Nuremberg 1896, 9am Is Too Early To Play Chess

     Everybody is familiar with Nuremberg, the city in Bavaria in southern Germany where many major Nazi rallies were held and after World War Two it was the site for the Nuremberg trials in which many major Nazi officials were tried. 

Before all of that, in 1896 there was a major tournament there. The tournament was supposed to have been the 10th Deutschen Schachbund Kongress (German Chess Congress), but the local chess club took over the organization and didn’t include any secondary, minor tournaments and so Nuremburg was considered an only international tournament. The 10th DSB Congress ended up being held later in Eisenach. 

The venue was the Museum Society and it was held from July 20th until 9 August 9th and was scheduled to coincide with a large industrial exhibition of the city. It was one of the last great tournaments of the 19th Century. 

Thirty-nine players wanted to participate, but only nineteen were allowed. When Amos Burn withdrew, the little-known Rudolf Charousek took his place. Among the established players were Schallopp, Winawer and Blackburne along with up-coming talents like Schlechter, Maroczy, Janowski. It also brought together the current World Champion Lasker, his immediate predecessor Steinitz and their main rivals Chigorin, Pillsbury and Tarrasch. 

When Showalter arrived in New York on August 26th described the scene. Hey played in a room about 200 feet long and 75 feet wide. The chess tables were placed about 20 feet apart along one of the long sides that had large windows. The rest of the space was left to the many spectators. 

Showalter described Maroczy as “not only a handsome man and a splendid player. but proved, also. to be a capital fellow and much interested in America.” Showalter added that Marocy was so much interest that he might be induced to visit the US. He added that Maroczy occupied an important post as engineer in the water works at Budapest. 

Older players might remember the “correspondence” game that was played between Maroczy, who died in 1951, and Korchnoi that lasted from 1985 till 1993. DETAILS  

At Nuremburg Pillsbury was already suffering from ill health which affected his play and he lost three games out of his first five. Showalter stated that “a less plucky man would have broken down” and added that Pillsbury said nothing, but went to bed every night at 9 o'clock and gave his whole mind to winning.”

Showalter said that his own play was so bad that something had to be wrong, and there was. Play started everyday at 9 o'clock in the morning which meant he had to get up at about 6 o'clock which was “an hour at which I had much rather retire than rise.” The force of long habit wouldn’t permit him to sleep before 1:00 a.m. and so he was irresistibly drowsy during the early hours of play each day and was generally beaten at an early stage.” Short version: “I simply could not play good chess at 9 o'clock in the morning and I should have to faithfully practice for a full twelve months before being in condition to play at that hour.” 

In spite of his ill health, milling spectators and the early hour of play, Pillsbury won a brilliancy prize for his win over Emanuel Lasker. What’s more, unlike many brilliancy prize winning games, engines could not find any flaws in Pillsbury’s play.

Harry N. Pillsbury - Emanuel Lasker

Result: 1-0

Site: Nuremberg GER

Date: 1896 

French: Steinitz Variation

 

[...] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.♘c3 ♘f6 4.e5 ♘fd7 5.f4 c5 6.dxc5 ♘c6 7.a3 ♘xc5

7...♗xc5 is the standard move and it's known to be much better. 8.♕g4

8.b4 is bad here because after 8...♗xg1 9.♖xg1 O-O and black is somewhat better.

8...O-O 9.♘f3 ♘d4 is equal.

8.b4 ♘d7 9.♗d3 a5 10.b5 ♘cb8 11.♘f3 ♘c5 12.♗e3 ♘bd7 Lasker has lost a lot of time with his Ns which has only helped white's position. 13.O-O g6 Better was 13... Ne2 followed by ...O-O. 14.♘e2 ♗e7 15.♕e1 ♘b6 16.♘fd4 ♗d7 last book move 17.♕f2 White has an active position 17...♘ba4 18.♖ab1 This prevents ...Nb2 with the threat of winning a P after 18...Nb2, Nbxd3 and ...Nxd3. 18...h5

18...♘xd3 19.cxd3 O-O 20.g4 would leave black facing a dangerous attack.

19.b6 Very clever! Pillsbury offers to part with his good light squared B and a P to gain time for a K-side attack.

19.g3 This attempt to build up an immediate K-side attack is a little too slow. 19...♖c8 20.h3 ♕c7 21.g4 hxg4 22.hxg4 ♘e4 23.♗xe4 dxe4 24.♕g2 ♘c3 and black stands well.

19...♘xd3

19...♖c8 Might have been safer. An interesting, if speculative, line is 20.f5 gxf5 21.♘xf5 exf5 22.♗xf5 ♗e6 23.c4 but white doesn't have enough compensation.

20.cxd3 ♗xa3 21.f5 gxf5

21...exf5 This looks better, but it fails badly. 22.♘f4 ♘c3 23.♖a1 ♗b4 24.♖ae1 and black is in grave danger. 24...O-O

24...♘b5 25.e6 ♗xe1 26.exd7 ♕xd7 27.♕xe1 O-O 28.♘xh5 gxh5 29.♕g3 ♔h7 30.♖xf5 and wins.

25.♘xh5 ♗e7 26.e6 fxe6 27.♕g3 ♕e8 28.♘f3 leaves black facing an irrefutable attack.

22.♘f4 The tension mounts. 22...h4 Lasker fatally weakens his position.

22...♘c3 23.♖b3 ♗b4 24.♕g3 ♕e7 with a difficult position for both sides.

22...♘c3 23.♘xf5 is speculative but it seems that its no more than equal after 23...exf5 24.♖b3 ♗b4 25.♗d4 ♘b5 26.e6 ♘xd4 27.exd7 ♕xd7 28.♕xd4 ♖h6 29.♕g7 ♕d6

23.♖a1 With no immediate progress to be made with a K-side attack Pillsbury abruptly switches to the other side. 23...♗e7 A reasonable looking move, but now black's position crumbles.

23...♗c5 is met by 24.♘xf5 exf5 25.♗xc5 ♘xc5 26.♕xc5 with a big advantage.

24.♖xa4 Brillaint. This deflects the P from the defense of the e-Pawn. 24...♗xa4 25.♘dxe6 fxe6 26.♘xe6 ♗d7

26...♕d7 27.♕xf5 ♕c6 28.♔h1 Depriving black of evena check on b6. He is helpless to prevent white from playing Bg5. 28...h3 29.♗g5 hxg2 30.♔xg2 ♕c2 31.♖f2 and white wins.

27.♘xd8 ♖xd8 28.♗c5 ♖c8 The game now enters the mop up phase, but Pillsbury must still exercise some technique. 29.♗xe7 ♔xe7 30.♕e3 ♖c6 31.♕g5 ♔f7 32.♖c1 ♖xc1 33.♕xc1 ♖c8 34.♕e1 h3 35.gxh3 ♖g8

35...a4 is the only other viable try at getting some play. 36.♕h4 ♖c6 37.♕d8 ♗e6 38.♕a8 ♖xb6 39.♕xa4 is hopeless for black.

36.♔f2 a4 37.♕b4 ♖g6 38.♔f3 a3 39.♕xa3 ♖xb6 40.♕c5 ♖e6 41.♕c7 ♔e7 42.♔f4 b6 43.h4 ♖c6 44.♕b8 ♗e8 45.♔xf5 ♖h6 46.♕c7 ♔f8 47.♕d8 b5 48.e6 ♖h7 49.♔e5 b4 50.♕d6 And here Lasker finally admitted defeat.

50.♕d6 ♔g8 51.♕xb4 ♖h5 52.♔f6 ♖h6 53.♔e7 ♗g6 54.♕d4 ♗f5 55.♕xd5 leaves black dead lost.

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