Anderssen vs S— — Annotated

-- Stockfish 19

-- Engine disabled.

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Bc4 Nf6

4. Ng5 d5

5. exd5 Na5

6. Bb5+ c6

7. dxc6 bxc6

8. Be2 h6

9. Nf3 e4

10. Ne5 Qd4

11. f4 Bc5

12. Rf1 Nb7

13. c3 Qd6

14. Qa4 Bd7

15. b4 Bb6

16. Na3 O-O

17. Nac4 Qc7

18. Bd3 Nd5

19. Nxd7 Qxd7

20. Ne5 Qe7

21. b5 Qh4+

22. g3 Qxh2

23. Bxe4 Qxg3+

24. Kd1 Nxc3+

25. dxc3 Qxc3

26. Be3 Bxe3

27. Nc4 cxb5

28. Qa3 Qxa1+

29. Kc2

0-1

9.Nf3 In our Col. 1 we recommend here KKt—R3. The Kt on that square is merely threatened with an exchange for a B, which we believe is favorable for the first player. The doubling of his KRP amounts to little in view of his being a P ahead on the other wing and his obtaining two Bishops.
12…Nb7 12....Q—Q sq. proposed in our Col. 9 yields, we believe, a stronger attack than this move.
13…Qd6 Compare our Col. 11, where we suggest P—QR4 as the preferable move at this juncture.
20…Qe7 Leading to complications in which both parties display great ingenuity. But White's soundest play here was 21 P—KKt3, still threatening to win an additional P and giving Black no chance of instituting an attack against the King's side.
24.Kd1 Black conducts the attack with high-class ingenuity. The sacrifice of the Kt in addition to the R already given up was, we believe, quite sound if it had only been pursued properly.
25…Qxc3 White had evidently relied on this fine though simple-looking move for breaking the attack otherwise threatened. If, for instance, 26 KtxQBP, 26 B—K6; 27 Q—Kt4, 27 QxR ch.; 28 K—B2, 28 QxP ch. and wins. Yet White ought still to lose as will be seen.
26.Be3 A mere transposition of moves which does not appear to be of much importance at first sight costs Black an excellently played game. First: 26....PxP; 27 BxP!, 27 QxR ch., would have won. The most probable continuation was then 28 K—B2, 28 R—B sq. ch.; 29 Kt—B6, 29 RxKt ch.; 30 BxR, 30 QxR; 31 BxKt, 31 Q—Q6 ch.; 32 K—Kt2 (if 32 K—B sq., Black drives him to Kt2 by B—K6 ch.) 32....B—Q5 ch.; 33 K—B sq., 33 Q—B8 ch.; 34 Q—Q sq. (if 34 K—B2, 34 Q—K7 ch.; 35 K—Kt3, 35 Q—Q8 ch.; 36 K—Kt4,—if K—R3, Black drives the King into a mating or otherwise losing position by B—Kt7 ch. and Q—Q5 ch.—36....B—B6 ch.; 37 K—Kt5,—or 37 K—R3, 37 B—Kt7 ch., etc.,—37....Q—Q2 ch. and wins), 34....B—K6 ch.; 35 K—B2, 35 Q—B5 ch., followed by Q—Kt4 ch., winning the B.
28.Qa3 This beautiful move now wins by force.
29.Kc2 For if 29....Q—Q5; 30 R—Q sq., etc.

[Event "The Modern Chess Instructor"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "?"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Anderssen"]
[Black "S—"]
[Result "0-1"]
[AnnotationSlug "steinitz-mci-two-knights-1"]
[PlyCount "57"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 8. Be2 h6 9. Nf3 e4 10. Ne5 Qd4 11. f4 Bc5 12. Rf1 Nb7 13. c3 Qd6 14. Qa4 Bd7 15. b4 Bb6 16. Na3 O-O 17. Nac4 Qc7 18. Bd3 Nd5 19. Nxd7 Qxd7 20. Ne5 Qe7 21. b5 Qh4+ 22. g3 Qxh2 23. Bxe4 Qxg3+ 24. Kd1 Nxc3+ 25. dxc3 Qxc3 26. Be3 Bxe3 27. Nc4 cxb5 28. Qa3 Qxa1+ 29. Kc2 0-1