Pillsbury was far ahead of his time and his games with the Queen's Gambit dictated theory for twenty-five years. Needless to say, these days many of his attacks have been shown to be flawed and the defense of his opponent's sometimes left a lot to be desired, but even so, he played some exciting games.
Here a little secret...the Hathi Trust Digital Library is a non-profit collaborative of academic and research libraries preserving over 17 million digitized items. They offer reading access to the fullest extent allowable by US copyright law. That means they have a number of old chess books and magazines available. Included in the collection is Pillsbury's Chess Career, by P. W. Sergeant and W. H. Watts. Download HERE.
In 1903, Monte Carlo in the principality of Monaco hosted the third of four chess master tournaments designed to help bolster tourism during the winter season.
Previously, the 1902 event had twenty players and was won by Geza Maroczy a half point ahead of Pillsbury and David Janowsky. The 1904 event had only six players who played a double round event that was won jointly by Frank Marshall and Carl Schlechter.
The 1903 tournament had 14 masters participating in a double round robin event. Mikhail Chigorin who had finished 8th with a score of 11-8 the previous year was uninvited because he had criticized some games played by Georgian nobleman Prince Andrey Dadian.
In 1903, Dadian felt that Chigorin had insulted him on an earlier occasion and so refused to sponsor the tournament if Chigorin played. The committee honored Dadiani's wishes and excluded Chigorin. Dadian did indemnify Chigorin for the inconvenience to the sum of 1500 francs, which was slightly more than the value of third prize.
After his death, it was alleged that Dadian had falsified or pre-arranged his brilliancies. Although none of these claims were ever substantiated, it is known that he payed Steinitz and Jean-Louis Preti, a musician and chess writer, specializing in endings, for publishing his games. He was also accused by the Russian player Fedor Duz-Chotimirski of sending in his own wins while covering up his opponents wins.
Not accepting invitations were Semyon Alapin, Isidor Gunsberg and David Janowski who declined due to the invitations being sent out at the last minute.
Games were played between February 10th and March 17th in the Monte Carlo Casino and when the players complained of the noise to tournament director Jules Arnous de Riviere, he told them they would just have to get used to it.
Tarrasch won the tournament after several losses in the opening rounds. Geza Maroczy, who had won the tournament the previous year, came in second. Pillsbury, whose health in the last few years had been steadily declining, managed only third place in what would be his penultimate international tournament.
Many of the games were an exhibition of both brilliant strategy and tactics and, as for the openings, the tournament was a model, with only a few exceptions, of what the future held...the openings were more sound than enterprising.
There were no Evans Gambits, only one Muzio Gambit and two King's Gambits were played. Out of 182 games, thirty-one opened with 1.d4 and there were 49 Ruy Lopez'. In many of the games opening with 1.e4, black avoided the Ruy Lopez and played the Sicilian, French, Petrov and the Philidor.
Regarding the Ruy Lopez, a surprising feature was Pillsbury's use of the Berlin Defense against Maroczy. Since the Vienna tournament of 1898 this defense was considered unsatisfactory. It wasn't until many years later that Arthur Bisguier, who had been playing it for decades, was proven right and the defense came to be regarded as super solid.
Pillsbury received a prize and high praise for his brilliant attack in the following game, but later his attack was shown to be flawed. No matter, it's still a pleasure to play over.
Harry N. Pillsbury - Heinrich Wolf
Result: 1-0
Site: Monte Carlo
Date: 1903.02.10
Queen's Gambit Declined, Classical Variation
[...] 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.♘c3 ♘f6 4.♗g5 For many years this was the standard opening and its popularity reached epic proportions up until the Russians began experimenting with the K-Indian. 4...♘bd7 5.♘f3 ♗e7 6.e3 O-O 7.♖c1 b6 8.cxd5 exd5 9.♘e5 ♗b7 10.f4 The signature Pillsbury move. 10...a6 This is too passive.
10...c5 11.♗d3 cxd4 12.exd4 ♘e4 13.♗xe7 ♕xe7 14.O-O ♘df6 With equal chances. Czerwonski,A (2390) -Glienke,M (2395)/GER 1998
11.♗d3 c5 12.O-O c4 The idea behind this move is to secure a Q-side P-majority. The disadvantage is that is allows white the opportunity to pursue his ambition of conducting a K-side attack.
12...cxd4 13.exd4 ♘e4 was recommended by Sergeant and Watts as being better.
12...♘xe5 leaves black with a solid position after 13.fxe5 ♘e4
13.♗f5 b5 14.♖f3 A classic example of a R lift. 14...♖e8 15.♖h3 g6 Any other move to meet the threat on h7 would have incurred a disadvantage. 16.♗b1 ♘xe5 Even though black has adequate defensive resources after this it only results in strengthening white's center. An immediate counterattack seems better.
16...b4 17.♘e2 ♖c8 18.♕e1 a5 19.♗c2 ♘xe5 20.dxe5 ♘e4 21.♗xe7 ♕xe7 22.♘d4 ♖ed8 23.♗xe4 dxe4 24.♘b5 ♖c5 25.♘d6 ♖xd6 26.exd6 ♕xd6 27.♖d1 ♖d5 28.♖xd5 ♕xd5 This position is actually slightly in black's favor.
17.fxe5 ♘d7 Better was 17...Ne4, but Wolf has underestimated the strength of white's attack. (17...♘e4 18.♗xe7 ♘xc3 with an equal position.) 18.♗xe7 ♖xe7 19.♕f3 ♘f8 20.♖f1 ♕d7 21.♕f6 b4 Black's K-side has been seriously weakened and so he seeks play on the Q-side, but this move allows white to plant his N on c5. On the other hand, there isn't much else that he can play except perhaps a waiting move like 21...Qd8. 22.♘a4 ♕c7 Again, 22...Qd8 hoping to force white's Q from f6 was somewhat better. 23.♘c5 ♗c8 24.♖h6 a5 25.♖f4 This move really doesn't help. He needed to continue aggressively with the advance of the h-Pawn.
25.h4 ♗g4 26.♕g5 ♗e2 27.♖e1 ♗d3 28.♗xd3 cxd3 29.♘xd3 This is better for white, but black is not yet out of the game.
25...♖b8 The losing move. The idea is to play ...Rb6 to dislodge white's Q, but it allows white a nice finish...a mate in 7 moves.
25...♖e8 would not only have saved the game, it would have put black right back in the game because then the chances would be about equal. 26.e4 ♗e6 Any attempt by white to continue the attack can be rebuffed. One interesting line is 27.h4 ♕e7 28.h5 ♕xf6 29.exf6 dxe4 30.♗xe4 ♖ac8 31.hxg6 ♘xg6 32.♖f1 c3 White's attack is at a standstill and black has developed counterplay on the Q-side so the chances are now equal.
26.♗xg6 Forcing the win. Other moves allow black equality. 26...♖b6 Any move black plays leads to mate, but this allows a pretty finish even if it is flawed! 27.♕xb6 This pretty move secures a material advantage, but 27.e6!! mates in all variations. (27.e6 ♘xg6 28.♖xg6+ hxg6 29.♖h4 ♕xh2+ 30.♔xh2 ♗xe6 31.♖h8#)
27.e6 ♗xe6 Now white can mate in 4 three different way: 28.Bxh7+, 27.Nxe6 and 27.Rxh7. 28.♗xh7+ ♘xh7 29.♖xh7 ♔xh7 30.♖h4+ mates next move.
27...♘xg6 28.♕f6 ♖e8 29.♖f1 ♗e6 30.♕g5 ♔h8 31.♕h5 ♘f8 32.♘xe6 ♖xe6 33.♖xe6 Wolf resigned. It's mate in 12.
33.♖xe6 ♘xe6 34.♖xf7 ♕xf7 35.♕xf7 h5 36.♕xe6 ♔g7 37.♕f6+ ♔h7 38.e6 c3 39.e7 c2 40.♕f1 b3 41.e8=♕ c1=♕ 42.♕xc1 ♔h6 43.♕cc6+ ♔g5 44.♕cg6+ ♔h4 45.♕xh5#
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