1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 [It is safe enough to take the pawn, but Black should not try to keep it; for consequences of the latter course, see Chess Openings for Beginners in this series.] 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 [Much better than 4.Qa4+ and 5.Qxc4, taking two moves to do what the one move does better.] 4...exd4 5.exd4 [An isolated pawn (connected with, or supported by, no other pawn) does not matter in this Opening; it is easily defended, and can generally be exchanged.] 5...Nf6 6.Nc3 Be7 7.Nf3 0-0 8.Be3 c6 [To keep the Knight from advancing to Black's side, and to furnish a support for Black's Knight at d5. 8...Ng4 would do no good; White would withdraw 9.Bd2 and afterwards drive away the Knight.] 9.h3 Nbd7 10.Bb3 Nb6 11.0-0 Nfd5 [Black, seeing that his opponent has more command of the board (that more squares are open to his men) than he, wishes to change off some of the pieces, to gain room. But he would like White to make the exchanges.] 12.a4 [Leaving Black to do the exchanging; as, in this case, White will bring a pawn to support his d-pawn.] 12...a5 [To stop 13.a5, dislodging the Knight.] 13.Ne5 Be6 14.Bc2 f5 [Blocking the diagonal by which the White King's Bishop bears on the h-pawn.] 15.Qe2 f4 [This is not good. The White Bishop is as well at d2 as at e3; and the pawn cannot retreat. Besides, pawns become weaker, and more difficult to defend, the farther they are advanced from home at the beginning of the game. This game is still in an early stage, all the pieces being yet on the board.] 16.Bd2 Qe8 17.Rae1 [This threatens to win a pawn by 18.Nxc6 Qxc6 19.Qxe6+ etc.] 17...Bf7 [Getting the Bishop out of danger; he might have supported it by 17...Nc7. The actual move blocks the King's Rook.] 18.Qe4 [Threatening 19.Qxh7 mate. If he had done this a move earlier, Black could have answered 17...Bf5, driving off the Queen, and then taking the troublesome King's Bishop.] 18...g6 [If 18...Bg6 White would take it with Knight 19.Nxg6 gaining a pawn. But this forced advance of the protecting pawns weakens Black King's position.] 19.Bxf4 Nxf4 20.Qxf4 [White has won a pawn, and his position is strong, owing to some of Black's pieces (Queen's Rook and Queen's Knight) being out of play. The men, too, round Black's King are huddled together, and in each other's way. We have now reached the crisis of the game. Here we may quote M. Mery's lines, giving the meditations of the Black Bishop on his next move: "Si je prenais, dit-il, la quatrieme case,\En face du carre que le fou, mon rival,\Occupait au debut, a cote du cheval,\Ce poste m'obtiendrait une victoire sure;\Je menace les blancs d'une double blessure:\Labourdonnais n'a pas prevu ce mauvais tour;\S'il veut sauver sa reine, alors je prends sa tour;\Apres, je serai pris, tant mieux ! cela m'arrange,\La tour vaut mieux qu'un fou, nous gagnerons l'echange."] 20...Bc4 [But, alas! his hopes were soon dashed to the ground: "Le general francais avait bien attendu,\Que les noirs tomberaient dans le piege tendu." If 20...Nd5 then 21.Nxd5.] 21.Qh6 Bxf1 22.Bxg6 [Here again we quote the poet: "Il sait qu'il va mourir; cette mort, il l'implore\Sage fou qui deja, quoique mourant, peut voir\Le redoutable mat planant sur le roi noir !"] 22...hxg6 [Forced, in the sense that he has no better way to stave off the mate threatened by 23.Qxh7#.] 23.Nxg6 Nc8 [To guard the King's Bishop from attack of the Rook and Knight. If 23...Rf7 then 24.Qh8#.] 24.Qh8+ Kf7 25.Qh7+ Kf6 26.Nf4 [Threatening 27.Ne4 mate, or 27.Re6+ if Black guards e4.] 26...Bd3 [Of course, White could take this Bishop for nothing; but why linger to do this, when he can mate in three moves?] 27.Re6+ Kg5 28.Qh6+ Kf5 29.g4# [ 29.Re5# would answer the same purpose.], 1-0
