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Wilhelm Steinitz vs Henry Bird
Bird - Steinitz (1866), London ENG, rd 7, Oct-??
French Defense: Rubinstein Variation (C10)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Apr-25-04  fred lennox: A beautiful squeeze by Bird. 24 g4 is forced.
Jul-06-05  Knight13: Instead of the "what-the-cool" move, 25. Bb2, I think 25. Rb2 is better.
Jun-13-06  OJC: I think Steinitz missed a good chance to seal the victory by clearing out a lot of material with 23. Nxf6+ Rxf6 24. Nxf4.

Instead of 24.g4, 24.Ndf2 seems to hold for white.

You're right knight13, after 25.Bb2 it's over.

Oct-16-10  morphy2010: A beautiful squeeze by Bird. 24 g4 is forced
Jun-29-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: <A beautiful squeeze by Bird. 24 g4 is forced>

It was rather a pure luck by Bird. Instead of 24.g4 white could play 24.Ndf2 and his position holds. In fact, with extra piece he should win. Of course, as <OJC> wrote six years ago, 23.Nxf6+ Rxf6 24.Nxf4 was winning easily, for example 24...Qe8 25.Nd5 Rf7 26.Rb3 and white with extra N+2P retakes initiative.

Aug-31-14  Xeroxx: 4. .f5!
Aug-31-14  morfishine: Bird goosed'm
Mar-03-15  TheFocus: Sid Pickard's book <The Games of Wilhelm Steinitz First World Champion> has the final moves as 28.Nf2 Qh2 mate.
Mar-04-15  sneaky pete: <TheFocus> That's not the only mistake in Pickard's books, he also falsified several of Anderssen's games in "The Chess Games of Adol<ph> Anderssen.

Bachmann ("Schachmeister Steinitz") gives the final moves as you them here.

Mar-04-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  jnpope: Well, as much as I don't trust Pickard, the Chess World, v2, Nov. 1866, gives 28.Nf2 Qh2#: https://books.google.com/books?id=J...

So I'm not sure if Bachmann is correct. I will check The Field, Era and Illustrated London News when I get home to see what those sources give.

Mar-04-15  TheFocus: <sneaky pete> Thanks for the info.

<jnpope> That is a good idea. Many thanks.

Mar-04-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  jnpope: The Field, Era and ILN all give 28.Nf2 Qh2#.
Mar-05-15  TheFocus: <jnpope> Many thanks!
Jul-12-15  SpaceRunner: 23 Nxf4 !
Dec-05-16  RookFile: In the opening, Steinitz lost control over the e5 square.
Dec-05-16  RookFile: Consider this other game, where Steinitz was more careful to control e5:

Steinitz vs Bird, 1866

Oct-14-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: Corrected the ending from <28.Rf2 Qh2 29.Kf1 Qh1#>. The earliest sources have priority.
Feb-07-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  jnpope: [Source "London Field, 1866.10.20, p305"]

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