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[Event "The Immortal Game"]
[Site "London, England"]
[Date "1851.06.21"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adolf Anderssen"]
[Black "Lionel Kieseritzky"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Lionel Kieseritzky"]
[BlackElo "0"]
[ECO "C33"]
[TimeControl "0"]
[WhiteElo "0"]
{ This wonderful game was played just prior to the first international chess
tournament. The tournament was organized by the foremost player of his day,
Howard Staunton. The tournament coincided with the Great Exhibition in
London. It was 1851 at the height of England's imperial glory.|The
following casual game was played at a London cigar and coffee Divan called
Simpson's in the Strand. The place remains a favorite hang out for chess
devotees today.|The two players were very much different in personality.
Adolf Anderssen was a quiet friendly mathematician from Germany. Lionel
Kieseritzky was an irritable chess tutor from France.|The vanquished
Kieseritzky was so impressed by the brilliant execution of Anderssen's attack
that he telegraphed the moves of the game to his favorite haunt in France,
Cafe de la Regence. From then on, this game has come to be known as "The
Immortal Game." Sadly, the telegraph message seems lost to history, but an
abbreviated move list was later reported by Kieseritzky in "La Regence"
(1851, pages 221-222). This is that abbreviated game with Lionel
Kieseritzky's orginal comments interpreted from French to English.|Sadly,
this abbreviated move list does not include the beautiful final combination.
Please view the popular version of "The Immortal Game" in the game index for
a complete score. } 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Bc4 Qh4+ 4. Kf1 b5 5. Bxb5 Nf6 6. Nf3 Qh6 7. d3 Nh5 { White has only two ways to save the rook now, Ke2 and Nh4,
because he would lose playing Kf2 because of Qb6+. } 8. Nh4 Qg5 { This is not
the best move; black had to play g6, and then if white continues with g3
black replies Be7. } 9. Nf5 c6 10. g4 Nf6 11. Rg1 { White's play is superior
after this move. } 11... cxb5 { Instead of taking the bishop that white had cleverly
offered, it would have been much better to push e6 to get rid of the knight
as soon as possible. } 12. h4 Qg6 13. h5 Qg5 14. Qf3 Ng8 { The only move to
save the queen. } 15. Bxf4 Qf6 16. Nc3 Bc5 17. Nd5 { Perfect combination. } 17... Qxb2 { Taking this pawn and both rooks does not have the intended result. } 18. Bd6 { Knockout, there is no defense. This move was played by Mr. Anderssen with
remarkable talent. } 18... Bxg1 19. e5 Qxa1+ 20. Ke2 1-0