[Event "GotM #97"] [Site "London"] [Date "1788.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Bowdler, Thomas"] [Black "Conway, Henry Seymour"] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Connaughton,Ken"] [ECO "C23"] [PlyCount "45"] [Beauty "8251730877518"] [GameId "1114896713908224"] [EventDate "1788.??.??"] [EventCountry "ENG"] {[%evp 0,45,19,32,22,-6,21,9,19,-4,0,-7,-23,-116,-41,-272,-334,-307,-385,-331,-402,-345,-192,-314,-392,-264,-324,-244,-283,-401,-236,-368,-238,-634,-500,-548,-337,-30,1,-1,388,286,29995,29996,29997,29998,29999,29999]} 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 {The Bishop's Opening is popular, only less used than the variations.} (2. Nf3) (2. Nc3) 2... Bc5 (2... Nf6) (2... Nc6) 3. d3 (3. Nf3) (3. Nc3) 3... c6 {Here we definitely veer off into a sideline, only a handful of explorers have trodden this path.} (3... Nf6) (3... d6) (3... Nc6) (3... h6) 4. Qe2 {This move is officially a novelty. Find me another game that features this position. Who will play this unknown terrain the best?} (4. Nc3) (4. Bb3) 4... d6 5. f4 {White wants to open the position quickly as Black is underdeveloped.} exf4 6. Bxf4 Qb6 7. Qf3 $5 {[#] White allows Black to damage his Queenside in return for development. The b2-pawn will drop and in addition, the Queen's Rook will be trapped. Is the White Queen's position on f3 adequate compensation? We will see.} (7. Bb3 {would probably be played by less brave souls.}) 7... Qxb2 8. Bxf7+ $1 {The Bishop sac continues in the same vein. White has to play with energy to justify his earlier sacrifices. Black can't take them all at once.} Kd7 {Black refuses the Bishop opting not to move into the path of the Queen which would have allowed a discovered attack.} (8... Kxf7 $4 9. Be5+ $18 {[%csl Rb2] and the Queen would fall.}) 9. Ne2 {White continues to develop as the Black Queen spends another tempo on the doomed Rook.} Qxa1 10. Kd2 {Deciding his King would find more security in the center. Also he is preparing another meal for the intruder.} Bb4+ 11. Nbc3 $3 {[#] A double Rook sacrifice!} Bxc3+ 12. Nxc3 Qxh1 {This game is forshadowing the Adolf Anderssen's Immortal Game 63 years later. Black has a big material advantage on the board but only his King and Queen are off their home squares. The Queen is out of the game and the King is in peril in the center. White has a material advantage where it counts, his remaining pieces are circling his opponent's King. In contrast, the White King faces no immediate threat, indeed there are none on the horizon.} 13. Qg4+ Kc7 14. Qxg7 {Threatening a damaging discovered check.} Nd7 15. Qg3 {Turning down the Knight and Rook, neither of which would be a justification for surrendering the initiative after all that White has invested to get it.} ({If} 15. Bxg8 Rxg8 16. Qxg8 Ne5 17. Qg7+ Kb6 18. Bxe5 dxe5 19. Qxe5 $19 {giving White nowhere near enough.}) ({And if} 15. Qxh8 Qxg2+ 16. Ne2 Ngf6 17. Bg3 $19 {and again White has given up his initiative without recovering his material deficit.}) 15... b6 {Giving his King more room to flee.} 16. Nb5+ $1 {[#] Another piece sacrifice designed to shatter the shield around the King.} cxb5 17. Bxd6+ Kb7 18. Bd5+ Ka6 19. d4 {[%CAl Gg3a3] Allowing the Queen speedy access back to her wing.} b4 20. Bxb4 Kb5 21. c4+ $3 {[#] Speed is everything. He calculates that he will have enough material to close the net around the quarry. This sac draws the King ever deeper into enemy territory and also denies Black any opportunity to make any counterstrike.} (21. Qb3 $18 {is a little slower but still wins.}) 21... Kxb4 (21... Ka6 $2 22. Qa3#) 22. Qb3+ {And now it's clear there is no escape. As is the custom of the time, Black plays to the conclusion.} Ka5 23. Qb5# {[#] Four pieces sacrificed and a remarkable King Hunt ends in #.} 1-0