[Event "?"] [Site "Hastings"] [Date "1895.08.17"] [Round "10"] [White "Steinitz, William"] [Black "Von Bardeleben, Curt"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C54"] [Annotator "Jack"] [PlyCount "49"] [EventDate "1895.08.05"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "21"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [Source "ChessBase"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 {The main line of the Giuoco Piano.} Nf6 { Black cannot prevent d2-d4, but this counterattack should maintain equality.} 5. d4 (5. d3 {More fashionable today.}) 5... exd4 6. cxd4 (6. e5 d5 $1 7. Bb5 Ne4 $11) 6... Bb4+ 7. Nc3 d5 $6 {Logical, but less effective than grabbing the gambit pawn.} (7... Nxe4 $142 8. O-O {The Moeller Attack, a recent discovery at the time. Years of analysis later proved that White could hope for no more than a draw against excellent defense.}) 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. O-O Be6 (9... Nxc3 $6 10. bxc3 Be7 ({not} 10... Bxc3 $2 11. Qb3 $1 Bxa1 12. Bxf7+ Kf8 13. Ba3+ Ne7 14. Bg8 $1 Rxg8 15. Ne5 Qe8 16. Qf3+) 11. Re1 O-O 12. Rb1 Rb8 13. Rb5 $36 {"1. 80" at 21 ply}) ({Houdini considers} 9... Bxc3 10. bxc3 O-O {best, although} 11. Re1 $16 {still looks uncomfortable for Black.}) 10. Bg5 {Fifth best!} (10. Re1 $142 $1 O-O ({as} 10... Nxc3 $2 {loses to} 11. bxc3 Bxc3 12. Bg5 Qd6 13. d5 Bxe1 14. Qxe1 $18) 11. Ng5 $40 {"1.37" at 23 ply}) 10... Be7 11. Bxd5 Bxd5 12. Nxd5 Qxd5 ({\/White refutes} 12... Bxg5 {by} 13. Re1+ $1 Be7 14. Nxe7 Nxe7 15. Qa4+ Qd7 16. Qb4 $18 {"1.95" at 22 ply}) 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 {A puzzling position for more than a century.} 14. Re1 f6 {Guarding e5 but weakening e6. Black's main idea is to clear f7 for his King.} 15. Qe2 ({Probably stronger than} 15. Qa4+ Qd7 16. Qb4 Kf7 17. Qxb7 Rab8 18. Qxa7 Rxb2 $14) 15... Qd7 16. Rac1 $6 { Fifth best! "0.22" at 32 ply} ({Correct is} 16. Rad1 $1 Kf8 ({not} 16... Kf7 $2 17. Qc4+ Nd5 18. Ne5+ $1 fxe5 19. dxe5 $16) 17. Nd2 Rd8 ({or} 17... Nd5 18. Qf3 c6 19. Re2 h5 20. Rde1 $36) 18. Ne4 b6 19. Qf3 Kg8 ({too awkward is} 19... Nd5 $6 20. Ng5 Kg8 21. Ne6 Re8 22. Nf4 Rxe1+ 23. Rxe1 c6 24. Nxd5 cxd5 25. Qh5 g6 26. Qh6 $16) 20. d5 $1 $16 Nxd5 $2 21. b4 $1 a6 22. a4 c6 23. b5) 16... c6 $4 { White will brilliantly refute this attempt to bolster d5 and control the c-file.} (16... Kf7 $142 $1 17. Nd2 $1 (17. Qc4+ $6 Nd5 $15) (17. Qxe7+ $5 Qxe7 18. Rxe7+ Kxe7 19. Rxc7+ Kd6 20. Rxg7 Rac8 21. g3 Rc7 $11 {Force (Rook against Knight and two pawns) is about even and Black will soon activate his other Rook. The game should end in a draw.}) 17... Rhe8 ({White has a little initiative after} 17... c6 18. Ne4 $14) 18. Qd3 Kg8 19. Qb3+ Nd5 20. Qxb7 Reb8 21. Qa6 Rxb2 22. Nc4 Rb4 {"0.18" at 24 ply}) 17. d5 $3 $18 cxd5 ({Declining the offer fares no better:} 17... Kf7 18. dxc6 bxc6 19. Qc4+ Qd5 (19... Nd5 20. Nd4 $18) 20. Qg4 $18) 18. Nd4 {The Knight threatens to go to f5 or e6. White's lead in Time (both Rooks working) is much more valuable than Black's extra pawn.} Kf7 19. Ne6 Rhc8 (19... Nc6 20. Nc5 Qf5 21. Nxb7 Qd7 $8 22. Nc5 Qf5 23. Ne6 Rac8 24. Qa6 Ne7 25. Rxc8 Rxc8 26. h3 $18) (19... Qd6 20. Rc7 Rhc8 21. Rxb7 $18) 20. Qg4 $1 {Looking toward g7 and d7.} g6 (20... Rxc1 $2 21. Qxg7+ Ke8 22. Qf8#) 21. Ng5+ {Discovery on Black's Queen.} Ke8 22. Rxe7+ $1 Kf8 {The best try. White must watch out for a back rank mate.} (22... Qxe7 23. Rxc8+ Rxc8 24. Qxc8+ Qd8 25. Qxd8+ Kxd8 26. Nf3 $18) (22... Kxe7 23. Re1+ Kd6 (23... Kd8 24. Ne6+ Ke7 25. Nc5+ $18 {The discovery wins the Queen.}) 24. Qb4+ Rc5 (24... Kc7 25. Ne6+ Kb8 26. Qf4+ Rc7 27. Nxc7 Qxc7 28. Re8#) 25. Re6+ Qxe6 26. Nxe6 $18) 23. Rf7+ $1 Kg8 (23... Qxf7 24. Rxc8+ $18) 24. Rg7+ $1 Kh8 (24... Kxg7 25. Qxd7+ $18) (24... Qxg7 25. Rxc8+ $18) 25. Rxh7+ (25. Rxh7+ {Black left the playing hall without resigning because he did not want to endure the finish Steinitz had planned.} Kg8 26. Rg7+ $1 Kh8 (26... Kf8 27. Nh7+ Kxg7 28. Qxd7+ $18) 27. Qh4+ Kxg7 28. Qh7+ Kf8 29. Qh8+ Ke7 30. Qg7+ Ke8 31. Qg8+ Ke7 32. Qf7+ Kd8 33. Qf8+ Qe8 34. Nf7+ Kd7 35. Qd6#) 1-0