Grandmaster games · Hastings tournament 1895
The Rook Nobody Could Take
Steinitz gives a rook on e7 that cannot be taken and checks along the seventh rank until von Bardeleben walks out of the hall.
The setting
Hastings, August 1895: twenty-two of the world's best players in one tournament, among them Lasker, Steinitz, Chigorin, Tarrasch and the young American Pillsbury, who went on to win it. In round 10, on 17 August, the former champion William Steinitz has White against Curt von Bardeleben, who shares second place. The game won the first brilliancy prize. After 25.Rxh7+ von Bardeleben left the hall without resigning and lost on time; Steinitz then showed the spectators the mate.
Why study it
Live a king that never castled from both sides. Steinitz's mind shows the trades of moves 10 to 13 chosen for one purpose, a knight pinned on e7 in front of the uncastled king, then a pawn given for the square e6, and finally a rook offered on e7 because every move had to be a check. Von Bardeleben's mind shows sound moves that each cost a tempo, the choice 16...c6 that Stockfish calls the real mistake, and why the rook on the seventh could not be taken.
Live it from inside a mind
Each player speaks in the first person, in a voice of their own: what they see, what they fear, the lines they calculate, why they choose. Switch minds at any move.
William Steinitz
White · United States
Born in Prague in 1836 and a US citizen since 1888. The first official world champion, from 1886 until Lasker took the title in 1894. Fifty-nine at Hastings, Steinitz finished fifth with 13 out of 21 and won the first brilliancy prize for this game.
Curt von Bardeleben
Black · Germany
Born in Berlin in 1861, a nobleman who left law studies for chess. Joint winner of Leipzig 1888 and Kiel 1893, and editor of the Deutsche Schachzeitung from 1887 to 1891. After nine rounds at Hastings von Bardeleben shared second place; from this game on the score was 4 points from 12.
Round ten at Hastings, and I have White against Curt von Bardeleben, who shares second place and plays careful, sound chess. I am fifty-nine, the title went to Lasker last year, and the young men here think my theories are old. I will play an open game and let the position decide: if von Bardeleben's king stays in the centre one move too long, I will go and get it.
Round ten, and I share second place with seven and a half points, half a point behind Chigorin. Today I have Black against Steinitz, the old champion. Steinitz will want a long fight and will play for small advantages. I will play soundly, keep my pieces together, castle in good time and let Steinitz overreach. A draw against Steinitz is no disaster; a loss would cost me the tournament.
The game in 5 chapters
- 1
The Giuoco Piano moves 1–6
Both bishops come to c4 and c5. Steinitz builds a centre with c3 and d4, and von Bardeleben answers with ...exd4 and a check on b4.
- 2
A pawn declined moves 7–9
7.Nc3 offers the e4 pawn. Von Bardeleben declines with 7...d5, recaptures on d5 with the knight and has to guard it twice with ...Be6 while Steinitz castles.
- 3
The king that could not castle moves 10–14
10.Bg5 and a run of trades on d5 and e7 leave a black knight on e7 in front of the uncastled king. 14.Re1 pins it, and castling would lose it. Von Bardeleben starts walking the king to f7 by hand with ...f6.
- 4
A pawn for a square moves 15–19
Steinitz piles up on the pinned knight. 16...c6 tries to blockade the d-pawn, and 17.d5 gives it away to clear d4 for the knight, which lands on e6. The king reaches f7, and 19...Rhc8 goes for the c-file.
- 5
The rook nobody could take moves 20–25
20.Qg4 and 21.Ng5+ drive the king back to e8, and both White's queen and rook are left hanging. 22.Rxe7+ starts a series of checks along the seventh rank that never ends. After 25.Rxh7+ von Bardeleben leaves the hall.