Lesson of the Week

This week, young players were presented a position from a game played by Jacob Henry Sarratt in 1818. Few of Sarratt's games are recorded, and in most cases his opponent is not named. Sarratt wrote chess books and frequented a coffee house in London where he played and taught chess for pay. He has been called England's first chess professional. He called himself the chess professor.

White to move

Here is the whole game with a few comments. Bold type is the game; normal type are comments and possible variations.

Sarratt,Jacob Henry -- NN [C38]
London, 1818

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.Bc4 Bg7

4...g4 5.0–0 d5 (5...gxf3 6.Qxf3 was played in several Anderssen -- Zuckertort battles) 6.Bxd5 gxf3 7.Qxf3 Qg5 8.d4 Bh6 9.Nc3 Ne7 10.e5 c6 11.Ne4 Bg4 12.Qf2 Qg7 13.Nd6+ Kd7 14.Bxf7 Be6 15.Bxf4 Bxf4 16.Qxf4 Na6 17.Bxe6+ Kxe6 18.Nxb7 Raf8 19.Qe4 Rhg8 20.Rf6+ Kd7 21.Rd6+ Kc7 22.Na5 Nb4 23.a3 Rf4 24.Qe2 Rg4 25.g3 Rxg3+ 0–1 Zukertort,J - Richter Berlin 1871

5.h4

5.d4 was played in a pair of McDonnell -- Labourdonnais games.

5...h6 6.d4 d6 7.c3?! 

7.Qd3 Nc6 8.c3 Qe7 9.hxg5 hxg5 10.Rxh8 Bxh8 11.e5 f5 12.Bxg8 dxe5 13.dxe5 g4 14.Nd4 Nxe5 15.Qe2 Bd7 16.Kd1 0–0–0 17.Bb3 Qg5 18.Bd2 c5 19.Ne6 Bxe6 20.Bxe6+ Kb8 21.Kc2 a6 22.Na3 b5 23.Nxb5 axb5 24.Qxb5+ Kc7 25.Qxc5+ Nc6 26.Qxf5 1–0 Marshall,F -- Gunsberg,I Vienna 1903

7...c6

7...Qe7 8.0–0 0–1 Medunova,V (2115) -- Stanek,S (2101) Czechia 2009 (57 moves).

8.Qb3 Qe7 9.0–0 b5? 

9...Nd7

10.Bd3 Bb7

10...a5

11.a4 a6 12.axb5 axb5?

 12...cxb5

13.Rxa8 Bxa8 14.Qa3 Bb7 15.Qa7 Na6 16.hxg5 hxg5 17.Nxg5 Qxg5??

17...Qd7 would have been better 18.Rxf4 Bf6 19.Rf2 Bc8 20.Qxd7+ Bxd7±

18.Qxb7+- Qh4

18...Nb4 19.Bxf4 Qe7 20.Qa8+ Qd8 21.Qxd8+ Kxd8

19.Qxc6+ Ke7

19...Kf8

20.Bxf4 Qh1+ 21.Kf2 Qh4+ 22.g3 Qh2+ 

22...Bxd4+ 23.cxd4 Qf6

23.Ke1 Qxb2 24.Bxd6+ Kd8 25.Qb6+

25.Qa8+ Kd7 26.Rxf7+ Ne7 27.Qb7+ Kxd6 28.Qxe7+ Kc6 29.Qe6#

25...Kd7 26.Bxb5+ Ke6 

26...Qxb5 27.Qxb5+ Kd8 (27...Kxd6 28.Qd5+ Kc7 29.Rxf7+)

27.d5# 1–0