An Introduction to the Chess Games of Rudolf Charousek. Part Two.

Good morning everyone. I am finally back with part two.

For  anyone who hasn't seen it, I would recommend that you go to Part One and check out Jessica Fischer's youtube links there for a host of great images and some biography.

Charousek's next tournament after his debut at Nuremburg was a major breakthrough - he tied for first place with Tchigorin at Budapest 1896 - before losing the play-off match - ahead of a host of strong players.

His game against Tchigorin from the main part of the tournament is one that I first saw in Harry Golombek's History of Chess over 40 years ago. It is a mad game!! Few players would have had the courage to take on Tchigorin in gambit play! Notes C. are by Charousek.

Two rounds later he accounted for Pillsbury. Notes M. by Maroczy.

A photo of the event, found by our own @batgirl 

A short break from the serious stuff. An off-hand game where Charousek decides to sacrifice as many pieces as he can!! Not 100% perfect chess, but great fun.

Charousek followed up this result with another fine success at the second Berlin Tournament of 1897, and firmly established himself as one of the absolute elite class players off the time.

With my own unusual approach to chess history and games, the following is a game that I have spent a lot of time on. It is a significant one in the evolution of the Ruy Lopez, and, down to the final move, is beautifully played by Charousek.

As at Nuremburg, Janowski's determination to play for the win in the endgame gets punished - this time with a beautiful idea that is a forerunner to a much quoted classic.

An off-hand game that I included in an earlier post.

To close, a game from the First Hungarian Correspondence Chess Championship, 1893-1897. Charousek and Maroczy tied for first. 

Charousek played some high quality chess in the tournament, but the following rather chaotic effort is the one that sticks in my head!