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Classical Games Everybody Should Know, Part 11
The so-called Steinitz variation in the French Defense arises after the next sequence of moves: 1.e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 where Black gives up space for an opportunity to attack White's center. When he succeeds, the results are usually fantastic. Take a look for example at one of the games played in the most recent super-tournament:
Vassily Ivanchuk (?) vs. Magnus Carlsen (?)
4th Bilbao Masters | 0:49:33-0:57:33 | Round 5| 1 Oct 2011 | ECO: C11 | 0-1
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 Be7 8. a3 O-O 9. Qd2 b6 10. g3 Kh8 11. h4 f6 12. exf6 Nxf6 13. Bh3 Bd7 14. Rd1 cxd4 15. Nxd4 e5! 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. fxe5 d4 18. exf6 Bxf6 19. O-O dxc3 20. Qxd8 Raxd8 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. b3 Re8 23. Bf2 Be4 24. Re1 Re7 25. Rc1 h5 26. Bg2 Bf5 27. Bf3 g6 28. a4 Kh7 29. b4 g5 30. a5 g4 31. axb6 axb6 32. Bc6 Re2 33. Bxb6 Be5 34. b5 Kg7 35. Ba5 Rxc2 36. Rxc2 Bxc2 37. Kf2 Bd3 38. Ke3 Bg6 39. Be4 c2 40. Bd2 Bxg3 41. Bxg6 Kxg6 42. Kd3 Bf2 43. Kxc2 g3 44. Bf4 g2 45. Bh2 Kf5
Very impressive, isn't it? But what really impresses me is the influence of chess fashion on the mind of chess players. Today everyone and his brother automatically plays 6.Nf3 and then struggles to keep his center intact. But if you play the Steinitz variation, maybe, just maybe, you should check how this line was treated by the man the system was named after?
The next positional gem is given with annotations by Kasparov from his excellent book "My Great Predecessors" (which I highly recommend to every chess player regardless of his/her level).
Steinitz, William vs. Sellman, Alexander
Baltimore | Baltimore | 1885 | ECO: C11 | 1-0
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 ( 5. Nce2 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. f4 ) 5... c5 6. dxc5 ( 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Be3 ) 6... Bxc5 7. Nf3 a6?! ( 7... Nc6 8. Bd3 f6 ) 8. Bd3 Nc6 9. Qe2 Nb4 10. Bd2 b5 11. Nd1 Nxd3+ 12. cxd3! Qb6? 13. b4! Be7 14. a3 f5? ( 14... d4!? 15. Qf2 Bb7 ) 15. Rc1 Bb7 16. Be3 Qd8 17. Nd4 Nf8 18. O-O h5?! 19. Nc3 Kf7 20. Nb1! g6 21. Nd2 Nd7 22. N2b3 Rc8 23. Na5 Ba8 24. Rxc8 Qxc8 25. Rc1 Qb8 26. Qc2 Bd8 27. Nac6 Qb7 28. Nxd8+ Rxd8 29. Qc7 Qb8 30. Bf2! Qb6 31. Nf3 Qxc7 32. Rxc7 Ke8 33. Ng5 Nf8 34. Bc5 Nd7 35. Bd6
What a beautiful game and very instructive annotations by one of the World's greatest chess players! Even if you never play the French Defense with either color, please do yourself a favor and replay the game at least a couple of times trying to understand the depth of Steinitz's strategical concept.
In last week's column I already expressed my opinion that the legendary Harry Nelson Pillsbury was thoroughly studying the games played by the best players of his time in order to use their ideas in his games (this is something every chess player should do!). The following game is just another example. Pillsbury borrows the Steinitz idea to create his own attacking masterpiece. This is probably one of the most famous Pillsbury games!
(Just like in most of my articles I give you a chance to test your chess skills, so the games are given as a Quiz. Please remember that you can always replay the whole game from the first move if you click "Solution" and then "Move list".)
Pillsbury, Harry Nelson vs. Lasker, Emanuel
Nuremberg / Nuremberg
Round 9 | 29 Jul 1896
ECO: C11 | 1-0
White to move
23... Be7
Even less famous players were able to produce their own little attacking gems using Steinitz's idea:
Hodges, Albert Beauregard vs. Hanham, James Moore
New York NYSCA / New York
1892
ECO: C11 | 1-0
White to move
32... h4
You can ask "If this system is so great, why it is not played more frequently these days?" In my opinion this is just a matter of chess fashion. I won't be surprised if 20 years from now the situation changes and the old Steinitz line becomes the main variation again. But in my opinion such things as chess fashion shouldn't bother chess amateurs and average club players. So, let me borrow my own words from this article: http://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-learn-an-opening-in-one-hour
"Now, will it be easy for your opponent (who probably studied the latest games from Super Tournaments but not the games played 50 years ago) to pass the opening unscathed? It depends. If you are playing a 2700+ Grandmaster, then your little opening trick will probably just amuse him. But for an average club player (meaning under ELO 2300), this is a very dangerous weapon to meet."
Except here we are talking about games played almost 120 years ago! Actually, this approach can work even if you play against Grandmasters. Just look at the next game where a very strong GM fell a victim of the classical Steinitz variation:
Ovezov, Artek (2366) vs. Vallejo Pons, Francisco (2554)
Istanbul ol (Men) / Istanbul
Round 2.2 | 29 Oct 2000
ECO: C11 | 1-0
White to move
30... Re7
The conclusion is simple: before you buy a modern book on an opening and invest hundreds of hours memorizing all the variations, maybe you can find a solution in the old games of Morphy or Steinitz? 
Good luck!
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