Amos Burn was a strong player in his day, but he was most at home with slow maneuvering in closed positions. Blackburne was very much the opposite. Here Burn plays the first combination, but he is swiftly felled by a flurry of counterpunches.
Burn - Blackburne
New York, 1889
C66 RUY LOPEZ, Steinitz Defense
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. 0–0 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. Nxd4 Bd7 7. Nc3 Be7 8. Be3
Plausible, but the Bishop is not well-placed here. Better is 8. Nde2 (avoiding exchanges), or Tarrasch’s 8. b3.
8. ... 0-0 9. Be2 Re8 10. Bf3 Bf8 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bc1
White’s maneuvers might make sense if Black were committed to remaining passive. Instead, he correctly prepares to open the center.
12. ... g5 13. g3 Nxd4 14. Qxd4 Bg7 15. Qd1 Bc6 16. Re1 Qd7 17. Bg2 Re7 18. Qd3 Rae8 19. Bd2 Ng4 20. f3 Ne5 21. Qf1 d5 22. Rad1 dxe4
Perhaps White thought he had prevented this because of the discovered attack.
23. Bxg5
(Diagram)
23. ... exf3!
If so, he was wrong.
24. Bh1
If 24. Rxd7 fxg2 25. Rxe7 (25. Qf4 Nf3+ 26. Kf2 Nxg5 27. Rexe7 Nh3+ 28. Ke2 Rxe7+ 29. Rxe7 Nxf4+ is crushing) 25. ... gxf1Q+ 26. Rxf1 hxg5 leaves Black with two Bishops for a Rook.
24. ... Nd3 25. Rxe7 Bd4+ 26. Be3 Rxe7 27. Qxd3 Rxe3 28. Qxd4 Re1+ 29. Kf2 Qxd4+ 30. Rxd4 Rxh1
Black is only a pawn ahead, but the protected passer on f3 towers over the board.
31. h4 Rc1 32. Ne4 Rxc2+ 33. Kxf3
White could play on for a while three pawns down with 33. Nd2 Rxb2 34. a3 Ra2 35. Rd3 Bb5 36. Rd5 c5, but he chooses a quick death.
33. ... f5 0–1
