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kindaspongeyedited

@kindaspongey said in #6:

"... Steinitz often had people over to his house ... On one of those visits by Loyd, ...
'... [Diagram of position after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 d3 Bc5 6 c3 b5 7 Bc2 d5 8 exd5 Nxd5.]
... The two great masters ... had not the slightest suspicion that their development contained defects that about twenty-eight years later could only be described as grave strategical errors.'
... Steinitz was completely wrong on almost all counts! ..." - The Ink War (2022) by IM Willy Hendriks

@tpr said in #10:

About Steinitz-Loyd, black should recapture with his queen ...

The game had been between Anderssen and Morphy.
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1019052
As far as I can tell, Steinitz, Loyd, IM Hendriks, GM Beim, and GM Franco all failed to see any reason to comment on Morphy's choice of 8...Nxd5 instead of 8...Qxd5. When I tried it, the machine seemed to see both possibilities as resulting in an approximately level position.

@kindaspongey said in #6: > "... Steinitz often had people over to his house ... On one of those visits by Loyd, ... > '... [Diagram of position after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 d3 Bc5 6 c3 b5 7 Bc2 d5 8 exd5 Nxd5.] > ... The two great masters ... had not the slightest suspicion that their development contained defects that about twenty-eight years later could only be described as grave strategical errors.' > ... Steinitz was completely wrong on almost all counts! ..." - The Ink War (2022) by IM Willy Hendriks @tpr said in #10: > About Steinitz-Loyd, black should recapture with his queen ... The game had been between Anderssen and Morphy. https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1019052 As far as I can tell, Steinitz, Loyd, IM Hendriks, GM Beim, and GM Franco all failed to see any reason to comment on Morphy's choice of 8...Nxd5 instead of 8...Qxd5. When I tried it, the machine seemed to see both possibilities as resulting in an approximately level position.
tpr

Steinitz thought 3...a6 was a mistake 'I do not want to drive the bishop to a better square' and 3...d6 was correct.
Lasker also thought 3...a6 a mistake because of 4 Bxc6 and preferred 3...Nf6 which has been revived now.

Steinitz thought 3...a6 was a mistake 'I do not want to drive the bishop to a better square' and 3...d6 was correct. Lasker also thought 3...a6 a mistake because of 4 Bxc6 and preferred 3...Nf6 which has been revived now.
kindaspongeyedited

@tpr said in #13:

Steinitz thought 3...a6 was a mistake 'I do not want to drive the bishop to a better square' and 3...d6 was correct.

As far as I can tell, that is also something that Steinitz did not discuss in the meeting with Loyd.
Apparently, Steinitz did decide that 3...a6 was acceptable.
[Event "Lasker - Steinitz World Championship Rematch"] [Site "Moscow RUE"] [Date "1896.12.23"] [White "Emanuel Lasker"] [Black "Wilhelm Steinitz"] 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 ...
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1132720

@tpr said in #13:

Lasker also thought 3...a6 a mistake because of 4 Bxc6 and preferred 3...Nf6 which has been revived now.

As far as I can tell, in his (~1925) Manual, Lasker did not identify 3...a6 as a mistake and did not identify 4 Ba4 as a mistaken reaction to 3...a6.

@tpr said in #13: > Steinitz thought 3...a6 was a mistake 'I do not want to drive the bishop to a better square' and 3...d6 was correct. As far as I can tell, that is also something that Steinitz did not discuss in the meeting with Loyd. Apparently, Steinitz did decide that 3...a6 was acceptable. [Event "Lasker - Steinitz World Championship Rematch"] [Site "Moscow RUE"] [Date "1896.12.23"] [White "Emanuel Lasker"] [Black "Wilhelm Steinitz"] 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 ... https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1132720 @tpr said in #13: > Lasker also thought 3...a6 a mistake because of 4 Bxc6 and preferred 3...Nf6 which has been revived now. As far as I can tell, in his (~1925) Manual, Lasker did not identify 3...a6 as a mistake and did not identify 4 Ba4 as a mistaken reaction to 3...a6.
fwh2026edited

I liked what Seigbert Tarrasch had to say about the Ruy, in particular main-line Chigorin...

"One might say that both players stand badly".

According to Edward Winter, Alexander Alekhine consumed three and one half (3 1/2) pints of brandy a day.

https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/alekhine3.html

It would appear that a famous photograph of him slumped in a chair with a bottle and a chess set was staged by photographers

I liked what Seigbert Tarrasch had to say about the Ruy, in particular main-line Chigorin... "One might say that both players stand badly". According to Edward Winter, Alexander Alekhine consumed three and one half (3 1/2) pints of brandy a day. https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/alekhine3.html It would appear that a famous photograph of him slumped in a chair with a bottle and a chess set was staged by photographers
lizani

According to Euwe, Alekhine liked to bring his cat along and have it sniff the board before a game. Maybe it had a favourite square.

According to Euwe, Alekhine liked to bring his cat along and have it sniff the board before a game. Maybe it had a favourite square.
tpr

'The king pawn and the queen pawn are the only ones to be moved in the early part of the game.' - Steinitz
This is how Steinitz usually played as black: 3...d6
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1036350
This is how Lasker usually played as white: 4 Bxc6
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1258181
This how Lasker usually played as black: 3...Nf6
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1121157
They might have changed preference and opinion in the course of their careers.

'The king pawn and the queen pawn are the only ones to be moved in the early part of the game.' - Steinitz This is how Steinitz usually played as black: 3...d6 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1036350 This is how Lasker usually played as white: 4 Bxc6 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1258181 This how Lasker usually played as black: 3...Nf6 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1121157 They might have changed preference and opinion in the course of their careers.
kindaspongeyedited

@tpr said in #13:

... Lasker also thought 3...a6 a mistake because of 4 Bxc6 and preferred 3...Nf6 which has been revived now.

@kindaspongey said in #14:

... As far as I can tell, in his (~1925) Manual, Lasker did not identify 3...a6 as a mistake and did not identify 4 Ba4 as a mistaken reaction to 3...a6.

@tpr said in #17:

... This is how Lasker usually played as white: 4 Bxc6
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1258181 ...

"... It is not to be assumed that Lasker considers this exchange variation an especially strong one, for he himself plays it only rarely, as we have said, preferring [4.Ba4] as a rule. ..." - Richard Réti (~1929)

[Event "Lasker - Steinitz World Championship Rematch"] [Site "Moscow RUE"] [Date "1896.12.23"] [White "Emanuel Lasker"] [Black "Wilhelm Steinitz"] 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 ...
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1132720

@tpr said in #17:

... [Steinitz and Lasker] might have changed preference and opinion in the course of their careers.

"... White has now the option to exchange his bishop against the adverse knight, or to retreat it. As a general rule, it is not good policy to exchange in the early stages of a game the long-reaching bishop against the knight, whose power does not extend beyond a certain circle.
Therefore: [4.Ba4] ..." - Emanuel Lasker (1895)

@tpr said in #13: > ... Lasker also thought 3...a6 a mistake because of 4 Bxc6 and preferred 3...Nf6 which has been revived now. @kindaspongey said in #14: > ... As far as I can tell, in his (~1925) Manual, Lasker did not identify 3...a6 as a mistake and did not identify 4 Ba4 as a mistaken reaction to 3...a6. @tpr said in #17: > ... This is how Lasker usually played as white: 4 Bxc6 > https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1258181 ... "... It is not to be assumed that Lasker considers this exchange variation an especially strong one, for he himself plays it only rarely, as we have said, preferring [4.Ba4] as a rule. ..." - Richard Réti (~1929) [Event "Lasker - Steinitz World Championship Rematch"] [Site "Moscow RUE"] [Date "1896.12.23"] [White "Emanuel Lasker"] [Black "Wilhelm Steinitz"] 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 ... https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1132720 @tpr said in #17: > ... [Steinitz and Lasker] might have changed preference and opinion in the course of their careers. "... White has now the option to exchange his bishop against the adverse knight, or to retreat it. As a general rule, it is not good policy to exchange in the early stages of a game the long-reaching bishop against the knight, whose power does not extend beyond a certain circle. Therefore: [4.Ba4] ..." - Emanuel Lasker (1895)
LastIterator

@fwh2026 said ^

According to Edward Winter, Alexander Alekhine consumed three and one half (3 1/2) pints of brandy a day.

That would be just under 2 liters!

@fwh2026 said [^](/forum/redirect/post/dQL4htXQ) > According to Edward Winter, Alexander Alekhine consumed three and one half (3 1/2) pints of brandy a day. That would be just under 2 liters!
lizani

Fischer, unlike Alekhine, did not consume alcohol. At a Yugoslavian tournament, the players received a bottle of the local spirit. Larsen visited Fischer in his room and found him pouring the bottle down the sink. Fischer explained he did not drink and did not want anyone else to be corrupted either.

Fischer, unlike Alekhine, did not consume alcohol. At a Yugoslavian tournament, the players received a bottle of the local spirit. Larsen visited Fischer in his room and found him pouring the bottle down the sink. Fischer explained he did not drink and did not want anyone else to be corrupted either.