Italian Game, Evans Gambit Morphy Attack

HERMANN CLEMENZ vs. EISENSCHMIDT
Dorpat, 1890

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

The Evans Gambit.  White sacrifices a pawn to establish control of the center.

4. .... Bxc4
5. c3, Bc5
6. d4, exd4
7. cxd4, Bc6
8. 0-0, d6
9. Nc3 ....

The Evans Gambit, Morphy Attack.

9. .... Bd7
10. e5!, dxe5
11. Re1, Nge7

It would be futile to defend the e5 pawn.

12. Ng5, Be6

If 12....0-0, then 13. Nxf7 Rxf7, 14. Qf3 White has a strong attack.

13. Bxf6, fxf6
14. Nxf6, Qd6
15. Nxg7, Kf8
16. Qg4, Bxd4?

Black could have fared batter if 16....Rg8, 17. Ne6+ Kf7, 18. Ng5+ Ke8, 19. Qh5+ Qg6.

17. Ne4, Qb4
18. Ne6+, Ke8
19. Nf6+, Kf7
20. Ng5+, Kf8

If 20....Kxf6, then White clinches victory with 21. Qe6+ Kg7, 22. Qf7+ Kh6, 23. Nf3+ with a mating attack.

21. Ba3 ....

Done to save the Rook at e1.

21. .... Qxa3
22. Qe6 ....

Threatens mate at f7.

22. .... Nd8

Black covers the threatened square.  So he thought.  Now comes a shocker....

23. Qf7+ ....

Black is caught flat-footed !

23. .... Nxf7
24. Ne6 mate.

Magnificent!

Morphy's Knights

NAPOLEON MARACHE vs. PAUL MORPHY
New York, 1857
Italian Game: Evans Gambit, Pierce Defense

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, Nc6
3. Bc4, Bc5
4. b4, Bxb4
5. c3, Ba5
6. d4, exd4

The Pierce Defense. 

7. e5, d5
8. exd6, Qxd6
9. 0-0, Nge7
10. Ng5, 0-0
11. Bd3, Bf5
12. Bxf5, Nxf5
13. Ba3, Qg6

White is trading one of his Rooks for the opponent's Knight.

14. Bxf8, Qxg5
15. Ba3, dxc3
16. Bc1, Qg6
17. Bf4, Rd8
18. Qc2, Ncd4
19. Qe4 ....

19. .... Ng3!!

The Knight could not be taken because White loses his Queen.  White then thought that he gets a piece by simply eliminating the threat ....

20. Qxg6, Nde2 mate.

Spectacular!

Italian Game: Evans Gambit

PAUL MORPHY vs. ALONZO MORPHY
New Orleans, 1849

1. e4, e5
2. Nf3, Nf6
3. Bc4, Bc5
4. b4, Bxc4

The Evans Gambit, with the intention of controlling the d4 square.

5. c3, Bc5
6. d4, exd4
7. cxd4, Bb6
8. 0-0, Na5
9. Bd3, d5
10. exd5, Qxd5
11. Ba3, Be6
12. Nc3, Qd7
13. d5!! ....

A poisoned pawn, intending to drive away the Bishop, but Black accepts the bait....

13. .... Bxd5
14. Nxd5, Qxd5
15. Re1+, Resigns

Black's King cannot go to d7 because of 16. Bf5+ Kc6, 17. Be4 and White wins.

If 15....Kd8, then 16. Bb5 c6, 17. Qxd5 cxd5, 18. Re8+ and White wins material.

Superb play by Paul Morphy!

Evans Gambit

GARRY KASPAROV vs. VISWANATHAN ANAND
Riga, 1995

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

The Evans Gambit, the purpose of which is the control of d4.

4. .... Bxb4
5. c3, Be7
6. d4, Na5
7. Be2!? ....

White would rather not part with the Bishop rather than gain a pawn by 7. Nxe5 Nxc4  (not 7....f6, 8. Bf7+ Kf8, 9. Bxg8 fxe5, 10. Bb3 ...), 8. Nxc4 ....

7. .... exd4

Black gains a piece after 7....Nf6, 8. dxe5 Nxe4, 9. Qa4 ....

8. Qxd4, Nf6?!
9. e5, Nc6
10. Qh4, Nd5
11. Qg3, g6

If 11.....0-0, then 12. Bh6 ....

12. 0-0, Nb6
13. c4, d6

If 13.....d6, then 14. cxd5 Qxd5, 15. Nc3 ....

14. Rd1, Nd7

If 14.....Be6, then 15. c5!! ....

15. Bh6, Ncxe5
16. Nxe5, Nxe5
17. Nc3 ....

White does not desire the outcome after 17. Bg7 Bf6, 18. Bxh8 Bxh8, 19. Nc3 b6.  Black, with his Bishop Pair, gains equality.

17. .... f6
18. c5!, Nf7
19. cxd6, cxd6
20. Qe3!, Nxh6
21. Qxh6, Bf8
22. Qe3+, Kf7
23. Nd5, Be6?!
24. Nf4!, Qe7
25. Re1!!, Resigns

White's pressure on the center would be too much for Black to handle, i.e. 25....d5, 26. Bf3.   If 25....Bh6, then 26. Bc4.

Any attempt by Black to remove the beleaguered Bishop would also prove futile. If 25....Bd7 or Bf5, then 26. Bc4+ Ke8 27. Qxe7+ Bxe7 28. Nd5 and White gains a Bishop.

Subtle yet elegant!

Italian Game Evan's Gambit Compromised Defense

ROBERT JAMES FISCHER vs. REUBEN FINE
New York 1963

Italian Game Evans Gambit Compromised Defense

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

The aggressive Evan's Gambit named after the Welsh sea Captain William Davies Evans, the first player known to have employed it.  The idea behind the move 4. b4 is to give up a pawn in order to secure a strong centre and bear down on Black's weak-point, f7.

4. ....  Bxb4
5. c3, Ba5
6. d4, exd4
7. 0-0, dxc3

The Compromised Defense.  In this variation, White plays a gambit and gains a tempo, while maintaining threat at f7.

8. Qb3, Qe7
9. Nxc3, Nf6
10. Nd5, Nxd5
11. exd5 ....

With the gambits, White opens the e-file and the a1-h8 diagonal.  Both sides struggle to control them.

11. .... Ne5
12. Nxe5, Qxe5
13. Bb2, Qg5
14. h4 ....

Another gambit.  White intends to fully control the long diagonal.

14. .... Qxh4
15. Bxg7, Rg8
16. Rfe1+!! ....

It does not matter now if the Bishop takes the Rook; the effect would be the same.

16. .... Kd8
17. Qg3 Resigns

Black cannot escape the mating threat 18. Bf6+ without losing the Queen.  If 17.....Qh6, 18. Bf6+ Qxf6, 19. Qxg8 mate.  A spell-binding finale.

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.

William Steinitz

William Steinitz was the very first world champion of chess from 1886 to 1894.  He was an Austrian-American chess player. Steinitz lost his title to Emanuel Lasker in 1894 and also lost a rematch in 1897.

Statistical rating systems give Steinitz a rather low ranking among world champions, mainly because he took several long breaks from competitive play. However, an analysis based on one of these rating systems shows that he was one of the most dominant players in the history of the game.  Although Steinitz became "world number one" by winning in the all-out attacking style that was common in the 1860s, he unveiled in 1873 a new positional style of play and demonstrated that it was superior to the previous style. His new style was controversial and some even branded it as "cowardly", but many of Steinitz's games showed that it could also set up attacks as ferocious as those of the old school. Steinitz was also a prolific writer on chess, and defended his new ideas vigorously. The debate was so bitter and sometimes abusive that it became known as the "Ink War". By the early 1890s, Steinitz' approach was widely accepted and the next generation of top players acknowledged their debt to him, most notably his successor as world champion, Emanuel Lasker.

Traditional accounts of Steinitz' character depict him as ill-tempered and aggressive; but more recent research shows that he had long and friendly relationships with some players and chess organizations. Most notably from 1888 to 1889 he co-operated with the American Chess Congress in a project to define rules for the future conduct of contests for the world championship title that he held. Steinitz was unskilled at managing money and lived in poverty all his life.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Here is one of Steinitz' games.  This is one of the most brilliant fast attacks on f7 ever. Steinitz sacrifices a queen for a forced checkmate in 7 moves! The final checkmate is done by a pawn.

STEINITZ vs. ROCK
London, 1898
Evans Gambit

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

The Evans Gambit, the purpose of which is to gain a tempo while aiming for control of d4.

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

Black keeps the pressure on c3. Now if White plays the intended d4, the c3 lever will be pinned.

6. 0-0, Nf6

7. Ba3 .....

Ignoring the hanging e4 pawn.  Taking the e-pawn would be problematic for black because it would open the e-file for the White Rook to pin and probably win back the pawn.  By playing Ba3, White keeps the Black King stuck in the middle.

7. ..... Bb6
8. d4, exd4
9. Qb3 .....

Attacking f7, the wimpy pawn!

9. ..... d5
10. exd5, Na5

11. Re1+  .....

White controls the e-file, attacking the uncastled King.

11. ..... Be6

Black had no choice.  If 11…..Kd7, 12. Ne5+ Ke8, 13.  Qb5+ c6, 14. Nxc6+ Kd7 … and Black’s Queen is lost.

12. dxe6, Nxb3

White sacrifices his Queen in order to pursue a relentless attack.

13. exf7, Kd7
14. Be6+, Kc6
15. Ne5+, Kb5
16. Bc4+, Ka5
17. Bb4+, Ka4
18. axb3 mate.

A beautiful finish.  Moral of the chess game:  Castle!  And if your opponent does not castle, look for weakness on f7 or f2.