Howard Staunton vs Elijah Williams — Staunton

-- Stockfish 19

-- Engine disabled.

1. f4 e6

2. e3 f5

3. g3 Nf6

4. Bg2 d5

5. Nf3 c5

6. b3 Nc6

7. O-O Bd6

8. Bb2 O-O

9. Qe2 Bc7

10. Na3 a6

11. Rad1 b5

12. c4 bxc4

13. bxc4 Rb8

14. Bxf6 Qxf6

15. cxd5 exd5

16. d4 c4

17. Ne5 Nb4

18. Naxc4 dxc4

19. a3 Bxe5

20. dxe5 Qf7

21. axb4 Rxb4

22. Rd6 Bb7

23. e6 Qc7

24. Rd7 Qc8

25. Qd1 Bc6

26. Bxc6 Qxc6

27. Qd4 Rf6

28. Rd6 Qb5

29. Rd8+ Rf8

30. Rxf8+ Kxf8

31. Qd6+ Ke8

32. Rd1

1-0

12.c4 The correct move.
19.a3 But for this coup in reserve, Black could not safely have given up his Knight, for suppose him to have, played the more obvious move 19. Q. takes P. (ch.) 19. R. to K. B's 2nd. 20. Kt. takes R. 20. Q. takes Kt. And White has the better game. I add a diagram of this instructive position, before Black's 19th move.
20.dxe5 This will be found to be better than taking with the K. R. P.
25.Qd1 He might also have played Q. to her 2nd, and the game would probably have proceeded thus 25. Q. to her 2nd. 25. P. to Q. B's 6th. 26. Q. to her 6th. And White can only avert the mate by sacrificing a Piece,
25…Bc6 He has no better move.
28.Rd6 Undoubtedly his strongest play. R. to Q's 8th (ch.), or Q. to Q. R's 7th, may at first sight look more compulsory, but neither is so good as the move in the text, which absolutely compels the loss of the Queen, or enables Black to give mate in three or four moves.
28…Qb5 Unless he chose to sacrifice his Queen, this, or Q. to her R's 5th, was his only resource.

[Event "London m6"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "1851.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Staunton, Howard"]
[Black "Williams, Elijah"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. f4 e6 2. e3 f5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nf3 c5 6. b3 Nc6 7. O-O Bd6 8. Bb2 O-O 9. Qe2 Bc7 10. Na3 a6 11. Rad1 b5 12. c4 bxc4 13. bxc4 Rb8 14. Bxf6 Qxf6 15. cxd5 exd5 16. d4 c4 17. Ne5 Nb4 18. Naxc4 dxc4 19. a3 Bxe5 20. dxe5 Qf7 21. axb4 Rxb4 22. Rd6 Bb7 23. e6 Qc7 24. Rd7 Qc8 25. Qd1 Bc6 26. Bxc6 Qxc6 27. Qd4 Rf6 28. Rd6 Qb5 29. Rd8+ Rf8 30. Rxf8+ Kxf8 31. Qd6+ Ke8 32. Rd1 1-0