Notes by C. von Bardeleben.

1. 2.Be2 This opening is irregular, and no chess-book as yet has analysed it. I think the best answer of Black is Kt to K B 3.
2. 4…Nc6 If now Kt to K B 3, White plays 5. P to B 3 (!), and the King's Pawn cannot be taken because of 6. Q to R 4, ch.
3. 5…Bb6 P to Q R 3 would be preferable, in order to preserve the important King’s Bishop. Compare the 12th move.
4. 9…h6 Now, again, he should have played P to Q R 3.
5. 18…b5 If Q Kt P X P (?), White plays 19. P x Q B P, P x P; 20. R to Kt6, Q to K 2; 21. P to Q6.
6. 27.f3 A weak move, which enables Black to secure his position. White should have played 27. P x P, Kt to B 2; 28. R to Kt 3, Kt to Q 3; 29. P to Kt 4, and would have thus obtained the superior game.
7. 33…Qd6 Obviously Albin does not know the English rule, that a game is drawn if the same move is made three times, otherwise he would not have continued this dull game.
8. 72…Kg6 A blunder which throws away the game; he ought to have played K to Kt 3, and then it was a clear draw. [Albin was perfectly acquainted with the rule, which, however, requires that the same position should occur three times to secure a draw, and Blackburne took care that this should not happen. Blackburne, nevertheless, had his little joke, for, finding it necessary to repeat a position, he took care to reverse the Rooks, thus inventing a nice little puzzle for the Committee (in the event of its coming up a third time) as to whether the positions were the same in the meaning of the rule, though the King's Rook and Queen's Rook had changed places. It is probable that the legitimate result of the end game was a draw, but as White, with a Pawn ahead, was contemplating several different winning sacrifices, it was difficult, even if possible, to avoid them all, and he may have thought the one made unsound.—Ed.]