A Sacrifice Followed By A Quiet Move. Cecil De Vere. Chessboard Artist.
Evening everyone. A bit of reading here - I just write what comes into my head - but hopefully you will appreciate my thoughts and enjoy the truly beautiful chess. A labour of love.
This week a friend elsewhere posted a puzzle which I solved on sight - we all know the idea. In reply I posted the first known example of it, which I will give below.
That set me thinking about Cecil De Vere - birth name Valentine John Cecil De Vere Matthews - something which became generally known after I had started researching him and writing about him. That his actual first name was valentine was hardly a revelation to me - his chess mentor Frank Burden, who had a room in De Vere's mother's house, called him that - but the Matthews was a surprise, as was the fact that 'Brown' was not a part of his name.
Before I forget, some links to my old material on him, including my very first effort at putting a blog together. The serious work was done 5 years ago this week! I am a relic of the old days guys. Most of you won't have seen the sort of stuff I used to do.
https://www.chess.com/blog/simaginfan/the-gastineau-garden-party-1873-a-chess-photograph
https://www.chess.com/blog/simaginfan/more-on-cecil-de-vere
https://www.chess.com/blog/simaginfan/cecil-de-vere-the-english-morphy-part-one
https://www.chess.com/blog/simaginfan/cecil-de-vere-the-english-morphy-part-two
Well, there are some combinational ideas which I find particularly enchanting. Empty square sacrifices are one. Another is the idea of sacrificing for a direct attack, with a combinational follow up of a quiet move. Levenfish said that such combinations are the hardest to work out at the board, and I agree with him. De Vere had a natural gift for the idea.
Such an incredible natural talent. In the era I think he - in purely chess talent terms - was as talented as Morphy - indeed he has been named 'The English Morphy' - but was totally lacking in the other qualities which made Morphy a legend. So he lies, neglected and almost forgotten, in a grave which sits on the sidelines of chess history.
I first became aware of him via one or two games and a picture - link above - from a book called 'A Picture History Of Chess', in my local library. The picture ripped my heart out. Even today - having looked at it many times - it makes me sad. Those empathic will understand - those without that 'gift' will wonder what on earth I am on about.
The game in question has great historical significance. It is the first known example of the double bishop sacrifice - an idea which is always linked to a quiet move follow up.
O.K. An open invitation to join in the fun! There are plenty of sacrifice - quiet move combinations to be found. Feel free to post any of your favourites in the comments, or, indeed, double bishop sacrifices.
So, half a dozen examples of De Vere showing his artistry in sacrificial attacks with a quiet move after the sacrifice.
Let's start with this one, as it has some links to the previous one. Again an off-hand game against a lesser light. Again a very early version of what was to become a standard idea - there are examples from Greco and a Staunton game which come to mind, but the idea really became known after a Fritz ( no not the engine!) - Mason game played 10 years later. This could go into the text books, and shows De Vere as a supreme chess artist.
There is no way that he would have known about the predecessors. Perhaps he had seen the idea on his Saturday visits to the Divan, or perhaps - more than possible - it just came out of his head. Who will ever know?
I.O.H. Taylor commented that most of De Vere's most beautiful creations were never recorded as there were no admirers looking on ready to take them down and get them published. ( Think of 'The Immortal' and 'The Opera Box Game') What beautiful chess he must have played which none of us will ever be able to enjoy. Apart from the little chess of his that we have - most of which was played after physical and mental illness destroyed him - everything about De Vere makes me feel very sad.
When I first saw this next game, at least 45 years ago in the Oxford Encyclopedia, it made a huge impression on me. Within a year Steinitz
was to become regarded as the leading player in the world after winning the Anderssen match. The young man with just one semi serious match behind him, and who had received Knight odds from Anderssen ( reports say that he was far too strong for those odds) simply smashed him at Pawn and move odds. A wonderful game.
Another win over Steinitz is probably his most famous game. It was during this tournament that MacDonnell records that De Vere received the unspecified news which sent him on his downward spiral.
His win over Rosenthal
that year is not 'perfect', I am sure, but then the same could be said of many great games! The young man could play.
There is a win over Louis Paulsen -
Paulsen-Kolisch match. 1861 L-R. G.W.Medley. Paulsen, Captain H.A.Kennedy, Lowenthal, Kling, Kolisch, T.I.Hampton ( Secretary of the St. Georges Chess Club where the match took place.)
- which is just De Vere all over. he never studied openings, and played them badly, but when he got a position with some play he was a real force. here he just blunders a piece to a basic trap, but then produces a work of art. If he had been gifted with Paulsen's love of studying openings, and Steinitz's competitive qualities, how strong might he have been?. His winning idea is just exquisite. beautiful, beautiful chess.
To finish - chess-wise - the last flickering of the dying star was this game against Zuckertort.
As with the previous game, he plays the opening poorly - if not quite as badly! - and get's the inferior position. But when he gets his chance he finds something really beautiful.
Some pictures.
And a quick link with some information and pictures.
https://britishchessnews.com/2020/02/14/remembering-cecil-valentine-de-vere-14-ii-1846-09-ii-1875/
