This week, to emphasize for beginners the longevity of chess, we take a look at the famous Hastings tournament, hosted by a club in England in 1895.
Harry Nelson Pillsbury (1873 – 1909) was an American chess player who won Hastings 1895, the strongest tournament of its time. After 125 years, Hastings 1895 is still being talked about and it was in a time when everything was manual.
The new world champion at the time Emanuel Lasker and the ex-world champ Wilhelm Steinitz were there. Siegbert Tarrasch from Germany was there, and the dreaded Joseph Blackburne represented England. Mikhail Tchigorin travelled from Russia, David Janowski from France, and William Henry Krause Pollock from Canada. They were all leading players within their respective countries. There were 22 participants at Hastings.
Pillsbury won with 16½ points, Tchigorin was second with 16 points and Lasker third with 15 ½ points. Today the column presents two games by Pillsbury from the Hastings tournament.
Chess Games
White: Harry Nelson
Pillsbury
Black: Dr Siegbert Tarrasch
1. d4d5 2. c4e6 3. Nc3Nf6 4. Bg5Be7 5. Nf3Nbd7 6. Rc1O-O 7. e3b6 8. cxd5exd5 9. Bd3Bb7 10. O-Oc5 11. Re1c4 12. Bb1a6 13. Ne5b5 14. f4Re8 15. Qf3Nf8 16. Ne2Ne4 17. Bxe7Rxe7 18. Bxe4dxe4 19. Qg3f6 20. Ng4Kh8 21. f5Qd7 22. Rf1Rd8 23. Rf4Qd6 24. Qh4Rde8 25. Nc3Bd5 26. Nf2Qc6 27. Rf1b4 28. Ne2Qa4 29. Ng4Nd7 30. R4f2Kg8 31. Nc1c3 32. b3Qc6 33. h3a5 34. Nh2a4 35. g4axb3 36. axb3Ra8 37. g5Ra3 38. Ng4Bxb3 39. Rg2Kh8 40. gxf6gxf6 41. Nxb3Rxb3 42. Nh6Rg7 43. Rxg7Kxg7 44. Qg3+Kxh6 45. Kh1Qd5 46. Rg1Qxf5 47. Qh4+Qh5 48. Qf4+Qg5 49. Rxg5fxg5 50. Qd6+Kh5 51. Qxd7c2 52. Qxh7#1-0.
White: Harry Nelson Pillsbury
Black: Wilhelm Steinitz
1. d4d5 2. c4e6 3. Nc3Nf6 4. Bg5c5 5. cxd5exd5 6. Bxf6gxf6 7. e3Be6 8. Nge2Nc6 9. g3cxd4 10. exd4Bb4 11. Bg2Qb6 12. O-OO-O-O 13. Na4Qa6 14. a3Bd6 15. b4Bg4 16. Nac3Ne7 17. b5Qa5 18. Qb3Kb8 19. h3Be6 20. f4f5 21. Rfd1Rd7 22. Na4Rc8 23. b6a6 24. Nec3Rc6 25. Bf1Rd8 26. Na2Bd7 27. Nb4Rcc8 28. Nc3Rg8 29. Kf2h5 30. h4Bxb4 31. axb4Qxb6 32. Be2Rg6 33. Nxd5Qe6 34. Bf3Bc6 35. Re1Bxd5 36. Rxe6Bxb3 37. Rxe7Rc2+ 38. Re2Rc3 39. Rae1Rb6 40. Rd2Rxb4 41. d5Rc2 42. Rxc2Bxc2 43. Bxh5Be4 44. Bxf7Rd4 45. Be6Rd2+ 46. Re2Rd3 47. Re3Rd2+ 48. Ke1Rd4 49. h5Bxd5 50. Bxf5Bf7 51. h6Rd8 52. g4a5 53. g51-0.
