A chess bicentennial: Remembering when the Londoners got Scotched

We’re big on anniversaries here as a good excuse for a column, but this is the first bicentennial we’ve had the opportunity to celebrate.

Exactly 200 years ago, the Edinburgh Chess Club, formed two years earlier, cheekily challenged the far more established London Chess Club to a correspondence match, with moves transported between the cities by horse and carriage. It took four years for all five games to be completed, with the Scots scoring a major upset with two wins, a loss and two draws and claiming the silver cup made for the match winner. The “Scot’s Gambit Cup” sits to this day in a trophy case at the still-thriving Edinburgh club.

The critical fifth game was an especially tense back-and-forth affair, even if it took several years to complete. The Black team can be forgiven here for their uncertain handling of the Scotch Opening (far more usual nowadays is 3…exd4), since this is the match that effectively introduced the opening to the world. (Interestingly, it was the London club who first played it in Game 1; the Edinburgh side liked the concept so much, they adopted it here and stole the name in the process). Still, though the first moves were a little shaky, by 11. Qc4 Bc5 12. 0-0 0-0, Black has obtained a very playable game and the position is evenly balanced.

Edinburgh’s 17. Bg5 Qg6 18. b3?! leads to some pronounced discomfort along the long diagonal, as after 18…f6 19. Bc1 Qxg3 20. hxg3 Bd4 21. bxc4 Bxc3 22. Rb1, White has the clearly inferior pawn structure and must use the rooks actively on the open files to keep the balance.

But the London squad appears to grow overconfident on 25 f3 f5 26. exf5 Re2!? (getting the rook to the seventh rank can never be wholly bad, but Black will end up regretting not taking recapturing with 26…Rxf5 — 27. Rxd6? Re1+ wins on the spot, as the cluster of White kingside pawns will prove both a potent asset both offensively and defensively in the coming play.

The Scots lure their opponents deeper into the positional quicksand on 34. Kh2 Ree1 (the doubled rooks appear to be drawing a bead on the White king, but it is the neglected Black king who faces the greater peril) 35. Kh1 Rh1+ 36. Bh2 (the pinned bishop proves an irresistible lure; there was a draw to be had on 36. Kg3 Be1+ 37. Kf4 Bd2+ 38. Kg3) Bc3 37. f4 Bd2 38. g3! Ba5 39. Re3! — leaving the bishop to its fate as the White rooks now go on the attack.

Black wins the targeted piece but ends up losing the game and the match: 39… Rc2 40. g5 (already threatening 41. g6 mate) Rhxh2+ 41. Kg4 h5+ 42. Kf3 Rhf2+ 43. Ke4, and the White king now only escapes the Black checks but joins in on the mating attack. By 46. Kf6 Rxf5+ 47. Kxg6 Rf8 48. Rg7+, Black’s extra piece means nothing as his cornered king can’t be rescued.

Edinburgh finishes things off in style on 55. g6 Rc3 56. g4 Bf8+ (see diagram) 57. Rxf8+! Kxf8 58. g7+ Kf7 59. Rh8 Rc6+ 60. Kh7, and the next mail delivery brought Black’s concession, as White wins easily after 60… Rg6 61. Rf8+ Ke7 62. Kxg6.

—-

That same year in 1824, Dutch players from Amsterdam and Rotterdam engaged in their own postal battle, one with a quicker result. The opening kickoff — 1. e3!? — looks funny to modern eyes, but the game soon evolves into a Symmetrical English with the center locked up (5…d5!?, instead of the game’s demure 5…d6?!, would be most modern players’ choice), with both cities looking for the right time for a pawn break on the wing.

The first real positional howler comes after 12. e4 Na7 (maybe not the optimal move, but the right idea — trying to push through with an eventual b7-b5 lever) 13. Nd2 Rab8 14. f4 (Amsterdam rightly tries to counter with a kingside break) Ng4?! (Qd8 15. f5 Bd7 16. Nd5 Nxd5 leaves White with only a slight edge), as White could have taken charge now with 15. f5 Ne3 16. fxe6 Qxe6 17. Qb1 Nxf1 18. Nxf1, and the two minor pieces would be worth much more than the rook and pawn in such open middlegames.

White misses that chance, but Rotterdam promptly offers another on 15. Bxg4!? Bxg4 16. Qe1 f5? (Black is getting away from his queenside ambitions, and only White will benefit if the battle is concentrated on the kingside) 17. fxe5 (also strong was simply 17. Nd5 fxe4 18. Nxe4 Nc6 19. Qg3, with heavy pressure) dxe5 18. Nd5 Bd6? (Rbe8 was mandatory to keep the game alive, though White’s pieces still occupy all the primary real estate on the board) 19. h3 Bh5 20. exf5 Bf7 (Rxf5? 21. Rxf5 Qxf5 22. Ne4 Bf8 [Qe6 23. Nxd6 Qxd6 24. Bxe5 wins] 23. g4 wins material) 21. Ne4, already with the threat of 22. Ndf6+!.

The Amsterdam team presses home its advantage with Dutch energy and efficiency: 23. f6! Nc8 24. Qh4! (threatening 25. fxg7 Qxg7 26. Nf6+) Kh8 25. Rf3 Rf7 26. Raf1 g6 (trying to keep the attacking lines shut, but White’s army is just too well-placed) 27. Bc1! Nb6 28. Bh6 Bf8, and the Rotterdam king’s ramparts are breached with 29. Bg7+!.

The rest is a rout: 29…Bxg7 30. fxg7+ Rxg7 31. Rf8+ Rxf8 (Rg8 32. R1f7! is crushing) 32. Rxf8+ Rg8 33. Rxg8+ Kxg8 34. Nf6+, and Black resigned as the queen is lost.

(Click on the image above for a larger view of the chessboard.)

Edinburgh-London Correspondence Match 1824-1826, Game 5

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4 4. Nxd4 exd4 5. Qxd4 Ne7 6. Bc4 Nc6 7. Qd5 Qf6 8. Nc3 Bb4 9. Bd2 d6 10. Bb5 Bd7 11. Qc4 Bc5 12. O-O O-O 13. Qd3 Ne5 14. Qg3 Bxb5 15. Nxb5 c6 16. Nc3 Nc4 17. Bg5 Qg6 18. b3 f6 19. Bc1 Qxg3 20. hxg3 Bd4 21. bxc4 Bxc3 22. Rb1 b6 23. Rd1 Rae8 24. Rb3 Ba5 25. f3 f5 26. exf5 Re2 27. g4 Rxc2 28. Bf4 Rxc4 29. Bxd6 Re8 30. Ra3 h6 31. Bc7 Re7 32. Rd8+ Kh7 33. Rc8 Rc1+ 34. Kh2 Ree1 35. Kh3 Rh1+ 36. Bh2 Bc3 37. f4 Bd2 38. g3 Ba5 39. Re3 Rc2 40. g5 Rhxh2+ 41. Kg4 h5+ 42. Kf3 Rhf2+ 43. Ke4 g6 44. Rc7+ Kg8 45. Ke5 Rc5+ 46. Kf6 Rxf5+ 47. Kxg6 Rf8 48. Rg7+ Kh8 49. Kh6 Bb4 50. Re6 Rf5 51. Rh7+ Kg8 52. Rg6+ Kf8 53. Rxc6 Rc5 54. Rf6+ Ke8 55. g6 Rc3 56. g4 Bf8+ 57. Rxf8+ Kxf8 58. g7+ Kf7 59. Rh8 Rc6+ 60. Kh7 Black resigns.

Amsterdam-Rotterdam Correspondence Match, 1824

1. e3 e5 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. b3 Nf6 5. Bb2 d6 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. Nh4 Qd7 8. d3 Be7 9. Be2 Be6 10. Nf3 a6 11. O-O O-O 12. e4 Na7 13. Nd2 Rab8 14. f4 Ng4 15. Bxg4 Bxg4 16. Qe1 f5 17. fxe5 dxe5 18. Nd5 Bd6 19. h3 Bh5 20. exf5 Bf7 21. Ne4 Bxd5 22. cxd5 Rbe8 23. f6 Nc8 24. Qh4 Kh8 25. Rf3 Rf7 26. Raf1 g6 27. Bc1 Nb6 28. Bh6 Bf8 29. Bg7+ Bxg7 30. fxg7+ Rxg7 31. Rf8+ Rxf8 32. Rxf8+ Rg8 33. Rxg8+ Kxg8 34. Nf6+ Black resigns.

• David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email at dsands@washingtontimes.com.