As already stated in our brief preliminary notice of this game in our last week's issue, the opening was the same as in the twelfth game of the match. Of course Blackburne did not repeat his mistake of Q to K 4 on the 10th move, but proceeded with B to Kt 2...

Zukertort's clever reply, Q to Kt 4, was difficult to parry; and though we should have preferred P to K R 4 at once, or P to K Kt 3, what Blackburne did, viz., Q to K 4, left him a good game after the exchange of queens, which seems to have been the natural result of his attacking the adverse Q with the R P subsequently. But he moved his K out too early, instead of preventing, by B to Q 3, the adverse Kt from coming in at B 4, and he was thus forced to give up the R P. Yet he had still a fair game, as the opponent's position was much hampered by a doubled P on each wing.

On the 18th move Zukertort subjected himself, by an apparently careless slip, to the loss of the P plus, which his opponent might have recovered, with the better game, by advancing his K Kt P on the Kt, and exchanging rooks. But Blackburne overlooked it, and proceeded with manoeuvring his K R to the Q side, via K R 3, in pursuance of an attack which he intended to pursue by the advance of the Q Kt P.

On the 22nd move he had another opportunity of gaining a P by R to K Kt 3; but he adopted the inferior advance of the K Kt P, which gave the adverse R a strong post at K R 7, pinning the B P.

At this stage we believe White might have kept the game well in hand in spite of the P minus, by playing the K to Kt 3, for the chief difficulty under which Black laboured was his being unable to advance the Q P, which opened the door for the development of all his forces. But at this critical juncture, on the 23rd move, Blackburne chose just the very plan of attack by B to Q 4 which allowed the adversary to open the game by P to Q 4.

His attack at Q R 3 with the R followed by the ch of the other R at Kt sq, only dislodged those heavy pieces in a manner which furnished another illustration of our remark in our last week's issue, that Blackburne manouvres his rooks badly. He had soon to beat a retreat with his B and Kt, and he lost another valuable P on the K side.

Instead of assuming at once a defensible attitude and securing the co-operation of his two rooks by R from R 3 to Kt 3, Blackburne still tried to make something of the position of his rooks, which, superficially judged, seemed to be well placed, as they held the black K confined, but in reality were out of play, since the quarter in which the black K was located was unassailable.

He attacked, on the 31st move, the hostile R at once by B to R 5, and thereby gave his sharp-witted opponent an opportunity for executing one of his fine sacrifices. Zukertort gave up the exchange, which he was sure to recover at once, for it would have been useless for White to attempt retaking with the K, since, in answer to Kt to K 4, the K could not seek refuge on either of the adjoining black squares, on account of the fatal reply R takes Kt, winning a piece ultimately by Kt takes B P, ch.

All the threatened complications clearly demonstrated the clumsiness of the position of White's rooks; and Blackburne had no other option but to retake with the R, which caused his R and Kt to be kept in a nailed position for a half a dozen moves longer.

On the 36th move Zukertort could have won more easily by R to Kt 7. At this juncture Blackburne could have come out by K to Q sq with even pieces, though two pawns behind, of which one, however, was doubled. But he elected a line of play which entailed his giving up two minor pieces for a R.

On the 42nd move Blackburne missed his last chance of making matters more difficult by K to K 3. Zukertort then manoeuvred his superiority in excellent style, and especially the movements of his K on the Q wing were admirably executed. He obtained a passed Q B P, and supported its ultimate winning advance by bringing the K up, in conjunction with well-timed manoeuvres of the two minor pieces.