Showing posts with label Mann. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mann. Show all posts

Friday, August 22, 2008

Long ago, and far away...

St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat
Sunday, September 11, 1881
Mackenzie's chess column



[diagrams added, notation changed to algebraic]


...The Australian game which we print to-day is somewhat lengthy, but it is full of interesting points, and is well worth playing over, were it only from the fact that it is the only partie on record, we believe, in which the Jerome gambit is adopted in a correspondence game...

Chess in Australia
We are indebted to the Adelaide Observer for the subjoined interesting game. It was played recently by correspondence between Messrs. Charlick and Mann, two of the leading amateurs in Australia.

The Adelaide Observer
Saturday, May 28, 1881

CHESS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA
(From the Melbourne Leader.)

The following fine game is one of those in the closely contested match by correspondence to which we lately referred, between Messrs. Charlick and Mann. The time occupied in playing it was six months. It abounds in interesting and difficult positions. Another game has since been finished ending in a draw, making the score - Charlick 4, Mann 3, drawn 6.

[Since, Mr. Mann has won a game, making the score perfectly even. - Mackenzie]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+



This ingenious sacrifice was invented by Mr. Jerome, an American player, in 1874, and, unless correctly answered, yields a strong attack. It seems rather rash to venture on it in a correspondence game - Mackenzie

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5

5...Kf8 is, we think, better - Mackenzie

6.Qh5+ Ng6

6...Ke6 is preferable - Mackenzie

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 


The authorities give 9.Qc3 but White prefers the text move - Mackenzie

9...Nf6 10.d4 Qe7



10...Kf7 is surely stronger, bringing his R in to immediate action, and threatening to take KP with Kt - Mackenzie

11.0-0 Ng4

This only assists White in developing his game by driving back the Kt presently; 11...b6 seems the best method of getting his forces into action - Mackenzie

12.Qe2 Qh4 13.h3 Nf6 14.f4


White has now a most formidable attack - Mackenzie

14...Nh5 15.Qf2 Qxf2+ 16.Rxf2 Rf8 17.f5 Ne7 18.c4 c6


Again we should have preferred 18...b6 - Mackenzie

19.g4 Nf6 20.Nc3 d5 21.e5


White's pawns now look quite irresistable - Mackenzie

21...Nd7 22.cxd5 Nxd5 23.Ne4 N7b6 24.b3 a5 25.e6 

This, we believe, is premature. 25.Bg5 is a very strong move - Mackenzie

25...h6 26.Bb2 Ke7 27.Re1 Ra7


Black's game is so cramped that defeat is inevitable - Mackenzie

28.Nc5


White might also have obtained a fine game by advancing the KRP here - Mackenzie

28...Na8 29.Nd3 b5 30.Ne5 Kd6 31.Rc1 Ra6 32.Rc5 Bb7 33.Rfc2 Rc8 34.Bc1 a4 35.b4

Very well played - Mackenzie

35...a3

Had he taken P with Kt, White would have gained a winning position by 35...Nxb4 36.Bf4 - Mackenzie

36.Bd2 Nab6 37.Be1 Na4

Mackenzie passes over this move without comment, but Rybka suggests that it is a serious error, suggesting that instead 37...Nc4 38.Nxc4+ bxc4 39.R2xc4 Raa8 40.Rc1 g6 41.Bh4 Ra4 42.Rb1 Rg8 43.Bg3+ led to an even game.

38.Bg3

Likewise, Rybka suggests that this gives Black a slight edge, preferring 38.Ng6 Nf4 39.Bg3 Kc7 40.Rxb5 Kb8 41.Bxf4+ Ka7 42.Ra5 Nb2 43.Ne7 Re8 44.Nxc6+ and White is winning.

38...Ke7 39.Nd7 Nxc5 40.dxc5 Rg8 41.Bd6+ Ke8 42.Rd2 Ra4


This, we believe, is his best play; had he moved 42...Nf6 White could have replied with 43.Be5 forcing the game in a few moves.; If 42...Nxb4 White wins off-hand by 43.f6 - Mackenzie

43.Rxd5

Well played, obtaining a winning position, through it still requires great care to bring about that result - Mackenzie

43...cxd5 44.f6 gxf6 45.Nxf6+ Kd8 46.e7+

Rybka prefers capturing the Rook.

46...Kc8 47.Nxg8 Bc6 48.Nf6


Rybka sees this as a serious error, leading to an advantage for Black, preferring 48.Nxh6 Rxb4 49.g5 Rb1+ 50.Kf2 Rb2+ 51.Kg3 Be8 52.c6 Rxa2 53.Nf5 Bxc6 54.g6 d4 with a roughly equal game.

48...Rxb4 49.e8Q+ Bxe8 50.Nxe8 Rb1+ 51.Kf2 Rb2+ 52.Kf3 Rxa2 53.Nc7
White is in a bad way, and it is only Black's next two inaccurate moves that bring the game back in his favor.

53...b4 54.Nxd5 b3



55.c6 Rc2



(must) - Mackenzie

56.Bxa3 Ra2 57.Bd6 Rc2 58.Be5 b2 59.Nb6+ Kd8 60.c7+ Rxc7 61.Bxb2 Rc5 62.Bd4 Rb5 63.Nc4 Ke7


64.h4 Ke6 65.Ke4 Rb1 66.Ne3 Kf7 67.h5 Kg8

68.Nf5 Kh7 69.Be3 Re1 70.Nxh6 Rxe3+

71.Kxe3 Kxh6 72.Kf4 1-0

The whole of the end game has been played by White with the greatest precision - Mackenzie. 

Friday, August 8, 2008

Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter IX

Having shown blackburne Whistler's Defense as one of my own plans for meeting the Jerome Gambit – see "Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VIII" – I was very interested in what he had prepared for me.

perrypawnpusher - blackburne
JG3 thematic
http://www.chessworld.net/, 2008
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6



For 8...c6 see perrypawnpusher - Gary_Seven,
"Jerome Gambit Tournament: Chapter VII".

9.Qe3
Jerome - Brownson, Iowa 1875 continued: 9.Qc3 Nf6 10.d3 c6 11.0–0 Kd7 12.f4 Qb6+ 13.Kh1 Kc7 14.Qe1 Re8 15.b3 Nd5 16.Qg3 Nb4 17.Na3 Bd7 18.c3 Nxa2 19.f5 Ne5 20.d4 Qxb3 21.dxe5 dxe5 22.Rb1 Qxc3 23.Be3 a6 24.Qxg7 b5 25.Rf3 Kc8 26.Rd1 Rd8 27.Bb6 Kb7 28.Bxd8 1–0
9...Nf6 10.f4

10.d4 was seen in the correspondence game Charlick - Mann, Australia 1881 which will be detailed in a later post.

10...Rf8 TN 11.0–0 Kd7


Wow! I had expected something like 11...Kf7 followed by 12...Kg8

12.Nc3 b6 13.d4 c6
Provocative – but Black does have the extra piece. I can get my pawns moving, but my opponent always has the option of returning a Knight or Bishop for 2 or 3 of them, if need be.
14.f5 Ne7 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Nfd5 17.e6+
So far the pawns are just annoying little mosquitoes that can be swatted away.

17...Kc7
After the game I was shocked to see that Rybka considered 17...Ke8 to be a safer move for the Black King. Certainly that looks more like "the kind of move a computer would make" than the choice of a human being.
18.Qe5+ Kb7 19.Qxg7


The "mosquitoes" are beginning to look threatening, but Black has the draw well in hand: 19...Bxe6 20.fxe6 Rxf1+ 21.Kxf1 Nxc3 22.bxc3 Qd1+ 23.Kf2 Qxc2+, forcing repetition.

This is not surprising, as White is attacking with only one piece – and Black has castled by hand.
19...Nf6
This perfectly reasonable-looking move ("restrain, blockade, destroy" anyone?) allows White time to develop his Bishop, and suddenly Black's game is tumbling downhill.
20.Bg5 Nfg8 21.f6
This is all good fun, but stronger was more development: 21.Rad1

21...Qd4+ 22.Kh1 Rxf6
Looks like a miscalculation.
23.Bxf6 Nxf6 24.Qxe7+ Nd7 25.exd7 Qxd7 26.Qxd7+ Bxd7


The smoke has cleared, and White is a Rook and a pawn up. My chessfriend blackburne knows me well enough to hang around for a convenient blunder on my part, but this day I disappoint him.
27.Rf7 Kc7 28.Rd1 Rd8 29.Ne4 Kc8 30.Nf6 Be6 31.Rxd8+ Kxd8 32.Rxa7 Bf5 33.Nxh7 Bxc2 34.h4 Ke8 35.h5 Bxh7 36.Rxh7 Kf8 37.h6 Kg8 38.Rb7 1–0