- Evergreen game
The Evergreen game is a famous
chess game played in 1852 betweenAdolf Anderssen andJean Dufresne .Adolf Anderssen was one of the strongest players of his time, and was considered by many to be the world champion after winning the 1851
London tournament. Jean Dufresne, a popular author of chess books, was a master of lesser but still considerable skill.This was an informal game, like the "
immortal game ."Wilhelm Steinitz later identified the game as being the "evergreen in Anderssen'slaurel wreath ," giving this game its name. The German word "Immergrün" (Evergreen), used by Steinitz, refers to a specificEvergreen plant, called Periwinkle (Vinca ) in English. The symbolic meaning is expressed in the French translation, the "Forever Young Game" ("La Toujours Jeune").The game
Chess diagram|=
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White: Anderssen
Black: Dufresne
Opening:Evans Gambit , C52
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The position after 7. ... d3?!1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4
This is the "
Evans Gambit ", a popular opening in the 19th century and still seen occasionally today. White gives up material to gain an advantage in development.4. ... Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O d3?!
This isn't considered to be a good response; alternatives include 7... dxc3 or 7... d6.
8. Qb3!?
This immediately attacks the f7 pawn, but
FIDE Master Graham Burgess suggests 8. Re1 instead Harvcol|Burgess|Nunn|Emms|2004|p=20.8. ... Qf6 9. e5 Qg6
White's e5 pawn cannot be captured; if 9. ... Nxe5, then 10. Re1 d6 11. Qa4+, forking the king and bishop for the win of a piece.
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The position after 10. Re1!10. Re1! Nge7 11. Ba3 b5?!
Rather than defending his own position, black offers a counter-sacrifice to activate his queen's rook with tempo. Burgess suggests 11. ... a6 instead to allow the b-pawn to advance later with tempo Harvcol|Burgess|Nunn|Emms|2004|p=21.
12. Qxb5 Rb8 13. Qa4 Bb6
Black cannot castle here because 14. Bxe7 would win a piece as the knight on c6 cannot simultaneously protect the knight on e7 and the bishop on a5.
14. Nbd2 Bb7 15. Ne4 Qf5? 16. Bxd3 Qh5 17. Nf6+!?
This is a beautiful sacrifice, although Burgess notes that 17. Ng3 Qh6 18. Bc1 Qe6 19. Bc4 wins material in a much simpler way Harvcol|Burgess|Nunn|Emms|2004|pp=21-22.
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The position after 19. ... Qxf317. ... gxf6 18. exf6 Rg8 19. Rad1 Qxf3?
After 19... Qxf3 The black queen cannot be captured because the rook on g8 pins the white pawn on g2 (see position). Black now threatens to take either on f2 or g2, both major threats endangering the white king, however there is a shattering resource available.
20. Rxe7+! Nxe7
The alternative passive response of 20... Kd8 does hold for while but White is better after 21. Rxd7+ Kc8 22. Rd8+ (22...Rxd8 23. gxf3 +-) Kxd8 23. Bf5+ Qxd1 24. Qxd1+ Nd4 25. g3
21. Qxd7+! Kxd7 22. Bf5+
Double check s are dangerous because they force the king to move. Here it is not only dangerous but decisive.Chess diagram|=
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The final position after 24. Bxe7#22. ... Ke8 (22. ... Kc6 loses to 23. Bd7
checkmate ) 23. Bd7+ Kf8 24. Bxe7# 1-0 (23. ... Kd8 is mated by 24. Bxe7# or 24. fxe7#)Savielly Tartakower said, "A combination second to none in the literature of the game." harvcol|Tartakower|du Mont|1975|p=35ee also
*
Immortal game References
* Citation
surname1=Burgess|given1=Graham|authorlink1=Graham Burgess
surname2=Nunn|given2=John|authorlink2=John Nunn
surname3=Emms|given3=John|authorlink3=John Emms (chess player)
title=The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games
year=2004
edition=second
publisher=Carroll & Graf
ID=ISBN 978-0-7867-1411-7* Eade, James. "Chess for Dummies". 1996. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. ISBN 0-7645-5003-9.
* Citation
surname1 = Tartakower|given1 = Savielly|authorlink1 = Savielly Tartakower
surname2 = du Mont|given2 = Julius|authorlink2=Julius du Mont
title = 500 Master Games of Chess (1952)
year = 1975
publisher = Dover Publications
ISBN=0-486-23208-5External links
* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1018961 The game on chessgames.com]
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