Mikhail Chigorin vs David Janowski (1902)

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Mikhail Chigorin vs David Janowski
Monte Carlo (1902), Monte Carlo MNC, rd 12, Feb-22
Spanish Game: Morphy Defense. Mackenzie Variation (C77) · 0-1

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Jul-17-04		iron maiden: Chessgames.com, this game is a duplicate of Chigorin vs Janowski, 1902.

Jul-12-06		Runemaster: If 64.Kxg4 h5# An unusual and very nice mating pattern.

Feb-18-08		Knight13: 9. Nf5 wow if I was playing this I probably would've took the bishop and then see Nxg7+ Kf8 Bh6 and be like "oh crap..." And I don't understand 43. h4

Dec-25-23		KEG: From their first meeting at Hastings 1895, where Janowski crushed Tchigorin thereby allowing Pillsbury to pass the great Russian for first place at this famous tournament, Janowski was almost always trouble for Tchigorin. Both were tactical attacking monsters, albeit with diametrically opposed concepts about chess (Tchigorin loves his Knights while Janowski adored Bishops). The small edge Janowski had against Tchigorin going into this game (seven wins against five losses and two draws) grew to a plus 9 advantage by the time of Tchigorin's retirement. By the end of his career, however, Tchigorin--while still dangerous--was not the player he was when he nearly toppled Steinitz in their second World Championship match. This game had its exciting as well as its flawed moments, with both sides missing chances in the final stretch of the game. 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d4 click for larger view This advance went out of fashion in later years, but it is certainly a playable line which--like the more popular 5. 0-0--can yield a small edge to White. 5... exd4 6. 0-0 Be7 7. e5 Ne4 click for larger view Three days after this game was played, Tchigorin played the identical opening against Reggio as BLACK. Not surprisingly, Tchigorin prevailed in that game against his vastly over-matched opponent. 8. Nxd4 The same second-best move Reggio played three days later. 8. Re1 is strongest. 8... Nc5 Tchigorin played the stronger immediate 8...0-0 in his win over Reggio. After the text, the position was: click for larger view 9. Nf5?! A trap. If now Black plays the tempting 9...NxB [which <Knight13> concedes he might well have jumped at] then White--after considerable tactical complications--emerges with the better game: 10. Nxg7+ Kf8 11. Bh6 Kg8 12. Qg4 Nxe5 13. QxN [the Knight proves to be hanging after all!] Bf8 14. Nf5 d6 15. BxB BxN 16. Bh6 Qf6 17. Qf4 Qg6 after which Black's King is in a bit of a pickle but can probably survive. Assuming Black will not be accommodating (as Janowski was not here), 9. BxN is best. 9... 0-0 Janowski always preferred to be the hunter rather than the hunted. 10. Qg4 Tchigorin also preferred to attack, but the line played resulted in equalizing exchanges: 10... g6 Forced. 11. BxN 11. Nh6+ and 11. NxB+ immediately also lead to exchanges and approximate equality. 11... dxB 12. NxB+ QxN click for larger view

Dec-25-23		KEG: Post II 13. Qg3 Given his lack of development, Tchigorin might have tried the more flexible 13. Qe2 rather than continuing to dream of a King-side attack while his minor pieces remained on his first rank. 13... Re8 14. Re1 Bf5 click for larger view 15. Na3 A surprisingly tame and timid choice by Tchigorin. The Tchigorin of old, fearless of losing the pawn on c2, would likely have opted for either 15. Nc3 Bxc2 16. Bg5 Qf8 17. Qh4 or, perhaps better still, 15. h3. 15... f6 And here it was Janowski's turn to back off. Much stronger were 15...b5 or 15...Ne6. 16. Bf4 click for larger view And so an unbalanced position with chances for both sides has resulted. Play quickly became sharp, as might have been anticipated given the traits of the contestants: 16... b5 17. Qc3 Ne4?! Janowski would have been fine after 17...fxe5 or 17...Ne6 or even 17...Qf8. But, of course, Janowski was on another wavelength. The position was now: click for larger view 18. Qxc6 Tchigorin could have gotten the better endgame with 18. fxe6 , e.g., 18...Qe6 19. Qb3 Rac8 20. QxQ+ RxQ 21. f3 Nxf6 22. g4 Nd5 23. Bg3 RxR+ 24. RxR Bd7 25. Nb1 with some chances despite the opposite color Bishops because of White's better pawn structure and better-positioned Rook. 18... fxe5 19. Be3 Qd6 20. QxQ cxQ 21. Rad1 click for larger view Tchigorin now had a slight edge because of the backward Black d-pawn. But with opposite color Bishops, a draw might be predicted. But not with these hyper-aggressive players. 21... Red8 21...Rad8 certainly seems more natural. 22. f3 Nf6 click for larger view 23. Rd2 Still fretting about the c-pawn instead of fighting for the initiative with 23. c4 or 23. Bg5 or maybe 23. b3 followed by 24. Bg5. After the text, White's small advantage pretty much evaporated: 23... Rac8 24. Bb6 Rd7 25. Ba5 Be6 26. b3 Kf7 click for larger view Chances appear about even here. But from this point Tchigorin began to play weakly and gave Janowski opportunities. But this proved to be only the beginning of this strange struggle. The main drama of this game still lay (well) ahead.

Dec-26-23		KEG: Post III 27. Bb4 Beginning here and pretty much to the end of the game, Tchigorin's play deteriorated. The text is far from a losing move, but it did time and allow Janowski to seize the initiative. 27... Nd5 Of course. 28. Ba5 Retreating, as he must, with his tail between his legs. If instead 28. Bxd6 RxB 29. c4 bxd4 30. bxc4 Kf6 31. Kf2 Rcc6 32. Red1 Rc5 33. cxN Rdxd5 34. Nb1 RxR+ 35. RxR Bf5 Black, despite his two isolated pawns, has the better (though almost certainly not winning) endgame. The text, though embarrassing to play, was doubtless best. 28... Ne7 29. Nb1 This Knight has been a problem piece since Tchigorin's questionable 15. Na3. Here, with the Black Knight back on e7, Tchigorin should probably have just swallowed his pride and returned his Bishop to b4. 29... Bf5 click for larger view 30. Ree2 A basically nothing move. He might as well have bitten the bullet and played 30. g4 at once, or again swallowed his pride and played 30. Na3. 30... g5?! Whether this, 30...h5; 30...Nc6; or 30...d5 was best it is hard to say. One thing is for sure--Janowski was now playing for complications; and for a win: click for larger view 31. g4?! This could have led to trouble. The best way to play to hold the game was 31. Nc3. 31... Be6? Hard to fathom from Janowski. After 31...Bg6 (the move that puts pressure on the White Queen-side) Black would clearly be better. 32. Nc3 Better late than never. 32... Nc6 Forfeiting nearly all of his advantage. Janowski would have had much the better chances with 32...d5! 33. Bb6 h6 Even now, ...d5 would have been best. After the text, any hint of an edge for Black had vanished: click for larger view But now, it was time for Tchigorin to lose his way: 34. a4 Misguided. Tchigorin would have been fine with 34. Ne4 and if then 34...d5 he could have played 35. Nc5. 34... Nb4 35. Ne4 Having played 34. a4, Tchigorin should clearly have played 35. Ba5. Janowski now began to pounce: 35... Nd5 click for larger view Despite several questionable moves, Tchigorin was still very much in this game. But from here his collapse accelerated. For Tchigorin fans, the balance of the game is painful to watch.

Dec-26-23		KEG: Post IV 36. Ba5? Tchigorin had numerous ways to try to hold the position: e.g., 36. axb5; 36. a5; 36. h4. The text, by contrast, allowed Janowski to begin to pummel the White position. 36... Nf4 Perhaps even stronger was 36...bxa4 since 37. bxa4 would run into 37...Rc4. Indeed, after 36...bxa4, Black seems to come out a pawn to the good in all variations. Janowski's move, however, was also plenty strong. 37. Re1 37. Re3 does not seem any better. 37... d5! Janowski was now in his element. 38. Ng3 bxa4 39. bxa4 39. Rxe5 Rb7 would also have been no great bargain for White. After the text. White's position appeared critical: click for larger view 39... Rc4? As Lasker once noted, Janowski sometimes seemed unwilling to win games where he had a winning edge, instead preferring to play cat and mouse [the latter adage being my contribution to Lasker's observation]. Here, 39...Ng6 is very powerful for Black. 40. Rxe5 Rxa4 Even now, 40...Ng6 may have been best. A glance at the position reveals how much Janowski's stock had declined beginning with his 39th move: click for larger view 41. Bb6 Rb7 And here Janowski should have considered 41...d4. 42. Bd4 a5 click for larger view I am guessing that--with the move-45 time control approaching--Tchigorin must have been in severe time trouble. After his next three moves, he was dead lost: 43. h4? <Knight13> put it best: "I don't understand 43. h4." I don't get it either. 43... Ng6 44. Re1 Nxh4 click for larger view Having blown his h-pawn, things already looked difficult for Tchigorin. But the position was not yet hopeless. All that changed after his next effort (his last move before the time-control): 45. Rf1? 45. Kf2 or 45. Re3 might have allowed Tchigorin to hold the game. But now: 45... Kg6 46. c3 As good or bad as anything: click for larger view This certainly looked liked Doomsville for White. But here, yet again, Janowski played around and gave Tchigorin a new lease on life. After these misplays, as I will show in my next post on this game, Tchigorin should almost certainly have been able to save the game until his blunders on moves 53 and 55 rendered his position completely hopeless. In this stage of the game, neither Tchigorin nor Janowski displayed their true talents.

Dec-26-23		FM David H. Levin: <<Knight13>: And I don't understand 43. h4> Perhaps White's idea was 43. h4 gxh4 44. Nh5 Nxh5 45. Rxh5, with counterplay. I've found that when in time pressure, it's easy to overlook effective moves that aren't captures, such as the game's 43...Ng6.

Dec-27-23		KEG: <FM David H. Levin> Perhaps you're right. This is certainly possible in time trouble; even for so talented a player as Tchigorin.

Dec-27-23		KEG: Post V 46... Rf7? With the move-45 time control passed, I would have bet top dollar that so fine a tactician as Janowski would have found the crushing 46...Ra1! (I saw it instantly, and I am not remotely in Tchigorin's league). The text may also be sufficient to win, but it was hardly as decisive as 46...Ra1. 47. Rdf2 Obviously forced. It left the position as: click for larger view 47... Ra3? Was Janowski playing on auto-pilot? The winning line, if there indeed is one here, involves getting the Black Bishop to a6. Accordingly, 47...Bc8! was best, and perhaps the only way to win. After the text, Tchigorin was seemingly out of trouble. 48. Kh2! A fine move that avoids all danger and that should have allowed Tchigorin to draw. 48... Kh7 The win was almost certainly gone now. The only even remote chance for Black to make progress was 48...h5. though after 49. gxh5+ Kh7 50. f4 g4 51. f5 Black should be OK. 49. Nh5 a4! Trying to use his remaining trump. But this should not have gotten him anywhere now that Tchigorin had time back on his clock. 50. Kg3 Rc7! Again the best try (Janowski apparently only turning his full attention to the game after having blown the win). 51. Re1 click for larger view 51... Bf7! Forced! All of a sudden, it was Janowski who had to find "only" moves to stay in the game. 52. Nf6+ Kg6 Again forced (but obvious). But now, having fought his way back into the game, and with the players well short of the move-60 time control, Tchigorin collapsed beginning in the following position: click for larger view 53. Re3? Incomprehensible from Tchigorin. This looks like the play of a beginner, placing his Rook on an undefended square where it runs into a fatal pin. 53... Rc4! Finally Janowski settled down to business. He had blown opportunities before in this game. But now he finished off his famous opponent: click for larger view 54. Be5? Tchigorin was likely already lost, but this wretched move led to a complete catastrophe. I can't understand what happened in this game. 54... d4! White is busted: click for larger view 55. Rd3 Rcxc3 56. RxR RxR click for larger view The balance of the game, which I will cover in my next post, is painful to watch, especially for those of us who admire Tchigorin.

Dec-27-23		KEG: Post VI 57. Bxd4 Tchigorin had obviously given up all hope save some blunder by Janowski (always a possibility with this mercurial player). 57. Nd7 was the best chance--but not much of one. 57... Rd3 58. Ba1 a3 Ouch! click for larger view Tchigorin might have spared himself the rest. 59. Rf1 a2 60. Ba1 Bc4 Cute! click for larger view At first blush, it seems that White's problem was dealing with the Black a-pawn. But he had another problem: a developing potential mating net. 61. Ne4 Bd5 62. Nc3 62. Nc5 Ra3 was likewise hopeless. 62... Bxf3 click for larger view 63. Re1 This led to immediate disaster. But nothing else held out any real hope: e.g., 63. Kf2 Bxg4 and...time to resign. 63... Bxg4+ click for larger view 0-1 As <Runemaster> has pointed out, if now 64. KxB Black has a remarkable mate: 64...h5 checkmate. To quote <Runemaster>: "An unusual and very nice mating pattern."

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