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Evergreen Game

Anderssen’s other showpiece, sometimes called the Immortal Loser when the victim is named first, ends with a queen sacrifice and two bishops mating Dufresne. The combination starts from a messy Evans Gambit.

White
Adolf Anderssen
Black
Jean Dufresne
Event
Berlin
Year
1852
Result
1-0

Critical position

Evergreen Game, after ply 46♜♚♜♟♝♟♗♞♟♟♝♙♗♙♛♙♙♙♙♖♔abcdefgh12345678

After 23... Kf8. White to move.

Take over as White vs Maia

Step through

Position after 23... Kf8♜♚♜♟♝♟♗♞♟♟♝♙♗♙♛♙♙♙♙♖♔abcdefgh12345678

23... Kf8

Annotated score

  1. 1. e4 (best) e5 (best)

  2. 2. Nf3 (best) Nc6 (excellent)

  3. 3. Bc4 (good) Bc5 (inaccuracy)

  4. 4. b4 (mistake) Bxb4 (best)

  5. 5. c3 (good) Ba5 (good)

  6. 6. d4 (best) exd4 (inaccuracy)

  7. 7. O-O (mistake) d3 (inaccuracy)

  8. 8. Qb3 (good) Qf6 (good)

  9. 9. e5 (best) Qg6 (best)

  10. 10. Re1 (good) Nge7 (best)

  11. 11. Ba3 (good) b5 (good)

  12. 12. Qxb5 (best) Rb8 (best)

  13. 13. Qa4 (best) Bb6 (good)

  14. 14. Nbd2 (best) Bb7 (inaccuracy)

  15. 15. Ne4 (inaccuracy) Qf5 (mistake)

  16. 16. Bxd3 (best) Qh5 (inaccuracy)

  17. 17. Nf6+ (mistake) gxf6 (best)

    Nf6+: 17.Nf6+ rips the g-pawn so the e-pawn can advance.

  18. 18. exf6 (best) Rg8 (best)

  19. 19. Rad1 (blunder) Qxf3 (best)

  20. 20. Rxe7+ (inaccuracy) Nxe7 (best)

    Rxe7+: Black takes a hanging queen. White has already calculated past it.

  21. 21. Qxd7+ (best) Kxd7 (best)

    Qxd7+: 21.Qxd7+ is the only move that works. The king is dragged to d7.

  22. 22. Bf5+ (best) Ke8 (best)

  23. 23. Bd7+ (best) Kf8 (best)

  24. 24. Bxe7# (best)

    Bxe7#: The bishops finish the mate. Dufresne’s extra queen never checks.