Late Knight 
by Richard Forster

De Labourdonnais, McDonnell and a Thematic Sacrifice 

Which was the greatest match rivalry in the history of chess?
Morphy v Anderssen? Steinitz v Zukertort? Capablanca v
Alekhine? Spassky v Fischer? Karpov v Kasparov? All wrong. The
one and only, the unbeatable and unforgettable was the gigantic
encounter between the Frenchman Louis Charles Mahe de
Labourdonnais (1797-1840) and his Irish rival Alexander
McDonnell (1798-1835) back in the summer 1834 at the London
Westminster Chess Club. They fought a series of six matches with
a total of 85 (88?) games, which saw de Labourdonnais emerging
as the superior player with a score of about +44 -28 =13 (chess
historians have actually not yet come to a definite conclusion on
the exact score!). This match is memorable not only for its length
and the two contenders' outstanding position among their
contemporaries in the Chess World but also for the high quality
and brilliance of the games. How often do we hear nowadays that
the spectators were disappointed in a big match because the players
played too cautiously. No such cowardice 150 years ago!
Unfortunately the chess community's memory of the great match is
usually restricted to the famous 62nd game where McDonnell was
forced to resign facing three enemy pawns on his second rank (See
Diagram).

White: Kh1, Qc3, Rd1; pawns - a2, b2, d7, g2, h2; 
Black: Kh8, Rd8, Bg8; pawns - a5, d2, e2, f2, g7, h7

The aim of this article is to draw your attention to some of the
lesser known games of the match, all featuring one particular
motif: a piece sacrifice on g4 (g5) after the pawn push g2- g4
(g7-g5).

de Labourdonnais - McDonnell, 43rd game, London 1834

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bd6

In the first stage of the match McDonnell had played 6...Be7 in six
games, but he lost all of them. He was much more successful with
6...Bd6, which eventually caused de Labourdonnais to switch to
1.e4 in the later games.

7.Nf3 0-0 8.h3 

152 years later Ulybin showed that White does not need to fear 8.0
0 Bg4 because of the tactical sequence 9.h3 Bh5 10.g4 Bg6 11.Ne5
c5 12.Nxg6 hxg6 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Bxf7+! Kxf7 15.Qb3+ Ke8
16.Re1+ Be7 17.Qxb7 Nbd7 18.g5! with very good play for White
(Ulybin-Erykalov, Soviet Union 1986).

8...Re8+ 9.Be3 Nc6 10.0 0 h6 11.a3 Bf5 12.g4?! 

The thematic move, but hardly convincing. Normal continuations
are 12.Re1 or 12.Rc1, while the pawn-grabbing 12.Qb3 Qd7
13.Qxb7 is highly dangerous: 13...Na5 14.Qb5 Nxc4 15.Qxc4
Bxh3! 16.gxh3 Qxh3, and Black's attack guarantees him at least a
perpetual check.

12...Bxg4!? 

There was nothing wrong with the simple 12...Bg6, but McDonnell
was as brilliant an attacking player as his opponent, and here he
sees the opportunity for a long-term attack on the white king. 

13.hxg4 Nxg4 14.Qd3! 

Black gets good play after 14.Nd5 Na5 15.Bd3 c6 16.Bf5 Nxf2
17.Rxf2 cxd5 18.Bc1 Nc4.

14...Qf6 15.Kg2 Ne7! 16.Ne4? 

This natural-looking move leads White into great difficulties
because Black's queen becomes very active. 16.Rh1 Nf5 was not
satisfying either, e.g. 17.Bd2 Qg6 18.Kf1 Nxf2! 19.Kxf2 Qg3+
20.Kf1 Ne3+ 21.Bxe3 Qxf3+ 22.Kg1 Qg3+ 23.Kf1 Rxe3 and
Black wins. The correct defense was 16.Nd5! Nxd5 17.Bxd5 with
about equal chances. Black might get another pawn, but his attack
is under control. 

16...Qg6! 17.Ng3 

17.Kh1 was better, although Black retains a menacing attack after
either 17...Nf5 or 17...Qh5+.

17...Nxe3+ 18.Qxe3 Nf5 19.Qd3 Bxg3 20.fxg3 Qxg3+ 21.Kh1
Ne3! 22.Bxf7+! 

An excellent counter-shot. Black dare not take the bishop, for after
22...Kxf7? 23.Qb3+! there is suddenly no safe square for his king.
22...Kh8! 23.Qg6

The alternative 23.Qe2 is answered by 23...Re4 intending to
administer a pretty mate after 24.Rg1 Qxf3+! 25.Qxf3 Rh4+. If
White plays 24.Qh2 instead, he gets a lost ending after 24...Qxh2+
25.Kxh2 Rf4 26.Bh5 Nxf1+ 27.Rxf1 Raf8 28.Kg3 (28.Kg2 g6!)
28...Rxd4 or 25.Nxh2 Nxf1 26.Rxf1 Rxd4. The text move however
allows Black to win very quickly with 23...Qh3+ 24.Kg1 Re4!
25.Nh2 Rg4+. McDonnell overlooks this opportunity and has to
play a long ending instead.

23...Nxf1? 24.Rxf1 Qh3+ 25.Kg1 Re3 26.Rf2? 

Much more stubborn was 26.Bd5, but even then Black has
excellent winning chances after 26...Rae8 27.Bxb7 R8e6 28.Qg2
Qxg2+ 29.Kxg2 Rb6.

26...Rxf3 27.Rg2 Rxf7 28.Qxf7 Qe3+ 29.Qf2 Qxf2+ 30.Rxf2 Rd8

With two extra pawns Black wins easily. 31.Rf7 would be
answered by 31...Rxd4 32.Rxc7 Rd1+ 33.Kf2 Rd2+ and 34...Rxb2. 

31.Rf4 Rd7 32.Kf2 Kh7 33.Kf3 g5 34.Rf6 Kg7 35.Re6 Rxd4
36.Re7+ Kg6 37.Rxc7 Rd3+ 38.Ke4 Rb3 39.Rc2 h5 40.Rd2 g4
41.Kf4 Rf3+ 42.Ke5 Kg5 43.Rd7 Rb3 44.Rd2 g3 45.Rd8 Kg4
46.Rg8+ Kh3 47.Kf4 h4 0-1

de Labourdonnais - McDonnell, 45th game, London 1834

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Bd6
7.Nf3 Nc6 8.0 0 0 0 9.h3 h6 10.a3 Bf5 11.g4

Nearly the same situation as in the previous game. De
Labourdonnais did not fear 11...Bxg4 12.hxg4 Nxg4, because after
13.Qd3 the omitted moves Be3/Re8 are clearly in his favor. 

11...Nxg4!? 12.hxg4 Bxg4 13.Be2 

White's position is not enviable. He could try 13.Ne4 here, but in
my opinion the reply 13...Re8 is very strong, e.g. 14.Ng3 Qf6
15.Bd5 Rad8; 14.Qd3 Qe7 15.Bd5 Rad8 or 14.Nxd6 Qxd6 15.Qb3
Qg6 with a fierce attack.

13...Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Qh4 15.Re1 Nxd4 16.Ne4 

16.Re4 was to be considered, too. Perhaps Black's best
continuation then is 16...Qh2+ 17.Kf1 c5 18.Be3 Be5!? with a
lasting initiative.

16...Bh2+ 17.Kf1 Rad8 18.Be3 Nf5 19.Qc2 Qh3+ 20.Bg2 Qg4
21.f3 Qg6 22.Bf2 Ne7! 

This knight is heading for f4 where it will put White's kingside
under heavy pressure.

23.Rad1 Nd5 24.Bc5 Qc6

But not 24...Rfe8? because of 25.Rxd5! Rxd5 26.Nf6+. 

25.Qb3 Nf4?! 

However here 25...Rfe8 deserved attention. Black keeps the
initiative after 26.Rxd5 Rxd5 27.Nf6+ gxf6 28.Rxe8+ Qxe8
29.Qxd5 Qb5+ 30.Ke1 Qxb2.

26.Bxf8 Qa6+ 27.Kf2 Rxd1 28.Bf1?? 

This intermediate move loses instantly. Of course White had to
play 28.Qxd1, when after 28...Nd3+ 29.Kf1! Nf4+ he can choose
between a draw by perpetual check after 30.Kf2 or an equal ending
after 30.Re2 Nxe2 31.Qxe2 Qxe2+ 32.Kxe2 Kxf8.

28...Bg1+! 29.Kxg1 

Or 29.Kg3 Qg6+ 30.Kxf4 Rxe1 with a quick mate. 

29...Rxe1 30.Ng3 Qg6 31.Kf2 Rxf1+ 32.Nxf1 Kxf8 0-1

The next game proves that de Labourdonnais had learnt his lesson,
as he beats McDonnell with a similar sacrifice:

de Labourdonnais - McDonnell, 63rd game, London 1834

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.0 0 d6 7.d4
exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.d5 Na5 10.Bd3 Nf6 11.Nc3 0 0 12.h3 Bd7
13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 g5? 

Oh no... Should he not know the dangers? Better was 14...c5,
starting the customary counter- play on the queenside.

15.Nxg5 (of course!) hxg5 16.Bxg5 Bd4 

McDonnell hoped to be able to defend his king with this bishop,
but an additional exchange sacrifice destroys this plan effectively.
After 16...Kg7 White could already have played 17.e5 dxe5
18.Ne4, with a winning position after 18...Nxe4 19.Bxd8 Nxf2
20.Rxf2 Raxd8 21.Qh5!

17.Ne2! Bxa1 

Black cannot preserve the bishop for 17...Be5 18.f4! only plays
into White's hands. 

18.Qxa1 Kg7 19.f4 Qe7 

McDonnell hopes to escape with 20.e5 dxe5 21.fxe5 Qc5+, but
White has an even stronger threat.

20.Qc3 b6 21.Rf3! 

This could already have been played on the previous move. There
is no defense against Bxf6+ and Rg3+. 

21...Nc4 22.Bxf6+ Qxf6 23.Rg3+ 1-0

A devastating defeat! Still a couple of games later de
Labourdonnais seems to have forgotten about the danger of this
attacking motif...

de Labourdonnais - McDonnell, 77th game, London 1834

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.0 0 d6 7.d4
exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Bb2 Nf6 10.d5 Na5 11.Bd3 0 0 12.Nc3 Bg4
13.h3 

Better seems to be 13.Ne2 as Paulsen played against Mackenzie
(London 1862). He scored a quick win after 13...Bxf3 14.gxf3 c5
15.Qd2 c4 16.Bc2 Rc8 17.Bc3 Rc5 18.Kh1 Ne8 19.Rg1 f6 20.Nf4
Nc7 21.Nh5 Rf7 22.Qh6 Qf8 23.Ba4 Kh8 24.Bxf6 1-0. (This is the
"official" version, but I suspect that the last move should rather be
24.Rxg7 and only on the next move 25.Bxf6.)

13...Bh5 14.Kh1?! 

14.Kh2, 14.Ne2 or 14.Qd2 are possible improvements. 14.g4
however was not advisable because of the thematic knight sacrifice
on g4.

14...Qd7 15.Kh2 

Not exactly convincing, but better, at any rate, than 15.g4 which
loses by force: 15...Nxg4 16.hxg4 Bxg4 17.Be2 Bxf3+ 18.Bxf3
Nc4 19.Rb1 Qh3+ 20.Kg1 Nxb2 21.Rxb2 Rae8, and 22.Bg2 fails
to 22...Qxc3.

15...Rae8 16.g4? 

That's really asking for it! After 16.Qd2 followed by either 17.Qf4
or 17.Nh4 de Labourdonnais could still have obtained a reasonable
position.

16...Nxg4+! 17.hxg4 Qxg4 18.Be2 Qf4+ 19.Kh1 Bxf3+ 20.Bxf3
f5! 21.Bg2 

It does not matter what he plays, for Black wins in every variation:
21.exf5 Qh4+ 22.Kg2 Rxf5 23.Bc1 Ref8! or 21.Na4 Qh4+ 22.Kg2
fxe4, and again White collapses on the f-file.

21...Rf6 22.Qd3 

Or 22.Bh3 Rh6 23.Kg2 fxe4 with a quick win (24.Bc1 Rg6+
25.Kh1 Qh4 26.Kh2 Bxf2).

22...Rh6+ 23.Bh3 fxe4 24.Nxe4 Rxe4 25.Bc1 Re3 26.Bxe3 Rxh3+
0-1

Think twice before pushing your knight pawn two squares in your
next game! 

Copyright 1998 Richard Forster. All Rights Reserved.