[Event "Nuremberg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1888.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Gottschall"]
[Black "Tarrasch"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "34: How Tarrasch Maneuvered"]
[ECO "C16"]
[EventDate "1888.??.??"]
[PlyCount "200"]
[Source "Hays Publishing"]
[SourceDate "1964.01.01"]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. f4 c5 6. a3 Bxc3+ 7. bxc3 c4 8. Nf3 Qa5 9. Qd2 Nd7 10. Nh4 Nb6 11. Qe3 Na4 12. Bd2 Qb5 { This last move
provoked criticism at the time. Gottschall considered the move weak, and
another critic stated Black could have won the front c-pawn with ... Pa6, ...
Nc6-a7-b5  Tarrasch disagreed, defending his move with the argument which
really boiled down to the fact that it spoiled nothing. Black can take the
liberty of losing moves, leaving his opponent to guess what he is really up to.
In any case White can defend the front c-pawn with Nf3-g1-e2 } ( 12... a6 13. -- Nc6 14. -- Na7 15. -- Nb5 ) 13. Be2 Ng6 ( 13... Qb2 14. O-O Qxc2 15. Bd1 $18 ) 14. Nf3 Ne7 15. Nh4 { White wants to stop Black from playing ... Nf5 } 15... Ng6 16. Nf3 Ne7 17. Nh4 Ng6 18. Nf3 Qa5 19. O-O Qd8 20. Qf2 Ne7 21. Nh4 Ng6 22. Nf3 Ne7 23. Nh4 Ng6 24. Nf3 Bd7 25. Kh1 Nb6 26. Rae1 ( 26. -- Nc8 { working the Knight to f5 } ) 26... Qe7 27. Bc1 Na4 28. Qe3 h6 { Black doesn't permit 29. Ng5 } ( 28... -- 29. Ng5 h6 30. Nxe6 fxe6 ( 30... Bxe6 31. f5 ) 31. Bh5 ) 29. g3 Rc8 { "Weak" declared White, at the time. "Not at
all" replied Black in his notes. "The Rook can now proceed via c6 and b6 to
b1" } 30. Ng1 ( 30. -- Rc6 31. -- Rb6 32. -- Rb1 ) 30... h5 $1 ( 30... -- 31. Bh5 -- 32. f5 exf5 33. e6 Bxe6 34. Bxg6 fxg6 35. Qxe6 ) 31. Nh3 Qf8 32. Bf3 Ne7 33. Bg2 Nf5 { Here, and for the next few moves, Tarrasch is "tacking". } ( 33... Rc6 $1 ) 34. Qd2 Qe7 35. Ng5 Qd8 36. Bh3 g6 37. Bxf5 gxf5 38. Re3 Qe7 39. Qg2 Kd8 { This move was sharply criticized by Tarrasch himself after the game. The right
plan was feasible in the following stages:  1) Play the Rooks from c8-c6-b6-b1
2) Play the Knight around to b5, first advancing the a-pawn  3) Winning the
a-pawn } ( 39... Rc6 ) 40. Bd2 $1 Kc7 41. Ra1 Kb8 42. h4 $2 { An error, whi
ch White deprives himself of the chance for counterplay with a later Pg4 } 42... Rc6 { At last, but less effective now that the White a-pawn is adequately protected } 43. Ree1 Rb6 44. Kg1 Be8 45. Kh1 Rb5 46. Kg1 Nb6 47. Qe2 Ra5 48. Bc1 Ra4 49. Bb2 Na8 50. Reb1 Nc7 51. Ra2 Nb5 52. Rba1 Bd7 53. Kg2 Kc8 54. Qe3 Kd8 55. Kf2 { There is nothing White can do. Meanwhile the Black King is going over to take
protection of the h-pawn, thereby allowing the Rh8 to engage in the action
against the a-pawn } 55... Ke8 56. Kg2 Kf8 57. Kf2 Kg7 58. Kg2 Kg6 59. Nf3 Rc8 60. Nd2 Rc6 61. Nb1 { Protecting the pawn a fourth time. Since Black can get no
farther in this way he must again resort to maneuvering } 61... Rc8 62. Nd2 Kh6 63. Nf3 Nc7 64. Kf2 Nb5 65. Kg2 Rc6 66. Nd2 Rca6 67. Nb1 R4a5 68. Kf2 Nc7 69. Nd2 Ba4 70. Bc1 Nb5 { The struggle seems to have reached a dead end,
with all the threatened points defended as many times as they are attacked.
With Black's next move suddenly the game enters an entirely new phase } 71. Kg2 Bxc2 $3 { Most suprising. Black gets only two pawns for the piece,
but the sacrifice must nevertheless be considered correct as White will still
be devoid of any real counterplay. His Knight has no way of becoming active,
and meanwhile the advnace of Black's Queenside pawns will eventually produce a
pair of united passed pawns } 72. Rxc2 Nxa3 73. Bxa3 ( 73. Rca2 $4 Nc2 $1 ) 73... Rxa3 74. Rxa3 ( 74. Rb1 Qc7 75. Rcb2 Qa5 76. Rb4 b5 77. Rxb5 Qxc3 78. Qxc3 Rxc3 79. R1b2 Raa3 80. Nf1 Rd3 { Black dominates the board } ) 74... Qxa3 75. Qe1 b5 76. Nb1 ( 76. Qb1 Qa4 77. Qb4 ( 77. Rb2 $1 ) 77... Qxb4 78. cxb4 Ra4 { Black must win } ) 76... Qb3 77. Qc1 Ra2 78. Rxa2 Qxa2+ 79. Kf3 Kg7 $1 { A very fine maneuver. The threat now is simply ... Pa5 and ... Pb4 } ( 79... a5 80. Qa3 Qxa3 ( 80... Qxb1 81. Qf8+ { perpetual check } ) 81. Nxa3 b4 82. Nc2 b3 83. Na3 $11 ) 80. Qa3 { Seeing no hope in marking time, White makes one last
attempt at perpetual check } 80... Qxb1 81. Qe7 Qf1+ $1 82. Ke3 Qe1+ 83. Kf3 Qxc3+ 84. Kg2 Qd2+ 85. Kh3 Qa5 { By guarding d8 Black allows his own King to escape the coming checks } 86. Qf6+ Kf8 87. Qh8+ Ke7 88. Qf6+ Ke8 89. Qh8+ Kd7 90. Qf8 Qd8 $1 91. Qc5 ( 91. Qd6+ Ke8 92. Qc6+ Qd7 93. Qa8+ Ke7 94. Qh8 Qe8 95. Qf6+ Kd7 { the Black king escapes } ) ( 91. Qxf7+ Qe7 92. Qxh5 b4 $19 ) 91... Qb8 92. Qb4 Ke8 93. Qc5 Qb7 94. Qa3 b4 95. Qf3 b3 96. Qxh5 b2 97. Qh8+ Kd7 98. Qf8 b1=Q 99. Qxf7+ Kc6 100. Qxe6+ Kb5 0-1