Steinitz, William VS Chigorin, Mikhail Ivanovich 1889.01.22

Annotations

1. 4.Qd3 In the correspondence match between London and St. Petersburg, the former party played here P—KKt4, which is inferior to the move in the text.
2. 4…Qc8 Best. If 4...P—QB3; 5 Q—KR3, 5 KKt—B3; 6 P—KB4, 6 P—KR3 (or 6...QKt—Q2; 7 P—KKt4, 7 Kt×Kt; 8 BP×Kt, 8 B×P; 9 Q—KKt3 and wins); 7 P—KKt4 with the superior game.
3. 8.Qd1 White is still ahead in the development with one minor piece, albeit his retreats of Kt and Q.
4. 13.g4 White has now we believe some advantage in position.
5. 15…fxg4 A grave error. Black evidently speculated on White's replying RP×P, whereupon the reply Kt×BP would win.
6. 16…Nxg6 If 16...QKt×QKt; the reply 17 Kt×Kt wins a piece, for after 17...Kt×Q; 18 Kt×Q, Black's B remains attacked.
7. 19.hxg4 Simply Q×P was much stronger. He now becomes exposed to a strong attack in turn.
8. 21.Bc3 Perhaps good enough, but probably 21 Kt—B3, 21 B—Kt5; 22 P—K4, 22 B×Kt; 23 R×B, would have won with less difficulty.
9. 22.Rh5 Black may now win the QP, but will lose another with the much inferior game.
10. 23…O-O Disastrous. But he could not hold out for long by adopting the other alternative 23...Q×P; 24 Q×Q, 24 R×Q; 25 P—KB4, for if 25...B—B3; 26 P×P, and Black dare not take either with the Kt or the B, as White after exchanging would ultimately gain a piece by R—B8 ch.
11. 24.d6 Decisive. See Diagram, page 168.
12. 24…Qe6 Some bystanders afterward thought that 24...Kt—R5; threatening Kt—Kt 7 ch., would have turned the game in Black's favor, and no doubt it gives the defence a strong counter-attack in all variations, excepting against the ingenious reply 25 K—B sq., pointed out by Senor Lopez with the probable continuation: 25...Kt—B6; 26 P×B, 26 Q×Q ch. (or 26...Q×KtP; 27 P×KR ch., 27 R×R; 28 Q—Q5 ch., 28 K—R sq.; 29 R—R sq., etc.); 27 R×Q, 27 R×R ch.; 28 K—K2, and wins.
13. 28.Bb4 White wins without much effort.

William Steinitz, The Modern Chess Instructor (1889) · Public domain · source