Thursday, July 24, 2008

Seeing clearly, regardless...


The game is not quite a Jerome Gambit
("'Tis A Puzzlement") but it does include a Bxf7+ sac followed by a marauding Queen and it shows "The Black Death" at his blindfold best - featuring a tactical shot followed by outplaying his opponent in the calm after the storm.

J.H. Blackburne - E.J. Evelyn
London, 1862


Blackburne playing without sight of the board
notes by Blackburne, Mr. Blackburne's Games at Chess (1899)
(English descriptive notation changed to algebraic)


1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Bc4 Bc5

Nc6 at this juncture allows Black to retain the Pawn.

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qh5+ g6 6.Qd5+ Kg7 7.Qxc5






7...d5 8.Qxd4+ Nf6 9.Bg5 dxe4 10.Bxf6+ Qxf6 11.Qxf6+

Qxe4 would be disadvantageous, and only facilitate Black's development.

11...Kxf6 12.Nc3 Kf5

Black by any attempt to defend the e-Pawn with Bishop, would have subjected himself to the loss of the exchange at least by Nd5+.

13.Nge2 Be6 14.Ng3+ Kf4 15.Ngxe4





White's game is already so superior that winning requires only ordinary care.

15...Nc6 16.O-O Rad8 17.g3+ Kf5 18.f4 Nd4 19.Rf2 h5 20.h3 Bc4 21.Re1 Rhf8 22.Nd2 Be6 23.Re5+ Kf6 24.Nde4+ Kg7 25.Ng5 Bf7 26.Re7 Rc8 27.Rd7 c5 28.Nce4 Rcd8 29.Rxb7 Kg8 30.Nf6+ Kg7 31.Nd7

"The manoeuvring of the Knights is admirably planned, and in the peculiar circumstances is the more credible to White."-Lowenthal

31...Bd5 32.Nxf8

Because if ...Bxb7 White regains Rook by Ne6+, and if ...Kxf8 then Nh7+ followed by Nf6+, etc.

Black resigns

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