Lessons from the past 1 - La Bourdonnais vs. McDonnell

With the advent of super-strong chess engines, it might seem like studying games from the distant past is an exercise in futility. What could we possibly hope to learn from the blunder-ridden ding-dong battles of bygone eras? Weren't those the days when nobody cared about material and blindly launched unsound attacks that only ever worked on unsuspecting patzers? Well, not always. Way back in the year 1834, almost 200 years ago, a famous chess match took place between La Bourdonnais (from France) and McDonnell (from Ireland). At the time, these two players were considered by many to be the strongest in the world, and the match was touted to decide who would be the champion. During the monumental 85-game match, both players introduced theoretically significant ideas and displayed a keen tactical awareness, showcasing an array of dazzling combinations that many modern players would be proud of. La Bourdonnais ultimately proved the stronger player, defeating his opponent 45-27, with the remaining games drawn.

As a demonstration of his tactical prowess, let's take the position below as an example. After a tactical flurry in the middlegame, La Bourdonnais (with the Black pieces) seems to have a very promising position. However, his king is also very weak, and his bishop is under attack. It is a precarious situation. Here, he finds a wonderful combination to overpower his opponent. I urge you to keep calculating from the initial position, as the variation can run quite deep.