[Event "6th match"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1893.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Chigorin"]
[Black "Tarrasch"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "18: Converging Lines"]
[ECO "C00"]
[PlyCount "118"]
[Source "Hays Publishing"]
[SourceDate "1964.01.01"]

{ Various features pass in review } 1. e4 e6 2. Qe2 c5 3. g3 Nc6 4. Bg2 Nd4 5. Qd3 Be7 6. Nc3 Bf6 7. Nb5 Nxb5 8. Qxb5 Qb6 9. Qe2 d6 10. Nf3 Bd7 11. c3 { We have chosen for our last game in this section, one which provides us with
illustrations of several of the features we have been studying. We keep our
notes concise, and base them in the main on the excellent analysis byTarrach } 11... Bb5 { Many years after this game was played, Tarrasch used to be accused
of playing too dogmatically; for instance he strongly condemned the playing of
any piece twice in the opening. It is certainly not so in this game, for
rather than complete his development by ... Ne7, he prefers to solely devote
several tempi solely to inducing a weakening of the White pawn structure. It
is curious to think that some twenty-five years later this strategy in the
hands of Reti was to be called new and hypermodern } 12. d3 Qa6 $1 13. c4 Bc6 { The pawn position has been completely transformed ... now
classified as a pseudo-Stonewall } 14. O-O h6 { Black doesn't want to have his active Bishop exchanged with Bg5 } 15. Be3 Qb6 16. Rab1 a5 17. a3 $2 ( 17. b3 ) 17... a4 $1 { classic clamp } 18. Rfd1 e5 { Naturally White is not allowed to play Pd4. After this last move we have a
double PseudoStonewall } 19. Nd2 Ne7 20. Nf1 Bd7 21. Bd2 Nc6 22. Bc3 ( 22. Ne3 { The idea to use d5 himself } 22... Nd4 23. Qf1 -- 24. Bc3 -- 25. Nd5 { Tarrasch } ) 22... Nd4 23. Bxd4 cxd4 { The pawn formation has undergone
another change, and is now the "Blocked Oblique Centre" with the d-pawn
forward, with the difference, however, that Black has a pawn on d6 instead of
c5 } 24. Bf3 Qc7 25. Bg4 { This move shows that Chigorin, consciously or
unconsciouly, knows all about the "bad Bishop". He offers to exchange his bad
Bishop for Black's good Bishop } 25... Bc6 26. Rdc1 Bg5 27. Rc2 Qe7 28. Qe1 h5 { Not only to repel the Bishop, but also in due course to open the h-file } 29. Bd1 ( 29. Bh3 ) 29... Qe6 30. f3 Bd8 31. Qf2 { White blocks himself in } ( 31. f4 ) 31... h4 32. Qg2 Rh6 33. g4 { To keep the game closed, but White is condemned to complete passivity } 33... Bg5 34. h3 Kf8 35. Qe2 Kg8 36. Qe1 g6 { Black's plan of entry into the
White position is threeforl: First ... Pf5, then ... Pb5 to open the b-file;
finally ... Pd5 breaking into the centre } 37. Rg2 Rh7 38. Bc2 Rg7 39. Qd1 { White can only await his fate, without being able to do anything at all to
fend off the impendingdanger } ( 39. b4 axb3 40. Rxb3 { In spite of the risks involved, White should have opened the b-file } ) 39... Qd7 40. Qe1 f5 41. Bd1 Rf8 42. Be2 fxe4 43. fxe4 Rgf7 { The first file is
open, and Black has already has his Rooks doubled on it. As yet, however, he
cannot penetrate; he must proceed with the second part of his plan } 44. Qd1 b5 45. cxb5 Bxb5 46. Nh2 Be3+ 47. Kh1 g5 $1 { Eliminating any counterchacne White might have manufactured by Pg5 and Bg4 } 48. Nf1 d5 49. Nd2 { The last attempt to hold on to the blockade square e4 } ( 49. Nxe3 dxe3 50. Qc1 dxe4 51. dxe4 Bd3 52. Bxd3 Qxd3 $17 ) 49... Bc6 50. exd5 Bxd5 51. Ne4 Qc6 52. Ra1 Rf4 $1 ( 52... Bxe4 53. dxe4 Qxe4 54. Bc4 ) 53. Kh2 Rxe4 { the strongest continuation } 54. dxe4 Bxe4 55. Bf1 Bxg2 56. Bxg2 Rf2 { Right to the end, this game demonstrates the importance of the
convergent lines. Here the Queen on the long diagonal and the Rooks on the
seventh rank converge on g2 } 57. Qh1 e4 58. Qb1 Qd6+ 59. Kh1 Rxg2 0-1