Adventures with the English
Howard Staunton. Engraving published in Staunton's obituary in 1874
This week I celebrate the achievements of Howard Staunton, the only English player with a claim to have been world chess champion. In those days, best in Europe meant best in the world. Yet just over a decade later, the new invention of the steamship, would speed a fresh genius (Paul Morphy) across the Atlantic, one who would first challenge, and then briefly crush, European hegemony on the chessboard.
However, Howard Staunton was the man who first put the UK on the global chess map. A virtuoso of many different careers, Staunton was a coruscating example of the Victorian polymath. Shakespearean actor, world chess champion, author of many chess books and columns, eponymous name giver of the Staunton Chess pieces, Shakespearean scholar, organiser of the first ever international chess tournament, London 1851, and chronicler of the Great Public Schools of England.Staunton might have said, quoting Richard III from the play of that name by his favourite author, ‘I can change shape with Proteus to advantages.’
Also quoting Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, it might be said of Staunton: why man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a colossus, and indeed from 1843 to 1851 Staunton was regarded as The Champion. His fame was based on three convincing match victories against the leading European masters of the day: Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint Amant, from France, the Berliner, Bernhard Horwitz and the Silesian, Daniel Harrwitz. This triad of Mano-a-Mano matches formed the template for most future world title contests until the present day.
Twenty eight years ago a group of enthusiasts founded the Howard Staunton Society (HSS) to honour his memory and erect a suitable headstone in Kensal Green cemetery.
Howard Staunton himself twice defended his right to the title in London, and ensured that London remained the Mecca of the chess· world through his writing skills, organisational energy and entrepreneurial acumen. Meanwhile, Simpson’s-in-the-Strand contributed significantly to this movement by providing the grand headquarters of chess. Sadly, we still have no news about the long awaited re-opening of Simpsons after the COVID related closure
Staunton believed, and wrote, that chess was the appropriate recreation for men of genius, and in spite of the counter-attractions of reactive PlayStation games and the threats posed by computer analysis, that diagnosis remains true to the present day.
I would also like to quote Shakespeare’s words, engraved upon Staunton’s tombstone. They refer to the English commander Talbot, who frequently defeated the French in the wars of Henry V and VI; and by extension to Staunton’s epic win versus French champion St. Amant.
Is Staunton slain, the Frenchmen’s only scourge,
Your kingdom’s terror and black Nemesis?
O, were mine eyeballs into bullets turn’d,
That I in rage might shoot them at your faces!
O, that I could but call this dead to life!
It were enough to fright the realm of France:
Were but his picture left amongst you here,
It would amaze the proudest of you all.
Give me his body, that I may bear him hence
And give him burial as beseems his worth.
(From Henry VI Part One by William Shakespeare, slightly rephrased by the Staunton Society.)
Apart from his many other achievements, Staunton also introduced 1. c4 the English opening, into serious match play. I now publish the very first game by Staunton with his invention. Points to note are that Staunton does not fianchetto his king’s bishop (which became very much a feature of later treatments of The English). Secondly, although White already enjoys a huge advantage, Black’s 15…Rad8 is a colossal miscalculation which may have been a Fingerfehler (a “finger mistake”). The sensible 15…Rae8 had probably been intended.
Howard Staunton vs. Pierre de Saint-Amant
Match, 1843, Paris, Game 6
- c4 c5 2. Nc3 f5 3. e4 d6 4. Bd3 e6 5. exf5 exf5 6. Nh3 Nf6 7. b3 g6
As can be seen from Black’s next move, the French champion has no idea how to defend. No modern master would contemplate weakening the a1-h8 diagonal, only to permit his guardian of the dark squares (Black’s King’s bishop) to be traded off for a knight.
- O-O Be7 9. Bb2 O-O 10. Nf4 Nc6 11. Ncd5 Nxd5 12. Nxd5 Be6 13. Nxe7+ Qxe7 14. Qe2 Qf7 15. Rae1
Staunton has emerged from his new opening with a marked advantage. Evidently St Amant was utterly confused by his opponent’s innovative strategy. Black’s next is an incredible blunder, after which he could have safely resigned.
15… Rad8?? 16. Qxe6 Qxe6 17. Rxe6 Ne5 18. Bc2 Kf7 19. Rxe5 dxe5 20. Bc3 Rfe8 21. f3 h5 22. Re1 Re6 23. b4 b6 24. bxc5 bxc5 25. Kf2 Rde8 26. g3 R8e7 27. h3 Re8 28. d3 R8e7 29. a4 Ke8 30. Rb1 f4 31. a5 Kf7 32. Rb5 Rc7 33. Ba4 Ree7 34. gxf4 exf4 35. Bd2 Re6 36. Bxf4 Rce7 37. Rb2 Ra6 38. Bd2 Rd6 39. Bg5 Ree6 40. Rb7+ Kg8 41. Bd7 Rxd7 42. Rxd7 Ra6 43. Bd2 Kf8 44. Rd5 Rc6 45. Rxc5 Rd6 46. Bb4 Rd8 47. Rc8+ Black resigns 1-0
Inspired by my great countryman I also played many games with 1. c4 where I eschewed the fianchetto of the white King’s bishop.
Raymond Keene vs. Klaus Wockenfuss
Bad Lauterberg, 1977, rd. 9
- c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 e4 4. Ng5 b5
This gambit, invented by the Spanish Grandmaster Bellon, can give Black tremendous counterplay if White takes the pawn.
- d3
There is engine confirmation that the text is best, demurring the gambit capture.
5… bxc4 6. dxe4 Nc6
If 6 …h6 7. Nxf7! Kxf7 8. e5 with advantage.
- e3 Bb4?!
Machine analysis gives the following improvement, 7… h6! 8. Nf3 Bb4 9. Bxc4 O-O.
- Bxc4 O-O 9. O-O Bxc3
White would gain a marked advantage if instead, 9… h6? 10. Nxf7 Rxf7 11. Bxf7+ Kxf7 12. e5 Bxc3 13. Qb3+ Kf8 14. Qxc3 Ne8 15. b3 Qe7 16. Bb2 Bb7 17. e4 Nd8, had been played.
- bxc3 h6 11. f4!!
A brilliant piece sacrifice, originally suggested by Michael Stean. This was the first game in which it was tested. No Black player risked reaching this position thereafter.
11… hxg5 12. fxg5 Nh7?
The engine disapproves of this move. Far stronger is, 12… Ng4! (or even 12… Nxe4!?) 13. Qxg4 d5 14. Qg3 (or 14. Qf4) 14… dxc4 15. Ba3 Be6 16. Rad1 Qc8 17. Bxf8 Qxf8 18. Qxc7 Rc8 19. Qg3 Qc5 20. g6 Ne5 21. gxf7+ Nxf7. White still retains a small edge.
- g6 Ng5
Or 13… Nf6 14. Rxf6 Qxf6 15. Qh5, with advantage.
- Ba3 Ne5 15. Bxf8 Nxc4 16. gxf7+
If now, 16… Nxf7 17. Rxf7! Kxf7 18. Qd5+ Ke8 19. Qg8, or 18… Kg6 19. Rf1, finally 18… Kxf8 19. Rf1+ Ke7 20. Qg5+ Ke8 21. Qg6++.
16… Kxf8 17. Qh5 Bb7 18. Qh8+ Ke7 19. Qxg7 Qf8 20. Qf6 checkmate 1-0.
Raymond Keene vs. Semyon Furman
Bad Lauterberg, 1977, rd. 7
- c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4
An old favourite of Nimzowitsch which had been revived with some new gambit ideas.
3… c5
Also possible is 3… d5 4. e5 d4 5. exf6 dxc3 6. bxc3 Qxf6 7. d4 with some advantage to White, or 4… Nfd7 5. cxd5 Nxe5 6. d4 Ng6 7. dxe6 Bxe6 8. d5 and White will exert pressure against Black’s unprotected queenside.
- e5
The pawn sacrifice associated with this advance is the only way to avoid sterile equality.
4… Ng8 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. d4 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Nxe5 8. Ndb5 f6
If 8… d6 9. c5! is ± (Timman – Najdorf, Haifa Olympiad 1976) but 8… a6 may be an improvement. The second of these moves was employed in game eleven from the Spassky – Hort Candidates’ match at Reykjavik, a few days after my game with Furman.
- Bf4
Possibly 9. Be3 is stronger.
9… a6 10. Bxe5 axb5
Not 10… fxe5 11. Qh5+.
- Bg3 Nh6?
A curious mistake coming from Furman, who is Karpov’s trainer. Presumably they conducted a joint study of these variations (which Korchnoi has been known to employ) before the 1974 Karpov – Korchnoi match, and it is hardly to be credited that the superior 11…bxc4! should have escaped their attention. Perhaps Furman’s memory failed him.
- Qh5+!
Furman had only expected 12. cxb5 d5 or 12. Nxb5 Bb4+ ( ⩱ in both cases).
12… g6 13. Qxb5
White’s queen finds itself on an unusual square, but in compensation his more healthy queenside pawns confer a long-term advantage.
13… Nf5 14. Rd1
The natural reaction, but 14. Qb3, preparing to recentralise the queen, would have been more accurate.
14… Ra5 15. Qb3 Nxg3 16. hxg3 Re5+ 17. Be2 Bc5?!
Stronger is 17… Be7. The optically more aggressive move chosen by Furman exposes both his king’s bishop and exotically placed queen’s rook.
- Qc2!
The most logical continuation now is 18… Qb6. After 19. Ne4 Black would be able to sacrifice the exchange for complications with 19… Rxe4 20. Qxe4 Bxf2+ 21. Kf1 Bxg3, but 19. O-O threatens both Ne4 and Na4. In view of this Black selects a move which runs counter to his preceding strategy.
18… Bb4 19. a3
If now 19… Ba5 20. b4 Bc7 21. Qxg6+!+-.
19… Bxc3+ 20. Qxc3 O-O 21. Qd4
White’s advantage is manifest. Apart from the superior co-ordination of his forces, the dreaded endgame is approaching, when the white queenside pawns will prove decisive.
21… Qa5+ 22. Qd2 b6
Hoping that the exchange of queens will eliminate the weak b-pawn.
- Qxa5 bxa5 24. Rd6 h5
Otherwise the king is tied to the h-pawn.
- Kd2 Bb7
Or 25… Kf7 26. b4 Ke7 27. Rb6+-. In addition to the queenside pawns Black has to cope with f2-f4, trapping his rook.
- f4 Rc5 27. Rxd7 Bxg2 28. Rh2 Be4 29. Kc3 Bf5 30. b4 axb4+ 31. axb4 Rcc8 32. Bd3!
It’s all over now, but Furman never, never resigns. In another game from Bad Lauterberg (against Torre) he dragged out a futile resistance with only a knight and a couple of pawns for a queen.
32… Bxd3 33. Kxd3 Ra8 34. Rc2 Rf7 35. Rd6 Rb7 36. b5 Kf7 37. b6 g5 38. fxg5 fxg5 39. c5 Ra3+ 40. Rc3 Ra4 41. Rd4 Ra8 42. Rb4
Becoming aware of Furman’s reluctance to resign I decided that the safest course would be to win both black rooks.
42… Rd8+ 43. Ke4 Rc8 44. c6 Rbb8 45. c7 Rb7 46. Ke5 Black resigns 1-0
On Tuesday May 13 , there will be an evening reception and dinner at L’Escargot to celebrate the paperback launch of Chess through the Looking Glass. For further details please contact Ima Von Wenden at secretary@snailclub.co.uk
Ray’s 206th book, “ Chess in the Year of the King ”, written in collaboration with Adam Black, and his 207th, “ Napoleon and Goethe: The Touchstone of Genius ” (which discusses their relationship with chess) can be ordered from both Amazon and Blackwells. His 208th, the world record for chess books, written jointly with chess playing artist Barry Martin, Chess through the Looking Glass , is also now available from Amazon.
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