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C45 Scotch

Scotch Game: Schmidt Variation

Jackson Whipps Showalter vs George Hatfeild Gossip, 1889

0-1, 29 moves ("Juicy Gossip")

1002083 (#201)

Daily Puzzle
Sunday, 10.08.2014
Black #23

[Event "USA-06.Congress New York"]
[Site "USA-06.Congress New York"]
[Date "1889.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "5"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Jackson Whipps Showalter"]
[Black "George Hatfeild Gossip"]
[ECO "C45"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "58"]
1.e4 {Notes by Steinitz.} e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Bd3 d5 7.e5 {The advance is not favorable to his game on general principles, as it establishes a strong majority of pawns on the Q side for the opponent, and his own e-pawn is practically lost. The proper play is 7.exd5 cxd5 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Bxd7+ Qxd7 10.O-O Be7 11.Nd2, as played by Senor Golmayo (White) in a match against Captain Mackenzie at Havana. See "Modern Chess Instructor," Part 1, p. 66.} Ng4 8.O-O Bc5 9.Bf4 {Having castled on the K side, while the opponent has still the option of castling either side, it was unwise to place this Bishop in the way of being attacked by the adverse pawns, and the right play was 9.Nd2 whereupon of course, Black could not capture the e-pawn on account of the rejoinder Re1 followed by Nf3. If however 9.h3, a fine variation might have arisen, which was first pointed out in the London Chess Monthly and afterwards ocurred in a match game between Messrs. Delmar (White) and Lipschutz, viz, 9...Nxe5 10.Re1 Qf6 11.Qe2 O-O 12.Qxe5 Qxf2+ 13.Kh1 Bxh3 14.gxf3 Qf3+ 15.Kh2 Bd6, and wins.} g5 10.Bd2 {Probably best, If 10.Bg3 h5 11.h3 h4 12.Bh2 Nh6, with a strong attack.} Nxe5 11.Re1 Qe7 12.Nc3 {12.Qh5 at once would have failed on account of 12...h6, and if 13.Bxg5 Nf3+, and wins.} Bd7 13.Qh5 O-O-O 14.Bxg5 f6 15.Bh4 Qg7 16.Ba6+ Kb8 17.Bg3 Rhg8 18.Qd1 Ng4 {Black wastes time here. He could have at once proceeded with Bg4, followed by h5, with the same attack as he institutes on the 20th move.} 19.Bf1 Ne5 20.b4 Bg4 21.Qb1 {Be2 was his best defence.} Bd4 22.Qb3 h5 23.Rab1 h4 {The initiation of a masterly combination eight moves deep.} 24.Bxh4 Nf3+ 25.gxf3 Bxf3 26.Bg3 Qxg3+ 27.hxg3 Rxg3+ 28.Kh2 Bxf2 29.Bh3 Rxh3+ {One of the finest specimens of sacrificing play on record. Mr Gossip deserves the highest praise for the ingenuity and depth of combination which he displayed in this game.} 0-1

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