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James Mason vs Wilhelm Steinitz
London (1899), London ENG, rd 3, Jun-02
Spanish Game: Steinitz Defense (C62)  ·  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)6.Ne2 was played in Maroczy vs M Billecard, 1900 (1-0)better is 13...a5 14.c4 Nf6 15.Rac1 Nd7 16.Be3 Rfe8 17.Nf3 Nc5 = -0.29 (22 ply)= +0.35 (23 ply) 17.f4 Rae8 18.fxe5 f4 19.Nf3 h6 20.Bh4 Bxe5 21.Nxe5 Rxe5 ⩲ +0.56 (23 ply)= -0.32 (24 ply) after 17...f4 18.c4 Bf6 19.Nf3 Rae8 20.Rae1 Ng7 21.Bc3 Ne6 18.f4 Nxf4 19.Bxf4 exf4 20.Qf3 Kh8 21.Qxf4 Qh5 22.Nf3 = +0.10 (23 ply) ⩱ -0.70 (22 ply) after 18...a6 19.g3 f4 20.c4 Nf6 21.Ng5 Qd7 22.f3 d5 23.cxd5 19.Rae1 Kh8 20.Kh1 e4 21.dxe4 fxe4 22.Ng5 Qg6 23.Nh3 c5 = -0.33 (22 ply) ∓ -1.60 (22 ply)better is 21...c6 22.Kh1 a6 23.c4 Bf6 24.cxd5 cxd5 25.Rac1 Ng7 ⩱ -0.82 (20 ply)= -0.29 (21 ply) after 22.c4 c6 23.Rae1 a6 24.cxd5 Nxd5 25.Nf2 Re6 26.Ne4 Qh5 better is 22...c6 23.Rfe1 Nh5 24.Nf2 Rf7 25.c4 Nf6 26.Bc3 Rfe7 ⩱ -0.58 (22 ply)= +0.07 (23 ply) after 23.c4 Qb6+ 24.Qf2 d4 25.Qe2 Qg6 26.Nf2 Nf6 27.b4 Rf7 better is 24...Qd6 25.c4 Nb6 26.Bd2 Qg6 27.cxd5 Nxd5 28.Qe4 Qb6+ = -0.42 (20 ply)better is 25.c4 c6 26.b4 Nd7 27.Qa2 Nb6 28.Bd2 dxc4 29.Rc1 Rd8 = +0.15 (23 ply)= -0.45 (20 ply)better is 26.b4 c5 27.Bb2 Rc8 28.Qb3 Rfd8 29.c4 dxc4 30.dxc4 cxb4 = -0.08 (24 ply)better is 26...Rc8 27.Bd2 Rcd8 28.Nf2 Qb6 29.Rde1 Rfe8 30.Ng4 Qd6 ⩱ -0.63 (19 ply)= 0.00 (24 ply) after 27.Rg1 Qc6 28.g3 d4 29.Rdf1 dxc3 30.bxc3 Kh8 31.gxf4 better is 29.Qh4 Rf5 30.c4 b5 31.Bd2 a4 32.cxd5 Qxd5 33.Bc3 Ref8 = 0.00 (24 ply) ⩱ -0.63 (22 ply) after 29...a4 30.b3 axb3 31.Qxb3 Rd8 32.Nf2 b5 33.c4 Nd4 better is 30.b3 Rf7 31.Nf2 Rb7 32.Bb2 c4 33.b4 axb4 34.axb4 Ra7 = -0.24 (22 ply)better is 30...a4 31.Ng4 Ng5 32.c4 bxc4 33.Nf2 Re6 34.dxc4 d4 ⩱ -0.95 (24 ply)= -0.32 (24 ply) 32.b3 cxb3 33.Qxb3 Rd8 34.Qc2 Nd4 35.Qd3 Nb3 36.Qc2 Qc4 = -0.44 (28 ply) ∓ -2.05 (24 ply) 33.Red2 Rd8 34.Re2 Nb3 35.Ree1 Rd6 36.Re2 Re6 37.Kg1 Rf7 ∓ -1.72 (25 ply)-+ -3.26 (23 ply) after 33...e4 34.Nh3 Nd3 35.Rd1 Qf6 36.b3 e3 37.Bb2 Qf5 38.bxc4 51.Re1 Nxe1 52.Kf2 Nd3+ 53.Kxe2 Nxc1+ 54.Kd1 Nd3 55.h4 -+ mate-in-240-1

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
Oct-07-09  Bobby A: Is this Steinitz's last game? I particularily enjoyed how he used the entire board in a squeezing King's Indian fashion.
Oct-07-09  sneaky pete: <Bobby A> No, his last tournament game was Janowski vs Steinitz, 1899.

Another game from 1899, a correspondence game against the Liverpool Chess Club played by telegraph, where Steinitz used his own infamous gambit in the Vienna, may be his last (recorded) game proper.

Dec-19-10  Oceanlake: The ants go marching....
Dec-17-15  Mating Net: Our good friend Aron Nimzowitsch said:"The passed pawn is a criminal who should be kept under lock and key."

White's Knight was blockading the e3 criminal for several moves. As soon as the blockade was broken, Steinitz captured the jailer and ensured ruinous loss of material, and the game, with 49...Rxg1!

Nov-26-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  KEG: A last roar from the old lion! This was not Steinitz' last tournament game (it was played in Round 3 of the 30 round London 1899 tournament) but it is one of only three wins Steinitz had in his 18 games against the prize winners in this event.

Using his famous defense to the Ruy Lopez, Steinitz slowly but surely outplayed Mason, whose last chance was probably gone after 32. Re2 (he should have tried 32. b4). By move 36, Steinitz had a protected passed pawn at e3, and the result thereafter was hardly in doubt.

Steinitz' 49...RxN check (after Mason's weak 49. Ng1) was the coup de grace.

All in all, a wonderful performance by this great World Champion.

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