Miniature of the Month - from 1908!

Having scanned through my files of games looking for a suitable 'Miniature of the Month" entry for June 2013, I settled on the following game from France. Played between two highly rated players it had the added benefit of starting with a slightly off-beat opening, in this case the Fritz-Ulvstead variation of the Two Knights. But while having a quick play through it looked a little familiar. I'd played a Two Knights online thematic a few years back, and the players looked as though they were following an old main line. It turned out that not only were they following old theory, they were also following an old game. Apart from Black's last move, the whole thing had been played between Leonhardt and Englund in 1908. The only difference was with the move that caused White to resign. In the earlier game Black played 18. ... Ke7 instead of 18. ... Kd7 but in either case the threat of Rxh2 followed by Rh8 is enough to win.


Baron,Tal (2467) - Marcelin,Cyril (2488) [C57]
French Top 12 Haguenau FRA (5.5), 03.06.2013

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nd4 6. c3 b5 7. Bf1 Nxd5 8. cxd4 Qxg5 9. Bxb5+ Kd8 10. O-O Bb7 11. Qf3 Rb8 12. d3 Qg6 13. Qg3 exd4 14. Na3 Bxa3 15. bxa3 Nc3 16. Qxg6 hxg6 17. Bc4 Ne2+ 18. Kh1 Kd7 0-1