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James Mason vs Wilhelm Steinitz
London (1883), London ENG, rd 23, Jun-19
Queen Pawn Game: Steinitz Countergambit (D00)  ·  0-1

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
a
1
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
Notes by Stockfish 9 v010218 (minimum 6s/ply)better is 4...e6 5.e3 Bxc5 6.c4 Nf6 7.Nc3 O-O 8.a3 d4 9.exd4 = 0.00 (24 ply) 5.e4 dxe4 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 7.Nfd2 e5 8.Be3 f5 9.g3 Nd4 ⩲ +0.51 (23 ply) ⩱ -0.57 (21 ply)better is 7.a3 Be6 8.b4 Be7 9.Nbd2 Rc8 10.c4 dxc4 11.Bxc4 Bxc4 = -0.30 (21 ply)better is 7...h5 8.b4 Bb6 9.c4 dxc4 10.Qxd8+ Bxd8 11.Bxc4 Nxb4 ⩱ -0.99 (19 ply)= -0.29 (20 ply)better is 8...Be6 9.e4 O-O 10.Bd3 dxe4 11.Nxe4 Bb6 12.O-O Nf5 ⩱ -0.65 (18 ply) 9.e4 Be6 10.exd5 Bxd5 11.Bc4 O-O 12.Qe2 Qd7 13.Bxd5+ = -0.11 (23 ply) ⩱ -0.89 (21 ply) after 9...Be6 10.O-O O-O 11.Qb3 Qd7 12.e4 dxe4 13.Bc4 Nd5 better is 10...Be6 11.Qb3 Qe8 12.e4 Rd8 13.exd5 Nxd5 14.Qc2 Nce7 ⩱ -0.80 (23 ply)= -0.30 (24 ply)better is 12...dxe4 13.Bc4+ Kh8 14.Nxe4 Qe7 15.Qd6 Qe8 16.Rae1 Bf5 ⩱ -0.61 (24 ply)= +0.05 (22 ply) 15.Qb3 Bg4 16.Bd5 Rb8 17.Rac1 Ne7 18.Be6 Bxe6 19.Qxe6 = +0.10 (22 ply) ⩱ -0.85 (20 ply)better is 16.Be2 Qe7 17.Nfxd4 Bxe2 18.Nxe2 Qxe4 19.Nf4 Rad8 20.Qe1 = -0.36 (20 ply) 16...f5 17.Bxc6 bxc6 18.Qd3 c5 19.Rac1 Rc8 20.e5 f4 ⩱ -1.07 (20 ply) 17.a4 a5 18.Nc1 Rb8 19.Nd3 Qd6 20.Rc1 Ba7 21.Ndxe5 fxe5 = 0.00 (26 ply) ∓ -2.30 (23 ply)better is 18...Qe8 19.Nbd2 Qh5 20.a4 Ba5 21.b4 Bxb4 22.Qc2 d3 ∓ -2.17 (23 ply) ∓ -1.55 (22 ply) 20.gxf4 Rxf4 21.Nxe5 Bxd1 22.Raxd1 Qe8 23.Nd3 Rf6 24.e5 ⩱ -1.48 (25 ply)-+ -8.37 (25 ply) after 20...Bxf3 21.gxf3 fxg3 22.fxg3 Qg5 23.Kg2 Qxd2+ 24.Rf2 -+ mate-in-9 after 28.Bf7 Qe1+ 29.Nf1 Qxa1 30.Qd6 Qxf1+ 31.Kh2 Qxf731.Qd8+ Bxd8 32.Be6 Bc7 33.g3 Qxg3 34.Bh3 Qh2# -+ mate-in-40-1

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1
FEN COPIED

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer).      [35437 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-18-05  mjk: "Queen's Pawn, Mason variation, Steinitz counter-gambit" the namesake game.
Jul-18-05  paul dorion: Nice game! White never has time to win the d4 pawn.
Jan-18-06  prinsallan: Steinitz is a genius, using the pawn as bait!
Aug-01-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  fredthebear: Chess certainly is a game of choices. Here's Mato's game instruction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_A...

There are numerous Steinitz Variations in the king pawn openings and the Queen's Gambit Accepted. The Steinitz Countergambit is 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5.

Given the specificity of the two-ply Steinitz Countergambit, there's no need to debate what to call White's opening. However, the correct name for <2.Bf4> is the Sarratt Attack, after Jacob Sarratt, IMHO. Some on Chess.com use another term: https://www.chess.com/openings/Quee...

BTW, 1.d4 d5 <2.f4> is the Mason Attack, headed for a Stonewall Attack.

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