Going into this game (the last as it turned out) both Fisher and Goldsmith were tied at four wins apiece, meaning that the next player to score a win would take the match.

3.a3?! Novelty in 1875

Fisher (black) comes out of the opening slightly better, but instead of 10...cxb6?! perhaps 10...axb6 is preferable?

13.Nb5! Goldsmith (white) now has the upper hand in this crucial game.

13...Ndf6 <<The manoeuvres of the rival Kts now become entertaining.> - Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW) issue Saturday 20 February 1875>

14.Ncxa7 <<We think the gain of the RP is counterbalanced by the development which Black obtains ; in our opinion White would have improved his game by :-

14. Kt takes B ; 14... Q takes Kt ; 15. P to B 3 ; 15... Kt to Q 3 ; 16. B to Q 2 with a good game> - Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW) issue Saturday 20 February 1875>

<14.Nxe7 Qxe7 15.f3 Nd6 16.Bd2>

19.Nxd6 Bxd6 both Goldsmith and Fisher have thus far played well in this crucial game, but Goldsmith (white) still maintains the upper hand.

23.h4? is an inferior move; 23.Rc6 instead maintains a winning lead.

24.Be2? is another inferior move; better is 24.Qe2

Goldsmith's lead in this game is starting to slip away :(

26...g5!

29.Kf2??? Goldsmith buckles under the pressure :(

Instead 29.Bb4 maintains an almost equal game and should be able to draw with correct play.

29...Rxg5! and Fisher has the game and the match wrapped up.

A very interesting final game in this see-sawing match.

Fisher (black) came out of the opening slightly better, but the inferior 10...cxb6?! gave Goldsmith (white) a slight advantage, which he maintained for most of the game, until a number of weak moves beginning from 23.h4? saw his lead slip away.

Fisher continued to play well during the middle game and eventually pounced on Goldsmith's blunder at 29.Kf2???

In some respects therefore, this game was like the match as a whole.

Match score at the end of game 12 :-

Fisher

0-0-1-1-0-0-1-½-½-½-1-1 (6½/12) [+5 =3 -4]

Goldsmith

1-1-0-0-1-1-0-½-½-½-0-0 (5½/12) [+4 =3 -5]

And after 12 games Charles Fisher defeats Louis Goldsmith by 5 wins to 4.

Running Total

Fisher

0.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.5 6.5

Goldsmith

1.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 5.5 5.5

Goldsmith plays the opening really well. But Fisher keeps himself in the game and arranges a counterattack along the g and h files.

This crucial position arrives, with White to move.

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Goldsmith saw that he could not take the knight with 29.gxf6 without losing his queen. 29. gxf6 Bh2+ 30. Kf2 Bg3+. That could well be a draw, because White has a rook and a bishop for the queen. I wouldn't fancy it, though. Especially after having almost won the game earlier on.

As pointed out by User: optimal play above, 29.Bb4 is also a good move. But it is not very easy to see. Would you have seen it?

White decided, reasonably, to evacuate his king over to the queenside, away from all danger. He played 29. Kf2.

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This move also has the idea of 30.Rh1, with exchanges that will deaden the Black attack. Black played the obvious 29...Rxg5.
It is possible that White now intended to carry on over to the queenside with 30.Ke2. If he did, then a second look at that move with have made his blood run cold. 30.Ke2 Bg3

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31.Qd1 Qb5+!! Shazam!

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The queen appears on the other side of the board. There is only one legal response, the vinegary 32.Rc4, followed immediately by 32.Qxc4#

A cataclysm for Goldsmith. But Fisher played very very well. It's a dramatic end to a dramatic match.