Harry Pillsbury vs Richard Teichmann (1902)

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Harry Pillsbury vs Richard Teichmann
Monte Carlo (1902), Monte Carlo MNC, rd 3, Feb-06
Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation (D50) · 1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Jun-27-10		tamar: Pillsbury overlooks the acrobatic possibilites of a pinned queen behind a knight. 27 f5 appears to be a clever move order to win a piece by 27...gxf5 28 Nxe6 Bxe6 29 Qe3 Re8 30 Bxf5 But by vacating f4 too early, he allows the surprising 27...Qg5, when the tables are turned. Instead, 27 Nxe6 Bxe6 28 Qe3 Re8 29 f5 wins the piece with no escape for Black. Incidentally, it is the same device Korchnoi overlooked against Fischer in Curacao in this position where Fischer scrambled out and won with 32...Qa7 click for larger view Korchnoi vs Fischer, 1962

Jun-03-21		KEG: As Tamar demonstrated on this site back in 2010, Pillsbury missed a win on his 27th move. As I will try to show, however, both sides also missed chances even after move 27. An instructive game which helped cost Pillsbury first place at Monte Carlo 1902. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Nf3 A standard position in the Classical Queen's Gambit Declined. At this point, however, Teichmann played a rare variation: 6... a6 click for larger view Marshall tried this line at least twice. It is entirely playable, even if not quite as sound as the usual 6...0-0. 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bd3 c6 Again a playable line, but 8...c5 or 8...h6 are better. 9. Qc2 Nf8 One gets the impression that Teichmann had prepared this variation, and hoped to entice Pillsbury to try his next move. click for larger view 10. Ne5 Pillsbury had enormous success playing this move on the White side of the QGD. But in this line, 10. 0-0 or 10. Rc1 or 10. h3 were better. 10... Ne6 The move that Teichmann had likely planned to rely upon. 11. Bh4 Nd7 12. Bg3 NxN 12...g6 was also possible. 13. BxN Bf6 14. f4 Going all in. 14. BxB and 14. 0-0 were also good options. 14... BxB 15. dxB It is hard to understand why Pillsbury did not play the more natural 15. fxB. White has little or no advantage after the text. 15... Qb6 16. Qd2 Nc5 17. 0-0 Rightly not fearing the loss of the b-pawn: click for larger view 17... 0-0 17...NxB 18. QxN Qxb2, while not a losing line, would leave White better placed. To quote the line given in the Tournament Book: 19. Nxd5 ["!"] cxN ["!"] 20. Rfb1 Bf5 (the saving move for Black--KEG] 21. QxB. Black could now play 21...Qc3 leaving him a playable but inferior position. 18. Ne2? A weak effort by Pillsbury. As Pillsbury doubtless calculated, the text is possible. But it gives up any edge White might have hoped to derive from the opening and gave Teichmann some chances at initiative: click for larger view

Jun-04-21		KEG: Post II 18... f6 18...NxB looks simplest for Black. 18...Rd8 was another good option for Teichmann. 19. Bc2 "!"--(Tournament Book) Deciding not to give Teichmann a second chance to trade Knight for Bishop. The text also indirectly protects the White pawn on b2 (19...Qxb2? 20. Bxh7+). 19... fxe5 20. fxe5 click for larger view 20... Bg4 The Tournament Book claimed this gives White the advantage and that 20...Bd7 was better. But Black's problems in fact came from later doubtful moves. The text (or maybe 20...Re8) look best. If 20...Bd7 White is at least equal after 21. Nf4. 21. Nd4 click for larger view 21... Qc7 It was this tentative move, and not 20...Bg4, that was the start of Teichmann's troubles. 21...Nd7 (or maybe 21...a5) was best. 22. Rf4 RxR 23. exR click for larger view 23... Qe7? Now Pillsbury took charge. Better were 23...Qb6 or 23...Rf8. 24. h3 Bd7 25. Re1 click for larger view 25... g6? Now the game is lost for Black. Teichmann, for better or worse, had to play 25...Ne6. 26. e6 "!"--(Tournament Book). White also wins with 26. f5 Ne4 27. BxN dxB 28. e6 c5 29. fxg6 hxg6 (or 29...Bxe6 30. Rxe4 cxB 31. Qh6 Kh8 32. RxB) 30. exB cxN 31. Qh6 Qxd7 32. Qxg6+ Qg7 33. Qxe4 Rf8 34. Qd5+ Qf7 35. Qxd4. The text also should have won for Pillsbury. 26... Nex6 click for larger view White to move and win.

Jun-04-21		KEG: Post III 27. f5? "??"--(Tournament Book) As both <Tamar> on this site in 2010 and the Tournament Book have shown, Pillsbury could have won here with 27. NxN BxN 28. Qe3 Re8 29. f5 (29...gxf5 30. Bxf5 Kf7 31. BxB+ and now if 31...QxB 32. Qf3+ (or 32. Qf4+ or 32. Qf2+). Even after the text, the saving move for Black is quite lovely, the position after 27. f5? being: click for larger view 27... Qg5 "!!"--(Tournament Book) <Tamar> aptly characterizes the saving move of the Black Queen as "acrobatic." But even after the text, Teichmann had to play with great care to hold the draw. 28. QxQ NxQ 29. fxg6 click for larger view 29... Re8? None of the commentators seem to recognize that this should have lost. The only saving move was the simple 29...hxg6 and if then 30. Bxg6 Rd8. As will be seen, after the text, Pillsbury had a winning position: 30. RxR+ BxR 31. h4! Ne4 Black had nothing better. 32. gxh7+ 32. BxN dxB 33. gxh7+ Kxh7 34. Nf5 after which White should win, e.g., 34...Bg6 35. g4 Bf7 36. a3 and White will eventually win the Black e-pawn and should win. The text, however, also was sufficient to win. 32. gxh7+ Kxh7 33. Ne6 33. BxN+ and 33. g4 were both clearer ways to win. But even after the text, Pillsbury should still have won. 33... Kh6 34. BxN dxB click for larger view 35. Nc5? This may not have blown the win, but best by far--and clearly winning--was 35. Nf4! to keep the Black King from attacking the White h-pawn or supporting the Black e-pawn. But Teichmann immediately squandered his chances with: 35... Kh5? He had to play 35...Bf7! Now, the position was: click for larger view Here, however, Pillsbury erred yet again: 36. Nxe4? The winning move was 36. Nxb7 and now Black's isolated pawns would be too weak:m 36...Kxh4 37. Kf2! Kg5 38. Ke3 Kg3 39. Nc5 and White can systematically pick off the Black pawns: 36... Kxh4? Teichmann's only legitimate chance lay in 36...Bf7 or 36...Bg6. Now, the game was seemingly a theoretical win for White: click for larger view As will be seen, however, Pillsbury erred and let Teichmann escape.

Jun-05-21		KEG: Post IV 37. Nd6 Black's remaining Queen-side pawns will now be isolated, and White appears to have a theoretical win. 37... Ng6 38. Nxb7 Bf7 38...Kg3 would have given Teichmann somewhat better practical chances. But now Pillsbury began playing inaccurately, and let Teichmann back in the game, the position now being: click for larger view 39. a3 This may be sufficient to win,but 39. b3 was better. 39... Kg3 "!"--(Tournament Book) click for larger view 40. Nd6? After this inaccuracy, Teichmann was able to save a tempo or two and save the game. White had to play to win on the Queen's side, beginning with 40. Kf1 (or maybe 40. Nc5). e.g., 40. Kf1 c4+ 41. Ke1 Kxg2 42. Nd6 Be6 43. Ke2! [keeping the Black King from making progress] Bg4+ 44. Ke3! Kf1 45. Kd2! Bd7 46. Ne4 Kg2 47. Nc5 Bc8 48. Ke2 and White must ultimately win. 40... Bd5 Best. 41. Nc5+ Kf4 42. Ne7 Ke3! click for larger view 43. b4 As good a try for White as any. 43... Be4 44. g4 This idea has no chance against Teichmann's accurate play, but nothing else weems to work either. 44... Kd4 45. Kf2 click for larger view 45... c5 "!"--Tournament Book) This fine move is the only way to save the game for Black. 46. Nf5+ 46. bxc5 was perhaps a better shot, but it also seems to fail: 46...Kxc5 47. Nf5 Kd5 48. Ke3 a5 49. Ne7+ Ke5 50. g5 (or 50. Nc8 Bd5) Bb7 51. g6 Kf6 52. g7 Kxg7 53. Kd4. After the text, Teichmann had a clear draw: 46... BxN 47. gxB click for larger view 47... Ke5 "!"--Tournament Book Once again, Teichmann found the only saving move. 48. Ke3 Also unavailing was 47. bxc5 Kxf5 49.Ke3 Ke5 50. c6 Kd6 48... Kxf5 Not 48...cxb4?? 49. axb4 and White wins! Drawn click for larger view

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