Fundamental Checkmates by Antonio Gude

Author:Antonio Gude [Gude, Antonio]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Chess
ISBN: 9781910093979
Publisher: Gambit Publications
Published: 2016-05-29T16:00:00+00:00

White to play

Blackburne – Lipschütz

New York 1889

This game constitutes one of the chess landmarks of the last years of the 19th century. Careful with that smirk. First reproduce the combination, study it and then tell me that it is commonplace and that the masters of the past were all rabbits!

The game has a nice story attached. In this position the game was adjourned and White had to seal his next move. So Blackburne (nicknamed The Black Death) placed his next move in the appropriate envelope, as per the rules.

After lunch the American players (Blackburne was English, from Manchester) all congratulated Lipschütz, thinking that he was obviously going to win, in view of the triumphal march of his queenside pawns. One of them went up to Blackburne and asked him if he didn’t think he perhaps ought to resign. Blackburne replied: “Not only do I not think so, but when I wrote down my sealed move I announced mate in seven.”

After the inevitable murmurs of surprise, it was verified that Blackburne was not joking and that he really had announced the mate on his score-sheet.

Let’s now see the marvellous combination that the old fox had kept secret:

1 g6! h6

The only move.

2 Rxg7+! Kxg7

Or 2...Kh8 3 Rh7+ Kg8 4 g7! Kxh7 (4...R8f6 5 Rh8+ Kf7 6 g8Q+; 4...Rd8 5 Qg6 and 6 Rh8#; 4...Kf7 5 gxf8Q++) 5 g8Q+ Rxg8 6 Qxg8#.

3 Nh5+!

Another magnificent sacrifice, this time to open lines.

3...Rxh5

3...Kg8 is met by 4 Qc7 R5f7 5 gxf7++ Kh8 6 Qe5+ Kh7 7 Qg7#, and if 3...Kh8 then naturally 4 g7+.

4 Qc7+ Kf6

4...Kg8 5 Qh7#.

5 Qd6+ 1-0

5...Kg7 6 Qe7+ Kg8 7 Qh7# or 5...Be6 6 Qxf8+ Bf7 7 Qxf7#.

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