Jon Speelman: Over the centuries

by Jonathan Speelman
8/20/2023 – This week’s column happens to be the two hundredth in a series stemming back to April 2016. This time, in honour of the round number, I thought we might span the centuries with some games from round about 1823. I’m no chess historian, so make no particular claim for the games I’ve chosen, but they do illustrate some aspects of how the game has developed! | Pictured: Alexander Alekhine with his wife and Efim Bogoljubow | Photo: Europe Echecs
Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

Two hundred columns and still going!

[Note that Jon Speelman also looks at the content of the article in video format, here embedded at the end of the article.]

Jon SpeelmanThis week’s column happens to be the two hundredth in a series stemming back to April 2016, when it originally started life as an Agony column (a vehicle for readers to send in their triumphs and disasters for possible publication).

Four years later, at the behest of ChessBase, it transmogrified into freestyle and that’s where we are today with free rein for any interesting topic that takes my fancy.

This time, in honour of the round number, I thought we might span the centuries with some games from round about 1823 — there were so few published games that I gave myself the whole decade to look at: 1922 where I found a couple of games I fancy or 1923. And this year.

Chess has changed utterly over the two centuries and indeed hugely over the last two decades, since chess engines rose to become not only our lords and masters but also ubiquitous. I’m no chess historian, so make no particular claim for the games I’ve chosen, but they do illustrate some aspects of how the game has developed.

I hope you enjoy them and will be back next in a fortnight on September 3rd.

New ...
Open...
Share...
Layout...
Flip Board
Settings
MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,187,37854%2421---
1.d4960,97355%2434---
1.Nf3287,04656%2440---
1.c4185,21656%2442---
1.g319,90856%2427---
1.b314,61554%2428---
1.f45,96148%2376---
1.Nc33,92350%2383---
1.b41,79148%2379---
1.a31,25354%2406---
1.e31,08149%2409---
1.d396950%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446654%2382---
1.c343951%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39366%2506---
1.Na34762%2476---
1.e4       In this interesting game, White is the Scot John Ccohrane, (1798-1878) the (anti) hero of the Cochrane Gambit, 2.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4 Nxf7!?, and also a line in the King's Gambit. Black is Frenchman Alexandre Deschapelles, one of the world's very strongest players who that same year apparently won an odds match against Coachrane decisively. e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.Ng5
Two centuries later, chess theory has returned to this with some instances by top-class players including two games by Rauf Mamedov. 5...Ne5? 5...Nh6 is much better 6.Nxf7 Nxf7 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxc5 d5 10.0-0 dxe4 11.c3 Qd6 11...Re8 12.cxd4 Qxd4 13.Qg5 Qf6 14.Qg3 Nd4 15.Nc3 c6 16.Bg5 Qe5 17.Rad1 Nf5 18.Qxe5 Rxe5 19.Rfe1 h6 20.Bf4 Re8 21.Nxe4 g5 22.Nd6+ Nxd6 23.Bxd6 Rxe1+ 24.Rxe1 Be6 25.a3 Rd8 26.Bb4 Re8 27.Bc3 Bd5 28.Rxe8 Kxe8 29.f3 Kf7 30.Kf2 h5 1/2-1/2 (30) Mamedov,R (2646)-Anand,V (2756) Mayrhofen AUT 2022 12.Qxd6 cxd6 13.cxd4 Nxd4 14.Nc3 Bg4 15.Nxe4 Nc2 16.Nxd6+ Ke6 17.Bf4 g5 18.Bg3 Nxa1 19.Rxa1 Rhd8 20.f3 Bf5 21.Re1+ Kf6 22.h4 h6 23.Be5+ Ke6 24.g4 Bh7 25.Bg3+ Kf6 26.Be5+ Ke6 27.Bg3+ Kf6 28.Be5+ Ke6 1/2-1/2 (28) Mamedov,R (2646)-So,W (2766) chess.com INT 2023 6.Bxf7+ Nxf7 7.Nxf7 Bb4+ 7...Kxf7 8.Qh5+ and with the knight on g8 rather than c6 Black is in trouble. 8.c3 dxc3 8...Kxf7 9.cxb4 9.bxc3
9...Bxc3+? I can't imagine a strong player choosing this today. Black gains a pawn but loses crucial tempi. 9...Kxf7 10.Qh5+ Kf8 11.cxb4 Nf6 and White is certainly better but not winning outright. 10.Nxc3 Kxf7 11.Qd5+ Kf8 12.Ba3+ 12.0-0 Nf6 13.Qd3 12...d6 13.e5 Qg5 14.exd6 Qxd5 15.dxc7+ Kf7 16.Nxd5 Bd7 17.0-0 Rc8 18.Bd6 Ke6 19.Bg3 Bc6 19...Kxd5 20.Rfd1+ Ke6 21.Rd6+ 20.Rad1 Bxd5 21.Rfe1+ Kf6 22.Rxd5 Nh6
23.Ra5? Still winning but very strange. Simply Bh4+ was devastating. 23.Bh4+ Kg6 24.Re6+ Kf7 25.Re7+ Kg6 26.Rg5+ Kf6 27.Rgxg7+ Kf5 28.h3 23...Nf5 24.Rc5 Nxg3 25.hxg3 Kf7 26.Rd1 Rhe8 27.Rd6
27...Re7? A blunder allowing a pretty finish. 27...g6 27...Re1+ 28.Kh2 Ke8 28.Rf5+ Ke8 29.Rd8+! Rxd8 30.Rf8+! Kxf8 31.cxd8Q+ 1–0
  • Start an analysis engine:
  • Try maximizing the board:
  • Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
  • Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
  • Drag the split bars between window panes.
  • Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
  • Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
  • Create an account to access the games cloud.
WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Cochrane,J-Deschapelles,A-1–01821C44Paris
Evans,W-McDonnell,A-1–01826C52London casual
Alekhine,A-Yates,F-1–01922D64London BCF Congress10
Alekhine,A-Yates,F-0–11923E62Karlsbad7
Korobov,A2658Ponomariov,R26551–02023D38European Individual Chess Championship5.1

Select an entry from the list to switch between games

Let us learn together how to find the best spot for the queen in the early middlegame, how to navigate this piece around the board, how to time the queen attack, how to decide whether to exchange it or not, and much more!

Links

Jonathan Speelman, born in 1956, studied mathematics but became a professional chess player in 1977. He was a member of the English Olympic team from 1980–2006 and three times British Champion. He played twice in Candidates Tournaments, reaching the semi-final in 1989. He twice seconded a World Championship challenger: Nigel Short and then Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov in London 1993 and New York 1995.
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.