[Event "Match"] [Site "?"] [Round "0"] [White "Tarrasch"] [Black "Chigorin"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C70"] [Opening "Spanish: 4.Ba4"] {9. CHIGORIN (1850-1908) During his lifetime Chigorin was known as an ingenious exponent of attacking play. From his own comments it appears that he believed that his best talent was to be found in combinative play. The truth is that the brilliance of his combinative play was so great that it obscured the suprising fact that Chigorin lost more games through tactical mistakes than strategical ones. Nowadays he is recognized as the founder of the modern Russian school of Chess} 1. e4 (1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nc6 {To the dogmatic thinking of Steinitz and Tarrasch, Chigorin opposed a freshness of idea, a flair for seizing the tactical opportunity, and outstanding endgame technique}) 1... e5 ( 1... e6 2. Qe2 {The strategic originality of the great Russian pioneer is exemplified in this line}) 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 (3... Nf6 4. O-O d6 5. d4 Nd7) 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Nc3 (5. O-O {Probably the best known of all strategic principles is that of keeping a foothold in the centre. This is an idea which he sought to realize in a variety of ways} 5... Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7) 5... d6 6. d4 Nd7 7. Ne2 Be7 (7... f6 {Some of Chigo rin's opening experiments have become important parts of modern opening theory} ) 8. c3 O-O 9. Ng3 Bf6 10. h3 { In order to not be forced into clearing the centre up} (10. -- Nb6 11. Bb3 Bg4) 10... Ne7 11. O-O Ng6 12. Bb3 Re8 13. Qd3 Ndf8 {These maneuvers behind the lines are typical of Steinitz. The Knight now threatens to come into play via e6} 14. Ne2 Qe7 15. Bc2 {Tarrasch aims to maintain his centre pawns on e4 and d4. Chigorin, for his part, means to hold a pawn on e5. In the concentration of his pieces as far as possible on his own e-pawn we recognize the principle which was so enthusiastically championed later on by Nimzowitsch under the name "overprotection"} 15... Bd7 (15... d5 16. dxe5 Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Qxe5 18. Ng3 dxe4 19. Nxe4) 16. Be3 Rad8 17. d5 { Constricting Black's position - a strategy of which Tarrasch was a past master} 17... h6 $1 18. Kh2 Nh7 19. c4 Rf8 {Black is playing for the counterstroke ... Pf5, a method which to us, seventy years later, has become almost a matter of routine, for instance in the King's Indian} 20. Ng3 Ng5 (20... Nf4 21. Bxf4 exf4 22. e5 $1 fxg3+ 23. fxg3 g6 24. exf6) (20... Rde8 $1 21. Nf5 Bxf5 22. exf5 e4) 21. Nxg5 Bxg5 22. Nf5 $1 Qf6 (22... Bxf5 23. exf5 Nf4 24. Bxf4 Bxf4+ 25. g3 Bg5 26. f6 $18) 23. g3 { Now the threat of 24. Pf4 forces some clearing of the situation} 23... Bxe3 24. fxe3 $1 Nh8 (24... Bxf5 25. exf5 Ne7 26. g4) 25. Rf3 Rde8 26. Raf1 Bxf5 27. Rxf5 (27. exf5 e4) 27... Qe7 28. Bd1 g6 29. Rf6 Kg7 30. R6f2 (30. -- Qxf6 { stampin White's last move as a waste of time}) 30... f6 31. h4 (31. Bg4 { Tarrasch believed the Black Knight can be kept away from g5 by Ph4, the advance of the Black f-pawn is prevented, and in due course White will bring about the decision by the Queenside advance Pb4-c5. However, he gave no analysis to support thisopinion} 31... h5 32. Be6 c6 33. -- Nf7 34. -- Nh6 $132 ) 31... h5 $1 32. g4 {Still under the imporession that he has teh advantage} 32... hxg4 33. Kg3 (33. Bxg4 f5 34. exf5 Qxh4+) 33... Nf7 34. Bxg4 Rh8 35. Rh2 Ref8 36. h5 {This and White's next are still based on a wrong assessment of the position. He thinks he has the better of it, but the boot is on the other foot} 36... gxh5 37. Bxh5 $2 {The temporary pawn sacrifice 37. Bf5 would have provided teh best chance of counterplay} (37. Bf5) 37... Rfg8 38. Kf2 Kf8 39. Rfh1 Ng5 40. Ke2 Qh7 {Laying bare the weakness of White's doubles pawn} 41. Rh4 Qg7 42. Qc2 Rh6 43. Qa4 $2 { According to Tarrasch this move was the decisive mistake} (43. Bg4 $1 Rgh8 44. Rxh6 Rxh6 45. Rxh6 Qxh6 46. Kd3 -- (46... Qh1 47. Bf5 Nf3 { Black has very definite threats}) 47. Bf5 {Tarrasch believed white's game was defensible. Tarrasch, however, was a dogmatist. Capablanca, who was above suspicion in this respect, said later in endgames of Queen and Knight against Queen and bishop the side with the Knight will have better chances whenever threats are available, for these threats will not be easily be repelled}) 43... Rxh5 $1 44. Rxh5 Nxe4 45. Qd1 $2 Qg2+ 0-1