Jakob Rosanes vs Adolf Anderssen - (Breslau 1863)

Becoming a winning chess player requires the application of genius combination. Adolf Anderssen was the master of combination. Many would say that seeing combinations is a gift and cannot be learnt. Reti, however, believes that through continued study of winning combinations, we can learn to see them more readily. It is for this reason that the student of chess will do very well to study Anderssen’s remarkable combinations at great length.

In order to receive the maximum benefit from the study of the following combination, ensure you make a serious attempt at solving the puzzle before reviewing the clues. And once you begin reading each clue, do not read the next clue until you have made a serious attempt with the prior clue.

PUZZLE: How does Black deliver mate in 5 moves?

FEN: 4r3/p4pkp/q7/3Bbb2/P2P1ppP/2N3n1/1PP2KPR/R1BQ4 b - a3 0 20

Clue 1

As I always counsel in order to learn to spot combinations, try to work backwards from the latter part of the combination. Work out how you might try to deliver check using multiple pieces if you can get them into the position you desire. Then we can work out how we might get to the desired position, and try to determine to create it.

As is usually the case, this final sequence will involve what I call CHECK CHASING: the King will repeatedly be placed in check so that his every move will be absorbed by parrying. Looking at the board, how could you:

1) Place the White King in check, whilst at the same time,

2) Bring multiple pieces into play?

Don't worry about whether your piece can be taken after it is moved: we will deal with this problem afterwards. Just work out what move will bring multiple pieces into play.

Clue 2

After the completion of all that is outlined in the Answer to Clue 1, Black’s Queen has foiled White’s attack. If White’s Queen is an obstacle to delivering mate, how can you remove this obstacle before moving his Bishop to d4?

Clue Answers

1. There are only 3 ways to place White King in check from this position: Qf1, Ne4 or Bxd4. However, if Queen moves to f1 she can immediately be taken by White’s Queen. Ne4 will not help to deliver mate, and also moves Black’s Knight further way from the King so that she covers fewer squares in the King’s field. However, Bxd4 not only places White’s King in check, but also brings his King’s Rook into play, which will then attack the e file.

But now White must play Qxe3, thwarting Black’s attack.

2. This is an important lesson, so listen closely. If one piece appears to be getting in the way of delivering mate, then that piece must be removed (or in this instance moved). In fact, if removing (or in this instance, moving) that piece results in your ability to deliver mate, then that piece should be removed (here moved) at ANY COST. Here, Black’s Queen can be forced to move via a Queen sacrifice: Qf1+. White Queen is forced to take Black’s Queen in order to parry check, thereby abandoning her protecting of the d4 square. This is an example of the tactic DEFLECTION: White sacrifices a piece in order to lure (in this instance force) White’s Queen away from a square in which she is currently performing an important function.

Anderssen makes this move in anticipation before his move Bxd4. After having completed these clues, we can now take the game to it’s completion.

20...Qf1+

21. Qxf1 Bxd4+

22. Be3 Rxe3

23. Kg1 Re1#

As far as I can see, after Black has delivered his 22nd move, there is nothing Rosanes can do to forfend against the inevitable. It looks to me as though his 23rd move is random, simply, in a gentlemanly manner, allowing Anderssen the reward of delivering mate.

In more than one of Anderssen’s games, he sacrifices his Queen as part of his final Mate sequence. Many of us are probably so reticent to sacrifice such a powerful piece, that we may not consider this option. This is an important lesson: since the Queen can move onto so many different squares, she may well be able to move onto a square on which she employs the tactic DEFLECTION, or another tactic involving a sacrifice, in order to remove an obstacle during a final Mate sequence.

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Analysis of the opening of the game

Opening: Kieseritzky Gambit

8. d4

With this move, white departs from the main line. This protects white's Knight and prepares for Bxf4 - the Gambit pawn.

8...Nh5 (70 games vs 10 games)

Black has now protected f4 making the aim of the King’s Gambit tricky. This is because white has played for an extra pawn instead of for positional advantage.

9. Bb5+ (15 games vs Nc3 – 25 games)

9...c6

Firstly, (and this will be crucial to the final win of this game), this opens up the Queen’s diagonal d8-a5. But now we must break down the following set of exchanges. The chess student must avoid trying to run through the full process of mentally moving each piece one after another in an attempt to recreate an ensuing chain of ‘takes’, followed by counter-takes. I will write a full article for any student that is not fully clear on this matter, since it is crucial for anyone wishing to become an advanced player. Understanding a simple model is all that is necessary to be able to quickly apply the maths necessary to predict the final outcome in any such chain of exchanges.

1) Both black and white now have c6 covered by a pawn. Should black therefore place a pawn into c6, a pawn exchange can occur, leaving neither party at an advantage.

2) After this exchange, let us ignore, for a moment, the pawn now sitting on c6 and imagine it is empty. Following the same model as above, white is covering c6 with the Bishop, whilst Black is covering c6 with her b7 knight: 2 minor pieces. We have White’s e5 Knight, because she will be placed onto the c6 square in a moment, representing the initial sacrifice to trigger a 2nd exchange. So:

11. Nxc6

Again let’s imagine the pawn was not there, we can add the pawn at the end. The way I envisage this is white’s Knight moves onto c6 to initiate a set if minor piece exchanges. Now that white’s Knight is on c6, the minor piece exchanges can begin:

11...Nxc6

Black takes Whites night.

12. Bxc6

In return, white’s Bishop now takes white’s night. If we consider Bishops and Knights to be of similar value, then an equal exchange has now occurred with no advantage to either party.

The only thing left to be mentioned is of course that

11. Nxc6

White also took Black’s pawn during this series of exchanges, with no counter-take from black, so white now has the advantage of having taken 1 extra pawn. So as a result of these exchanges, white is 1 pawn up.

But the sequence has ended with white placing black’s King into check.

12. Bxc6+

White has ended this set of exchanges with a fork, one of the fundamental chess tactics. Black must protect his King, and therefore cannot protect his Rook, which is then taken on the next move.

12...Bxa8

So white has succeeded in gaining a significant material advantage: Not only does he have the extra pawn, but as a result of the forked check, he now has an extra Rook! But Anderssen surely predicted this outcome, and in fact, it would appear, deliberately moved his pawn to c6 in order to make these significant sacrifices. So why on earth did Anderssen deliberately make this sacrifice?

Well, from my perspective, this sacrifice is key to the whole game. Amateur players, and most players at the time Anderssen was playing, were primarily seeking material advantage. But Andersson was one of the first positional players: he sought positional advantage. And so important was the positional advantage, that he was certainly willing to sacrifice material for such a crucial prize.

Prior to this set of exchanges when at 9. Bb5+:

White has 4 pieces in play: Bd1, Qd1, Bb5 & Ne5.

Black has 3 pieces in play Nh4, Bd6, Qd8.

One might say that white has the positional advantage at this point.

However, after 13. Bxa8:

White now has 3 pieces in play: Bd1, Qd1 (as before) & now only Ba8.

Black now has 4 pieces in play: Nh4, Bd6 (as before) & now 2 other pieces – Bc8 & Qd8.

In the end, the key advantages that create black’s win are

1) The freedom for his Queen to move tob6. This is an example of the tactic known as Line Opening. As a result of black’s sacrifice of the c7 pawn by 9...c6, black clears up the Queens diagonal d8-a5.

2) The removal of the white’s dangerous knight on e5. So white gained play for the Queen and removed white’s Knight from play. In the end material advantage is a waste of time if your material never comes into play.

13...Ng3

14. Rh2

Black now attacks white’s Rook and white defends by moving his rook out of the line of fire. However, Reti sees it is blindingly obvious that he should instead have sacrificed his rook in order to eliminate the Knight threat, in the following manner.

14. Kf2 Nxh1

15. Qxh1

Whilst this involves losing a Rook to a lesser piece: a Knight, it eliminates the serious threat of the Knight right up close to the King. In any event, White is already a whole Rook up, so even after this exchange, white would still have an overall significant material advantage.

This is a very important point for the amateur student of chess, who is typically desperate to gain material advantage (as were most players during the 1800s at the time of Andersson). Your overall position is paramount. The dangerous Night should have been considered in this light rather than subordinated to the concern of material gain.

14...Bf5

15. Bd4

A better move for black would have been Bc6, which would have protected against white moving his Rook to e8+. This is a very important point. The Rook on e8+ gives black great power. In fact, from my perspetive, getting rooks into play is one of the most difficult concerns to the player, and so the defence against this is of great advantage.

15...Kg7

This is in order to allow the Rook to move in a moment.

16. Nc3

First rumblings of development here. Far too little too late!! Knight now defends the Bishop on d5.

16...Re8

Much has already been said about this. From my perspective this is one of the most difficult aims of the player – now successfully achieved by black. Of course this was the original aim of the King’s Gambit itself! And white has failed at opening the f file and placing his rook on it.

17. Kf2 Qb6

Pin! This is one of our all important tactics that we are looking to execute, and in this instance threatens check mate! The threat is now Be5. White will not be able to use his pawn to take e5 due to the pin. Bishop can then take e5#: such a move would be check mate!!

18. Na4

White threatens to take black’s Queen, thereby destroying Black’s pin.

18...Qa6

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See “Analysis 1”. The following is how white would obtain check in 4 moves if not blocked.

19...Qe2

20.Qxe2 Rxe2+

A queen exchange followed by check.

21. Kg1

White’s only option to parry check.

21...e1+

22. f2

...again, white’s only option

22...f1#

Also the following Queen exchange would result in the same scenario:

19. c4 Qxa4

20. Qxa4 Re2+ and the same as before

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Back to our game

19. Nc3

This blocks black’s Queen from moving to Qe2 and the aforementioned mate.

19...Be5!

This now sets up Bxd4+ which will be used in a moment. If white takes black’s Bishop this will result in

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(20...Qb6+

21. Ke1 Qg1

22. Kd2 Qe3#)

Copy and paste the following PGN into a chess editor if you want to see these moves played out:

[FEN "4r3/p4pkp/q2b4/3B1b2/N2P1ppP/6n1/PPP2KPR/R1BQ4 w - - 11 19"]

19. b3 Qe2+ 20. Qxe2 Rxe2+ 21. Kg1 Re1+ 22. Kf2 Rf1# 0-1

---

20. a4

Black can now mate in 4 moves and white can no longer stop this.

20...Qf1+

There is no way for white’s King to move out of check or block it, so white has no choice but to take black’s Queen.

21. Qxf1 Bxd4+

Again, there is no way for white to move his King out of check. This time the only option is to block check with his Bishop

22. Be3 Rxe3

If any piece other than the King is now moved then:

23...Re2#

However, white moves:

23. Kg1

which is a waste of time. But resigning one move prior to mate would have been the only other option.

23...Re1#

Key Lessons

1) We must guard against attempting to obtain material advantage at the expense of positional advantage.

Problems began with 10.dxc6 and the string of exchanges that then occurred. White emerged with a positional disadvantage, not compensated by the extra material gained. Position is paramount.

2) Knights that reach your end of the board are very dangerous. Exchange to avoid if necessary.

13...Ng3 created big problems over the long-term and helped facilitate mate. Black should have exchanged to rid himself of this threat. Black did exactly this earlier in the game: he made a series of exchanges and eliminated the threat of Ne5.

3) Concentrate on developing ALL pieces.

After 8. d4, the main line is 9. Nc3 – developing the Queenside Knight. 9. Bb5+ breaks the (not entirely mandatory) rule of not moving any piece twice until all your pieces have been moved.

4) Instead of thinking about obtaining material advantage, try thinking about exchanging material for POSITIONAL ADVANTAGE. Positional advantage is always paramount.

If exchanging pieces eliminates some of your opponents active pieces and opens up some lines for you, this should be done.