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On chessbase.com, Edward Winter's historical articles usually contain a few gems. I was not prepared for what I found there yesterday, however!
According to Mr. Winter's work, Frank Marshall apparently was shown this game by Russian Basil Soldatenkov, which appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper on Nov. 20, 1919. That is the same paper where Bobby Fischer's mother advertised to attract opponents for her young son, circa 1950!
Astonishing is the only word which comes close! :)
Info on the game's place, date, and circumstances is apparently missing.
Capablanca -- Emery
Two Knights' Defence, Wilkes-Barre (Traxler)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5!?
[The Wilkes-Barre, named for a small city in Pennsylvania where the line was played frequently. More usual is 4...d5, heavily played for centuries.]
5.Nxf7?!
[This may be a losing move! Karpov-Belyavsky, USSR Ch. 1983, saw 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.Bb3!, and this is NCO's recommendation. That game was drawn, I believe.]
5...Bxf2+ 6.Ke2 Nxe4!?
[Really?]
7.Nxd8 Nd4+ 8.Kd3 b5 9.Bb3 Nc5+ 10.Kc3 Ne2+!
[To clear the d4-square for the bishop.]
11.Qxe2 Bd4+ 12.Kb4 a5+ 13.Kxb5
[Can White squirm out of the mating net? He is a queen up. Perhaps a strong computer program can find a saving sequence.]
13...Ba6+ 14.Kxa5 Bd3+ 15.Kb4 Na6+ 16.Ka5 Nb4+ 17.Kxb4 c5# 0-1.
Chess brings many frustrations but it also offers pearls like this! :)
According to Mr. Winter's work, Frank Marshall apparently was shown this game by Russian Basil Soldatenkov, which appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper on Nov. 20, 1919. That is the same paper where Bobby Fischer's mother advertised to attract opponents for her young son, circa 1950!
Astonishing is the only word which comes close! :)
Info on the game's place, date, and circumstances is apparently missing.
Capablanca -- Emery
Two Knights' Defence, Wilkes-Barre (Traxler)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5!?
[The Wilkes-Barre, named for a small city in Pennsylvania where the line was played frequently. More usual is 4...d5, heavily played for centuries.]
5.Nxf7?!
[This may be a losing move! Karpov-Belyavsky, USSR Ch. 1983, saw 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.Bb3!, and this is NCO's recommendation. That game was drawn, I believe.]
5...Bxf2+ 6.Ke2 Nxe4!?
[Really?]
7.Nxd8 Nd4+ 8.Kd3 b5 9.Bb3 Nc5+ 10.Kc3 Ne2+!
[To clear the d4-square for the bishop.]
11.Qxe2 Bd4+ 12.Kb4 a5+ 13.Kxb5
[Can White squirm out of the mating net? He is a queen up. Perhaps a strong computer program can find a saving sequence.]
13...Ba6+ 14.Kxa5 Bd3+ 15.Kb4 Na6+ 16.Ka5 Nb4+ 17.Kxb4 c5# 0-1.
Chess brings many frustrations but it also offers pearls like this! :)
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