Sep-08-20
 | | offramp: Curt von Bardeleben (c.2547) totally outplays poor old Jacques Mieses (c.2445).
click for larger view
C von B plays
35...Qxe5!, an exchanging combination which leads to this overwhelming position:
click for larger view
Even a beginner could win that for Black. |
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Aug-01-23
 | | perfidious: Fairly simple forcing line is: 35....Qxe5 36.fxe5 Rf1+, regain the queen, then shut out White's only active chance with ....c4, then start shoving the passed pawn. |
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| Aug-01-23 | | jrredfield: I saw 35 ... Qxe5 36 fxe5 Rf1+ right away although I was a bit distracted by 35 ... c4 which also looks like a strong possibility. But I'm sticking with 35 ... Qxe5 36 fxe5 Rf1+
37 Qd1 Rxd1+
38 Kxd1 c4
39 c3 czb3
40 cxd4 g5
Now it's a pawn race, but with the bishop, Black definitely has a won end game. |
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| Aug-01-23 | | King.Arthur.Brazil: This time I'll be very simple: 35...Qxe5 36. fxe5 Rf1+ 37. Qd1 Rxd1+ 38. Kxd1 c4 39. Ba2 Bd5 40. b3 c3 41. a4 b4... Black wins. |
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| Aug-01-23 | | Brenin: 35 ... Qxe5 35 fxe5 Rf1+, simplifying to an easily won endgame, 2P ahead. Monday standard. |
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| Aug-01-23 | | Mayankk: Easier than yesterday.
Black is already ahead by two pawns, so any simplification works in his favour. He can force the issue by 35 ... Qxe5 36 fxe5 Rf1+ 37 Qd1 Rxd1+ 38 Kxd1 c4. Now Black is still ahead by two pawns but White has no counterplay left. White's Bishop may get bottled while the Black King will help the g-h pawn pair move forward to glory. |
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| Aug-01-23 | | saturn2: Trade off heavy pieces and shut off the bishop by 38....c4. Black has more pawns and also gets the white e pawn soon. |
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| Aug-01-23 | | nalinw: When I saw Black's name I wondered if his other "infamous" game with Steinitz was the puzzle - the one where he apparently disappeared rather than resign or be mated. |
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| Aug-01-23 | | agb2002: Black is two pawns up.
Black can win a third pawn an force a won ending with 35... c4 (enables g8 for the king) 36.Ba2 Qxe5 37.fxe5 Rf1+ 38.Qd1 Rxd1+ 39.Kxd1 Kg8 followed by Kf7-e6-xe5 (40.b3 Bd5). |
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| Aug-01-23 | | Sniffles: Not sure what white was thinking with 35. Re5. Staring a trade down dead in the face and a nasty pawn disadvantage. Even a walking brainfart like me saw that one coming. |
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| Aug-01-23 | | mel gibson: I chose 35. ..c4
Stockfish 16 agrees with me:
35... c4
(35. .. c4 (c5-c4 Qd2-b4 Qd6xb4 a3xb4 c4xb3 c2xb3 Rf6xf4 Re5-e6 Bc6-d5 Re6xa6 Kh8-h7 Kc1-c2 Bd5-e4+
Kc2-d1 Rf4-f2 Ra6-e6 Be4-g6 Re6-d6 d4-d3 Rd6-d5 Rf2xb2 Kd1-e1 d3-d2+ Rd5xd2
Rb2xd2 Ke1xd2 h6-h5 Kd2-c3 Bg6-f7 Kc3-b2 Bf7-d5 Kb2-c2 h5-h4 Kc2-c3 Kh7-h6
Kc3-d2 h4-h3 Kd2-e1 h3-h2 Ke1-d2 Kh6-h5 Kd2-e3) +7.56/40 132) score for Black +7.56 depth 40.
However when I force SF to play the game line it is a lot better!
So don't always trust an engine on its choice.
35. .. Qxe5
36. fxe5
(36. fxe5 (f4xe5 Rf6-f1+ Qd2-d1 Rf1xd1+ Kc1xd1 c5-c4 Bb3-a2 Kh8-g8 Kd1-d2 Kg8-f7 c2-c3 d4-d3
Ba2-b3 c4xb3 Kd2xd3 Kf7-e6 Kd3-d4 h6-h5 Kd4-c5 Bc6-e4 Kc5-d4 Be4-a8 Kd4-c5
Ke6xe5 Kc5-b6 Ba8-e4 Kb6-c5 h5-h4 Kc5-b4 h4-h3 Kb4xb3 h3-h2 a3-a4 b5xa4+
Kb3xa4 g7-g5 b2-b4 g5-g4 b4-b5 a6xb5+ Ka4-a3 g4-g3 c3-c4 Ke5-f4 c4xb5)
-33.84/43 317)
score for White -33.84 depth 43. |
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Aug-01-23
 | | scormus: It's B's move 38 that seals the deal. W's Bb3 is already in prison and ... c4 throws away the key |
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Aug-01-23
 | | Teyss: Nice puzzle because you have to find 35....Qxe5 and 38...c4, not very hard but easy + easy = Tuesday. Although on move 38 almost anything wins even if the WB is set free e.g. 38...g5 is -8.3 at 27 ply. <nalinw> Here is the game you mention, a move before the fantastic final combination: Steinitz vs Von Bardeleben, 1895 
click for larger view
For the record yes von Bardeleben walked away instead of resigning but he had some sort of excuse: he was leading the tournament with 7.5/9 and it was his first loss so he must have been really p***d off. Maybe the fact he was German and Steinitz Austrian didn't help. The game apparently had an impact because he crashed afterwards with +2 =4 -5. |
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| Aug-01-23 | | Damenlaeuferbauer: After the nice queen sacrifice 35.-,Qxe5! 36.fxe5,Rf1+ 37.Qd1,Rxd1+ 38.Kxd1,c4, my strong compatriot Curt von Bardeleben won the same-colour bishops ending with 6 against 4 pawns easily. |
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Aug-01-23
 | | Sally Simpson: Hi Teyss,
There appears to be two main reasons why von Bardeleben walked. He hated Steinitz and did not want to be mated (so resign?) or because the spectators applauded after every game and disturbed the players he left the hall hoping this would not happen (very considerate of him.) The applause theory holds water as the organisers had asked the spectators on a few occasions and prior to the game in question to stop clapping after every result. Perhaps a mixture of the two. Edward Winter dedicates a whole page to this game and is fascinating reading. https://www.chesshistory.com/winter... Steinitz objected to his opponents striking matches to light their cigars during a game. It interrupted his concentration. Perhaps he should have done a Botvinnik and played practice games, not with someone blowing smoke in his face but periodically striking matches and flicking them at him. |
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| Aug-01-23 | | TheaN: Pretty straightforward (easier than Monday's main puzzle I'd say) after <35....Qxe5 36.fxe5 Rf1+ 37.Qd1 Rxd1+ 38.Kxd1 c4 -+> trapping white's bishop indefinitely and winning the endgame effortlessly. Always the bonus of a simplifying combination. |
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Aug-01-23
 | | chrisowen: I veg pills it was tab c jam quiffer Qxe5 ablush it was lithe doh it was axiom jug boffin tuff Qxe5 ear; |
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Aug-01-23
| | Teyss: Hi Geoff,
Many thanks for the article, indeed very interesting. The part on Steinitz by Rhoda A. Bowles is engrossing: such a great player having so many doubts and then brushing them away just because of her presence. She might somewhat exaggerate her role but certainly there is a big chunk of truth in there. Confirms that Chess (as any competitive activity) is 1/3 skill, 1/3 psychology, 1/3 luck and 1/3 accuracy. |
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| Aug-01-23 | | johnnydeep: Dead simple! |
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| Aug-01-23 | | King.Arthur.Brazil: <Teyss> words: <"as any competitive activity) is 1/3 skill, 1/3 psychology, 1/3 luck and 1/3 accuracy.">
4/3??? Inflation? |
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Aug-01-23
| | Teyss: <King.Arthur.Brazil> That's why I suck at Chess, I'm missing the last part. As well as the first. |
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| Aug-01-23 | | vajeer: I also chose to go with c4 before playing Qxe5. I thought that the two lines transpose until seeing <Mel gibson> post. |
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Kibitzing
sac: 35...Qxe5