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C38

King's Gambit: Accepted. Traditional Variation

Gustav Richard Neumann vs Joseph Henry Blackburne, 1867

0-1, 33 moves

[Event "Dundee Congress"]
[Site "Dundee Congress"]
[Date "1867.??.??"]
[EventDate "1867.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Gustav Richard Neumann"]
[Black "Joseph Henry Blackburne"]
[ECO "C38"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "66"]
1. e4 {Notes by Blackburne.} e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. Bc4 {This form of the gambit is almost out of date. Chigorin, however, ocassionaly plays it, and with success. h4 instead, bringing about the Allgaier or Kieseritzky, is now more frequently adopted.} Bg7 5. d4 d6 6. O-O h6 7. g3 g4 8. Ne1 {This was the generally acknowledge best square for the Knight to play to, but in actual practice, my experience is that Nh4 is equally effective.} f3 9. c3 Nd7 10. Na3 Nb6 11. Bb3 Qe7 12. Nd3 Bd7 13. Nf4 h5 {The beggining of a strong counter-attack which is often the best line of defence.} 14. Qd3 h4 15. Nb5 hxg3 16. hxg3 {It is obvious that White cannot take Pawn + without immediate loss. For instance 16.Nxc7+ Kd8 17.Nxa8 Rxh2 and he has no defence.} c6 {The editor of the Chess World says: "A daring move, the main object of which is to prevent White establishing a Knight on d5 and for this Black sacrifices Rook for Knight".} 17. Nc7+ Kd8 18. Nxa8 Nf6 {The same critic goes on to say: "Again bold play, and even losing time by capturing the Knight".} 19. Nxb6 Nxe4 20. Nxd7 Nxg3 21. Ne6+ {Something must be done, but perhaps Ng2 instead would have been slightly better.} fxe6 22. Qg6 Rh2 {This move which wins the game by force, was evidently not expected by White. I candidly confess that it was not forseen when I played c6. However nothing venture, nothing win. I have a vivid recollection of Herr Neumann's countenance when this move was made. He gave a slight start, turned round to the Rev. G. A. Macdonnell, who was looking on, shrugged his shoulders and smiled, but it was a sickly sort of smile.} 23. Rxf3 {He has nothing better, for if Kxh2 mate follows in two moves by Qh4+ and Ne2 mate.} gxf3 24. Kxh2 Qh4+ 25. Kg1 Qh1+ 26. Kf2 Qg2+ 27. Ke3 Nf1+ 28. Kf4 Qxg6 29. Kxf3 Nh2+ 30. Kf2 Kxd7 31. Bf4 Qf5 32. Kg3 Qg4+ 33. Kxh2 Qxf4+ 0-1

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