Monday, April 8

Double Rook sacrifice

We take great pleasure in presenting to our readers the following game, featuring that exceedingly rare specimen of chessboard derring-do, the double Rook sacrifice.  The game was contested in a tournament held at the Anderssen Chess Club of Munich, surely a most appropriate venue, as the sacrificial genius of that old Master, as exhibited in his Immortal Game, seems to have inspired the player of the White pieces here.

Some of the analytical wizards of our own club have subjected the game to enthusiastic and admiring examination.  Their conclusions are a) that Herr Steinbrecher's conception is sound, and the position after 14...Qxh1 is won for White; b) that 16.Ne2 lets slip that victory if Black adopts the best defense, 16.Kc1 instead being the winning coup; and c) that 16...Nd5? represents a losing error, while 16...Qg5+ could have turned the tables in Black's favor.  None of this, however, should detract from the courage and imagination displayed by Herr Steinbrecher in his winning effort.  We commend him and thank him for providing us with such dazzling entertainment and rich intellectual fodder.  The game score as given below includes a small sampling of the variations produced during the researches of our clubmates, and we urge all lovers of beauty in chess not to overlook the suggested continuation beginning with 16.Kc1 and concluding with 25.Nxg7 mate, a line that would do great credit to Anderssen himself.

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