Wilhelm Steinitz – Curt von Bardeleben (Hastings 1895) by Andreas
White to move. White has better piece placement but Black is up a pawn. How do you assess this position? How should White proceed?
r1r5/pp1qnk1p/4Npp1/3p4/6Q1/8/PP3PPP/2R1R1K1 w – – 0 21
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
I had just little time to take a look but I think 1. Ng5+ is winning.
1. -, Ke8 is forced to protect the queen.
2. Rxe7+!
As Qxe7 loses a whole rook on c8 (and the knight can retreat to f3 defending the black mate threat on e1) and leaves white with a knight up 2. -, Kxe7 is forced.
But now 3. Re1+ looks quite good.
3. -, Kd8 loses the queen after 4. Ne6+, Ke7 5. Nc5+ so again black has just one move: 3. -, Kd6.
4. Qb4+ should win at least the exchange back (Rc5 is forced) but I predict there is even a better end for white.
I am short on time now, so I have to rethink this later…
Best regards
Jochen
What actually happened.
Ng5+ Ke8
Re7+ Ke7
Re1+ Kd6
Qb4+ Kc7
Rc1+ Kd8
Qf8+ Qe8
Nf7+ Kd7
Qd6 mate.
It looks like a best try for black to me.
Getting mated cant be the best try :-).
I know this game, so i wont post a solution here, but
1.Ng5+ Ke8
2.Rxe7+ Kf8!
is the strongest reply for black. How should white continue?
Tobe
Here is the whole game :
Wilhelm Steinitz – Curt von Bardeleben [C54]
Hastings (England) It, 1895
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.0–0 Be6 10.Bg5 Be7 11.Bxd5 Bxd5 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 13.Bxe7 Nxe7 14.Re1 f6 15.Qe2 Qd7 16.Rac1 c6 17.d5 cxd5 18.Nd4 Kf7 19.Ne6 Rhc8 20.Qg4 g6 21.Ng5+ Ke8 22.Rxe7+ Kf8
[22…Kxe7 23.Qb4+ (Also wins 23.Re1+ ) 23…Ke8 24.Re1+ Kd8 25.Ne6+ Qxe6 (25…Ke8 26.Qf8#) 26.Rxe6 Rc1+ 27.Re1 Rxe1+ 28.Qxe1+-]
23.Rf7+ Kg8 24.Rg7+ And black resigned at this point. As Steinitz demonstrated immediately afterward, there is a mate in eleven moves which can only be averted by ruinous loss of material; analysis follows: …Kh8 25. Rxh7+ Kg8 26. Rg7+ Kh8 27. Qh4+ Kxg7 28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Qh8+ Ke7 30. Qg7+ Ke8 31. Qg8+ Ke7 32. Qf7+ Kd8 33. Qf8+ Qe8 34. Nf7+ Kd7 35. Qd6# 1–0
Pharaoh