The Last True Chess Romantic - Hermann vs Charousek, 1896

The Hungarian attacking chess master, Rudolf Charousek, may have been the last great romantic chess player. His swashbuckling style, prone to the King's Gambit and general recklessness, was already out of place in the 1890's, but he used this style to defeat the best players of his day before dying far too young from tuberculosis in 1900.

In the same year that our below miniature against Hermann was played, Charousek even defeated the great Lasker at Nuremberg with the King's Gambit. Possibly the only time a reigning world chess champion was defeated in a classical game with the King's Gambit? Lasker was so inspired he said the following:

I shall have to play a championship match with this man someday.

Commenting on his early death and inspiring play, the great American player and author Reuben Fine had this to say:

Playing over his early games is like reading Keats' poetry: You cannot help feeling a grievous, oppressive sense of loss, of promise unfulfilled.

Lessons:
* Never develop aimlessly (Qe2, Re1, Bd2).
* Be wary of giving up the bishop pair early in the game.

I've included brief notes on this game below.

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