Consultants defeat Spielmann at Leipzig with new move in Ruy Lopez

We must confess that we were somewhat hesitant to bring to the light of day another loss by Rudolf Spielmann so soon after the heavy defeat suffered by that Master at the hands of Richard Teichmann in their recently-concluded match at Leipzig. Nevertheless, the game below, played at the time of the aforementioned match and containing as it does a new move in a variation of the Ruy Lopez that has been played at the highest levels of Master chess, seemed upon reflection fully worthy of publication. In it, Herren Kirschner, Haase, and Fleischhauer playing in consultation introduce the new try 7.Qe2 in the well-known position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.0-0 c6 6.Bc4 Ne7, a line used, for example, by Dr. Tarrasch in two games of his match vs. Marshall at Nuremburg in 1905. Marshall replied with 7.d3 in the 13th game of that match and with 7.Qh5 in the 17th, but scored only one half-point from those two encounters, and was in fact fortunate not to lose both. Our card index also contains games in which 7.Re1 and 7.c3 were essayed, but 7.Qe2, to the best of our knowledge, has not been seen before. The consultants made the debut of their joint invention a successful one, defeating Spielmann after the Master engaged in some rather over-aggressive play. Whether 7.Qe2 will prove to have lasting value remains to be seen; for now, at least, the men from Leipzig have provided the investigators of opening theory with yet another specimen for their never-ending analysis.