"On 27 August death put an end to the
final misery of the retired royal Italian secretary Francesco Discart-Galli.
The deceased was once one of
Note: We
have no information whatsoever regarding his "grave fault" in the
second half of the 1870s. It would be interesting, of course, to know more
about this matter.
Discart was certainly among the strongest
Italian players of the 19th century, and very probably he was second in
strength only to the great champion Serafino Dubois. In accord with his
Modenese background, Discart's style was that of an attacker, with the Evans
Gambit and the Giuoco Piano (in various forms, often featuring a sacrifice of
the d- or f-pawns) being his favorite weapons with the White pieces. With
Black, he frequently used the Sicilian, the French and Petroff Defenses. Very
well versed in opening theory, he often prepared his secret innovations at home
(especially in the Evans Gambit), to spring on his generally less booked
opponents, surprising them on many occasions. He had the tactical vision of a
very brilliant player, and may well be considered, as the Italian chess player
and promoter Count Francesco Ansidei once styled him in a letter, "the
Italian Adolph Anderssen". Please refer to the games below for examples of
Discart's powerful combinational skill. In particular, see the game played vs.
Count Vitzthum, with its subtle 26th "quiet" winning move, 26.Bd5,
which denied the g8 square to the Black King, winning instantly. How many less
gifted players would have instead played 26.Qxf6+, or 26.Rxd7+, capturing in
both cases with check, but allowing 26...Kxg8 and the end of White's attack –
with a sure loss in sight! Of course, regarding the strategical principles of
the game, he did not have the deep insight of Steinitz. But who had such
insight in those days? All factors considered, we should definitely count
Discart as an excellent player by any standard, and definitely a leading
Romantic of the 19th century.
Click the link below to play through off-hand games by Discart.
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