The end of this game is well worth a look. When I first saw this game, I got a real kick out of it. I hate to discount the opening though, it's about as tactical as it gets. 🙂
The actual game ended on move 34, but I had to put in the continuation. 🙂
The opening was later named the Frankenstein-Dracula Variation of the Vienna Game (quite likely by Eric Schiller who wrote a book with the title). 6. Nb5 threatens Nxd6 and Qxf7 mate. 7. Qf3 renews the threat. 7. ... f5 is the correct move. Then 8. Qd5 (mate again) Qe7 (Qf6 has been played too) 9. Nxc7+ Kd8 10. Nxa8 b6 11. d3 Bb7 is the main continuation. The position is very double edged and unclear. I have played it from both sides, and it is really hard to play. I've had more success from the black side though. 5. ... Be7 avoids all the complications, and 3. ... Nc6 may in fact be best.
B E A U T I F U L ! !
20. ... Bxg2 destroyed black's game. Allowing the rook to the 7th is right out of Nimzowitsch's My System. The windmill with the rook is textbook. Kupferstich may not could have calculated the exact moves, but strategically and tactically the game was over after Bxg2 and he knew it.
What was the reason for this mistake? Time pressure? No one in their right mind would allow the rook to take the 7th so easily.
Black deviated from an older line on move 13.
Originally posted by petrovitchAnother nice, entertaining game. 🙂
20. ... Bxg2 destroyed black's game. Allowing the rook to the 7th is right out of Nimzowitsch's My System. The windmill with the rook is textbook. Kupferstich may not could have calculated the exact moves, but strategically and tactically the game was over after Bxg2 and he knew it.
What was the reason for this mistake? Time pressure? No one in the ...[text shortened]... . Rh3 Bc6
34. Rg3 e5
35. Qd3 e4
36. Qc3 b6
37. Nh3 Qxg3+
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The one you presented is a masterpiece!
I just can't figure out how black made such a horrible mistake. It couldn't have been time pressure. We're talking about move 20.
The only way I can justify this is that he was playing a memorized line. Already, at move 13 he was making mistakes.
He knew this game between Jacques Mieses and Amos Burn in 1900.
I'm really happy you enjoyed it. I'm sorry the black blunder is causing you so much discomfort though. I can't even tell you what I'm thinking half the time. 🙂 It would be hard for me to explain black's blunder. Perhaps the depth of it all was overlooked by black.
I will try to find some games that have brought me entertainment, enjoyment, and instruction. No doubt all games won't appeal to all players, but hopefully, I will post a few more you can enjoy. 🙂
Handshake
Notation about this game from chessgames.com
"Chasing Windmills"
Bishop's Opening: Blanel Gambit (C27)
Jan-05-07
Amarande: Interesting is that there is another winning line for White at move 22 - and to make this "dual" even more wonderful it too involves a windmill! 22 Re7+ Kd8 (Kf8 23 Nxh7 is mate) 23 Nxf7+ Kc8 24 Nxd6+ Kb8 (Kd8 24 Rxb7 is mate) 25 Bxe5! b6 (Else White drags the King all the way back - e.g. 25 ... a6 26 Nb5+ Kc8 27 Rc7+ Kd8 28 Bf6+ Ke8 29 Nd6+ Kf8 30 Rf7#. The coordination of the White pieces here is great stuff one virtually never sees - why is this game only published in one book that I know of?) 26 Nb5+ Kc8 27 Rc7+ Kb8 (the reason for 25 ... b6, so that the King can go here without a discovered mate by the Rook that would happen in the previous variation as now the K has a flight-square at b7, but it is not enough to save him) and now the other windmill is set up: 28 Rxa7+ Kc8 29 Rc7+ Kb8 (Kd8 would permit the same mate as in the previous variation) 30 Rxh7+ Kc8 31 Rc7+ Kb8 32 Rg7+ Kc8 and now White just mops everything up: 33 Nd6+ (stronger than immediately taking the R) Kb8 (Kd8 34 Bf6 is mate) 34 Nc4+ Kc8 35 Nxb6+ Kd8 34 Rxg8+ Ke7 35 Nxa8, and Black is destitute, and his Bishop just as useless as in the main line.
Both lines have their own beauty making this game a thing of wonder. Again, why is this game so little known?
We return our eye to Black's suffering. Clearly he is lost by move 22, as White has not one but two effective ways to destroy all resistance. But what could he have done? 20 ... Bc6 is definitely not sufficient - White wins handily with 21 Nxh7 Bxg2 22 Rxc7! (the fact that White's Knight has left g5 does not blunt this!) Bxh1 23 Ng5! (now he threatens Re7+ again, and there is no good defense) Bd5 24 Re7+ Kd8 25 Rxe5+ Kd7 26 Rxd5. It is true that Black has better prospects here than he gets after 20 ... Bxg2, but he should still be lost due to the far greater mobility of the White pieces.
After some examination, it becomes clear that one of the major reasons for Black's downfall is the simple fact that his Bishop is abjectly useless for defense. Virtually all the action takes place on black squares and the B could only stand by ... which suggests that Black was lost at move 17 when he chose to exchange Knights. Is there a clear win for White after 17 ... Bxc2? This gets Black a third pawn for his piece, but retains the Knight, who would have been far more useful for defense and perhaps have prevented the mate. 18 f4 looks promising but not sure if it's enough for a win ...
The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played By Irving Chernev, Chernev Page 86. Interesting. Chernev gives him an ! for Rxc7 sacrificing the rook on h1. I wouldn't even think about this today. The importance of the 7th has been so ingrained that I would play this in any blitz game without hesitation. Evaluating the game I would not give a Rxc7!, but Bxg2?