Sam Trenholme’s blog
Anderssen vs. Kieseritzky
The above is an interactive chessboard. Click on the large right arrow button to advance the move. The single left arrow goes back one move; the double left arrows return to the beginning of the game; and the double right arrows go to the end of the gameIn 1851, Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky played a casual game of chess during the London Chess tournament that was happening at the time.
This Chess is the best game of Chess played in the 1800s; it is Chess at its finest, with brilliant sacrifical attacks. While Kieseritzky was up material, Anderssen was winning the game which ends with a beautiful checkmate.
Let’s start at the top.
Here is the initial position of Chess. It’s a mess. The rooks are far away from each other. All of the pieces are on the back row, and need to get out on the field to fight. The pawn in front of the King’s Bishop (the “f” pawn) is weakly defended only by the King, resulting in a lot of weaknesses near the most valuable piece.
White has four really good moves to start the game with: 1. e4, 1. d4, 1. c4, or 1. Nc3. Larry Kaufman waffled between whether 1. e4 or 1. d4 was best for White’s first move, ultimately settling on 1. e4. World Champion and tortured Chess genius Bobby Fischer almost always played 1. e4. Kasparov slightly preferred 1. d4, but almost as frequently played 1. e4.
1. e4 is not only arguably the best move at grandmaster level, it is definitely the best move at club level. Vincent Moret, in his excellent book My First Chess Opening Repertoire for White, suggests White always start out with 1. e4.
1. e4 results in tactical games with a lot of exciting calculations.
In the 1800s, almost every game started with 1. e4, so it’s no surprise that this 1851 classic starts with that move.
1. e4
After 1. e4, Black has a number of replies. Modern computer analysis (Stockfish18, 40-ply) shows the following replies to 1. e4, with the best moves first:
- 1...e5 (King’s Pawn opening)
- 1...c5 (The Sicilian defense)
- 1...c6 (Caro-Kann) or 1...e6 (French)
- 1...Nc6 (Nimzowitsch)
- 1...a6 (The St. George, but I prefer the name “Tony Miles defense”) or 1...d6 (The Pirc, played in a very famous game played by Kasparov)
I feel it’s better for club level players like myself to respond to 1. e4 with 1...e5 so that they can learn the tactical traps in the King’s Pawn opening, sharpening their tactics and defensive skills. In 1851, it was very rare to respond to 1. e4 with anything besides 1...e5, so...
1...e5
Modern computer analysis says that 1...e5 is the best reply to 1. e4; it’s an open question whether the best reply to 1. e4 is 1...e5 or 1...c5. In the 1800s, one almost always replied to 1. e4 with 1...e5 so it’s no surprise that that is the move played in this game. In the 20th century (1900s), 1...c5 was far more common; world champions Fischer and Kasparov generally replied to 1. e4 with 1...c5. Recently 1...e5 is making a resurgance; World champion Carlsen replies with 1...e5 more frequently than 1...c5, but is comfortable playing both.
1...e5 leads to an open tactical game with possibilities for both players.
2. f4!?
The King’s Gambit.
The paper Assessing Game Balance with AlphaZero: Exploring Alternative Rule Sets in Chess says that the King’g Gambit is not good for White, saying it “seems to give a substantial advantage to Black across all chess variants considered”. Not only does the King’s Gambit, at Grandmaster level, give Black an edge in Classic Chess, it also gives Black an edge in a number of variants.
That said, the King’s Gambit does still occassionally see play, even at the top level. Before either one was world champion, Spassky beat Fischer as White playing the King’s Gambit in a famous 1960 game.
In the 1800s, with bold sacrifical play, it was natural for Anderssen to offer a pawn for sacrifice on his second move.
2...exd5
Kieseritzky naturally accepts the sacrifice. Indeed, one theme in this game is that Anderssen keeps offering Kieseritzky material, and Kieseritzky as Black accepts every piece Anderssen offers for sacrifice.
As it turns out, accepting the gambit is Black’s best move here; Fischer, after his defeat by Spassky, wrote that “The refuatation of any gambit begins with accepting it” before showing a line which he felt refuted the King’s Gambit. Modern computer analysis shows that 2...exd4 is indeed Black’s best move.
Another alternative besides 2...exd4 is the Falkbeer Counter-Gambit, 2...d5. For people who want to avoid the tactical complications of a gambit, it is usually declined with 2...Bc5.
3. Bc4
Here Anderssen plays the Bishop’s Gambit. John Shaw recently wrote a nearly 700-page long book on the King’s Gambit, where he states that “it is my belief, backed up by analysis, that White cannot equalize after 3...Bc4”. That said, computer analysis shows the Bishop’s Gambit is about as strong as the far more common 3. Nf3 (but both favor Black, according to both the computer and with the results we see in master level Chess games), and after Spassky’s defeat of Fischer playing 3. Nf3, Fischer won two tournament games as White playing 3. Bc4 in the King’s Gambit.
Inspired by his loss to Spassky, Fischer wrote an article about busting the King’s gambit should White continue with 3. Nf3 instead of the 3. Bc4 that Anderssen played in this game. The bust is this: after White plays 3. Nf3, White plays 3...d6; a line now called the Fischer Defense. Computer analysis perfers 3...Nf6 (or h6 or g5) over 3...d6, but at master play, Black gets the most wins refuting 3. Nf3 with Fischer’s 3...d6.
Shaw suggests, in his thick book on the King’s Gambit, for Black to refute 3. Bc4 by playing 3...Nc6, and indeed computer analysis shows that Nc6 is Black’s best response to the Bishop’s gambit. That, however, is not the move Kieseritzky made in this game; he made Black’s second best move.
3...Qh4+
Now it’s impossible for Anderssen to castle. 4. g3 does not work: After 4...fxg3 5. Qf3 gxh2+ White can not save his kingside knight from being taken by the pawn.
The only playable move for White here is the move Anderssen makes...
4. Kf1
Black’s best defense here is 4...d6. However, Kieseritzky doesn’t play that.
4...b5?
A mistake, but an understandable one considering it was 1851 and considering that Kieseritzky had the Black pieces.
This move, called the Bryan Countergambit, is a move that Kieseritzky extensively analyzed. In the five games on record where Kieseritzky played this counter-gambit, he won three of them.
It’s well known here in the 21st century that this is a bad move for Black to make; when Kasparov had to make this sub-optimal move in a themed exhibition game, his reaction was that the position was so bad for Black, he “wanted to resign immediately”.
5.Bxb5
There is no reason for White to not take the offered pawn. When Kasparov played the Black side of this position, only because it was an exhibition game where the organizers chose which opening Kasparov had to play, he “simply did not understand: for what has the pawn been given up?”
5...Nf6
Black finally develops a minor piece. Black should had developed a minor piece sooner with 3...Nc6—it’s important to develop one’s minor pieces early in the game.
6. Nf3
Not only does White develop another minor piece, but White does so with a threat: Black’s Queen is now threatened by White’s knight. One disadvantage of playing an early Qh4+ with his Queen is that it’s now vulnerable to attack, costing Black valuable tempi, since he has to move his Queen instead of developing more pieces.
6...Qh6
Black has been forced to move his Queen, giving white another tempo to develop. This is Black’s best square for the Queen; Kasparov points out that if Black played 6...Qh5 instead, after 7. Nc3 Bb7, 8. e5 favors White.
7. d3
White strengthenes the center and solidifies his e pawn by playing d3. While modern computers feel White is better developing his Queenside knight to c3 instead (7. Nc3!), the played move provides perfectly reasonable development for White.
7...Nh5?
This move is a mistake. Instead of developing another minor piece, such as playing 7...Bc5, Black instead moves a piece twice.
Black’s plan is to next play Nxg3+ to win White’s kingside rook: If White moves his king, Black takes the rook with Nxh1; if White takes the pawn with hxg3, Black gets the rook with Qxh1+.
8. Nh4
White, seeing Black’s planned attack, blocks the path from the Black queen to the White kingside rook. Now, if Black attempts 8...Ng3+, 9. hxg3 takes the knight and White’s knight on h4 blocks Qxh1+ from being a legal move. Should Black attempt 9...fxg3??, 10. Bxh6 takes Black’s queen.
8...Qg5
This stops White from gaining another tempo by threatening Black’s queen with Nf5, but Kieseritzky himself later on saw that 8...g6 would had been a better response, because it altogether prevents Nf5.
9. Nf5
While it’s suboptimal for White to move a piece twice, Black’s threat forces White to place the knight on a far better square.
9...c6
Black now threatens one of White’s piece. Anderssen, typical of an 1800s player, sees if there is a possible sacrifice....
10. g4!?
White’s best move was the passive looking 10. Ba4, but this move gives White a counterattack and keeps Black on the defensive.
10...Nf6
10...cxb5 11. gxh5 would had been better for White than the played move.
11. Rg1!
A brilliant move! Black now gets a piece, but White has more than compensation for the piece: He can now hamper Black’s development while developing his own peices because Black will need to protect his Queen while White gets his pieces on the board to prepare an attack against Black’s king.
11...cxb5
Black would had been better off with 11...h5, but in 1851, no self respecting Chess player was going to refuse the sacrifice of a piece.
12. h4
Black’s queen is now on the run, and White is in control of the game. While Black has a piece to keep him warm, White’s attack and domination is well worth the loss of his king’s bishop.
12...Qg6
This is the only safe square for the Queen in the tomb White has set up for her.
13. h5
White trap for Black’s queen is becoming smaller and smaller. Black is forced to move his queen yet again.
13...Qg5
Now that all escape is closed off for Black’s queen, White gets ready to capture her.
14.Qf3
Can Black find an escape from the trap his queen is in, before White plays Bxf4?
14...Ng8
Black finds an escape, but at a disastrous cost of development. Black had to retreat his developed kingside knight back to its home square, causing the piece to no logner be developed.
Another try is for Black to counter-attack White’s queen: 14...Bb7! 15. Bxf4 Nxg4 16. Bxg5 (16. Rxg4? Qxf5 and the bishop on b7 stops White from playing exf5 without giving up his own Queen) Nh2+ and now Black’s knight forks both White’s king and queen. Even after 17. Kf2 Nxf3 18. Kxf3, with Black getting White’s queen, however, White still has a considerable—probably winning—lead in development.
15. Bxf4
Let’s look at the board:
- White has three pieces developed, namely his kingside knight, his queenside bishop, and his queen.
- Black has only one piece developed—his queen—and it’s being chased by White.
- White has four pawns off of their home ranks, controlling more space than Black.
- Black has only one pawn, a weak pawn on the b file, developed.
15...Qf6
Black’s queen is finally free.
16. Nc3
White continues to develop his pieces.
16...Bc5
Black’s move was a little too greedy here; White’s queen, knight, and bishop on the f file are getting ready to attack Black’s queen, so Black needs to counteract that. 16...Bb7, which Kasparov considers an improvement, is better since it pins White’s e pawn. Another try is 16...Qc6.
17. Nd5
Being the sacrifical player he is, Anderssen leaves his rook on g1 hanging and responds with a counterthreat that offers his b2 pawn for sacrifice.
17...Qxb2
It would be best here for White to save his rook with 18. Re1 here, but Anderssen is not about to pass up a bold sacrifice in this position.
18. Bd6!
An amazing move! Anderssen not only offers one, but both rooks for sacrifice. Black’s best reply is now 18...Qxa1 19. Ke2 Qb2! but White’s attack on the c5 bishop leads Kieseritzky to move away from the attack and accept one of the pieces White is offering for sacrifice.
18...Bxg1
Accepting every piece White offers is the theme of this game, regardless of how much it weakens Black’s position. White’s next move leaves his remaining rook on a1 for Black to take.
19. e5!
Kieseritzky is not about to refuse the sacrifice of Anderssen’s other rook.
19...Qxa1+
White now must move out of check. Even with this loss of tempo, White’s attack on Black’s king is overwhelming.
20. Ke2
Some accounts say that Black resigned at this point, but there’s a strong argument that Kieseritzky played one final move to defend the c7 square.
20...Na6
Mate in 3. These moves were not actually played on the board, but here is the sequence:
21. Nxg7+
Black has only one legal move. The mating sequence continues.
21...Kd8
In the movie Blade Runner, the superhuman genetically engineered replicant Roy finds the mating move, but Sebastian doubts whether the move works. This is the move Roy found in the movie, and the move Anderssen saw in real life:
22. Qf6+!!
Black has two options here: To take the queen with Nxf6, or to block the check with Ne7. If 22...Ne7, 23. Qxe7 is mate. It’s more elegant to take the queen, so, in the theme of Kieseritzky accepting every sacrifice offered him in this game, the move is...
22...Nxf6
It’s now mate in one. Roy, later on in the movie Blade Runner, has Sebastian tell a confused Tyrell, who also appears to think the knight taking the queen ends things for White, to make this move:
23. Be7#
And it’s checkmate.