Friday, February 21

Teichmann-Spielmann match: Teichmann takes first game in 25 moves

Richard Teichmann defeated Rudolf Spielmann in 25 moves to take the first game of their match at Leipzig. Teichmann, having the move, chose the Four Knights' Opening, with the contest following the path of an earlier encounter between the same players from the Breslau tourney of two years ago. White at his 11th turn varied with 11.Ng5 in preference to 11.Bg5, which had led to a quick draw in the Breslau game. Soon thereafter Spielmann spurned a chance for equality offered by 14....Qd7 and instead selected 14...Kb8, a move that entailed the loss of the exchange in return for a pawn. Whether this was a deliberate sacrifice by the imaginative Austrian Master or merely a simple oversight is difficult to determine, as Black did gain certain attacking prospects in return for his material investment. Spielmann at his 20th move elected to forgo the capture of a second pawn via 20...Bg3, perhaps fearing the the reply 21.Qe7!, forcing the exchange of Queens, would lead to an advantageous endgame for White, whose Rooks would stand poised to enter the Black position. Nevetheless, the move chosen by Spielmann, 20...Qd4, allowed the first player to consolidate his position with 21.c3 and 22.Kg2, and Black resigned at the 25th move, a full exchange in arrears and with his attacking chances extinguished.

We reproduce the game below.


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