F. Deacon (white) - C.E. Ranken (black)
London Provincial Tournament (round 1), 1851
1.c4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.e3
e6 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Qb3 (or 6.d4 cxd4 7.exd4 Nf6 with equality) 6...Nf6
7.Bg2?! (White's bishop move has removed the guard on d3 and black should
have struck with 7...Nb4! 8.d4 Bf5 9.Qa4+ Qd7 10.Qxd7+ Kxd7 11.Kd1 cxd4 12.exd4
to gain an advantage.) 7...d4 8.Nce2 Qc7 (8...d3!? 9.Bxc6+
bxc6 with advantage to black is better.) 9.exd4 cxd4 10.a3 Bc5 11.f4 (A
move that loosens white's defence of the king. Preferable was 11.Nf3 0-0) 11...0-0
12.Qd3 a5 13.b3 Re8 14.Bb2 Bg4 15.Nf3 (This move increases
pressure on the d4 pawn, but neglects the dangerous pin of the knight on e2. White thought the annoying bishop on g4 could be kicked away.)
15...Qe716.h3?
(The only satisafctory defence is 16.Nfg1, but that move would admit defeat and
leaves black with a strong attack.) 6...Bf5!! (An excellent move taking
advantage of the fact that white's queen is tied ot defend the mate on e2) 17.Qc4
d3 (Threatening mate on e2) 18.Ne5 Nxe5 (Stuanton suggested
the move 18...dxe2!? 19.Nxc6 bxc6 20.Bxc6 Rac8) 19.fxe5 Nd7 20.Qf4 Bg6 21.Nc1
Nxe5 22.Kd1 (to stop the threatened discovered check with the knight.)
Bd6 23.Re1? (23.Qd4 pinning the night against the mate on g7 would have been
better.)
23...Nc4! (Clears the e1-e8 file) 24.Rxe7 Nxb2+ 25.Ke1 Rxe7+
(25...Bxe7?! 26.Kf1 Ra6 27.Kg1 (Not 27.Bxb7?? the pawn because 27...Rf6))
26.Kf2 Bxf4 27.gxf4 Rc8 (White is the exchange up and white's
pieces lack co-ordination.) 28.b4 a4 29.Na2 Re2+ (Ranken has a winning
position so finding the stronger moves 29...Rc2 and later 31...Re8 is unimportant.)
30.Kg3 Rxd2 31.Bxb7 Rcc2 32.Re1 32...Re2 33.Rf1 Be4 (Here, 33...d2!
is decisive) 34.Bxe4 Rxe4 35.Kf3 Ree2 36.Nc1 Rf2+! 38.Kxf2 d2 39.Nd3
d1Q 40.Nxb2 Qd2+ (White resigned.) 0-1
Source: Levy, D & O'Connell,
K (1981). Oxford Encyclopedia of Chess Games: volume 1, 1485-1866.
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Last updated 11 August 2002 by Ray
Collett
