Henry Bird
Notable Games

Henry Bird

13 celebrated games · 215 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 215 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1851 Bird, Henry Edward vsHorwitz, Bernhard 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense 59 moves London knockout London 1851, the first international tournament, from Bird's opening-round mini-match with Bernhard Horwitz, who won it and knocked him out. 29.Bxf7+ and 31.Qxf8+ give up the queen, 41.Rh8+ Qxh8 42.Rh3+ wins Black's back with a skewer, and the rook ending runs to 59 moves.
  • 1856 Falkbeer, Ernst Karl vsBird, Henry Edward 0-1 Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense 50 moves Match Bird-Falkbeer +7-7=3 The 1856 match with Ernst Falkbeer, recorded here as drawn at seven wins each. With Black in a Semi-Slav, 36...gxh4 and 39...Rxe2 break through, and the cross-check 50...Nf3+ ends it.
  • 1866.11 Bird, Henry Edward vsSteinitz, William 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Closed 22 moves Match Steinitz-Bird +7-5=5 The 1866 match with Wilhelm Steinitz, later the first official World Champion, which was left unfinished with Steinitz ahead +7−5=5. Bird sacrifices on h7: 15.Bxh7+ Kxh7 16.Qh5+ Kg8 17.Ng5, and 22.Qxg7+ ends it.
  • 1873.07.22 Bird, Henry Edward vsGelbfuhs, Oscar 1-0 Bird Opening 15 moves Wien International-01 Vienna 1873, round two. Bird's Opening, 1.f4 f5 2.e4: the h-pawn runs to h5, 11.Rxh7 Rxh7 12.gxh7 breaks in, and 14.Bg6+ Ke7 15.Qh5 finishes in 15 moves.
  • 1876 Bird, Henry Edward vsMason, James 1-0 French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation 51 moves New York Clipper The Clipper tournament, New York 1876, against James Mason: the game that won a brilliancy prize. 24.Bxg6 fxg6 25.Qxg6 opens the king, 31.Ra6 lets the queen go for a rook, and the knights hunt the king until 50.Ng6+ and 51.Nxe7+.
  • 1878.06.27 Anderssen, Adolf vsBird, Henry Edward 0-1 Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Traditional Line 27 moves Congres International Paris 1878 with Black against Adolf Anderssen. Anderssen sacrifices with 17.Nf6+ gxf6, but the black queen takes b2 and d4, and 27...Rxg2+ ends it on the open g-file.
  • 1882.06.10 Bird, Henry Edward vsBlackburne, Joseph Henry 1-0 Bird Opening: Dutch Variation 23 moves Wien International-02 25years WienerSK Vienna 1882 against Joseph Blackburne. Bird's Opening with queenside castling: 14.g4 and 15.gxf5 open the g-file, and 22.Nxf5 Nxf4 23.Qe3 ends it in 23 moves.
  • 1883.06.11 Chigorin, Mikhail Ivanovich vsBird, Henry Edward 0-1 Dutch Defense 28 moves London International Masters London 1883 with Black against Mikhail Chigorin, later twice a challenger for the World Championship. A Dutch Defence in which the black pawns break through with 20...g3 and 22...gxh2, and 28...Nxc7 wins a rook.
  • 1886.08.07 Bird, Henry Edward vsZukertort, Johannes Hermann 1-0 Bird Opening: From's Gambit 37 moves Counties CA-16 Masters Nottingham 1886 against Johannes Zukertort, who had played Steinitz for the World Championship that spring. From's Gambit: 8...Nxf2 9.Kxf2 costs White his castling, the king walks to h2, and 36.gxf4 Qxe4 37.Qxf6+ ends it.
  • 1890.01.17 Lasker, Emanuel vsBird, Henry Edward 0-1 Dutch Defense: Fianchetto Attack 56 moves Match LaskerEm-Bird +7-2=3 The 1890 match with the young Emanuel Lasker, four years before Lasker became World Champion; the match was Lasker's. Bird's Dutch Defence wins this one: the passed d-pawn reaches d3, and 56...Qf1# is mate.
  • 1892.03.08 Bird, Henry Edward vsLasker, Emanuel 1-0 Bird Opening: Dutch Variation 102 moves British CA Congress-07 Masters The British Chess Association congress, London 1892, against Lasker again. Bird's Opening, and the longest of these wins: 58.e4 and 69.Bxf7 open the ending, and the h-pawn reaches h7 before 102.Rg8+.
  • 1895 Steinitz, William vsBird, Henry Edward 0-1 Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation 35 moves Hastings International Masters Hastings 1895 with Black against Steinitz, the former World Champion. The queens come off at move 20, and 26...axb4 and 29...Ne3 decide the ending in 35 moves.
  • 1899.06.16 Janowski, Dawid Markelowicz vsBird, Henry Edward 0-1 King's Gambit Accepted 24 moves London International London 1899, with Black against Dawid Janowski, a month before Bird's seventieth birthday. A King's Gambit in which the black pawns reach g3 and f2: 21...g3, 22...f3, 23...f2+, and 24...Bb5+ ends it.
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