Steinitz, William Vs Paulsen, Louis | 30th July 1870

Players: Steinitz, William - Paulsen, Louis
Result: 1 - 0

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Date:
Location: Baden-Baden
Tournament: Baden-Baden
Opening: C25 Vienna Game
Submitted by:
Published on: July 26, 2020
Tags: c25 vienna, steinitz, william steinitz, paulsen louis
Categories: C25 Vienna Game
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{In this game Steinitz uses the gambit named after him to demonstrate his superiority in the combined assessment of all positional factors and a great sense of long and short-termed advantages and disadvantages.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. d4 $6 Qh4+ 5. Ke2 {A blasphemy for a normal player of the time. Since the quick development of the white pieces is interrupted by the king in the centre, Black should be automatically better. But Steinitz noted that long-term factors could override temporary inconvenience. The white minor pieces will gain extra tempi attacking Black's queen. White's better control of the centre will help him to organize future attacks and also to prevent Black's pieces from harmonious development. As it later turned out Steinitz' Gambit was proven to be not very dangerous for Black, but only as a result of precise and very dynamic play. Not surprisingly Steinitz' opponents, who weren't ready to take this ugly opening seriously, couldn't resist testing his revolutionary strategy.} d6 {Some players tried the sharper 5...d5 against Steinitz, but without success. In the final game of his match against Zukertort he celebrated a victory and the attainment of the first official title of World Champion against this variation!} 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Bxf4 O-O-O $6 { Here 7...f5! would underline the uncomfortable position of the White king.} 8. Ke3 Qh5 $2 {Black is constantly wasting time. 8...Bxf3 was better.} 9. Be2 Qa5 $2 {fearing h3, Paulsen misses his last chance to play f5 to disturb the white king:} (9... f5 10. h3 Bxf3 11. Bxf3 Qe8) 10. a3 $1 {The black queen cannot find a single pleasant square on the board.} Bxf3 11. Kxf3 $1 {Paulsen hoped for} (11. Bxf3 g5 {with counterplay, but now g7-g5 leaves the black queen to die}) 11... Qh5+ (11... g5 $2 12. b4 Qb6 13. Be3 {followed by d5 or Nd5 or Na4. }) 12. Ke3 Qh4 13. b4 $1 {While tenaciously chesing the black queen Steinitz prepares an attack against his opponent's king.} g5 14. Bg3 Qh6 15. b5 Nce7 16. Rf1 Nf6 17. Kf2 Ng6 18. Kg1 $1 {Would you believe that the white king has already made six moves. But the outcome of the game is clear. The disconnected black army has nothing to counter the widespreading white attack,} Qg7 19. Qd2 h6 20. a4 Rg8 {[#]} 21. b6 $1 {This pawn sacrifice opens up the lines around the opponent's king, a manoeuvre that became typical for the games in our century.} axb6 22. Rxf6 $1 Qxf6 23. Bg4+ Kb8 24. Nd5 Qg7 25. a5 {The entire white army is in the attack.} f5 {Desperately trying to make use of his queen. Other moves fail to change anything:} (25... Ne7 26. axb6 Nxd5 27. Ra8+ $1 Kxa8 28. Qa5+ {and mate;}) (25... b5 26. a6 b6 27. a7+ Kb7 28. Nxc7 $1 Kxc7 29. Qc3+ Kb7 30. Bd7 {etc.}) 26. axb6 cxb6 27. Nxb6 $1 Ne7 (27... fxg4 28. Ra8+ Kc7 29. Qc3+ Kxb6 30. Qa5+ Kc6 31. d5+ {and mate.}) 28. exf5 (28. Qb4 {More precise from the computer's point of view, because it forces mate more quickly.} Kc7 29. Na8+ Kc8 30. Bxf5+ Rd7 31. Bxd7+ Kxd7 32. Qxd6+ Ke8 33. Nc7+ Kf7 34. Qe6# { but I don't think we can criticize Steinitz for such an "inaccuracy".}) 28... Qf7 29. f6 Nc6 30. c4 {Slow but sure.} Na7 31. Qa2 Nb5 32. Nd5 {Black already could resign, but he preferred to be mated.} (32. Qa8+ Kc7 33. Qa5 {and mate in three more moves.}) 32... Qxd5 33. cxd5 Nxd4 34. Qa7+ Kc7 35. Rc1+ Nc6 36. Rxc6# 1-0

Steinitz, William Vs Paulsen, Louis | 30th July 1870

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