The following game was played at the Manhattan Chess Club way back in 1897 between Louis Schmidt and E.A. Orchard and it features a failed Pierce Gambit and a masterful attack by black that ends with an unusual mate delivered by his f-Pawn.
When I first played through it, things looked pretty straightforward. White played the discredited Pierce Gambit, got nothing for it and black annihilated him. As ypou will see, things weren’t quite so simple.
[Event "Manhattan Chess Club"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1897.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Louis Schmidt"]
[Black "E.A. Orchard"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C25"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 16"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "1897.??.??"]
{Vienna Game: Pierce Gambit} 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 {The original idea was to play a
delayed King's Gambit, but in modern play white often plays more quietly. At
on time Weaver W. Adams claimed that the Vienna led to a forced win, but it
actually leads to no more than equality.} Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4. Nf3 {Steinitz once
declared that in all gambits (with the exception of his own, i.e. 4.d4) that 4.
Nc3 is decidedly in favor of black.} (4. d4 {The Steinitz Gambit was a
favorite of Wilhelm Steinitz. Black is allowed to misplace white's K with 4...
Qh4+ 5.Ke2 with the hope of proving that white's P-center and the exposed
position of black's Q are more significant factors. Unlike Steinitz, few
modern players are willing to expose their K in this fashion.} Qh4+ 5. Ke2 b6
6. Nb5 {with an interesting position where black can try a number of moves,
but 6. ..Ba6 or even 6...Kd8 are the most promising.}) 4... g5 {[%mdl 32]} 5.
d4 {At the time this game was played the English player William Pierce had
published analysis on this move demonstrating that white has good attacking
chances and so it came to be known as the Pierce Gambit. While practically
speaking that may be the case, engine chalk it up as just losing a P.} g4 {
The unambitious 5...d6 only results in equality and so justifies white's play.}
6. Bc4 {The logical followup.} (6. Ne5 {is not quite as good because after}
Qh4+ 7. Ke2 d6 8. Nxc6 g3 {black has a strong attack. White is forced to move
his K again to avoid ...Bg5+ and so blocks his other B.} 9. Kd2 bxc6 {White's
prospects are looking quite grim.}) 6... gxf3 7. O-O {After this white is
practically lost.7.Qxf3 was a little better.} (7. Qxf3 Qh4+ 8. g3 Nxd4 9. Qf2
Qf6 10. Bxf4 {White's position has little promise.} Bb4) 7... d5 {At the time
this is considered black's best move, but is actually allows white to equalize.
} (7... Bg7 {This leaves white virtually helpless.} 8. Qxf3 Bxd4+ 9. Kh1 Ne5
10. Qxf4 Qf6 11. Nd5 Qxf4 12. Bxf4 Nxc4 13. Nxc7+ Kd8 14. Nxa8 Be5 {Black has
a decisive advantage and in Tomazini,Z (2038)-Crepan,M (2317) Porec 2008 he
went on to win.}) (7... Nxd4 8. Qxd4 {A blunder that loses immediately. Best
was 8.Bxf4, but black would still be better.} Qg5 {The threats are ...Qxg2#
and ...Bc5 so in the game H.G. Voigt-Charles Devide, Philadelphia, 1897 white
resigned. His best line would have been} 9. Rf2 Bc5 10. Bxf4 Qxg2+ 11. Rxg2
Bxd4+ 12. Rf2 {but it's quite hopeless.}) 8. exd5 {Thanks to black's slip
white has now equalized.} Bg4 9. Re1+ (9. Qd2 {is only equal, but it worked
out well for white in this game...} Na5 10. Bb5+ c6 11. Qxf4 Qd7 {Correct was
11...cxb5 with equal chances.} 12. Qe5+ Ne7 {A huge mistake! 12...Be7 would
have at least kept him in the game.} 13. Ne4 {After this there is no way for
black to sacve the game.} O-O-O 14. Bf4 {Black resigned. David,A (2380)-Pinter,
J (2580) France 1993}) 9... Nce7 10. gxf3 {This lets his opponent regain the
advantage.} (10. Bb5+ Bd7 11. Qxf3 Bxb5 12. Nxb5 a6 13. Nxc7+ Qxc7 14. Bxf4 {
AT this point black's advantage is minimal.}) 10... Bd7 (10... Bh3 {is a bit
more precise.} 11. Bxf4 Nf6 12. Bb5+ Bd7) 11. Bxf4 Bh6 {The position noiw
enters a phase of huge complications!} 12. Bg3 {More precise would have been
12.Be5 first because it would have forced black to play 12...f6 depriving his
pieces of f6.} Nf6 {Also good would have been 12...Kf8 so as to play ...Nf5}
13. d6 {Aggressive play, but countering with 13.Qe2 would have been more
efficient.} (13. Qe2 Rg8 14. Qe5 Rg6 15. Bd3 Kf8 16. Bxg6 Nxg6 17. Qxc7 Qxc7
18. Bxc7 {In this unbalanced materiual situation (R+3Ps vs B+N) theoretically
black is better, but practical play is a different matter.}) 13... cxd6 14.
Bxd6 Rg8+ {It's difficult to pass up this juicy check,m but it does no more
than equalize!} (14... Be6 {This wimpy looking retreat maintains a clear
advantage because it leaves white with no followup.} 15. Bc5 {Best.} O-O (15...
Bxc4 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 {A sad necessity!} (16... Qd7 17. Bxf6+ Kf8 18. Bxh8 {
and white wins.}) 17. Rxe7+ Kxe7 {Theoretically this position favors white,
but practically it's unclear.})) 15. Kf2 {[%mdl 8192] Of course white does not
to place his K in the corner on h1, but that is precisely where it belongs in
order to be safe!} (15. Kh1 {and White stays safe.} Bh3 16. Bxe7 (16. Rxe7+
Qxe7 17. Bb5+ Nd7 {There is a cunning trap here!} 18. Bg3 (18. Bxe7 Bg2+ 19.
Kg1 Be3#) 18... Kf8 {Black has a decisive advantage...he's a R up.}) 16... Bg2+
17. Kg1 Bh3+ 18. Kh1 Bg2+ 19. Kg1 Bh3+ 20. Kh1 Bg2+ {Draw by 3–fold
repetition.}) 15... Bh3 {There are complications galore!} 16. Bg3 (16. Rxe7+
Qxe7 17. Bb5+ (17. Bxe7 Rg2+ 18. Ke1 Rg1+ 19. Kf2 Rg2+ 20. Ke1 Rg1+ 21. Kf2
Rxd1 22. Rxd1 Kxe7 {Black has a decisive advantage.}) 17... Nd7 18. Bxe7 Rg2+
19. Ke1 Rg1+ 20. Kf2 Rxd1 21. Rxd1 Kxe7 22. Re1+ Kd6 23. Ne4+ Kc7) (16. Bxe7 {
leads to mate.} Rg2+ 17. Kf1 Rd2+ 18. Kg1 Qxd4+ 19. Re3 Qxe3+ 20. Kh1 Bg2#) (
16. Bb5+ {This is his best practical chance.} Kf8 17. Bxe7+ Qxe7 18. Rxe7 Rg2+
19. Ke1 Rg1+ 20. Kf2 Rxd1 21. Rxf7+ Kxf7 22. Bc4+ Kf8 23. Rxd1 {Black is
better, but the game is far from over.}) 16... Rc8 17. Qd3 a6 {This prevents
Nb5, but it's an unnecessary precaution that does no harm to black's position.}
18. Rad1 Kf8 19. Bb3 Bf4 {[%mdl 512] A master stroke as will be seen.} 20. Bxf4
{Very risky, but black already has gained a winning position.} (20. Rg1 {
turns out to be equally hopeless.} Bf5 21. Qe2 Nfd5 22. Bxd5 Nxd5 23. Nxd5
Bxg3+ 24. hxg3 Rxc2 25. Rd2 Rxd2 26. Qxd2 Qxd5) 20... Rg2+ {The K has nowhere
to hide.} 21. Ke3 (21. Kf1 Rg4+ 22. Ke2 Rxf4) 21... Rxc3 {[%mdl 512] Black
wants d4 for his N.} 22. bxc3 {This allowd a forced mate, but taking with the
Q would only delay the end.} (22. Qxc3 Nfd5+ 23. Bxd5 Nxd5+) 22... Nfd5+ {
[%emt 0:00:04] Black mates in} 23. Bxd5 Nxd5+ 24. Ke4 Bf5+ {[%mdl 512]} (24...
Qe8+ {is a move quicker.} 25. Be5 f5+ 26. Kxd5 Qc6#) 25. Kxf5 Qf6+ 26. Ke4 Qe6+
27. Be5 f5# {n amazing game.} 0-1
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