New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-08
'STEINITZ AND TSCHIGORIN.
THE STORY OF THE FINAL GAME OF THE
HAVANA CHESS MATCH.
9scHIGoIIN OPENED TIE TWENTY THIRD GAME
WITH KINGS GAMBIr-AN EXTRAORDINARY
ERROR on THIRTEENTH MOVE LEADS
I'M TO fiFSIGN

tkROk ON THlKit II NV '''-'~'
I'm TO TFsIGN.
Probably the largest crowd that has witnessed
y chess fight assembled to witness the closing game
of the contest between Tschlgorin md steinfz al
Havana ON February 2s. 1t is estimated that about
1000 people were present at the Centre Astur1aho
during the progress OF that game The great con-
course OF specatOrs was attracted by the possibility
Of the match being finished that day, and as II was
q holiday few lovers Of the game missed the oppOr-
tunity to be present
r,imor hnd spread beforehand that Tschlgonh
would offer desperate battle IN order To win ana 10
eouaI,ze the score al the nine game point when ac-
corspg TO the rules would call for another match OF
three games up. Ii generally assumed that the
Russian master would far possible AVOID draw
ing positions In order 20 give the hrst move asuh'
excepting for another match ~ his opponent WIN
had ALWAYS been successful in his openings Snce ne
had ceased to lead up TO Tscbigorn's hvon'e TWO
knights Defence. Expectations in this respect WIZ
realized when the Russian master boldly came out
with the Kings Gambt. and great was The cnroNlty
Of the spectators about the turn Of the opening III It's
further progress when Seintz accepted the gambit.
But the next move of The defence showed tha' none
Of the old established book forms would be used
8 X Kt-B 9 which Stenitz adopted Is the
line OF defence ntrCsluccd by Herr Schail0pp IN one
of the British tournaments ana has hardly reo'Vei
anv attention in practice since In the early progress
which he could exercise against the advanced hostile
centre PawnS. and as early the ninth move White
was reduced to line of play which allowed the oppo-
nent to exchange Queens and 10 form
all isolated y, which was sure 10
fall soon. Black could have obtained the much
superior position with Pawn ahead on the King side.
which, though doubled, might have given good re
count OF Itself In the end IL he had captured the =
OIL the thirteenth But he lost time in de-
veloping the b, which turned ont TO be useless, and
ultimately owing to Tschigorn's clever play Blacks
Q fell IN exchange for The =. sciitz had
then lost all advantage. but he could easily have
PLAYED for n draw II he had chosen. However. being
attracted by a rather seductive attack with bis
on the twenty-second move. he allowed his Knight TO
be Imprisoned and he had then probably no better ~
source than the one adopted on the next move.
namely TO sacrifice that piece for attack which
appeared very perplexng. Tschigorln was short OF
time at that stage but he made the best moves up 10
the twenty sixth. His twenty eighth. however. was
weak. considering especially that he could have won
right off by II--K ch. Ills next move the check
with the Knight placed his minor pieces in difficult
ties. The demaration line Of the time limit had.
however, been passed and Machado. one Of the
officials, just preparing the envelope 10 seal up
the move OF the player who might be in turn ut the
time of the adjournment which almost due, when
an extraordinary collapse occurred. TschgOnn over
looked obvious mate in two moves and removed
the which guarded the When Steinz
answered With n check by RX p Tschgorin al once
resigned. 1t may be stated that the from this
point submitted next day to attentive eX-
animation by Senior GolmayO who took Whites posi-
ton against Stenitz and the conclusion arrived
thst Black had some chances OF drawing and that White
would have encountered difficulties in trying to win.
Anyhow Tschigorns terrible bundcr in this decisive
battle piece Of good fortune for stenitz. and
chcss luck is generally considered eQualzed between
the two PLAYERS, though >tcin.Z had a great number
Of such mshaps in the of the match. Duration
four hours.