White is Thomas Bowdler, who published a cleaned-up "family" edition of Shakespeare that omitted words that could not "with propriety be read aloud."
Black is Henry Conway, a veteran of the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War who opposed British attempts to suppress the American Rebellion and rose to become Commander-in-Chief of the British army.
Notes in italics are algebraicised from 500 Master Games Of Chess.
Bowdler - Conway
London (casual) 1788
Bishop's Opening
A forerunner of the "Immortal Game." White gives up the two rooks in their corners and all his pieces except queen and bishop, and drives a successful king hunt to its logical conclusion.
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4
The 'truth' - as it was known in those far-off days.
2...Bc5
This symmetrical variation is called the Classical Defence.
Much more popular today is 2...Nf6, although then White scores well in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database after 3.d4!? (58%) and 3.d3 (57%).
3.d3
A quite continuation. 3.Nc3 leads back into the Vienna Game, and 3.Nf3 Nc6 into the Giuoco Piano.
For what it is worth, the text is the top choice of Stockfish14.1, at least for a while.
3...c6
Pawn strategy. But after an active development by 3...Nf6 4.Qe2 (preventing 4...d5) 0-0 Black has a very good game.
Today the main reply to 3...Nf6 is 4.Nf3, when 4...d5?! 5.exd5 seems good for White.
4.Qe2 d6
If, instead, 4...Nf6, White is already able to play 5.f4, and to obtain the initiative after 5...exf4 6.e5 etc, or 5...d6 6.Nf3 etc. As Black, by his last move, has renounced expansion in the centre, the proceeding move has robbed his queen's knight of its natural development at c6.
Today 4...Nf6 is usually met by 5.Nf3. The problem with 5.f4?! exf4 (Carl Schlechter's 5...d5!? also looks good) 6.e5 is Black has 6...0-0 7.Bxf4 d5 with excellent play. In any case there seems nothing wrong with "expansion in the centre" by 4...d5!?, eg 5.exd5 cxd5 6.Qxe5+ Ne7 7.Bb5+ Nc6 8.Qxg7?! Rg8 9.Bxc6+ bxc6 10.Qc3 Qb6 11.Kf1 Bxf2, which Stockfish14.1 and Komodo12.1.1 reckon favours Black.
5.f4
Intensifying the struggle. 5.Nc3 first would be sound and strong. It will be noticed that players of the Philidor era preferred, in the opening, to pay attention to pawns rather than pieces.
5...exf4 6.Bxf4 Qb6!?
A double attack against White's king's knight and b pawn. How can it be parried?
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| Position after 6...Qb6!? |
*****
*****
*****
*****
7.Qf3?
By not defending either point, but staging an astute unmasking combination.
Unfortunately the engines show the combination is faulty. However they reckon 7.Bb3! is good for White, and if 7...Bxg1 then 8.Nd2 Bc5 9.d4! Bxd4 10.0-0-0, when White is down knight and pawn but has a huge attack, eg 10...Be6 11.Nc4 Bxc4 12.Qxc4 Be3+ 13.Kb1! Nh6 14.Bxh6 0-0 15.Bxe3 Qxe3 16.Rhf1 with much the better game.
7...Qxb2
Starting his queen on an expedition which, in the end, will prove ill-fated. Similarly, if 7...Bxg1 [then] 8.Bxf7+ etc. But by first of all blocking up the f file by 7...Nf6, Black could have maintained his threats. It is true, however, that the wondrous consequences of the continuation in the text were hard to foresee.
The engines agree 7...Nf6 is strong, but reckon the text is stronger.
8.Bxf7+
An ambush.
8...Kd7
Clearly not 8...Kxf7, because of the recoil 9.Be5+. Playable would be 8...Kf8 9.Ne2 Nf6.
The engines reckon best is 8...Kd8!?, meeting 9.Bg5+ with 9...Nf6 or 9...Kc7.
9.Ne2 Qxa1
A spirit of consistency. Or 9...Nf6 10.Kd2 Qxa1.
10.Kd2
In order to play 11.Rf1, to be followed by Nbc3, relying both on his attack and on the difficulties the black queen will experience in getting clear of this "wasps' nest."
10...Bb4+?!
He stresses his advantage in material instead of trying to consolidate his gains, either by 10...Nf6 or 10...Qf6.
11.Nbc3
Sensation! He gives up another rook rather than allow Black redress the balance by 11.c3 Qb2+ 12.Ke3 Nf6 13.cxb4 Kc7 14.h3 Rf8 etc, or by 11.Kc1 Qf6 etc.
In the first line the engines reckon ...Kc7 is a mistake, much preferring 13...Ke7 or 13...Rf8.
11...Bxc3+
By playing 11...Qxh1 at once Black would still maintain his king's bishop in its defensive functions.
12.Nxc3 Qxh1 13.Qg4+
The final assault.
13...Kc7 14.Qxg7
At once 14.Qg3 would be powerful.
The engines reckon neither move saves White.
14...Nd7 15.Qg3
And not 15.Qxh8, because of 15...Qxg2+, followed by ...Ngf6, and Black takes his revenge by imprisoning the queen.
15...b6
An illusory refuge. Or, eg 15...Ne7 16.Bxd6+ Kd8 17.Bc7#. Or 15...Ne5 16.Bxe5 dxe5 17.Qxe5+ etc, with improved chances for White. But 15...b5 would give the black king more breathing space than the move in the text.
16.Nb5+
A beautiful surprise, which spreads a mating net around the black king.
The engines agree the text is White's best chance, but they find a winning defence for Black.
 |
| Black to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
16...cxb5??
This turns a win into a loss. The engines reckon 16...Kb7 17.Nxd6+ and 16...Kd8 17.Bxd6 are dead-equal, but winning is 16...Kb8!, eg 17.Nxd6 a6 (or 17...a5) and the black king finds refuge on a7.
17.Bxd6+ Kb7
An amusing detail: 17...Kc6 18.Bd5#.
17...Kd8 18.Bc7+ Ke7 19.Bh5 also leads to a quick mate.
18.Bd5+ Ka6 19.d4
Opening the door by this turn of the key.
19...b4?
There is no saving clause.
Better resistance is put up by the engines' 19...Nc5!? 20.dxc5 b4 21.cxb6! Bd7 22.Bxb4 Bc6!? 23.Bxc6 Rd8+ 24.Bd5 Rxd5+ 25.exd5 axb6, when Black is still, temporarily, ahead on material but is lost after 26.Bc3.
20.Bxb4 Kb5 21.c4+ Kxb4 22.Qb3+ Ka5 23.Qb5#.
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