[Event "GotM #99"] [Site "London"] [Date "1862.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Steinitz, William"] [Black "Mongredian, Augustus"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Kasparov,Garry"] [ECO "B01"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [WhiteFideId "-1"] [PlyCount "57"] [Beauty "8251730839114"] [GameId "1107656655540224"] [EventDate "2025.??.??"] [EventCountry "ENG"] {[%evp 0,57,25,30,35,-85,40,36,-91,39,26,37,43,44,47,47,43,24,89,30,26,4,12,14,49,74,61,35,101,88,67,61,182,109,-1,184,120,92,312,-1,1,626,914,1540,1488,29986,29989,466,259,558,652,660,29993,29994,29995,29996,29997,29998,29999,29999]} 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 4. d4 e6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bd3 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Be3 b6 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. f4 Nbd7 11. Qe2 Nd5 $2 12. Nxd5 exd5 13. Rf3 f5 14. Rh3 g6 15. g4 fxg4 (15... Nxe5 $142 {? ?c8}) {I have to admit I was truly amazed by the flood of your replies, dear readers! I can vividly imagine how many lines you went through, the amount of work you committed, to come up with such outstanding results. Even the great Steinitz would have been surprised to find out how much play was left behind the scenes, play that you have helped to disclose! So let us go through these exciting variations once again: FIRST: The Rook sacrifice is winning, but it was not the easiest way. Those of you who reached this conclusion should be congratulated.} 16. Rxh7 $1 (16. Qxg4 Nf6 (16... Nxe5 17. dxe5 (17. Qe6+ $2 {This proposal particularly aroused my interest.} Nf7 $2 {would lead to disaster:} (17... Rf7 $3 {refutes White's brave attempt.} 18. Qxe5 (18. Bxg6 {the only chance} hxg6 (18... Nxg6 19. Rxh7 {is unclear}) 19. fxe5 Bc8 20. Qxg6+ Rg7 {and White's attack runs out of steam}) (18. fxe5 Bc8) 18... Bf6 19. Qe6 Bc8 {etc.}) 18. Bxg6 Bh4 19. Qg4 hxg6 20. Qxg6+ Kh8 21. Kh1 $1 (21. Qh5+ Kg7 22. Rxh4 {doesn't work because of} Bc8 23. Kh1 Bf5 $17) 21... Rg8 22. Qxf7 Rg7 23. Qh5+ Rh7 24. Qe5+ Bf6 (24... Qf6 25. Rxh4 $1) 25. Rxh7+ Kxh7 26. Qf5+ Kg7 (26... Kh8 27. Qh3+ Bh4 28. Rg1 Bc8 29. Qg2 Qf8 30. Qg6 {winning?}) 27. Rg1+ Kf7 28. Qh7+ Ke6 29. f5+ Kd6 30. Rg6 $1 Qe7 31. Rxf6+ Qxf6 32. Bf4+ Kc6 33. Qxc7+ Kb5 34. Qxb7 Qxd4 35. a4+ $1 Ka5 36. Qxa8 {winning.}) (17. fxe5 $2 {proposed by some readers, but refuted by Fritz:} Bc8 $1 18. e6 Rf6 $19) 17... Bc8 18. e6 $16) 17. Qg2 Bc8 18. Rxh7 Kxh7 19. Qxg6+ Kh8 20. Kh1 $18) 16... Nxe5 (16... Kxh7 17. Qxg4 Nf6 18. Qxg6+ Kh8 19. Qh6+ Kg8 20. Kh1 $18) (16... Nf6 {some of you tried this but without success:} 17. Rh6 $18 {or}) (16... Rf6 17. Qxg4 $1 Kxh7 18. Bxg6+ $18 {crushing}) 17. fxe5 Kxh7 (17... Ba6 {was tricky, but also failed:} 18. Rh6 $1 Bxd3 19. Qxd3) ({However, those readers who found a hidden counterattack motive deserve serious praise:} 17... Bg5 $5 {Those who found a hidden counter attacking resource with 16...Bg5 17.Bxg6 Rf3 deserve serious credit. In fact, after 16.Bg5 White has a pleasent alternative.} 18. Bxg5 Qxg5 19. Rxc7 Bc8 (19... g3 {looks dangerous (19.Rxb7? Rf2) but the arrow doesn't reach the target.} 20. hxg3 $1 Qxg3+ 21. Qg2 Qe3+ 22. Kh1 Qh6+ 23. Qh2) 20. Kh1 {with big advantage.}) (17... Rf3 {Anyway, 16...?f3 could force the above line.} 18. Bxg6 Bg5 {Here} 19. Bxg5 $2 (19. Bf2 $1 {is correct.} Bf4 20. Bh4 Bg5 21. Qg2 $3 Bc8 22. Rf1 $1 {and White is again on top!}) 19... Qxg5 20. Rxc7 Qxg6 21. Rxb7 Raf8 22. Qg2 Qe4 {with idea ?f4 gives Black sufficient counterplay.}) 18. Qxg4 Rg8 {loses instantly.} (18... Qe8 19. Qh5+ Kg8 (19... Kg7 $1 20. Qh6+ Kg8 21. Bxg6 Rf7 22. Kh1 Bf8 23. Qh5 (23. Bxf7+ {You also paid attention to the line starting with Bxf7. After} Qxf7 24. Rg1+ Bg7 25. Qf6 $1 Re8 26. Bh6 Qxf6 27. exf6 Re1 $1 28. Bxg7 (28. Rxe1 $1 Bxh6 29. Re7 Bf4 30. h4 {Black can't organize coordination of his pair of Bishops and the White King comes into the game with decisive effect.}) 28... Rxg1+ 29. Kxg1 {we reach an endgame that I have difficulties to assess correctly. After} Kf7 30. Kf2 Bc8 31. Ke3 Bf5 32. c3 Ke6 {the White Bishop has to stay passively on g7 and the King has no way of penetrating Black's camp on the Kingside (only very deep analysis can tell us whether there is a path for the White King on the Queenside). But 27.Rxe1!... (see above)}) 23... Bg7 (23... Qd7 24. Rg1 Bg7 25. Qh7+ Kf8 26. Bxf7 Qxf7 27. Rxg7 Qf1+ 28. Rg1 Qf3+ 29. Rg2) (23... Qe6 24. Rg1 Bg7 25. Qh7+ {and as above}) 24. Rg1 (24. Qh7+ Kf8 25. Bh6 {gives only perpetual check} Bxh6 26. Qxh6+ Ke7 27. Qg5+ Kf8 $10) 24... Kf8 25. Rg3 $3 {only way} (25. Bxf7 Qxf7 26. Rg6 Qf1+ 27. Rg1 Qf7 {save Black's game}) 25... Rf1+ 26. Kg2 {etc.}) 20. Bxg6 Rf7 21. Kh1 Bf8 22. Rg1 Bg7 23. Bh6 $18) (18... Rf5 19. Bxf5 gxf5 20. Qxf5+ Kg7 (20... Kh8 21. Qh5+ Kg8 22. Kh1 $18) 21. Kh1 {and the Black King has to face overwhelming enemy force practically alone.}) 19. Qh5+ Kg7 20. Qh6+ (20. Qxg6+ $4 {of course turns the tables} Kh8 $1) 20... Kf7 21. Qh7+ Ke6 (21... Rg7 $145 22. Bxg6+ Kf8 23. Qh8+ Rg8 24. Bh6#) 22. Qh3+ Kf7 23. Rf1+ (23. e6+ $1 {forces # in eight and finishes the King hunt faster.}) 23... Ke8 24. Qe6 Rg7 25. Bg5 (25. Bh6 $18) 25... Qd7 (25... Bc8 26. Qc6+ Bd7 27. Qxg6+ Rxg6 28. Bxg6#) 26. Bxg6+ Rxg6 (26... Kd8 27. Rf8+ Qe8 28. Rxe8#) 27. Qxg6+ Kd8 28. Rf8+ Qe8 29. Qxe8# 1-0