Quartette of Hussars with Vienna waltz
Submitted by
cgs on Wed, 07/23/2008 at 12:35pm.
The Kolisch Memorial Tournament was taken place in Vienna immediately before turn of the century, in 1899. Maróczy won the tournament. He had an advantage (1,5 point) before Schlechter and Bródy at the end of tournament. It was the last tournament of Maróczy in the 19th century.
After 22 moves only four pieces were left on the chessboard between pawns. Those were the four Knights. (Hussars as the Hungarian call these pieces) Maróczy’s Vienna waltz with his King began in the 32nd move when started out to b6 and terminated when arrived to h6, whilst the White King danced waltz continously between e2 and f2 fields. It was the main attraction of the game.
However the Vienna waltz (Wiener waltzer) is a collective dance, we could take a look round in Vienna between the chess-players in time of turn of the century. (1900)
This game is can be found in the Maróczy-book, „I began in this way…”, where Maróczy described the circumstances and epilogues of the game. I’ll quote from this text:
„Georg Marco the jovial chess master and editor is the most considerable Austrian player after Schlecter…
He wasn’t a fighting, energetic chess-player… and with pleasure came to a compromise with everybody in draw. In this game he also made a proposal of draw in the 21st move. By order of tournament rules to play draw was possible only with approval of the head of tournament before 30th move. Accordingly to tournament rules I sent him to the head of tournament for the approval. But I didn’t inform him that earlier I requested the head to reject every proposal of draw which belongs to my game before 30th move, and thus I could play over tranquilly. The head didn’t allow the draw, we must play further. Thereafter at the 30th move Marco didn’t repeat his draw proposal because he felt that his position is worse.
This is a very nice characteristic when happened that well-known grandmasters made a proposal for draw only just from lost position with fascination of their names and sometimes they came out of trouble.
It was due to Marco that I could have create the finest chess work of art in the course of my life. The game is unsurpassed in the chess history with the count far-away of endgame, in it’s execution and combination. Raises the value of the game that it was a living game under time controll.
After the 30th move the head of tournament was surprised thoroughly when I gave thanks to him for his arrangement and told him that I have a winning position.
In the other hall with participation of baron Albert Rotschild, (the honorary president of chess circle) Miksa Weiss, Fleissig and other masters was in progress a detailed analyzing. They didn’t see winning. After all the baron empowered the head of tournament to make lay a bet of 100 Korona that the game isn’t winning. When I accepted the bet Rotschild wriggled out of obligation with his reasoning: If Maróczy is willing to make lay a bet, than he is sure of his matter, and in such a case there is no place for betting. Of course this was a viewpoint of principle at him, because he had no idea how much money is 100 Korona…(the money of Austro-Hungarian Monarchy)
The endgame is the creature of a momentary conception from the 26th move to the end. On the Queen-side to advance the pawn to a4, after that break-through on the King-side, to force back of adversary’s King, and turning on the Queen-side. Afterwards the execution of plan required correct calculation, but the idea was the most important, and the rest was brought by knowledge. The weakness of White’s a3-pawn does harm. The endgame beside it’s every simplicity hides a lot of pitfall, and the later analists also failed with one or another statements.
In tis way the English magazine „The Field” proclaimed with great rejoicing that instead of 70.Nb3 after 70.Na2 the position is draw. This is their demonstration:
70.Na2 Ne1+ 71.Kd1 Kd3 72.Kxe1 Kc2 73.Ke2 Kb2 74.Kd2 Kxa2 75.Kc2 Ka1 76.Kc1 a2 77.Kc2 c5 78.bxc5 b4 79.cxb4 staele-mate. The analyzing is defective because after 70.Na2 not 70… Ne1+, but 70… Ke2! follows and after 71.Kb3 Kd2 72.Kxa3 Kc2! White loses his complete forces.
At the 73rd move was also a pitfall if Black starts for the Knight by 73… Kb2? Instead of 73… Kxd4!
By all means in annoying that the 100 Korona I didn’t get.”
Analyzed by Géza Maróczy
On the chessbard from the 22nd move to the 52nd move were visible the quartette of Hussars. On the picture we can see the quartette after Black’s 44th move, the same diagram is visible in the Maróczy book.