White. Black. White. Black.
Zukertort. Blackburne. Zukertort. Blackburne.
1. P-QB4 P-K3 | 18. P-K4 QR-QB sq
2. P-K3 Kt-KB3 | 19. P-K5 Kt-K sq
3. Kt-KB3 P-QKt3 | 20. P-B4 P-Kt3
4. B-K2 B-Kt2 | 21. R-K3 P-B4
5. Castles P-Q4 | 22. PxP e.p. KtxP
6. P-Q4 B-Q3 | 23. P-B5 Kt-K5
7. Kt-B3 Castles | 24. BxKt PxB
8. P-QKt3 QKt-Q2 | 25. PxKtP R-B7
9. B-Kt2 Q-K2 | 26. PxP (ch) K-R sq
10. Kt-QKt5 Kt-K5 | 27. P-Q5 dis.(ch) P-K4
11. KtxB PxKt | 28. Q-Kt4 QR-B4
12. Kt-Q2 QKt-B3 | 29. R-B8 (ch) KxP
13. P-B3 KtxKt | 30. QxP (ch) K-Kt2
14. QxKt PxP | 31. BxP (ch) KxR
15. BxP P-Q4 | 32. B-Kt7 (ch) K-Kt sq
16. B-Q3 KR-B sq | 33. QxQ Resigns.
17. QR-K sq R-B2 |
This game, played in the London tournament, 1883, is one of the most
remarkable productions of modern times, neither surpassed nor indeed
equalled hitherto.
_End Games._--A game of chess consists of three branches--the opening,
the middle and the end game. The _openings_ have been analysed and are
to be acquired by the study of the books on the subject. The _middle
game_ can only be acquired practically. The combinations being
inexhaustible in their variety, individual ingenuity has its full scope.
Those endowed with a fertile imagination will evolve plans and
combinations leading to favourable issues. The less endowed player,
however, is not left quite defenceless; he has necessarily to adopt a
different system, namely, to try to find a weak point in the arrangement
of his opponent's forces and concentrate his attack on that weak spot.
As a matter of fact, in a contest between players of equal strength,
finding the weak point in the opponent's armour is the only possible
plan, and this may be said to be the fundamental principle of the modern
school. In the good old days the battles were mostly fought in the
neighbourhood of the king, each side striving for a checkmate. Nowadays
the battle may be fought anywhere. It is quite immaterial where the
advantage is gained be it ever so slight. Correct continuation will
necessarily increase it, and the opponent may be compelled to surrender
in the end game without being checkmated, or a position may be reached
when the enemies, in consequence of the continual fight, are so reduced
that the kings themselves have to take the field--the end game. The _end
game_, therefore, requires a special study. It has its special laws and
the value of the pieces undergoes a considerable change. The kings leave
their passive role and become attacking forces. The pawns increase in
value, whilst that of the pieces may diminish in certain cases. Two
knights, for instance, without pawns, become valueless, as no checkmate
can be effected with them. In the majority of cases the players must be
guided by general principles, as the standard examples do not meet
all-cases.
The handbooks as a rule give a sprinkling of elementary endings, such as
to checkmate with queen, rook, bishop and knight, two bishops, and pawn
endings pure and simple, as well as pawns in connexion with pieces in
various forms. Towards the end of the 19th century a valuable work on
end games was published in England by the late B. Horwitz; thus for the
first time a theoretical classification of the art was given. This was
followed by a more comprehensive work by Professor J. Berger of Gratz,
which was translated a few years later by the late Mr Freeborough.