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Steinitz,W — Lasker,Em
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(4)
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| C54/01 |
Giuoco Piano: Greco
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| 1894.03.24 |
USA New York, NY (Union Square
Hotel)
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Annotations by Lasker &
Steinitz
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.e5 d5
7.Bb5 Ne4 8.cxd4 Be7
| ** |
Steinitz: A good deal of
surprise
prevailed when I, as my debut in this game, selected a Giuoco Piano. Not
only because I heretofore have never been known to adopt this opening,
but moreover, because I chose a most universal form, which practically
has been given up by the masters. The new idea which I had in view did
not come to the surface, as Lasker was the first to make an alteration
from the usual line of play by 8...Be7. |
9.Nc3 0-0 10.Bd3 f5 11.exf6
| ** |
Steinitz: My eleventh move
proved a surprise, as I exchanged an apparently strong passed pawn, and
furthermore, deliberately isolated my d-pawn in order to keep up an
attack
against the kingside. |
11...Nxf6 12.Be3 Nb4 13.Bb1 Ng4
| ** |
Steinitz: On the thirteenth
move Black initiated an ingenious counter attack and a regular fireworks
game of sacrifices. |
14.a3 Nxe3 15.fxe3 Bh4+
[0:40-0:53]
16.g3
| ** |
Steinitz: After Black
checked
with his bishop, White perhaps, would have done better to play 16.Kd2,
which would have yielded him a clear pawn, as Black was bound to retreat
his knight, whereupon 17.Nxd5 would have been followed, which Black
evidently
could not retake on account of 18.Ba2 winning the queen. |
16...Bg4
| ** |
Lasker: Black sprung an
attack
upon his adversary early in the game, leaving two pieces “en
prise,” which,
however could not have been taken, because Black would have doubled his
rooks on the f-file, and thereby forced a win. White thereupon
extricated
himself skillfully and eventually he espied a variation by means of
which
he secured a pawn. |
17.0-0 Qe8 18.axb4 Qh5 19.Nxd5
| ** |
Steinitz: My nineteenth move
was faulty; a subsequent examination showed that I should have taken the
bishop instead of the knight. It would have much sooner extricated me
from
all difficulties. |
19...Rxf3
| ** |
Lasker: Many players thought
that with 19...Bxg3 I could have forced a win. White, however, would
have
replied 20.hxg3 and if then 20...Rxf3 21.Qe1, and if 20...Bxf3 21.Rxf3
Rxf3 22.Kg2, and has the best of it. |
20.Nf4
| ** |
Lasker: Now an end game of
highly interesting, in which White seemed to have the pull.
Steinitz: With my twentieth move I
forced
a series of exchanges which left me with a simple end game and a pawn
ahead.
A long struggle followed. |
20...Rxf4 21.Qb3+ Rf7 22.Rxf7 Qxf7 23.Ba2 Qxb3 24.Bxb3+
Kf8 25.gxh4 Ke7 26.Bd5
| ** |
Steinitz: White missed
several
chances of finishing off the game in a more easy manner. Notably, in the
twenty-sixth move, where he should have played 26.b5, instead of
26.Bd5. |
26...c6 27.Be4 a6 28.Ra5 h6 29.b5
cxb5 30.Bxb7 Ra7 [1:21-1:14] 31.Bc6 Bd7 32.Bxd7 Kxd7 33.Kf2 Kc6
34.Ke2 Kb6 35.Ra1 a5 36.Kd3 a4 37.e4 Rf7 38.e5 Rf3+ 39.Ke4 Rf2 40.Rb1
Kc6
41.d5+
| ** |
Lasker: Black defended
himself
all right to a certain point, but lost in the end by an obvious blunder,
when the game ought to have been a draw.
Steinitz: Lasker defended himself most
ingeniously, and owing to some weak play on the other side, it is by no
means certain that White would have won, after having neglected the
forcible
42.Rg1. |
41...Kd7 42.Kd4 Rd2+ 43.Kc5 Rc2+
44.Kxb5 Re2 45.e6+ Kd6 [1:42-1:55] 46.Rd1 Rxb2+ 47.Kxa4 Rxh2
48.Re1
Ra2+ 49.Kb3 Ra8 50.Kc4 g5 51.hxg5 hxg5 52.Kd4 Ra4+ 53.Kd3
Ra3+
| ** |
Steinitz: However, Lasker
completely
compromised his game on his fifty-second and fifty-third moves by
useless
checks, which only helped White to bring his king to the support of his
pawns, which now marched on victoriously. |
54.Ke4 g4 55.Kf5 Ra8 56.e7 Re8
57.Kf6
g3 58.Kf7 Kd7 59.d6 g2 60.Rg1 [2:17-2:05] 1-0.
|
The Sun, New York,
1894.03.25
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New York Recorder,
1894.03.26
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New-York Daily Tribune,
1894.03.26
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The Brooklyn Daily Eagle,
1894.03.26
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