10. Q's B. takes P. 11. Q. to her B's 2nd. 10. Q's Kt. to K's 2nd. 11. P. to Q's 3rd. Ghulam Kassim, in his copious analysis of this position, recommends you to play 11. P. to K. R's 3rd, or 11. K's B. to K's 4th, and in both cases his variations end in giving the advantage to White. Jaenisch prefers, but I think without sufficient reason, 11. K's R. to K's sq.; the move in the text of 11. Q. to her B's 2nd, strikes me as at least equ il to of the others. 12. B. to K's 4th. 13. Q's Kt. to Q's 2nd. 14. Q's R. to Q's sq. any 12. Kt. to K. Kt.'s 3rd 13. P. to Q. B's 3rd. And the game appears to me in your favour. Remember that at your move 14, you must not, instead of playing Q's R. to Q's sq., take the Kt. with your B., and afterwards play 15. Q's Kt. to K's 4th, because after taking your B. with K. R's P., he might move Q's B. to K. B's 4th, and thus prevent you moving your Kt. advantageously. In the former example, you advanced the K's P. on the Kt., but the present move is advocated among the German players, and may be played without danger. Black's best reply is to check with his B. 7. B. to Q's 2nd. 7. B. takes B. (ch.) If you interpose Q's Kt. at B's 3rd, the following moves will Occur: 7. Q's Kt. to B's 3rd. 9. P. takes B. 7. Kt. takes K's P, 8. B. takes Kt. 9. P. to & s 4th. And he has an equal position and a P more. Castling at this crisis is unanimously condemned by the Italian triumvirate, Lolli, Ponziani (second edition), and the anonymous Modenese;* but as the present variation shows, it may be adopted with perfect safety. Upon Black's 5th move the authorities of Italy and of Germany are at issue, the Italians, with one accord, denouncing the move 5. Kt. takes P., on account of White playing 6. Q. to K's 2nd, and recommending instead that Black should castle also; whilst Messrs. Bilguer and H. der Laza, on the contrary, pronounce 5. Kt. takes K's P. to be the best move of all for the second player. The result of the other mode of play may be seen in the following variation :— *We must be careful of attaching too much importance to the opinions of the earlier authorities and the distinguished writers of the Italian School-their theory of openings being founded upon principles of play'so different to ours, as to render it frequently a useless and sometimes a very treacherous guide. In the time of Damiano and Lopez, Castling appears to have been unknown, at least in Spain and a great part of Europe, and the method of performing this operation in Italy, where it is supposed to have originated, has been subjected to so many variable restrictions, and has been, and is, so dissimilar to the uniform and regular mode proposed by Greco, and now adopted throughout England, Germany, and France that any system of openings dependent on the one, must be in some degree inapplicable to the other. Another peculiarity in the game of the Italian School, which must also tend to qualify the value of their theories to us, is that the Pawn in making two steps at his first move, can never be taken by a hostile Pawn in passing, but is privileged "passer battoglia,” to pass the enemy untouched. 6. P. to Q's 4th. 8. P. to Q. Kt.'s 4th. 9. P. to Q. R's 4th. 10. B. to Q's 5th. 11. Q's R. to his 2nd. 5. Castles. 6. B. to Q. Kt.'s 3rd (best) 9. P. to Q. R's 3rd. And you have the better game. 6 Q. to K's 2nd. You may 6. P. to Q's 4th. also play 6. B. to Q's 5th, and make an even game, for instance, 6. B. to Q's 5th. 6. K. Kt. to B's 3rd. 7. Q. Kt. P. takes B. Your game is at least as good as Black's. 7. B. takes Q. Kt. 8. Kt. takes K. P. 7. B. to Q. Kt.'s 5th. 8. B. takes Q. Kt. 9. Kt. takes K. P. 10. P. to Q's 4th. 7. Castles. 8. P. takes B. 9. Q. B. to Kt.'s 2nd. 10. K. B. to Q. Kt.'s 3rd. There is no advantage on either side. At your 6th move in this game it is not good, I think, instead of Q. to K's 2nd, or B. to Q's 5th, to play P. to Q's 4th, as the following moves seem to give your opponent the better game : Your 5th move is preferred to P. to Q's 4th by some players as safer, though less attacking. (For the result of 5. K. Kt. to Kt.'s 5th, see Game VI., between Messrs. Horwitz and Staunton, at the end of the Chapter.) If Black reply with 5. K's Kt. to his 5th, you can take the K. B's P., checking, and if the K. take the B., you check with the K's Kt., and take his Kt. with your Q.; if he refuse to take your B. with his K., you play Q's B. to K. Kt.'s 5th, having the better game. In reply to your 5th move, he may also play 5. P. to Q's 4th, when the following moves are likely to ensue : P Black's move of 4. P. to Q's 3rd is sanctioned by the approval of Mr. Lewis, who appears to prefer it to the more generally adopted one of K's Kt. to B's 3rd. It may be made, I think, without any positive disadvantage, but I agree with the German writers in believing the latter more advisable. 5. P. to Q's 4th. 6. P. takes P. 5. P. takes P. 6. B. to Q. Kt.'s 5th (ch.) He may also play 6. B. to Q. Kt.'s 3rd, without danger. (e. g.) 7. P. to K. R's 3rd. 8. Q's B. to K. Kt.'s 5th. 6. B. to Q. Kt.'s 3rd. At your 6th move, instead of immediately taking the Fawn, you may play 6. P. to Q. Kt.'s 4th, and when the Bishop retires, take the P. with Q. B's P., and in that case Black must not take the Kt.'s P. with Kt., or he will lose a Piece. 7. B. takes B. (ch.) 7. B. to Q's 2nd. An interesting variation arises nere from your moving the K. to B's sq., instead of interposing the Bishop. (See Var. I. 8. Q's Kt. takes B. 9. Q. to her Kt.'s 3rd. 10. Castles. 11. Q. to her B's 2nd. 12. Q. takes Kt. 13. Kt. takes Kt. 14. Q. to K's 2nd. 15. Q. takes P. 8. K's Kt. to B's 3rd, 9. Castles. 10. Q's Kt. to R's 4th. 12. Kt. takes K's P. 14. P. takes Kt. There is little difference in the positions, but your men are better disposed for immediate action, and you have the advan tage of a Knight against a Bishop. The ingenious move or K. to his B's sq. at this moment, * It would be imprudent to move 9. B. to R's 4th, and when the Kt.'s P. was pushed to Kt.'s 4th, to give up the B. for the two Pawns, because Black would play R. to K. B's sq., with a safe gar 3. |