Adolf Anderssen – Wilhelm Steinitz (No content to display) Adolf Anderssen Wilhelm Steinitz Result: 0-1 Metadata » Click to open. Date: August 12, 1873 Location: Vienna AUT Tournament: Vienna Round: 7.2 Opening: C77 Spanish - Ruy Lopez, Morphy Defence Submitted by: Published on: March 3, 2026 [Event "Vienna"] [Site "Vienna AUT"] [Date "1873.08.12"] [Round "7.2"] [White "Adolf Anderssen"] [Black "Wilhelm Steinitz"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C77"] [PlyCount "90"] [EventDate "1873.07.21"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 {One of the rare instances of Steinitz starting with 3.. a6 instead of 3... Nf6 or 3... d6} 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 {But still, Anderssen chooses this move, leading to an Anti-Berlin, like position.} d6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. h3 g6 {[pgndiagram] And again we have the fianchetto and the exhcange on c6, similarly to the previously examined encounter} 8. Nc3 Bg7 9. Be3 Rb8 {This time Steinitz doesn't go for c5 but seizes the b-file himself} 10. b3 c5 11. Qd2 h6 {It is doubtful whether this move is necessary.} (11... O-O {And it is doubtful whether White wants to exchange the dark squared bishops; he can't follow it up with attack} 12. Bh6 Nh5 13. O-O-O f5) 12. g4 $2 {[pgndiagram] But this is completely uncalled for} (12. O-O {Was more natural, leading to a balanced game} g5 $5 13. a3 g4 14. hxg4 Nxg4 15. b4 {[pgndiagram] And the position is unclear}) 12... Ng8 $5 {Very strong play by Steinitz. He starts moving his knight toward d4 immediately} (12... h5 {Also came into consideration}) 13. O-O-O Ne7 14. Ne2 $6 {This knight is going nowhere. Although the position is mildly unpleasant for White, notice how quickly Steinitz will outplay his opponent} (14. Rdg1 Nc6 15. h4 Nd4 16. Qd1 Be6 17. h5 g5 18. Nd2 {Was correct} O-O 19. f3 c6 20. Na4 Qa5 21. Nc4 {[pgndiagram] And White is slightly worse but he should be able to hold}) 14... Nc6 15. Qc3 {The queen is completely missplaced here} Nd4 16. Nfg1 O-O 17. Ng3 Be6 18. N1e2 Qd7 19. Bxd4 cxd4 20. Qb2 a5 {[pgndiagram] Black has once again gained a strong attack, while White's counterintuitive on the other wing is non existent} 21. Kd2 (21. f4 {Was nevertheless better} Qe7 22. f5 Qg5+ 23. Kb1 Bd7 24. Rdf1 { With at least some play}) 21... d5 $1 22. f3 Qe7 23. Rdf1 Qb4+ 24. Kd1 a4 25. Rh2 c5 26. Nc1 c4 27. a3 Qe7 28. b4 c3 {[pgndiagram] White's queen is completely sidelined and Black obtains free hands on the kingside. It is very instructive to watch how Steinitz uses his greater control of space to quickly shift his attention to the other side of the board} 29. Qa1 Qg5 30. Rff2 f5 31. exf5 {[pgndiagram] Opening the kingside. White is completely lost} gxf5 32. h4 Qg6 33. Nxf5 $2 {Losing immediately} (33. gxf5 {Was slightly more prudent} Bxf5 34. Nxf5 Rxf5 35. Ne2 {Although even here White is doomed}) 33... Bxf5 34. gxf5 Rxf5 (34... Qg1+ 35. Ke2 e4 {Would be immediately decisive} 36. fxe4 dxe4 37. dxe4 Rbe8) 35. Ne2 Rbf8 36. Qa2 Qf7 37. Rh3 Kh7 38. Ng1 (38. Kc1 {Would prolong the resistance}) 38... Bf6 39. Ke2 Rg8 (39... e4 $1) 40. Kf1 Be7 41. Ne2 Rh5 (41... Bxh4 $1) 42. f4 Bxh4 43. Rff3 e4 44. dxe4 Qg6 45. Ng3 Bxg3 { [Event "Vienna"] [Site "Vienna AUT"] [Date "1873.08.12"] [Round "7.2"] [White "Adolf Anderssen"] [Black "Wilhelm Steinitz"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C77"] [PlyCount "90"] [EventDate "1873.07.21"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 {One of the rare instances of Steinitz starting with 3.. a6 instead of 3... Nf6 or 3... d6} 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 {But still, Anderssen chooses this move, leading to an Anti-Berlin, like position.} d6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. h3 g6 {[pgndiagram] And again we have the fianchetto and the exhcange on c6, similarly to the previously examined encounter} 8. Nc3 Bg7 9. Be3 Rb8 {This time Steinitz doesn't go for c5 but seizes the b-file himself} 10. b3 c5 11. Qd2 h6 {It is doubtful whether this move is necessary.} (11... O-O {And it is doubtful whether White wants to exchange the dark squared bishops; he can't follow it up with attack} 12. Bh6 Nh5 13. O-O-O f5) 12. g4 $2 {[pgndiagram] But this is completely uncalled for} (12. O-O {Was more natural, leading to a balanced game} g5 $5 13. a3 g4 14. hxg4 Nxg4 15. b4 {[pgndiagram] And the position is unclear}) 12... Ng8 $5 {Very strong play by Steinitz. He starts moving his knight toward d4 immediately} (12... h5 {Also came into consideration}) 13. O-O-O Ne7 14. Ne2 $6 {This knight is going nowhere. Although the position is mildly unpleasant for White, notice how quickly Steinitz will outplay his opponent} (14. Rdg1 Nc6 15. h4 Nd4 16. Qd1 Be6 17. h5 g5 18. Nd2 {Was correct} O-O 19. f3 c6 20. Na4 Qa5 21. Nc4 {[pgndiagram] And White is slightly worse but he should be able to hold}) 14... Nc6 15. Qc3 {The queen is completely missplaced here} Nd4 16. Nfg1 O-O 17. Ng3 Be6 18. N1e2 Qd7 19. Bxd4 cxd4 20. Qb2 a5 {[pgndiagram] Black has once again gained a strong attack, while White's counterintuitive on the other wing is non existent} 21. Kd2 (21. f4 {Was nevertheless better} Qe7 22. f5 Qg5+ 23. Kb1 Bd7 24. Rdf1 { With at least some play}) 21... d5 $1 22. f3 Qe7 23. Rdf1 Qb4+ 24. Kd1 a4 25. Rh2 c5 26. Nc1 c4 27. a3 Qe7 28. b4 c3 {[pgndiagram] White's queen is completely sidelined and Black obtains free hands on the kingside. It is very instructive to watch how Steinitz uses his greater control of space to quickly shift his attention to the other side of the board} 29. Qa1 Qg5 30. Rff2 f5 31. exf5 {[pgndiagram] Opening the kingside. White is completely lost} gxf5 32. h4 Qg6 33. Nxf5 $2 {Losing immediately} (33. gxf5 {Was slightly more prudent} Bxf5 34. Nxf5 Rxf5 35. Ne2 {Although even here White is doomed}) 33... Bxf5 34. gxf5 Rxf5 (34... Qg1+ 35. Ke2 e4 {Would be immediately decisive} 36. fxe4 dxe4 37. dxe4 Rbe8) 35. Ne2 Rbf8 36. Qa2 Qf7 37. Rh3 Kh7 38. Ng1 (38. Kc1 {Would prolong the resistance}) 38... Bf6 39. Ke2 Rg8 (39... e4 $1) 40. Kf1 Be7 41. Ne2 Rh5 (41... Bxh4 $1) 42. f4 Bxh4 43. Rff3 e4 44. dxe4 Qg6 45. Ng3 Bxg3 { White to move: find the best move... click the ? for the solution Black to move: find the best move... click the ? for the solution Warning: This game can only be seen if JavaScript is enabled in your browser. No related posts.
