Steinitz - Lenhof, Vienna 1859 (Game 1)

Hi, for my own learning purposes I will try to learn from Steinitz games and to upload here the games I annotate from time to time. 

This is the game: 

Did I miss any idea there?
 

Good choice of a role model!  He discovered the scientific method in chess and did away with the romantic era.  He discovered the imbalances such as weak squares, pawns, pawn structure, center, queenside pawn majority, bishop pair, good vs. bad bishop or knight, and stated that one cannot prematurely attack, and instead should lay a solid foundation before embarking on an attack.  This means developing all your pieces and consolidating the center.  

:) Yeah, I heard that he was one of the first players who gave to chess most of its important positional foundations and I was curious about how did he play. I believe it's more important to learn from classics like Steinitz than from modern GMs, because I have the impression that their play is too complex to understand for novices or intermediate players (they even skip the "chess principles" and I don't think it's good trying to imitate them).

18....Qd7--avoids Ne7+ winning the exchange.

19.h3--white wants to move his f-pawn, but with the Ba7 he needs to move his K off of g1, and to do that he needs to get rid of the N that also attacks f2.

21.Kh2--to unpin the f-pawn is my best guess.

22....Bb8--strikes through the e-pawn to deter the move f4.

28....h6--black would like to play f6 but that is impossible. 

29.Qd2--offers the B for a winning k-side attack and increases pressure on the dark squares around black's K.

30.f6--finishes off the dark squares.

30....Qd6--attempting to protect h6 with the Q after fxg7.

Some ideas to help you with those moves you had questions on--hope this helps!

Thank you very much!!! It is more clear now :) I think what I need to understand better is why at some stages of any game it is better to use some colour squares and not others. For example, when you said "increases pressure on the dark squares around black's K", I don't know why it is better to use the dark squares and not the light ones, for example.

Thanks for your help :)

The pressure on the dark squares really doesn't begin until white's 28th move.  White wants to play fxe5 and attack f7--a light square--but black just moves Rf8, when e6 is impossible because of the pin (it's why I don't understand Kh2; if there's something wrong with Kh1, I don't see it).  So white plays 28.f5 with the idea of playing f6--the focus now is on the dark squares--when black can't play f6 to stop it.  Black plays 28....h6 instead, with the idea of forcing the B to leave, but white counters with 29.Qd2, when black gets mated if he plays hxg5, and white also theatens 30.Bxh6, gxh6; 31.Qxh6 threatening f6 and mate to follow.  Black plays 29....Kh7 to stop this threat and to unpin the f-pawn.  30.f6 and the pawns at g7 and h6 are under too much pressure--they can't stay where they are and yet they dare not move.  The entire sequence to undermine the dark squares is moves 28, 29, and 30--one idea (fxe5) was parried, so another idea was begun and completed in just three moves.  So it's not some big grandious plan that began on, say, move 7; the idea was an attack on the K, and the attack was adjusted to fit the position.  The threat of f6 is the beginning of the attack on the dark squares; prior to that, it's pressure from the LSB on the light squares--common for an Evan's Gambit.  It takes a little while to understand the concept of color complex weaknesses, but it will come to you if you keep working at your game.  And asking in these forums is a great way to start.  Good luck in your games!

The final position is 31... Qb6 (not 31...Rg8) 32.Qh5 and black resign.  

 Black has five candidates moves and they all lose.

(1) 32...g6?? 33.Qxh6+ Kg8 35.Qg7 mate

(2) 32...gxf6 33.Rxf6 Qxf6 (is a must other wise mate is near.) 34.Bxf6 with a easy win.  

(3) 32...Rg8 33.Bxf7 Rxf7 34. Qxf7 hxg5 35.Qh5 mate.

(4) 32...Rf8 33.fxg7 Kxg7 34.Rf6 Qxf6 35.Bxf6 Kxf6 easy win for White.

(5) 32...Kg8 33.Qg6 because the pin of white bishop (Bd5) 33... Qf6 34.Bf6 and white will mate on g7.

yureesystem

Do you have any idea why Steinitz played Kh2 and not Kh1?  I can't believe he missed Bb8, so am I missing something here?

Nice analysis on the finish, though there was a typo: in line (3) 34.Qxf7 should be Rxf7, true?  Thanks

If is your final position 31...Rg8, the reason for 31... Qb6 will be obvious after the following analysis. 

 31...Rg8 32.Bxf7 Rxf7 ( not 32... Qxd1?? 33.Bxg8+ Kxg8 34.Qxd1 with easy win) 33.Rxd6 Bxd6 34.Qh5 Rd7 ( 34...Rff8 35.fxg7 Rxg7 { not 35...Kxg7 36.Qxh6 mate} 35.Rxf8 Bxf8 36.Bxh6 wins) 35.fxg7 Rgg7 36.Qxh6+ Kg8 37.Bf6 Rh7 38.Qg6+ Kf8 39.Bd8+Rdf7 40.Rxf7 Rxf7 41 Qxd6 wins.

@dashkee94, I want to say I love your annotations, very clear explanation of the moves.   

 That is good question, why 21.Kh1 or 21.Kh2, I had the same thought "Huh! Now I understand why, in some variation the white Rook on f1 is en prise and can be taken with check, Steinitz saw this or purely intiutive, he must be given credit for such a move Kh2. That is why I don't trust engine, they don't understand quiet moves.   

 I double check my analysis 34.Qxf7 is correct, remember OP was wrong in the final position, instead of 31...Rg8, the real final position is 31...Qb6 32.Qh5 and black resigns. 31...Qb6 make sense, he getting his queen out of the away from the rook on d1. So the white queen is on h5 and white bishop capture on f7 and black rook capture  on f7, white queen can capture back on f7. I hope this help.  

 I have to add I love reading your explanation it is so clear.

Thanks for the high praise--I do what I can.  And I guess I didn't pay attention to your note saying black resigned after 32.Qh5; I was under the mistaken impression that the Q was still on e2--so, yes, you're analysis is correct.  Sorry to have made you look twice when it was my reading skills that was faulty.  I agree with you, I don't trust engines either; though they can help in tactical situations, they can give poor evaluations in positions that require a deft touch or deep positional understanding.

Thanks again for the kind words.  Peace!

I would of shorten a lot my analysis but I wanted  to benefit the OP. I remember being low rated when I was going through Philip Sergeant's book on Morphy, he sometime cut his analysis short and didn't understand some the reason behind the moves or the book say mate in eight. Now, that is not a problem and I can figure it out. I believe any player will benefit greatly if they study Morphy's games. 

Thank you dashkee for your kind words too and I did not mind clarify any analysis. I can understand the moves of Steinitz but to explain it in a simple manner; you did that so clearly, you have such a gift in clarity.