The Cunningham Gambit, WITH TWO BACK GAMES:
Reading edition
One on the Seventh Move of the Black, and One on the Eleventh of the White.
1.
W. The king’s pawn 2 squares.
B. The same.
2.
W. King’s bishop’s pawn 2 squares.
B. The pawn takes the pawn.
3.
W. King’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
B. King’s bishop at his king’s 2d.
4.
W. King’s bishop at his queen’s bishop’s 4th.
B. The king’s bishop gives check.
5.
W. King’s knight’s pawn 1 square.
B. The pawn takes the pawn.
6.
W. The king castles.
B. The pawn takes the pawn and gives check.
7.
W. The king at his rook’s square.
B. King’s bishop at his 3d square.(a) ☜
8.
W. King’s pawn 1 square.
B. Queen’s pawn 2 squares.(b)
9.
W. The pawn takes the bishop.
B. The knight takes the pawn.
10.
W. King’s bishop at his queen’s knight’s 3d.
B. Queen’s bishop at his king’s 3d.
(a) If, instead of playing this bishop to his third square, he had played him to his king’s second square, you would have won the game in a few moves, as will be seen by a back game.
Philidor.
But if the stricture on the tenth move of that back game be correct, no previous move involves a necessity for the speedy mate which the black king suffers.
Editor.
(b) If he did not sacrifice his bishop, you would certainly win the game; but losing that for three pawns, he must conquer by the superiority of his pawns, provided he is not too hasty in pushing them before he has got out all his pieces.
11.
W. Queen’s pawn 1 square.(c) ☜
B. King’s rook’s pawn 1 square.(d)
12.
W. Queen’s bishop at his king’s bishop’s 4th.
B. Queen’s bishop’s pawn 2 squares.
13.
W. The queen’s bishop takes the pawn close to his king.
B. Queen’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
14.
W. Queen’s knight at his queen’s 2d.
B. King’s knight at the adverse king’s knight’s 4th.(e)
(c) By pushing this pawn two squares you had given his knight a free entry into your game, which would have lost you the party. The subject of a back game.
(d) This move is of great consequence to him for ensuring the party, because it hinders you from attacking his king’s knight with your queen’s bishop, to effect afterwards a separation of his pawns, by sacrificing a rook for one of his knights, and this would have turned the game in your favour.
(e) He plays this knight to take your queen’s bishop, who would be troublesome to him, were he to castle on his queen’s side. Here we may observe, as a general rule, that when a player has advanced pawns, it becomes policy to commence a distinct hostility against the bishops, because they can menace the pawns, and block their way, more effectually than any other piece.
15.
W. The queen at her king’s 2d.(f)
B. The knight takes the bishop.
16.
W. The queen takes the knight.
B. The queen at her knight’s square.(g)
17.
W. The queen takes the queen.(h)
B. The rook takes the queen.
18.
W. Queen’s rook at his king’s square.
B. The king at his queen’s 2d.
(f) Knowing no expedient way to save your bishop, you play your queen to replace him; for if you had seated him at your king’s bishop’s fourth, to hinder the check of his knight, he would have pushed his king’s knight’s pawn upon the bishop, and made you lose the game immediately.
(g) He offers to exchange queens to break the direction of yours, so that he may place his queen at her third square, in case you refuse to take her.
(h) If you did not take the queen, your situation would be still worse.
19.
W. The king’s knight gives check.
B. The knight takes the knight.
20.
W. The rook takes the knight.
B. The king at his queen’s 3d.
21.
W. King’s rook at his king’s square.
B. Queen’s knight’s pawn 2 squares.
22.
W. Queen’s bishop’s pawn 1 square.
B. Queen’s rook at his king’s square.
23.
W. Queen’s rook’s pawn 2 squares.
B. Queen’s rook’s pawn 1 square.
24.
W. The knight at his king’s bishop’s 3d.
B. King’s knight’s pawn 2 squares.
25.
W. The king at his knight’s 2d.
B. King’s bishop’s pawn 1 square.(i)
26.
W. Queen’s rook at his king’s 2d.
B. King’s rook’s pawn 1 square.
(i) If he had pushed this pawn two squares you had gained his queen’s pawn, which would have improved your game.
27.
W. The queen’s rook’s pawn takes the pawn.
B. The pawn takes the pawn.
28.
W. King’s rook at his queen’s rook’s square.
B. Queen’s rook at his own square.(k)
29.
W. King’s rook returns to his king’s square.
B. The bishop at his queen’s 2d.
30.
W. Queen’s pawn 1 square.
B. Queen’s bishop’s pawn 1 square.
31.
W. The bishop at his queen’s bishop’s 2d.
B. King’s rook’s pawn 1 square.(l)
(k) You must never resign the passages, nor suffer the opponent to double his rooks; accordingly, rather than suffer this, he proposes to change piece for piece.
(l) He plays this in order afterwards to push his king’s knight’s pawn upon your knight, to force him from his position; but if he had pushed his knight’s pawn before playing this, your knight, vaulting to your king’s rook’s fourth, would have stopped the progress of all his pawns.
32.
W. King’s rook at his own square.
B. King’s rook at his 4th square.(m)
33.
W. Queen’s knight’s pawn 1 square.
B. Queen’s rook at his king’s rook’s square.
34.
W. Queen’s knight’s pawn 1 square.
B. King’s knight’s pawn 1 square.
35.
W. The knight at his queen’s 2d.
B. King’s rook at his king’s knight’s 4th.
36.
W. King’s rook at his king’s bishop’s square.
B. King’s knight’s pawn 1 square.
37.
W. The rook takes the pawn, and gives check.
B. The king at his queen’s bishop’s 2d.
38.
W. King’s rook at the adverse king’s knight’s 3d.
B. The pawn gives check.
(m) Had he given check with his rook’s pawn, instead of playing this, he would have acted contrary to the instruction given in the first party. Vide note (x).
39.
W. The king at his knight’s square.
B. King’s knight’s pawn 1 square.
40.
W. The rook takes the rook.
B. The pawn gives check.
41.
W. The king takes the knight’s pawn.
B. The rook’s pawn makes a queen, and gives check.
42.
W. The king at his bishop’s 2d.
B. The rook gives check at his king’s bishop’s square.
43.
W. The king at his 3d square.
B. The queen gives check at the adverse king’s rook’s 3d.
44.
W. The knight covers the check.
B. The queen takes the knight, and gives mate in a few moves.
The black pawns are conducted in a masterly manner on each wing, so as to lay a foundation for a beneficial result; but the halting march of the white pawn, which consumes the 33d and 34th moves of the white, seems to be a waste of a move at a critical period.
FIRST BACK GAME,
TO THE CUNNINGHAM GAMBIT,
On the Seventh Move of the Black.
7.
W. The king at his rook’s square.
B. King’s bishop at his king’s 2d.
8.
W. The king’s bishop takes the pawn and gives check.
B. The king takes the bishop.
9.
W. King’s knight at the adverse king’s 4th square,
giving double check.
B. The king at his 3d square; any where, he is liable
to lose the queen.
10.
W. The queen gives check at her king’s knight’s 4th.(a)
B. The king takes the knight.
11.
W. The queen gives check at the adverse king’s bishop’s 4th.
B. The king at his queen’s 3d.
(a) You waive the capture of the queen, to seize the opportunity of forcing a mate.
12.
W. The queen gives check-mate at the adverse queen’s 4th.
STRICTURE, and OUTLINES of a VARIATION.
The station assigned to the bishop at the 7th move, is as injudicious as the advantage taken of it is brilliant;—nevertheless there is no critical necessity for the mate being so precipitate. The king, at the 10th move, should refuse taking the knight. This creates him chances of escape, and leaves the hostile party but one mode of effecting any thing decisive. The knight, adopting that mode, at the following move, assaults both king and queen. The difficulty and embarrassment of the black pieces will then appear. The king, in protracting the struggle, exposes to dispersion and destruction his left wing. Equal play, exerted so long after a critical stroke, cannot retrieve the step on which the interest of this back game turns: but equal play may prevent the sudden extinction of manœuvring; and the practice of the best defence in situations of which various points are open to the enemy, imparts a facility at resource. It is not necessary to be circumstantial, in marking the conduct of the variation. Other expedients present themselves to retard defeat, the turns of which the reader may explore: but as the Editor finds already one variation on this back game, he declines multiplying ingraftments of a branch upon a branch, lest the principle of the gambit should be lost in its ramifications, and the attention diverted from the leading effect.
SEQUEL
TO THE FIRST BACK GAME;
Shewing how to accomplish a Mate, if the King refuse to take the Bishop.
8.
W. The king’s bishop takes the pawn, and gives check.
B. The king at his bishop’s square.
9.
W. The king’s knight at the adverse king’s 4th.
B. King’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
10.
W. King’s bishop at his queen’s knight’s 3d.
B. The queen at her king’s square.
11.
W. King’s knight at the adverse king’s bishop’s 2d.
B. The rook at his king’s knight’s square.
12.
W. King’s pawn 1 square.
B. Queen’s pawn 2 squares.
13.
W. The pawn takes the knight.
B. The pawn takes the pawn.
14.
W. The bishop takes the pawn.
B. Queen’s bishop at the adverse king’s knight’s 4th.
15.
W. The queen at her king’s square.
B. Queen’s bishop at his king’s rook’s 4th.
16.
W. Queen’s pawn 2 squares.
B. The bishop takes the knight.
17.
W. The queen’s bishop gives check.
B. The rook covers the check.
18.
W. The knight at his king’s bishop’s 3d.
B. The bishop takes the bishop.
19.
W. The knight takes the bishop.
B. The queen at her king’s bishop’s 2d.
20.
W. The knight takes the bishop.
B. The queen takes the knight.
21.
W. The queen takes the queen.
B. The king takes the queen.
22.
W. The bishop takes the rook; and wins the game.
SECOND BACK GAME,
TO THE CUNNINGHAM GAMBIT,
On the Eleventh Move of the White.
11.
W. The queen’s pawn 2 squares.
B. King’s knight at the adverse king’s 4th.
12.
W. Queen’s bishop at his king’s bishop’s 4th.
B. King’s bishop’s pawn 2 squares.
13.
W. Queen’s knight at his queen’s 2d.
B. The queen at her king’s 2d.
14.
W. Queen’s bishop’s pawn 2 squares.
B. Queen’s bishop’s pawn 1 square.
15.
W. The pawn takes the pawn.
B. The pawn takes the pawn.
16.
W. Queen’s rook at his bishop’s square.
B. Queen’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
17.
W. The knight takes the knight.
B. The king’s bishop’s pawn takes the knight. .
18.
W. The knight takes the pawn close to his king.
B. The king castles with his rook.
19.
W. The queen at her 2d square.
B. King’s rook’s pawn 1 square.
20.
W. Queen’s rook at the adverse queen’s bishop’s 4th.
B. Queen’s rook at his queen’s square.
21.
W. King’s bishop at his queen’s rook’s 4th.
B. King’s knight’s pawn 2 squares.
22.
W. Queen’s bishop at his king’s 3d.
B. The rook takes the rook.
23.
W. The knight takes the rook.
B. The queen at her 3d square.
24.
W. The queen at her king’s rook’s 2d.
B. The king at his knight’s 2d.
25.
W. The queen takes the queen.
B. The rook takes the queen.
26.
W. Queen’s rook’s pawn 1 square.
B. The king at his knight’s 3d.
27.
W. Queen’s knight’s pawn 2 squares.
B. King’s rook’s pawn 1 square.
28.
W. Queen’s knight’s pawn 1 square.
B. The knight at his king’s 2d.
29.
W. The rook at the adverse queen’s bishop’s 2d.
B. The rook at his queen’s 2d.
30.
W. The rook takes the rook.
B. The bishop takes the rook.
31.
W. The king at his knight’s 2d.
B. King’s rook’s pawn 1 square.
32.
W. Queen’s bishop at his king’s bishop’s 2d.
B. The king at his rook’s 4th.
33.
W. The king’s bishop gives check.
B. The bishop covers the check.
34.
W. The bishop takes the bishop.
B. The king takes the bishop.
35.
W. The knight gives check at his king’s 3d.
B. The king at the adverse king’s bishop’s 4th.
36.
W. The king at his rook’s 3d square.
B. The king at the adverse king’s bishop’s 3d.
37.
W. The knight at his king’s knight’s 4th.
B. The knight at his king’s bishop’s 4th.
38.
W. The bishop at his king’s knight’s square.
B. King’s pawn 1 square.
39.
W. Queen’s rook’s pawn 1 square.
B. King’s pawn 1 square.
40.
W. The bishop at his king’s bishop’s 2d.
B. The knight takes the queen’s pawn, and wins the party.
During the latter part of this game, the whites had the majority of a bishop; the blacks that of three pawns: the aid derivable from the bishop could not countervail the manœuvring of three pawns.
COMPENDIUM of the CUNNINGHAM GAMBIT.
From all the preceding forms of this gambit it appears, that on the system of action and counteraction there pursued, the blacks must win, if they do not at the seventh move withdraw the bishop to the king’s second; and that therefore, on the part of the white pieces, it is expedient to change the mode of operation previous to that move. When the black bishop checks, at the fourth countermove, no eventual good is obtained by covering with the pawn. Cunningham shews that the step below is an effective substitution.
1.
W. The king’s pawn 2 squares.
B. The same.
2.
W. King’s bishop’s pawn 2 squares.
B. The pawn takes the pawn.
3.
W. King’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
B. King’s bishop at his king’s 2d.
4.
W. The king’s bishop at his queen’s bishop’s 4th.
B. The bishop gives check.
5.
W. The king at his bishop’s square.(a)
B. Queen’s pawn 1 square.
6.
W. Queen’s pawn 2 squares.
B. The queen at her king’s bishop’s 3d.
7.
W. King’s pawn 1 square.
B. The queen’s pawn takes the pawn.
8.
W. The queen’s pawn takes the pawn.
B. The queen at her king’s 2d.
9.
W. The queen’s bishop takes the gambit pawn.
B. Queen’s bishop at the white king’s knight’s 4th.
(a) Playing the king to the bishop’s square, makes it impossible for the adversary to preserve the gambit pawn, which it will be always in your power to take; and you will acquire by it a constant attack upon him.
10.
W. Queen’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
B. Queen’s bishop’s pawn 1 square.
11.
W. Queen’s knight at his king’s 4th. The whites have
the advantage of position, and must win.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
Printed by W. Smith, King Street, Seven Dials.
STUDIES OF CHESS; CONTAINING CAISSA, A POEM,
BY SIR WILLIAM JONES;
A Systematic Introduction to the Game;
AND
THE WHOLE
ANALYSIS OF CHESS,
COMPOSED BY Mr. A. D. PHILIDOR:
WITH
Original Critical Remarks.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
“Ludimus effigiem belli.”
VOL. II.
London: Printed for SAMUEL BAGSTER, No. 81, Strand. 1803.
Printed by W. Smith, King Street, Seven Dials.
Contents of the Second Volume.
PHILIDOR’S WORK CONTINUED.
PAGE
The Queen’s Gambit 1
Regular Parties 33
First Regular Party 34
Second Regular Party 49
Third Regular Party 54
Fourth Regular Party 69
Fifth Regular Party 75
Sixth Regular Party 81
The Salvio Gambit—First Party 88
——— —Second Party 101
Supplements to former Games 107
Practical Mates and Ends of Parties 120
Rook and Bishop against a Rook 121
Mate with a Knight and Bishop 135
A Rook and Pawn against a Bishop 142
Mate with a Rook 148
The Queen against a Rook and Pawn 152
The Queen against a Rook 160
Rook and Pawn against a Rook 168
Queen and Pawn against a Queen 172
Drawn Game with a Pawn 181
A Knight against a Pawn 185
Two Pawns against One 187
Two separate, against Two united Pawns 194
Observations on Ends of Parties,
and Powers of Pieces combined 196
The Laws of Chess 199
Games played without seeing the Board 205
—— First Match 206
—— Second Match 226
—— Third Match 244
Appendix 259
ANALYSIS OF CHESS.