Carl Schlechter vs David Janowski (1902)

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Carl Schlechter vs David Janowski
Schlechter - Janowski (1902), Karlsbad BOH (Austro-Hungarian Empire), rd 4, Jun-10
Queen's Gambit Declined: Janowski Variation (D31) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Nov-07-08		tamar: With this crush, Schlechter had won the first 4 games of the match.

Nov-07-08		piercenator: Wow, can we call this a "queen hunt"?

Sep-09-22		offramp: click for larger view 18...Bb8 19. Be7 attacking the rook at f8. click for larger view Janowsky could have had a punt with 19...Bxh2+! (The ♘ at f3 is pinned against the ♖ at d1.) 20. Kf1▢. At least now Black has a bit of counterplay.

Jun-02-25		KEG: A 24-move crush of Janowski by Schlechter (aptly called a "queen-hunt" by <piercenator>). While Janowski did blunder his Queen on move 19 (missing the superior move suggested here by <offramp>), he was, as I will attempt to show, lost well before that. As <tamar> has noted, this was Schlechter's fourth consecutive win to open this 14-game match. After this Fischeresque performance, the match was a good as over, especially given Schlechter's strength as a match player. True, this was the only match he actually won. But Schlechter's drawn matches with Lasker, Teichmann, and Tarrasch show just how formidable Schlechter was in this sort of contest. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Schlechter played the Queen's Gambit in all five of the games in this match in which he had the White pieces. 2... e6 3. Nc3 a6 As in Game 2 of the match, Janowski again tried his special line against the QGD. After losing Games 2 and 4, Janowski switched to the more usual 3...Nf6 in Games 6, 8, and 10. He did not fare well there either, losing Games 6 and 10 and only drawing in Game 8. 4. e4 In Game 2, Schlechter had played 4. Nf3. In neither case did Schlechter employ the theoretically best 4. cxd5 followed by 5. Bf4. The text is also good, and yields White a small but real edge: click for larger view 4... dxe4 5. Nxe4 Nf6 6. NxN+ As was typical with Schlechter, we was happy to simplify to a position in which he had no weaknesses and a small advantage. 6... QxN 7. Nf3 click for larger view 7... b6? At London 1899, the same position was reached in Tinsley--Janowski. The latter won handily after playing the far better 7...Nf6. Even better, and achieving near equality, is 7...Bb4+. The text needlessly weakens the Black Queen-side, and left: click for larger view 8. Be2 The crucial--and perhaps winning--move for White here is 8. Qg5. But, as always, Schlechter was in no hurry, and may have been concerned that Janowski (playing his signature line against the QGD) might have something cooked up. The text is a safe solid move, just what we should expect from Schlechter. 8... Bb7 9. 0-0 Nd7 10. Qa4! A very strong move by Schlechter that nicely exploits Black's Queen-side problems. click for larger view As I will discuss in my next post on this game, Janowski self-destructed in trying to respond to 10. Qa4 and soon had a strategically lost game even before he blundered away his Queen.

Jun-03-25		KEG: Post II 10... c6? Very weak. Janowski needlessly weakened his Queen-side rather than developing normally with 10...Bd6. This was generally a blueprint for disaster against so strong a technician as Schlechter. 11. Bg5 click for larger view It was only move 11 and Janowski was already in deep trouble. And he now proceeded to make the situation worse for himself: 11... Qg6? Getting his Queen into even more hot water. Best was 11...Qf5. 12. Rad1 Even stronger were 12. Rfe1 or 12. c5. 12... Bd6 13. c5 click for larger view 13... h6? As so often happened with Janowski, he hunted for complications instead of playing the obvious 13...Bc7, which might even have afforded him chances to save the game. 14. Bh4 click for larger view 14... b5 Creating new weaknesses on his Queen-side, but it probably already too late for Janowski to save himself against strong play (although, as will be seen, Schlechter later gave Janowski at least two chances to salvage the position). 15. Qh5 Taking immediate advantage of Janowski's carelessness. 15... Bf4 Practically forced. 16. Bd3 The "Queen hunt" begins! 16... Qh5 click for larger view 17. Rfe1 17. Bg3 was surely simpler. But Schlechter still had a won game. 17... 0-0 click for larger view We now come to a strange chapter of the game in which Schlechter almost let Janowski back into the game with his poor 18th and 19th moves. But then, as I will discuss in my next post on this game, Janowski blundered away his Queen on his 19th turn and was quickly wiped out by Schlechter.

Jun-04-25		KEG: Post III 18. Re4? A rare occurrence: Schlechter missed a key potentially saving combination for Black. This involves: (i) a possible grab of the White h-pawn; and (ii) a discovered attack on the White d1 Rook (based on a pin on the f3 White Knight). These problems could have been solved with 18. h3 or 18. Bg3, after which White should be able to win. By contrast, the text did nothing to forestall an later ...Bxh2+ by Black or to unpin the f3 Knight or make sure the White Rook on d1 was protected. 18... Bb8! An awkward looking move but the only way to retain the upcoming possible combo (which, so far as I am aware, only <offramp> has spotted: click for larger view 19. Be7? This should have blown the win. Schlechter could still have retained strong winning chances with 19. Bc2 [making sure the Rook was protected] or 19. h3. But after the text, the position was: click for larger view Now Janowski could have saved himself with [as per <offramp>] 19...Bxh2+ 20. Kf1 [forced] Rfe8 21. Rh4 [the only way for White to retain any form of advantage] Qd5 [obviously forced] 22. b3 [yet again, White's only chance to retain any winning prospects] f5!. Instead, Janowski took his eye off the ball with a howler of a blunder that allowed Schlechter to trap the Black Queen in the middle of the board: 19... Rc8?? click for larger view Black to play and win: 20. Rh4 As simple as that. Now the Black Queen was lost. 20... Qd5 Nowhere to hide! 21. Be4 Schlechter was relentless here. 21... Qc4 22. b3! click for larger view 22... Qe2 Still no way to escape. 23. Rd2 Ouch! click for larger view What a picture! And what a sad fate for the once powerful Black Queen. 23... QxR 24. QxQ 1-0 So now Schlechter had won each of the first four games of the (projected) 14-game match. Incredible!

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