12. Nxe6 is a forcing "deflection" tactic that gives White two simple alternatives to analyze in either 12...exf6 or 12...Qxf6.

If 12...exf6, then 13. Rxe4 takes advantage of the "pin" on the e-file by the White Queen on d1 to win a piece, as the "pinned pawn" on d5 cannot recapture without dropping the Queen for a hopeless material deficit.

If 12...Qxf6, then the simple 13. Rxe4! takes advantage of the pin of the Queen by the Bishop on b3 to win a piece as the "pinned pawn" on d5 cannot recapture without dropping the Queen for a bishop.

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In the CG database there are 23 games where Black plays 11...Nxd4. White wins 10 and Black wins 7, with 6 draws.

Seems that gid=1029187 was known bad back in 2015.

https://web.archive.org/web/2015092...

Leaves me wondering, did I find a <Tarrasch--Zukertort (1887)> game with that gid?

So, when were the moves a6/Ba4 played? Tarrasch has them as 3rd/4th moves, while the game-score here has it as 5th/6th moves. The latter version is supported by the "Manchester Times" of 29 August 1890. But there Black resigned already after 12.KtxB.

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The "Manchester Times" of 29 August 1890 presents a report of two full columns on the International Chess Congress. The relevant game-score appears at the very end. Within the round descriptions for rounds 1-6 there is this paragraph:

"The fourth round was played on Wednesday afternoon. The game between Dr. Tarrasch and Gunsberg proved a most sensational one. Tarrasch having the first move, played the Ruy Lopez, and, strange to relate, led his opponent into precisely the same trap he so successfully laid for Zukertort at Frankfort. Gunsberg, perceiving that he should lose a piece, resigned the game on the 12th move after exactly half an hour's play."

So, at least this text and the game-score presented are not contradicting.

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The "Leeds Mercury" of 6th September 1890 has the following notification.

"TARRASCH'S TRAP. -- At least one cause for a little excitement has taken place during the play in the Manchester tournament. Mr. Gunsberg was caught by Dr. Tarrasch in the same manner that the Doctor trapped other large game [sic] in the person of the late Mr. Zukertort in the Frankfort tournament of 1887. The following moves led up to the position:--"

Here the game-score follows with a6/Ba4 as 5th/6th move (with typos) and ending after White's 12th move. Then the text continues.

"Black resigns because he must lose a piece. The excitement was somewhat intensified later on, when in the Minor Tournament, Mr. Mills was playing Mr. Schott. The whisper had gone round amongst spectators that Mills had set "Tarrasch's trap" for his opponent, and no little merriment was caused by the spreading of the information. All were watching in breathless silence to see if Schott would fall into the snare, and, much to the surprise of every one, he fell a victim. Black's eight move is book, but Steinitz prefers Kt to K 2 instead, a move Anderssen adopted in this position."

We always have to keep in mind that one newspaper copies from the other, but the "Manchester Times" has only the first three rounds of the Minor Tournament, in which Mills didn't play against Schott. So, the two articles are at least partly independent.