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.
Louis Schmidt–E.A. Orchard0–1C25Manhattan Chess Club1897Stockfish 16
Vienna Game: Pierce Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.c3 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. c6 3.f4 exf4 4.f3 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. h4+ 5.e2 b6 6.b5 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 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.c4 The logical followup. 6.e5 is not quite as good because after h4+ 7.e2 d6 8.xc6 g3 black has a strong attack. White is forced to move
his K again to avoid ...Bg5+ and so blocks his other B. 9.d2 bxc6 White's
prospects are looking quite grim. 6...gxf3 7.0-0 After this white is
practically lost.7.Qxf3 was a little better. 7.xf3 h4+ 8.g3 xd4 9.f2 f6 10.xf4 White's position has little promise. b4 7...d5 At the time
this is considered black's best move, but is actually allows white to equalize.
7...g7 This leaves white virtually helpless. 8.xf3 xd4+ 9.h1 e5 10.xf4 f6 11.d5 xf4 12.xf4 xc4 13.xc7+ d8 14.xa8 e5 Black has
a decisive advantage and in Tomazini,Z (2038)-Crepan,M (2317) Porec 2008 he
went on to win. 7...xd4 8.xd4 A blunder that loses immediately. Best
was 8.Bxf4, but black would still be better. g5 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.f2 c5 10.xf4 xg2+ 11.xg2 xd4+ 12.f2 but it's quite hopeless. 8.exd5 Thanks to black's slip
white has now equalized. g4 9.e1+ 9.d2 is only equal, but it worked
out well for white in this game... a5 10.b5+ c6 11.xf4 d7 Correct was
11...cxb5 with equal chances. 12.e5+ e7 A huge mistake! 12...Be7 would
have at least kept him in the game. 13.e4 After this there is no way for
black to sacve the game. 0-0-0 14.f4 Black resigned. David,A (2380)-Pinter,
J (2580) France 1993 9...ce7 10.gxf3 This lets his opponent regain the
advantage. 10.b5+ d7 11.xf3 xb5 12.xb5 a6 13.xc7+ xc7 14.xf4
AT this point black's advantage is minimal. 10...d7 10...h3 is a bit
more precise. 11.xf4 f6 12.b5+ d7 11.xf4 h6 The position noiw
enters a phase of huge complications! 12.g3 More precise would have been
12.Be5 first because it would have forced black to play 12...f6 depriving his
pieces of f6. f6 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.e2 g8 14.e5 g6 15.d3 f8 16.xg6 xg6 17.xc7 xc7 18.xc7 In this unbalanced materiual situation (R+3Ps vs B+N) theoretically
black is better, but practical play is a different matter. 13...cxd6 14.xd6 g8+ It's difficult to pass up this juicy check,m but it does no more
than equalize! 14...e6 This wimpy looking retreat maintains a clear
advantage because it leaves white with no followup. 15.c5 Best. 0-0 15...xc4 16.xe7 xe7 A sad necessity! 16...d7 17.xf6+ f8 18.xh8
and white wins. 17.xe7+ xe7 Theoretically this position favors white,
but practically it's unclear. 15.f2 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.h1 and White stays safe. h3 16.xe7 16.xe7+ xe7 17.b5+ d7 There is a cunning trap here! 18.g3 18.xe7 g2+ 19.g1 e3# 18...f8 Black has a decisive advantage...he's a R up. 16...g2+ 17.g1 h3+ 18.h1 g2+ 19.g1 h3+ 20.h1 g2+ Draw by 3–fold
repetition. 15...h3 There are complications galore! 16.g3 16.xe7+ xe7 17.b5+ 17.xe7 g2+ 18.e1 g1+ 19.f2 g2+ 20.e1 g1+ 21.f2 xd1 22.xd1 xe7 Black has a decisive advantage. 17...d7 18.xe7 g2+ 19.e1 g1+ 20.f2 xd1 21.xd1 xe7 22.e1+ d6 23.e4+ c7 16.xe7
leads to mate. g2+ 17.f1 d2+ 18.g1 xd4+ 19.e3 xe3+ 20.h1 g2# 16.b5+ This is his best practical chance. f8 17.xe7+ xe7 18.xe7 g2+ 19.e1 g1+ 20.f2 xd1 21.xf7+ xf7 22.c4+ f8 23.xd1 Black is
better, but the game is far from over. 16...c8 17.d3 a6 This prevents
Nb5, but it's an unnecessary precaution that does no harm to black's position. 18.ad1 f8 19.b3 f4 A master stroke as will be seen. 20.xf4 Very risky, but black already has gained a winning position. 20.g1
turns out to be equally hopeless. f5 21.e2 fd5 22.xd5 xd5 23.xd5 xg3+ 24.hxg3 xc2 25.d2 xd2 26.xd2 xd5 20...g2+ The K has nowhere
to hide. 21.e3 21.f1 g4+ 22.e2 xf4 21...xc3 Black
wants d4 for his N. 22.bxc3 This allowd a forced mate, but taking with the
Q would only delay the end. 22.xc3 fd5+ 23.xd5 xd5+ 22...fd5+
Black mates in 23.xd5 xd5+ 24.e4 f5+ 24...e8+ is a move quicker. 25.e5 f5+ 26.xd5 c6# 25.xf5 f6+ 26.e4 e6+ 27.e5 f5# n amazing game. 0–1
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