Hastings, 1895

Steinitz's Combination

Wilhelm Steinitz – Curt von Bardeleben · 1-0

Result: 1-0
Moves: 24
Opening: Italian Game: Giuoco Piano
The names end at: 7. Nc3

Watch it on the map Final position on the map

The story

Played at the great Hastings tournament of 1895, in a Giuoco Piano. Steinitz, the first world champion, gives up the d-pawn to open lines and brings his pieces to Black’s king.

With 22. Rxe7+! the rook starts checking along the seventh rank and cannot be taken. After 24. Rg7+ von Bardeleben left the tournament hall without resigning and let his time run out.

Steinitz then showed the spectators how he would have won; the game took the first brilliancy prize of the tournament.

Steinitz's Combination: the map where the opening names end — The position where the game leaves the named openings, with every game of the next four moves around it.

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 d5 8.exd5 Nxd5 9.O-O Be6 10.Bg5 Be7 11.Bxd5 Bxd5 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 13.Bxe7 Nxe7 14.Re1 f6 15.Qe2 Qd7 16.Rac1 c6 17.d5 cxd5 18.Nd4 Kf7 19.Ne6 Rhc8 20.Qg4 g6 21.Ng5+ Ke8 22.Rxe7+ Kf8 23.Rf7+ Kg8 24.Rg7+ 1-0

Through the openings

1. e4King's Pawn Game
1... e5King's Pawn Game
2. Nf3King's Knight Opening
2... Nc6King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation
3. Bc4Italian Game
3... Bc5Italian Game: Giuoco Piano
4. c3Italian Game: Classical Variation
4... Nf6Italian Game: Classical Variation
5. d4Italian Game: Classical Variation, Center Attack
6. cxd4Italian Game: Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Traditional Line
7. Nc3Italian Game: Giuoco Piano, Greco's Attack

Source of the moves: en.wikipedia.org

More famous games

The Opera GameMorphy, Paris 1858Playing from a box at the opera, Morphy mates his two opponents in 17 moves. The Immortal GameAnderssen, London 1851Anderssen gives up both rooks, a bishop and his queen, then mates with the minor pieces he has left. The Evergreen GameAnderssen, Berlin 1852Anderssen sacrifices his queen and mates with a bishop; more than 170 years on, the game is still fresh. The Game of the CenturyD. Byrne – Fischer, New York 1956Thirteen-year-old Bobby Fischer gives up his queen and wins. Kasparov's ImmortalKasparov – Topalov, Wijk aan Zee 1999A rook sacrifice on move 24 starts a hunt that chases Black's king across the whole board. Deep Blue Beats KasparovDeep Blue – Kasparov, New York 1997The last game of the first match a computer won against the world champion, over in 19 moves. The Game Spassky ApplaudedFischer – Spassky, Reykjavik 1972Fischer almost never opened 1.c4; here he did, and at the end even Spassky joined the applause. The Octopus KnightKarpov – Kasparov, Moscow 1985Kasparov's knight digs in on d3 and paralyses White; that match made him world champion. Botvinnik's Bishop SacrificeBotvinnik – Capablanca, AVRO 1938Botvinnik beats former world champion Capablanca with a bishop sacrifice on move 30.