Well played!!

What a game!

Thank you, GM Becerra, for posting this game.  This is the game that made Queen's Gambit famous.  Pillsbury just whippd him, with great tactics throughout the game.

And, yes, Pillsbury was Boston's own (though I'd love to steal his birthright, being from New York), and he had the style that captured the American public's attention like Morphy, and his blindfold games are unbelieveable.  If you want to learn how to play great chess against good defense, study this man's games.

And I have to say--all the games between Pillsbury and Lasker are games of two genuises trying to dominate each other.  Study them; all of them are great.

A great game and good played by Pillsbury ,he had the upper hand (tarrasch)but still pillsbury came out as the winner.

My favourite game invloving Pillisbury is one he lost to Lasker, Lasker sacs two rooks in a couple of moves both on the same square, it's a fantastic game. Thanks for posting this.

White seemed in bad shape with a cramped position from early on caused by black's advanced pawn structure. I wish Pillsbury had lived longer so we could have more of his games to look back on today. I read he died of syphilis which was something you didn't talk about if you were a member of high society back then, rather you suffered in silence and hoped for the best so as not to bring shame on yourself and your family because seeking treatment for syphilis implied deviant sexual practices.

What a game! Black had the upperhand on material for only a few steps before losing his queen, and white took advantage of that with a sublime finish! None would have expected that!

Hasting > Hastings

Why did Tarrasch play c2?

moves Kh6 or g4 would lead to Qe6 or Qf7 ff by QxR

Batgirl has the best blog for chess history.

i want to know about the amazing tour of america that pillsbury made and what was his route.  this trek was quite an accomplishment and he carried out exhibitions all along, searching for a syphillys cure. i am trying to put a timeline together, so if anyone can help... it would be greatly appreciated!

The only problem I have with Pillsbury's style of play is that in many of the games of his that I have see he played the Stonewall Attack. Personally, I see that opening system as being too unadventurous and boring.

If memory serves, 1895 was the first of a long series (still on-going, as far as I know) of stellar Christmas tournaments at Hastings.  Several of the players, led by Tarrasch, didn't want Pillsbury included in the tournament since he had no international experience at top-level chess.  Tarrasch had a sublime appreciation for his own chess ability.  (Tarrasch announced to Emanuel Lasker, before their world championship match:  "I have only two words for you, Dr. Lasker: Check and Mate."  Lasker destroyed Tarrasch.)  That Pillsbury mated Tarrasch in their game is a delicious bit of irony. 

Pillsbury was also endowed with a prodigious memory and could easily polish off a dozen or so simultaneous blindfold games while reciting a long list of freshly memorized polysyllabic words and participating in a card game.  Then he would recite the list of words... backwards.  All the time while chain-smoking cigars.

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        My family used to go to Steve's Ice Cream in Somerville, Massachusetts.  The
line would extend outside around the block.  To this day it is the best ice cream
I ever tasted.
        I heard it has now moved to the city of Boston and Steve is no longer the owner.  I wonder if it is still as good.

He was born in Ma., but was living in N.Y. when he went overseas to compete. It should also be noted that his journey to Hasting was sponsored by the Brooklyn chess club.  To put this in perspective, we must consider how many Red Sox players are really from Boston, or the northeast for that matter.  

Harry Nelson Pillsbury was born in Somerville (right outside Boston), Massachusetts and learned chess and lived in Boston until 1894.  He was not a New York player.  As a native Bostonian, having Mr. Pillsbury, rightly considered the greatest New England player ever, tagged as a New Yorker (Brooklyn) is insulting. 

            Why did Tarrasch play  51...c2?

I didn't see the mate coming until it was too late... Genius

Genius! Pillsbury really seemed like he would have won the World Championship had he been able to continue.