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This 1885 game, played in Baltimore, demonstrates beautifully Steinitz's philosophy of accumulating enough small advantages to win. |
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1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5
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Selman decides on a French Defense, hoping to play a slow, positional game. Beware what you wish for -- you might get it. |
 
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3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5
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Steinitz takes the opportunity to gain a tempo. |
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4... Nfd7 5. f4 c5
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Selman tries to break Steinitz's center. But even though he removes the QP, Steinitz's KP on K5 is the real monster, cramping Selman's position fiercely. |
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6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. Nf3
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Adding more support to the powerful KP. |
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7... a6 8. Bd3
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Slowly but surely, Steinitz's development proceeds. Selman has much less room to maneuver than Steinitz. |
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8... Nc6 9. Qe2
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Steinitz adds further support to the KP, which Selman is trying to attack. |
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9... Nb4
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A few piece exchanges could ease Selman's congested position. |
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10. Bd2 b5
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Trying to gain some space on the Q-side. |
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11. Nd1 Nxd3+ 12. cxd3
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With this exchange, Steinitz creates an open QB file. If he can plant a Rook on it, it can be a potential invasion route. |
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12... Qb6 13. b4
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Driving the Bishop off the diagonal. |
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13... Be7 14. a3
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Locking the Q-side Pawns and freeing his QR. |
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14... f5
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P-KB3 instead would have turned up the heat on the White Pawn at K5. Now this white Pawn is a powerfullly posted cramping force. |
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15. Rc1
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Seizing the open file. |
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15... Bb7 16. Be3
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Now he forces Selman's Queen to retreat. |
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16... Qd8 17. Nd4
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Knights belong in the center! Now the horse pressures Selman's KP and controls several useful squares. |
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17... Nf8 18. O-O h5
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Selman, cramped in the center, is trying to gain space on both wings to ease his position. |
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19. Nc3 Kf7 20. Nb1
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This Knight is being repositioned to invade the Q-side. |
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20... g6
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Black's QB now has no scope, as every single one of Selman's Pawns are on a white square. |
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21. Nd2 Nd7 22. Nd2b3 Rc8
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Selman challenges Steinitz's control of the QB file. |
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23. Na5
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Attacking the B and threatening to plant the Knight on QB6. |
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(1564)