Italian Game: Evan's Gambit

ADOLF ANDERSSEN vs. BERTHOLD SUHLE
Breslau, 1860

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, Nc6
3. Bc4, Bc5
4. b4, Bxb4

Main line of Evan's Gambit.  White sacrifices a pawn in order to control the center.

5. c3, Bc5
6. 0-0, d6
7. d4, exd4
8. cxd4, Bb6
9. d5, Na5
10. Bb2, Nf6
11. Bd3, Bg4
12. Nc3, c6

Stockfish (computer software) comments that 12...0-0 is better.  The game may continue 13. Na4 Re8, 14. Nxb6 axb6, 15. Qc2 c6, 16. Nd2 Rc8  Black is good.

13. Ne2, 0-0
14. Qd2, Rc8

Stockfish suggested 14. ... Re8.  Now, if 15. Qf4 Bh5, 16. Bxf6 Qxf6, 17. Qxf6 gxf6, 18. Nf4 Bg6 ...

15. Qg5, Bxf3
16. gxf3, cxd5
17. Kh1, Nc4?

A bad move.  Black should have forced exchanges in order to eliminate the mating threat by 17. ... Ne8, 18. Qxd8 Bxd8, 19. Rac1 Rxc1, 20. Rxc1 Nc6, 21. exd5 ...

18. Rg1 Ne8

19. Qxg7+, Nxg7
20. Rxg7+, Kh8
21. Rg8+, Kxg8
22. Rg1+ ...

White now wins the game.  The rest of the move is plain cosmetics.

22. ... Qg5
23. Rxg5 mate.

Anderssen Tames the King's Gambit

JAKOB ROSANES vs. ADOLF ANDERSSEN
Breslau 1863

King's Gambit Accepted, Kieseritzky Gambit

1. e4, e5
2. f4, exf4
3. Nf3, g5
4. h4, g4
5. Ne5 ....

The Kieseritzky Variation of the King's Gambit...

5. .... Nf6
6. Bc4, d5
7. exd5, Bd6
8. d4, Nh5
9. Bb5+, c6
10. dxc6, bxc6
11. Nxc6, Nxc6
12. Bxc6+, Kf8
13. Bxa8, Ng3!!

This Knight position is more valuable than the Rook taken by White's Bishop.

14. Rh2, Bf5
15. Bd5, Kg7
16. Nc3, Re8+
17. Kf2, Qb6
18. Na4, Qa6!!

The Queen attacks the Knight and controls the a6-f1 diagonal.

19. Nc3, Be5!!
20. a4? ....

A useless move. But White has nothing better. If the Bishop is taken then 20....Qb6+, 21. Ke1 Rxe5+ Kd2, 22. Qd4 mate.

If 20. Bxc2, then .....Qxg4+ 21. Kh8 Bxf4 and all squares attacked by Black will be defended.

20. .... Qf1+
21. Qxf1 ....

Forced.

21. .... Bxd4+!!

The reason behind Black's 19th move. Now White crumbles.

22. Be3, Rxe3

White hoped for 22....Bxe3+, 23. Ke1 and the King escapes! Now, Black threatens 23....Re2 mate.

23. Kg1, Re1 mate.

A beautiful finale. For more articles about Adolf Anderssen, click here.

Flank Attack

In chess, a struggle may happen along the a-file or h-file - a flank attack.  This situation may be aggravated by a trap or a sacrifice paving the way for an attack in an open file.  This phenomenon is best illustrated in the following post, a brilliant game in which the great grandmaster Adolf Anderssen demolished Mayet in just 12 moves.

MAYET vs. ANDERSSEN
Berlin, 1851

Ruy Lopez (Spanish Game)

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, Nc6
3. Bb5, Bc5
4. c3, Nf6
5. Bxc6 ....

Modern masters would perhaps prefer 5. d4 fortifying the center and getting rid of the pesky Bishop.

5. .... dxc6

Modern chess theory would suggest 5....bxc6 to be followed by 6....d5, but Anderssen has something up his sleeve.

6. 0-0 ....

Ill-timed.  The best move is still 6. d4.

6. .... Bg4!
7. h3 ....

Intending to drive off the annoying Bishop...

7. .... h5!

8. hxg4? ....

A bad move. White obligingly opened the h-file, paving the way for Black's attack.

8. .... hxg4
9. Nxe5, g3!!
10. d4, Nxe4!

Black threatens 11. Rh1+  Kxh1, 12. Qh4+  Kg1, 13. Qh2 mate.

11. Qg4?, Bxd4

Anderssen may win in another way by 11....gxf2+, 12. Rxf2  Rh1+, 13. Kxh1  Nxf2+ winning the Queen.

12. Qxe4, Bxf2+

White resigns, as there is no stopping 13. Rxf2 (forced)  Qd1+, 14. Rf1  Rh1+, 15. Kxh1  Qxf1 mate.

King's Gambit Accepted

Once again, we are posting an article on the King's Gambit.  In the gambit, the f4 pawn is being offered so that White could build up a strong center with d2-d4.  Theory has shown that in order for Black to maintain his f4 pawn, he must weaken his king-side.

PAUL MORPHY vs. ADOLF ANDERSSEN
Paris 1858
King's Gambit Accepted, Kieseritzky Gambit Berlin Defenese

1. e4, e5
2. f4, exf4
3. Nf3, g5
4. h4, g4
5. Ne5 ....

The Kieseritzky Gambit, said to be stronger and positional in nature. The Gambit was used by Boris Spassky to beat Bobby Fisher in a famous game during the year 1960.

5. .... Nf6
6. Nxg4, Nxe4
7. d3, Ng3
8. Bxf4 ....

White sacrifices a Rook in exchange for an attack on the uncastled Black King.

8. .... Nxh1
9. Qe2+, Qe7

If 9....Be7 then 10. Nf6+ Kf8, 11. Bh6+ mate.

10. Nf6+, Kd8
11. Bxc7!!, Kxc7
12. Nd5+, Kd8
13. Nxe7, Bxe7
14. Qg4, d6
15. Qf4, Rg8
16. Qxf7, Bxh4+
17. Kd2, Re8
18. Na3, Na6
19. Qh5 ....

Threatening both Bishop and Knight.

19. .... Bf6
20. Qxh1, Bxb2
21. Qh4+, Kd7

If 21....Re7 then 22. Re1!! with a great attack.

22. Rb1, Bxa3
23. Qa4+, Resigns

With material and positional advantage, White wins after 23....Kd8, 24. Qxa3.  A simple yet elegant finish.

To see the POPULAR VARIATIONS of this opening, visit  KING'S GAMBIT ACCEPTED.

The Evergreen Game

This post features another magnificent game by Adolf Anderssen.  Containing one of the most brilliant attacks ever recorded, this game is immortalized as the Evergreen Game.

You may also want to view Adolf Anderssen's  The Immortal Game.

ANDERSSEN vs. DUFRESBE
Berlin, 1852
Ruy Lopez Opening

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, Nc6
3. Bc4, Bc5
4. b4 .....

The Evans Gambit - a sharp try for control of the center and attacks on f7.  Gary Kasparov played the Evans Gambit a number of times in modern grandmaster play, a testimony to its soundness.

4. ..... Bxb4
5. c3, Ba5

Black keeps the pressure on c3. This is the only move that prevents White from getting a firm pawn post on d4.

6. d4, exd4
7. 0-0 .....

An extra aggressive castling maneuver. Now the PIN on the c3 is broken, enabling White to get a pawn center if given the opportunity. And now the Rook is activated to slide over to the critical e file.

7. ..... d3

Black thinks White will take the pawn, hindering the latter's development and effectively stopped White from getting a strong pawn center.

8. Qb3 ......

Attacking the weak f7 pawn.

8. ..... Qf6
9. e5 .....

Black cannot take the e pawn because of the resulting pin by Re1.

9. ..... Qg6
10. Re1 .....

White controls the e file. Although the file is not yet open, White puts a tremendous pressure on the center.

10. ..... Nge7
11. Ba3, b5?

An attempt to remove some of the pressure off f7. Black should have castled immediately.

12. Qxb5, Rb8
13. Qa4, Bb6

Black adds pressure on the weak f2 pawn, at the same time relieving the c6 Knight of the responsibility of defending it.

14. Nbd2, Bb7

Black would have been better off if he castled at this point. Not castling early in the game will lead to his downfall.

15. Ne4 .....

Centralizing the Knight where it attacks key squares.

15. ..... Qf5

A needless move. Black had better moves like d2.

16. Bxd3, Qh5
17. Nf6+!! .....

The beginning of one of the most brilliant attacks in chess.

17. ..... gxf6
18. exf6, Rg8!!

A strong move that activates the rook, attacks the f3 Knight, and threatens mate.

19. Rad1!! .....

White offers the f3 Knight in exchange for a brilliant attack.

19. ..... Qxf3
20. Rxe7+!!, Nxe7

Black would have done better with Kd8.

21. Qxd7+!! .....

Sacrificing the Queen for an unstoppable mate.

21. ..... Kxd7
22. Bf5+!!, Ke8
23. Bd7+, Kf8
24. Bxe7 mate.

Brilliant! If black would have just castled back when he had the chance, none of this would have happened.

The Immortal Game

A game that has made into the annals of chess books is presented to you in the following post. Adolf Anderssen is forever immortalized through this brilliant game...hundreds of years and thousands of strong players later.  He is still remembered today.

Anderssen's biography may be viewed at Morphy's Opponents.

ANDERSSEN vs. KIESERITZKY
London, 1851
King's Gambit, Kieseritzky Variation

1. e4, e5
2. f4, exf4
3. Bc4 .....

The usual move is Nf3 which clearly stops Qh4. The text 3. Bc4 deals with it by creating a safe flight square for the King.

3. ..... Qh4+
4. Kf1 .....

Although White cannot castle, the pawn would be easy to win back, and the Black position is compromised by a badly placed Queen prone to attack.

4. ..... b5??

A strange move that sacrifices a pawn for no good reason.

5. Bxb5, Nf6
6. Nf3, Qh6
7. d3 .....

Protecting e4 and activating the c1 Bishop which bites down on the f4 pawn.

7. ..... Nh5
8. Nh4 .....

White is eyeballing the f5 square.

8. ..... Qg5
9. Nf5, c6!

Black creates a pawn lever with tempo.

10. g4!! .....

Taking advantage of the pinned f4 pawn, and offering to trade the b5 Bishop for the h5 Knight.

10. ..... Nf6
11. Rg1 .....

White sacrifices the b5 Bishop in exchange for an attack on the king side.

11. ..... cxb5
12. h4!!, Qg6
13. h5, Qg5
14. Qf3 .....

Threatening BxP trapping the Queen.

14. ..... Ng8

The only way to save his Queen.

15. Bxf4!! .....

Although White is a piece down, he is starting to develop and getting a strong position.

15. ..... Qf6
16. Nc3, Bc5
17. Nd5!! .....

Attacking the Queen and putting the Knight in a sharp OUTPOST position.

17. ..... Qxb2
18. Bd6! .....

White offers both rooks.

18. ..... Bxg1
19. e5 !!, Qxa1+
20. Ke2, Na6

Ba6! would have been Black's salvation.

21. Nxg7+!, Kd8
22. Qf6+!!, Nxf6
23. Be7 mate.

A beautiful finish. White completes mate with only two knights, one bishop and a handful of pawns.