City of Vienna - City of Paris
Correspondence, 1884-1885
(Annotated by Wilhelm Steinitz)

Continued

The following game is one of two annotated by Wilhelm Steinitz in the January 1886 issue of the International Chess Magazine. Here we may see Steinitz at work as a chess journalist, facing deadlines and other pressures - yet observe the care and thoroughness taken with his analysis. Both games are given in ChessBase format for download on the web page given in The Collected Works of Wilhelm Steinitz CD, for which complete details may be found there.

27.Qf4 Bb7 28.Be2

Unsatisfactory as this is, they seem to have had no better prospect of continuing the attack on the Kingside. 28.Re3 looks the most feasible continuation, but, as M. Rosenthal proves, it would not have made any lasting impression. We extract from his analysis the following main variations: 28...Rd2 29.Rg3 Rad8 30.Qxh6 f6 31.Qh4 Rd1+

32.Rxd1 (or 32.Bf1 Rxa1 33.Ng6 [if 33.Rh3 then Black wins in a similar manner by 33...Rxf1+ 34.Kxf1 followed by 34...Ba6+ 35.Ke1 and 35...Nd3+] 33...Rxf1+ 34.Kxf1 Ba6+ 35.Ke1 Qd6 36.Qh8+ Kf7 and wins, for the Knight can not check at 37.Ne5+ as Black would take it 37...Qxe5+ with a check) 32...Rxd1+ 33.Bf1 Ba6 34.Nc4 Qd7 35.Qg4 (or 35.Qh5 Nxb3 and wins) 35...f5 36.Qe2 Qd5 threatening 37...Nxb3, and wins.

28...Nd7

If 28...Nxb3 29.Bh5 Rf8, or 29...g6 30.Rab1 Bd5 31.Re3, with a fine attack. (Rosenthal.)

29.Ng4 Nf6 30.Ne5 Rac8 31.Rac1

We agree with M. Rosenthal that 31.Bc4 was much better.

31...Nd5 32.Qg3

32...Qf6

Paris could here have exchanged Queens by 32...Rxc1 33.Rxc1 followed by 33...Qg5 but their council had determined to aim at the exchange of the Knights in the first instance, for otherwise White could create many difficulties in the ending.

33.Bc4

If 33.Bh5 Nf4 34.Rxc8 Rxc8 35.Bxf7+ Qxf7 36.Nxf7 Ne2+ and wins. (Rosenthal.)

33...Qf4

We believe that 33...Nf4 was stronger, e.g. 34.Ng4 Qd4 35.h4 and now M. Rosenthal justly rejects 35...Bxg2, on account of the reply 36.Kh2, with a good attack. Again 35...Nxg2 would not be good, on account of 36.Nxh6+ Kf8 37.Nxf7 Nxe1 38.Nxd8 Nf3+ 39.Qxf3+ and wins. But we propose, instead of either of the above lines of play, 35...Bd5, which gives Black an excellent game.

34.Qh3 Rd6

35.Rcd1

If 35.Nd3 Qg5 36.Bxd5 Rxc1 37.Bxb7 Rxd3 and wins. (Rosenthal.)

35...Rcd8 36.Rc1 Nf6 37.Qg3

If 37.g3 Qg5 38.Nxf7 Kxf7 39.Rxe6 Qxc1+ 40.Re1+ Qxc4 and should win. (Rosenthal.)

37...Qxg3 38.hxg3 Nd7

39.Nxd7

The exchange could not well be avoided. If 39.Nd3 Rd4 40.Re3 (or 40.f3 Bd5 41.Bxd5 Rxd3 etc.) 40...Be4 41.Nb2 Nc5 etc. (Rosenthal.)

39...R6xd7 40.Bb5 Rd2 41.Rc7 Bd5 42.Rc3 Rb2

43.Rd1

43.Ree3 followed by 44.Be2 and f2-f3, gave them a better defensive chance. (Rosenthal.)

43...g6 44.g4 Kg7 45.Rdd3 Rf8 46.Re3 f5 47.Bd7 f4 48.Red3 Rb1+ 49.Kh2 Kf6 50.Bb5

50...Rg8

A powerful move which threatens to open the game by 51...h5.

51.Rd4 g5

We think that 51...Kg5 was preferable, for unless White gave up a second pawn, they could not long withstand the adverse attack by ...h6-h5, followed by ...Rh8.

52.Bc4

Black has tried for a long time to force the adversaries to this move, which is clearly disadvantageous for Vienna, as will soon be proved by the energetic line of action taken on the Paris side.

52...Rc8 53.f3

If 53.Rcd3 Bxc4 54.bxc4 Rc6 55.Rh3 Ke5 56.Rhd3 Rb4, etc. (Rosenthal.)

53...Bxc4 54.Rdxc4 Rxc4 55.bxc4 Rb4 56.c5 bxc5 57.Rxc5 Rxa4 58.Rc7 Rb4 59.Rh7

59...Rb6

An excellent move which decides the battle.

60.Ra7

If 60.Rxh6+ Kg7 61.Rh5 Rb5 62.g3 a4 63.Kg2 a3 64.Rh1 a2 65.Ra1 Rb2+ 66.Kh3 Kf6 67.gxf4 gxf4 68.g5+ Kf5 69.g6 Kxg6 70.Kg4 e5, and wins. (Rosenthal.)

60...Rb5 61.Ra6 Re5, 0-1.