Staunton Annotates

The game below was the eleventh game in the 1843 match between Howard Staunton and Pierre Charles Fourier de Saint Amant. The match was held in Paris over the course of six weeks in November and December. An earlier match in London had been won by Saint Amant 3 1/2 - 2 1/2.

This game came to my attention as I was studying Rubinstein,A. -- Heilmann,E., Barman 1905.

I transcribed the notes from Howard Staunton, The Chess-Player's Companion (London 1849). Nick Pope also has transcribed these notes, as well as notes on the game from another publication by Staunton, and Saint Amant's notes from Le Palamède (see Chess Archaeology)

De Saint Amant,Pierre Charles Fourier -- Staunton,Howard [D40]
Match Staunton-Saint Amant, 02.12.1843

1.d4 e6 2.c4 d5 3.e3

"It is not advisable for the opening player, in games of this description, to carry his Q. B. over to the K's side, on account of the attack the adversary obtains by playing his Q. to her Kt.'s 3rd." (Staunton)

3...c5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nc6

White to move

This symmetrical position has occurred in more than 9000 games since the historic 1843 match. I've had it myself fifty times or more, playing both sides. Symmetry generally slightly favors the player with the move.

6.a3 b6

"The importance and utility of this move, when made at the proper moment, have been indisputably proved, we think, by the earlier games; it is evidently premature, however, and made without reflection here." (Staunton)

6...cxd4 7.exd4 would be my suggestion. But, even 6...a6, maintaining the symmetry, is better than Staunton's move. Heilmann repeated this folly in 1905 and lost a miniature to Rubinstein.

7.cxd5 (5)

The number in parentheses indicates the amount of time Saint Amant spent thinking on this move. Captain Harry Wilson accompanied Staunton on the trip to Paris and kept a log of the time used by each player in games 2 through 15. Staunton published lists of move times of every move where five minutes or more were spent. These times appear in the annotated game here.

7...exd5 8.Bb5

Black to move

8...Bb7

"We agree with M. St. Amant in believing that Black would have avoided the loss of a Pawn by playing the B. to Q's 2nd, instead of the Kt.'s 2nd." (Staunton)

Staunton is referencing Saint Amant's annotations in Le Palamède,

8...Bd7 9.Ne5 Nxe5 10.dxe5 Bxb5 11.Nxb5 Ng8 and White won in 38 moves, Correa,A (2345) -- Van Riemsdijk,H (2435) Brasilia 1994.

9.Ne5 [5] Rc8 [5] 10.Qa4 Qc7 [5] 11.Qxa7 [8] Be7

White to move

Staunton spent 8 minutes on Be7, and commented, "He does not appear to have any better move."

12.Bxc6+

Saint Amant initiates a series of exchanges that seem to me to relieve the pressure on Black's position, but also leaves White a pawn ahead. In a comment on the next game, Staunton references a remark in another of his publications, the Chess Player's Chronicle:

“As M. St. Amant, during the latter games of the match, played mainly to draw, and Mr. Staunton solely to win, the former estimating a remise as a victory, and his opponent looking on it as a defeat, it frequently happened that, while M. St . A. sought eagerly for every opportunity of exchanging Pieces, Mr. S. sacrificed position and occasionally the game itself to prevent him.” (C.P.C., vol. v., p. 44) 

I considered several alternatives for White:

a) 12.Qa4 0–0 13.Nxc6 Bxc6 (13...Ra8?? loses a piece 14.Nxe7+ Qxe7 15.Qd1) 14.Bxc6 Qxc6 15.Qxc6 Rxc6;
b) 12.0–0 0–0 13.Bxc6 (13.Nxc6 Bd6 (13...Bxc6 14.Qxc7 Rxc7 15.a4!) 14.Na4 Bxh2+ 15.Kh1 Bd6 16.Qxb6+–) 13...Bxc6 14.Qxc7 Rxc7;
c) 12.Bd2 0–0 13.Bxc6 Bxc6 14.Qxc7 Rxc7 15.Nxc6 Rxc6 16.f3

12...Bxc6 13.Qxc7 Rxc7 14.Nxc6 Rxc6 15.0–0

Black to move

15...Kd7 (5)

"This is far better than castling, because it brings the King more immediately within the sphere of his Pieces' operation." (Staunton)

16.Rd1 c4 17.f3

"Well played, and a difficult move for White to answer."

Staunton's comment does not make sense. Perhaps he means that it is difficult for Black to answer, or perhaps a printing error appended the comment to the wrong move. Perhaps it should appear in reference to Black's 16...c4. Nick Pope gives only "well played" after White's move.

17...Rd8

White to move

18.Bd2 (6)

"Better, we should have thought, to advance the K. P. at once." (Staunton)

18...h6 19.Na2 g5

Here Staunton praises his own play: "By the vigour and boldness of the attack on this side Black nullities the inequality of force."

20.Bb4 Re6

"With the intent to double his Rooks, when circumstances require him to do so." (Staunton)

21.Bxe7 Rxe7 22.Kf2

Black to move

22...g4 23.Nc3 h5 24.Re1 Rde8 (5) 25.Re2 h4 26.Rae1 Rg8

White to move

27.e4 (8) 27...g3+

"Compelling the King to retreat again." (Staunton)

28.Kg1 dxe4 29.Nxe4 Nxe4 30.fxe4

"Taking the Kt. with the R. would possibly have been better." (Staunton)

30...Rg4 (6) 31.hxg3 hxg3

White to move

32.Re3

"This was an important precaution lest Black should double his Rooks on the K. R's file. It also enables White, at the fitting moment, to place his R. on the K. B's 3rd." (Staunton)

32...b5 33.R1e2 (7)

"To afford his K. an opportunity of passing over to the Q's side." (Staunton)

33.Kf1 f6 (33...Rf4+ 34.Rf3) 34.Ke2?? obviously fails.

33...Re8 15 minutes--Staunton's longest think of the game.

White to move

34.Kf1 15 minutes--Saint Amant's longest think of the game

34...Kd6 35.Ke1 (7) 35...Rf4 (10) 36.Kd2

"By taking the Kt. P. he must have sacrificed his Pawns in the centre." (Staunton)

For instance, 36.Rxg3 Rexe4 37.Rxe4 Rxe4+ 38.Kf2 Rxd4 39.Ke2 and the position seems equal to me.

36...f5

White to move

37.Rxg3 (10)

Better might have been 37.exf5 Rxe3 38.Rxe3 Rf2+ 39.Kc3 Rxg2 when White has a slight advantage.

37...Rfxe4 38.Rxe4 Rxe4 39.Kc3 Kd5 40.Rf3 f4

White to move

41.g3 (5)

"From this point Black has a 'forced won' game." Staunton is correct. Saint Amant just blundered away the game.

41...Re3+ 42.Rxe3 fxe3 43.Kc2

"He has nothing better to play." (Staunton)  

Black to move

43...Ke4

And Staunton has just blundered the game back. 

 "We have here a second instance where a momentary relaxation loses Mr. S. the honours of a well-won victory when just within his reach. To any one who has never undergone the punishment of playing an arduous game of many hours' duration in a densely crowded room, such a lapse as Black's in the present, or in Game IX, may well appear inexplicable, but those players who have, will know the difficulty of keeping up the preternatural tension of the mind required so long, without a disposition to relieve it by one hasty move. The want of reflection in the present cases must be admitted to have been mortifying enough. Of the twelve first games these two, (and these actually given him,) were the only two games scored by the French player, consequently, but for them, he would actually have lost the match without winning a single game!" (Staunton)

Staunton presents the following variations in The Chess-Player's Companion

43...Kxd4 44.Kd1 (44.g4 Ke4 45.Kd1 (45.g5 Kf5) 45...Kf3 46.Ke1 Kxg4) 44...Kd3 45.g4 e2+ 46.Ke1 Kc2 47.g5 Kxb2 48.g6 c3 49.g7 c2 50.g8Q c1Q+ 51.Kxe2 Qc4+

44.Kd1

And now White has a winning ending.

Black to move

44...Kd3 45.d5 e2+ 46.Ke1 Kc2 47.d6 Kxb2 48.d7 c3 49.d8Q c2 50.Qd2 1-0

"And after a few moves Black resigned." (Staunton)

After this game, Staunton led the match 8-2. Game three had been drawn. Over the next ten games, Saint Amant won four, Staunton won three, and four games were drawn.