Richard Reti - Savielly Tartakower;
Vienna, 1910.
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I believe this to be one of the ten prettiest miniatures of all time.
(LIFE-Master A.J. Goldsby I)
"This is probably one of the most famous of all miniature games. One reason that it is
quoted so often is that the finish IS strikingly brilliant.
Another reason for its
popularity with the average player is the fact that it caught a Master by surprise,
a player known for his
encyclopedic knowledge and prodigious memory."
- Irving Chernev.
(From the book, "The 1000 Best Short Games
of Chess," by Irving Chernev. Game # 44.)
1.e4
c6; 2.d4
d5; 3.Nc3
dxe4; 4.Nxe4
Nf6; 5.Qd3!?,
Reti creates. But Black can equalize with best play.
[The standard move here is:
5.Nxf6+, etc. (Black can recapture with either pawn.) ]
5...e5?!;
Wrong! Wrong, wrong wrong. {Breaking prematurely in the center.}
(S. Tartakower was a great genius of the game, but here he gets a little too creative
for his own good.)
[
The best line for Black was clearly:
5...Nbd7!;
6.Bd2
Nxe4;
7.Qxe4
Nf6;
8.Qd3
Bg4!?;
9.f3
Be6;
10.0-0-0, (10.Ne2!?
Qd7; 11.0-0-0
0-0-0;
12.Kb1=
) 10...Qd6;
11.Kb1
0-0-0; {Unclear, maybe
about equal?}
(See the diagram below.)
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The position is close to equal. ]
6.dxe5
Qa5+; 7.
Bd2!!, Setting an incredibly deep trap.
[7.Nc3!?
Qxe5+;
8.Qe3
Bd6=
] .
7...Qxe5; 8.0-0-0!,
Continuing in the gambit style.
[Bad for White is: 8.f3?!
Nxe4;
9.Qxe4
Qxe4+;
10.fxe4
Bg4=
] .
8...Nxe4?;
Black takes the bait.
Black snatches the booty, but this trap was very unusual and new.
The great Tartakower can be forgiven this small indiscression.
[Black can still avoid disaster with:
8...Be7;
9.Re1
0-0;
10.Nf3+/=,
(See the diagram just below.)
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but White is
clearly a little better, but his edge is far from being decisive. ]
9.Qd8+!!
Kxd8; 10.Bg5+!,
Black resigned. 1-0
[Of course, not 10.Ba5+?? Ke7; and there is no mate. ]
(The conclusion could have been: 10...Ke8;
11. Rd8# Mate!)
This game shows just a glimpse of the genius that was Richard Reti.
(He was taken from the world very prematurely.)
This is game # 44 in Irving Chernev's book, "The 1000 Best, Short Games of Chess."
A few players have told me that Reti played this very quickly, and it might have been
a prepared trap. Even if that is true,
(I am not convinced it is true.); it makes the moves
themselves, none-the-less beautiful.
Click HERE to return to my Yahoo/GeoCities chess web site.
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© A.J. Goldsby I,
© A.J. Goldsby 1998-2003; © A.J. Goldsby, 2004
Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby, 2005. All rights reserved.
