London, England (16-22 February 1895)
1 2 3 4 5 6 Wins
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Teichmann ½ 1 1 0 1 1 4
Mieses ½ 0 0 1 0 0 1
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Format: The winner of the first four games, first two draws not counting, is the victor.
Time Control: 20 moves per hour.
Stakes: £50 (£25 each).
Introduction
Richard Teichmann, aged 26, was living in London, making his living as a linguist and playing in tournaments. He returned to Germany to achieve his best result to date at the 9th DSB Congress, Leipzig (1894), gaining third place behind Siegbert Tarrasch and Paul Lipke. The Deutsches Wochenschach und Berliner Schachzeitung of September 23, 1894 stated: "The third prize winner, R. Teichmann from London, is a well-known master in Berlin circles. ... If he did not achieve the world-wide glory of his Berlin colleague Lasker, he nevertheless gained an excellent place in London's chess circles and won the first place there in championships ... his personality is calm, quiet, and thoughtful, so is his play, which persistently and surely follows a thought out plan, and he seldom endangers himself though precipitancy."(1)
Jacques Mieses was coming up to 30 years old in 1894-95. He undertook an extremely hard schedule of matches, exhibitions and tournaments across Europe. In May-June 1894 in Berlin, he drew a match with Carl August Walbrodt (+5 =3 -5).(2) He then played in the extremely strong 9th DSB Congress, Leipzig (1894) (3rd-14th September), coming 10th out of 18. He had then toured Russia giving simultaneous displays, leaving Russia on the 1st December 1894,(3) and from the 8th January to 4th February 1895 he was in Paris, where he won a match against Janowski.(4) On February 6th, before leaving to play Teichmann in London, he gave a four-game blindfold display.(5)
The match
"Match: Mieses v. Teichmann. After his drawn contest with David Janowski, in Paris, Herr Jacques Mieses visited London, and a match was speedily arranged between him and the talented Herr Richard Teichmann, who is now looked upon as one of the foremost London players. The agreement for the match was signed on the 14th February, the following being the conditions: umpire, Sir George Newnes, Bart., M.P.; (6) the winner to be he who scores first four games; drawn games to count one-half each after two draws shall have occurred; one game to be played each day (Sundays excepted), adjourned games to be played off the following morning; the first game to be played on Saturday, at the British Chess Club, thereafter at the Metropolitan Chess Club, Ironmonger Lane, on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, at half-past six to eleven p.m.; and at the British Chess Club on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from three to seven, and from half-past eight till the conclusion of the game; time limit 20 moves an hour; stakes, £25 a-side. Play was begun on the 16th February, at the British Chess Club.
"Herr Teichmann had the move in the first game, which Mieses defended with the "Two Knights", and a carefully played game ensued and ended in a draw.
"The second game was contested at the Metropolitan Club, on February 18th. Herr Mieses adopted an inferior variation of the Vienna opening, of which Teichmann soon took advantage, so much so that in the "mid-game" he might have forced the win much quicker than the forty-first move, as actually occurred. (...)
"The third game was played at the British Chess Club, on the 19th February. Teichmann adopted the Ruy Lopez, and early got a strong attack. which he pushed vigorously. Mieses on the contrary looked too eagerly after Pawns, and lost thereby a Knight and soon after the game. Score: Teichmann 2, Mieses 0, drawn 1.
"The fourth game was also played at the British Chess Club, on the 20th February. Herr Mieses adopted the Vienna, and a splendidly contested game resulted. Teichmann got a cramped game in the early stages, and at the 40th move, when the game was adjourned, was a Pawn behind. On resuming play Mieses pressed his advantage and compelled Teichmann to resign on the 57th move.
"The fifth game was played at the Metropolitan Club, on the 21st February. Teichmann again played the Ruy Lopez, and a very drawish looking game resulted; Mieses, however, tried hard to force a win and thereby ran some risks. At 11 p.m., an adjournment took place, the game being in a critical state. On resuming play at the British Chess Club, on the following day, Teichmann won speedily. Score: Teichmann 3, Mieses 1, drawn 1.
"The sixth and final game was commenced at the British Chess Club, on the 22nd February. The opening was the Vienna, and after 20 moves had been played it was adjourned in a fairly even position. On the resumption of play, the next day, at the Metropolitan, Mieses soon got into difficulties, and by an unsound sacrifice of the exchange speedily got a lost game, and resigned on the 43rd move. Final score: Teichmann 4, Mieses 1, drawn 1.
"To some extent this may be regarded as a model match within its own limits. It was quickly arranged, the stakes were moderate, and the time spent in playing it was short. In our opinion chess would benefit more by a series of such matches, than by one elaborate affair where weeks, or even months, are spent in preliminary negotiations, where the conditions are involved to a degree, and where the play extends over an unconscionably long time. Teichmann's play has been exactly what his best friends hoped it would be, sound, cautious, and steady, and he thoroughly deserves his victory. It has certainly added to his widening reputation, and he now stands in the front rank of players resident in this country. Mieses' play has been somewhat disappointing, and his ordinary dash seemed to some extent to have deserted him; but to this Teichmann's cautious and sound style no doubt contributed. Mieses was evidently both over-trained and over-worked." (7)
Contemporary reaction
"Almost immediately after the end of the struggle with Janowski,
Mieses went to London to compete with R. Teichmann. The latter is known to our readers as the third prize winner of the last year in Leipzig International Championship Tournament. His playing style stands in direct contrast to the Janowski's and Mieses by emphasising the slow and cautious rather than combinational fireworks à la Morphy. The acquisitive tactics of modern school seem the more appropriate to achieve practical success, for the most beautiful sacrificial combinations unfortunately all too often have the peculiarity of failing due to some inconspicuous defensive move, with their spontaneous inspiration going up in fruitless smoke, shamefully leaving their progenitor in the lurch. In contrast to the healthy, sober, consistently solid game of Teichmann, Mieses' lively combinational style had a hard time , and only once in the six games did the Leipzig Master secure victory, whilst one game was drawn. As far as his opponent is concerned, he would have been better to have taken a longer break before he contested the match ..." (8)
Progressive scores
1 2 3 4 5 6
Mieses ½ ½ ½ 1½ 1½ 1½
Teichmann ½ 1½ 2½ 2½ 3½ 4½
Teichmann had White in the odd-numbered games.Notes
Game dates (16, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 February) are based on London Evening Standard, 21st and 25th February 1895.
Sources
(1) Quoted by http://www.schachbund.de/news/genug....
(2) (London) Standard, Monday 4th June, 1894, p. 7.
(3) Deutsche Schachzeitung, No. 1, January 1895, pp. 27-28.
(4) Deutsche Schachzeitung, No. 3, March 1895, p. 91.
(5) Deutsche Schachzeitung, No. 3, March 1895, p. 94.
(6) Sir George Newnes (13 March 1851 – 9 June 1910) was a prominent newspaper and magazine publisher and Liberal politician.
(7) British Chess Magazine, March 1895, p. 121.
(8) Deutsche Schachzeitung, No. 3, March 1895, pp. 92-93.
Credit
Original collection and text by User: Chessical.
Kibitzing
