Leopold Hoffer

 

    Leopold Hoffer (1842 in Hungary – August 28,1913 in England) was an English player and journalist who was born in Budapest, left for Paris at the end of 1866 and for the rest of his life he resided in London after 1870. 

    He founded the British Chess Club, was an honorary member of the City of London Chess Club, founder and honorary secretary of the British Chess Association. 

    As a chess journalist he worked for The Field, Standard and Westminster Gazette. He is most famous for founding the Chess Monthly magazine and running it together with Zukertort. You can read issues of the magazine (as well as many others) at the outstanding site Chess Archaeology. 

    While living in Paris, he won matches against, among others, Ignatz von Kolisch, Samuel Rosenthal and Jules Arnous de Riviere. 

    At his death he was Europe's supreme chess commentator who was known for his verbal brickbats and and at least one admirer claimed he was the greatest chess editor the world had ever seen! 

    His opponent in the following delightful minature was James I. Minchin (1825-1903) who was born in Madras, India and died in Parkstone, England. He was one of the main promoters of the London 1883 international tournament and edited the tournament book. After Minchin’s slip on move 11 he got slaughtered. 

[Event "London"] [Site "London ENG"] [Date "1876.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "James I. Minchin"] [Black "Leopold Hoffer"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C33"] [Annotator "Stockfish 16"] [PlyCount "42"] [EventDate "1876.??.??"] {C33: King's Gambit Accepted} 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Bc4 {This is second in popularity to 3.Nf3. The text can lead to several extremely sharp lines. Compared to 3. Nf3 there is very little theory on this move.} Qh4+ 4. Kf1 { White has lost the possibility of castling and his K looks precariously placed, but it's actually safe on f1. White can now gain several tempi because of the position of black's Q. White's plan is usually to develop quickly and start an attack on the K-side using the half-open f-file and the B on c4.} d5 {This move, attacking the B, is only one of black's defensive possibilities. Black gives back the P for a rapid development.} (4... g5 {is usual and statistically brings black th emost success.} 5. Nc3 Bg7 6. d4 {Black usually continues with 6...Ne7, but 6...d6 isslightly better. Either way the chances are about even.}) 5. Bxd5 {Best. It avoids the B being blocked by the P on d5.} (5. exd5 {This favors black after} Bd6 6. Nf3 {and the retreat to either h5 or h6 leave black well off.}) 5... Ne7 6. Nc3 (6. Bb3 {preserves the B, but black is solid after} g5 7. Nf3 Qh5 8. d4 Nbc6) 6... g5 (6... Nxd5 {Gains the two Bs, but black's development is disrupted after} 7. Nxd5 Bd6 8. Nf3 Qh6 9. e5) 7. d4 (7. Nf3 {is more accurate, Then after} Qh5 8. h4 {chances are even.}) 7... Bg7 (7... Bg4 {leaves black a bit better.} 8. Nf3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 Nbc6) 8. Nf3 $18 (8. g3 {is not to be recommended even though it's whan the great Capablanca played in Capablanca,J-Beckman,A, Philadelphia 1924} fxg3 9. Kg2 Nxd5 10. hxg3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Qxe4+ 12. Nf3 Bg4 13. Re1 Bxf3+ 14. Qxf3 Qxe1 {and black won in a few more moves.}) 8... Qh5 9. Ne2 (9. h4 {is correct.} h6 10. Kf2 (10. Kg1 Qg6 11. Ne5 Bxe5 12. dxe5 Rg8 {with equal chances. Paulsen,L-Anderssen,A Baden-Baden 1870}) (10. e5 {did not work out well for white in Mortimer,J-Steinitz,W London 1883} O-O 11. Kg1 g4 12. Ne1 Rd8 {Black has what should amount to a decisive advantae, but in the game he let it slip and only managed to draw.}) 10... g4 11. Ne1 Nbc6 12. Bxf4 Bxd4+ 13. Kf1 {Black is better. Swiderski, R-Marshall,F Vienna 1903}) 9... Nxd5 10. exd5 {Black now has a strong initiative and white finds himself on the defensive.} Bg4 11. Qe1 {A fatal slip. Correct was 11.Qd3 so as to recapture with the Q if black plays ...Bxf3} (11. Qd3 Bxf3 12. Qxf3 Qxf3+ 13. gxf3 {Black has no more than a slight advantage.}) 11... O-O {A necessary precaution.} (11... Bxf3 12. Nxf4+ Be2+ 13. Qxe2+ Qxe2+ 14. Nxe2 {White is solid P up.}) 12. Qf2 Nd7 {[%mdl 32] This N will strengthen the attack.} 13. c4 Rae8 {[%mdl 32]} 14. Bd2 Nf6 {The threat of Ne4 cannot be met in any satisfactory way.} 15. Nc3 (15. a3 {This a pass just to illustrate the danger if the N remains on e5} Ne4 16. Qe1 Bxf3 17. gxf3 Qxf3+ 18. Kg1 Nxd2 19. Qxd2 Rxe2) 15... Ne4 16. Nxe4 Rxe4 17. Bc3 Rfe8 { White's position is hopeless.} 18. Rd1 Re3 19. Kg1 Bxf3 20. gxf3 Rxf3 21. Qg2 { White is quite lost and Stockfish is announcing mate in 11 moves.} Rxc3 { [%mdl 512] White resigned. A nearly flawless game by Hoffer.} (21... Rxc3 22. bxc3 Qxd1+ 23. Qf1 Re1 24. Kf2 Qd2+ 25. Kf3 f5 26. Qf2 Qd1+ 27. Kg2 Qg4+ 28. Qg3 Re2+ 29. Kf1 fxg3 30. hxg3 Qf3+ 31. Kg1 Qg2#) 0-1