for larger view 15. Rd1 The Tournament Book mysteriously claimed that 15. Nb3 was better, suggesting that White's plan of Nf1-g3 was specious. I prefer von Scheve's move. 15... Qe7 A bit of over-refinement. Teichmann should probably just continued to play to control the open files with 15...Rb8. 16. Nf1 Qe5 17. Be3 Ne4 click for larger view 18. g3 A needless weakening that, among other things, ends any hope of Ng3. von Scheve could just have played 18. Qe2 with a viable position. But von Scheve seems to have been intimidated by the scary-looking Black attacking formation. 18... Rad8 18...Rab8 looks like a good (and perhaps stronger) alternative. 19. Kg2 Qe6 20. Re1 Rb8 Finally taking control of the b-file.. But Teichmann's dithering lessened the impact. 21. Rab1 f5 click for larger view 22. Bf4 My critiques of his play to this point notwithstanding, von Scheve was still very much in the game, even if Teichmann was somewhat better. But the text was doubtful, since it gave Teichmann a fine opportunity for the attack towards which he seemed to be pressing. 22.. BxB? Pretty much forfeiting all of his advantage. Was time trouble already a factor. If not, why not 22...d4! 23. QxB g5 A last roar by Teichmann. But von Scheve's position was now solid and all he needed to do was to address the problem of the Black Knight on e4. click for larger view 24. Qc7?! <zydeco> has aptly summarized this game as a "dual of invading Queens." But this meandering with his Queen ultimately helped lead to von Scheve's demise. Although the text was hardly fatal, 24. Qc1 or 24. Qf3 were sounder and better. 24... Qa6 25. Qd7 Rbd8 click for larger view For all his often clueless shuffling, von Scheve's game was still not all that bad. But beginning here, he went to pieces (perhaps because of time pressure) and his next six moves were all blunders. If not for some fumblings by Teichmann, von Scheve would have been wiped out even faster than the (still relatively quick) fate he actually suffered.

Jun-11-22		KEG: Post III 26. Qc7? It is always nice to have one's Queen posted on the 7th rank. But the text was a mistake and created needless problems for von Scheve. He would have been fine with the simple 26. Qxf5, despite the (at first glance) frightening check on f2: e.g., 26. Qxf5 Rf8 27. Qe5 Rxf2+ 28. Kg1 After 26. Qc7, the position was: click for larger view 26... Qa4 The Tournament Book correctly noted that 26...Qxa2? would have been a mistake, but its further analysis of the move was preposterous. Had White responded 27. Ra1 as suggested in the Tournament Book, he would have converted a strong position into a losing one, since Black would simply play 27...Qxb2. If White then followed up with 28. Rxa7?? as the Tournament Book further suggests (28. RxN was probably White's only chance), Black would win instantly with 28...Qxf2+ 29. Kh1 Rd7! After 26...Qxa2?, White could get an excellent (though nowhere near winning) game with 27. Ne3. In any case, after 26...Qa4, the position was: click for larger view 27. Re2? This should have lost straight-away. By contrast, von Scheve could likely have weathered the storm with 27. b3 or 27. Rbd1. After 27. Re2?, however, Teichmann could have won by exploiting the position of the White Queen on c7, the board now showing: click for larger view Teichmann must have also been in time trouble, else he would surely have found the crushing 27...Rd7! The game would likely have then continued 28. b3 (forced) Qb5 29. c4 (forced) dxc4 30. a4 (forced) RxQ [30...cxb3 also wins and transposes to the main line] 31. axQ cxb3 32. Rxb3 (forced) c4 and wins. But, instead, Teichmann played: 27... Qb5? click for larger view Now, there was a glimmer of hope for von Scheve with 28. Rbe1, and thus the Tournament Book's claim that he was "hopelessly lost" is just wrong. But von Scheve blundered again with: 28. c4? The suggestion of <zydeco> of 28. Rc2 is also bad: 28...Rc8 [28...Rd7 also wins] 29. Qxa7 [everything else is even worse] Qc6! (dooming the White Queen] 30. f3 Ra8 Now, after 28. c4? Teichmann had a likely win with 28...Qxc4. But he gave von Scheve a chance with: 28... dxc4? Now, 29. Rbe1 might have allowed von Scheve to survive. But instead he played: 29. a4? Now, Teichmann was again in the driver's seat: 29... Qxa4 click for larger view von Scheve was probably lost, but with 30. Rbe1 or 30. Rc1 or (perhaps best of all) 30. g4, he might have had at least a fighting chance. But instead he fatally crippled his King-side with: 30. f3? click for larger view But Teichmann still had to make one more move to reach the move-30 time control. And that next move should have allowed von Scheve to save the game, as I will discuss in my next post on this often bizarre game.

Jun-11-22		KEG: Post IV 30... Nc3?? Teichmann must have been down to a couple of seconds. He could have won easily with 30...Qb5 (31. Qxa7 Ra8 32. Qc7 c3 33. Ree2 Nd2). Even 30...Nf6 would probably have been good enough for a win. But after the text, von Scheve had a draw in hand, the position now being: click for larger view With the move-30 time control surmounted, von Scheve had plenty of time to find the saving move (30. Re7 Qc2+ 31. Kh1 [31. Kg1 also draws] RxR 33. QxR QxR 34. QxR+ Kf7 35. Qc7+ Kg6 36. Qc6+ Kg7 [not 36...Kh5 37. g4+ and mate in two] 37. Qd7+ and draws by perpetual check. But instead, von Scheve played the inconceivable: 31. QxR?? And the rest was a massacre: 31... RxQ 32. bxN Qc6 click for larger view 33. Re7? This hastened the end. But even the "better" 33. Ne3 or 33. Nd2 or 33. Rbe1 or 33. Re5 would not have changed the outcome. 33... g4! click for larger view 34. Rbb7 Hasting the end. 34... Qxf3+ 35. Kg1 Qxc3 click for larger view With the Black Queen eyeing g7, the game was plainly over. But von Scheve chose to suffer a bit more. 36. Rax7 Qxd4+ Still eyeing g7. 37. Ne3 c3 38. Ra2 Qd6 39. Nxf5 Allowing for a quick finale. 39... Qd1+ click for larger view 0-1

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