Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-21
STEINITz's BAD BLUNDER.
ANOTHER GAME WAS LOST.

Zukertert New Credited with Three Victories
to ~. Opponents Ope--Beth Players ia Poor
Condition.
New York Times.l
BY one Of those unaccountable mis-
takes which the best players Of chess
sometimes make, Steinitz yesterday lost
another game to Zukertort. 1t was a
mistake that even q third-class player
would not have been guilty Of, so palpa-
BILE was it, and yet Steinitz, one of the
worlds champions, after several min
utes' thought, deliberately committed
the fatal error which lost him
knight and compelled him to resign,
under pain of being mated in a
few moves. Neither Of the cham
pions appeared at his best yesterday.
Zukertort was pale and nervous, and
had a weary expression about the
eyes as though he had not had enough
sleep. while Steinitz had an unhealthy
heavy color in the face, and his eyes
had heavy expression. Both had
been suffering from insomonia, especi-
ally Steinitz, who had been studying
very hard Of late and has been able to
get very little sleep. When asked how
he managed to make such a blunder he
replied that he himself could not tell.
He had made transparent blunders be-
fore now at the beginning Of long chess
tournaments when he suffered from in
somania caused by too close study, but
as the tournament went on he regained
his wonted health.
1t was Steinitz's first move, and con-
sequently he handled the white men.
He began with the Ruy Lopez opening,
and Zukertort responded with the
Berlin defense. Both sides castled and
exchanged men early in the game, and
then both brought out their heavy
pieces. Steinitz brought out his rock
to X so and stubbornly kept it in COM
mand Of the kings line in spite Of zuker-
tort's efforts to dislodge that heavy
gun. Failing in these efforts, Zuker-
tort began deploying his skirmishers
along the queens wing, and then pounced
down upon the Objectionable black
rock, but lost his own rock in re-
turn, and the white queen then
took her stand where the rock
had fallen, commanding the kings
line. The next hour was spent
by both sides manGuvring for positions
to attack and defend, and then Steinitz
ran his queen into the enemy's royal
line and called check, thereby compel
ling Zukertort to recall his knight to
cover the king and thus lose a move.
After some further manGuvring, Stei-
nitz brought his queen and bishop to
threaten the black king, while Zuker-
tort pushed forward his middle pawns
to block the way. Then Steinitz had
an opportunity Of capturing a pawn
and pinning the black bishop that stood
in front Of its rock, but he made the
move just after the black bishop had
moved away, and Zukertort threatened
mate. 1t was in the thirty-seventh
move that the blunder was made, when
the positions on the Board we're as fol-
lows:
WhHe-K on X Kt so, r on Q 50,
3 on q Kt 50, Pawns on X R >, X Kt2,
X b >, Q Kt 2, Q r 2, b on X Kt 3, Q
on X b 3, p on Q b 3, 1t on X 5.
Black.-K on X Kt 50, b on X so,
P on X R 2, r on Q 50, b on X 1t ,,
p on X b 2, Q on Q Kt ., P on q r .,
P on X Kt 3, Kt on X 3, P on q 4, P
on Q b 5.
The next game will be played to-mor-
row. The contestants now stand thus:
Zukertort won three games Steinitz
won one game. Should Zukertort win
the next game there will not be any
more playing in this city, and the con-
testants will continue the fight in St.
Louis. Following the score Of the