Evergreen game

The Evergreen game is a famous chess game played in Berlin in 1852 between Adolf Anderssen and Jean 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 London 1851 tournament. Jean Dufresne, a popular author of chess books, was considered a master of lesser but still considerable skill. This was an informal game, like the Immortal Game.

Wilhelm Steinitz later described the game as the "evergreen in Anderssen's laurel wreath", thus giving this game its name. The German word Immergrün (Evergreen), used by Steinitz, refers to a specific evergreen plant, called Periwinkle (Vinca) in English. The symbolic meaning is expressed in the French translation, the "Forever Young Game" (La Toujours Jeune).

Contents
This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

The game

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Position after 7...d3?!

White: Anderssen   Black: Dufresne   Opening: Evans Gambit, C52

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. 0-0 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 (Burgess, Nunn & Emms 2004:20).

8... Qf6 9. e5 Qg6

White's e5-pawn cannot be taken; if 9...Nxe5, then 10.Re1 d6 11.Qa4+, forking the king and bishop to win a piece.
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Position after 10.Re1!

10. Re1! Nge7 11. Ba3 b5?!

Rather than defending his own position, Black offers a counter-sacrifice to activate his a8-rook with tempo. Burgess suggests 11...a6 instead, to allow the b-pawn to advance later with tempo (Burgess, Nunn & Emms 2004:21).

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 (Burgess, Nunn & Emms 2004:21–22). The Chessmaster computer program annotation says "this [sacrifice] is not without danger, as Black now obtains an open g-file for counterplay."
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Position after 19...Qxf3?

17... 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 diagram). Black now threatens to take either on f2 or g2, both major threats to the white king, but Anderssen has a shattering resource available.

20. Rxe7+! Nxe7?

The passive alternative 20...Kd8 does hold longer, but White is better after 21.Rxd7+ Kc8 22.Rd8+ Kxd8 (22...Rxd8 23.gxf3) 23.Bf5+ (Chessmaster gives 23.Be2+) Qxd1+ 24.Qxd1+ Nd4 25.g3.

21. Qxd7+!! Kxd7 22. Bf5+

Double checks are dangerous because they force the king to move. Here it is not only dangerous but decisive.

22... Ke8

22...Kc6 loses to 23.Bd7 checkmate.

23. Bd7+ Kf8

If 23...Kd8, then either 24.Bxe7 or 24.fxe7 are mate.

24. Bxe7# 1–0

Savielly Tartakower said, "A combination second to none in the literature of the game." (Tartakower & du Mont 1975:35).

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Final position after 24.Bxe7#

See also

References

External links