Gunsberg, Isidor VS Schallopp, Emil 1886.07.20

Annotations

To this game was awarded the brilliancy prize in that tournament.

1. 4…Ne7 A defence first adopted by Mortimer in the London tournament of 1883. Should White capture the KP he would lose a piece by the reply P—QB3, followed by Q—R4 ch.
2. 7.h4 This weakens the King's side and is the cause of future trouble. But we believe he could afford that by proper subsequent play, especially as Black has apparently nothing better than to oppose his KRP in the same way.
3. 9…d5 Black now enters on a bold and spirited attack which is only justified by the result, but we believe is not analytically sound.
4. 12…Kb8 All very clever and relatively correct as he must stand or fall with the attack, which he has initiated at the cost of material.
5. 13.O-O But just a little precaution on the part of White might have turned affairs, B—Kt3 attacking a P and getting a piece into safety which stood loose on the board was clearly the proper play. The move in the text was simply an error, and is taken advantage of by the opponent with great ingenuity.
6. 14.Bc2 After this his game becomes rapidly disorganized. He still could have made his defence good by B—Q sq.
7. 14…e4 Of course the natural sequence. Black after this gives no rest to the enemy, who is practically beaten already.
8. 19…fxg2 This point constitutes the brilliancy quality of this game. Though the soundness of the previous sacrifice of two Pawns is very questionable, the game is now well redeemed by this offer of a sacrifice of the Q, which, if accepted, would be followed by mate in three moves, namely, by P×R queening ch., B—R6 ch., and R—K8 mate.
9. 20.Rc1 If R—Q sq., Black would win a R by exchanging Queens, followed by B×R and R—K8 ch., and if K×P Black would win speedily by Q×P ch., etc.
10. 21.d4 There was no resource. If 21 Kt—Q2, 21 B—Kt6; 22 P—Q4 (or 22 Kt—K4, 22 R×Kt); 23 B×P ch., 23 K×B; 24 R—K7 ch., 24 K—Kt sq.; 25 Q—KB3, and wins.

William Steinitz, The Modern Chess Instructor (1889) · Public domain · source