Third Regular Party,
Reading edition
Variant from the First Party, at the Second Move of the Black,
WITH THREE BACK GAMES;
On the Third, the Seventh, and the Eleventh Move of the Black.
1.
W. The king’s pawn 2 squares.
B. The same.
2.
W. King’s bishop at his queen’s bishop’s 4th.
B. Queen’s bishop’s pawn 1 square.(a)
3.
W. Queen’s pawn 2 squares.
B. The king’s pawn takes the pawn.(b) ☜
(a) He prepares to push his queen’s pawn two squares, in order to intercept the action of your king’s bishop, occupy the centre with his pawns, and recover the advantage of the move.
(b) He might, according to his first design, have pushed his queen’s pawn two squares. This will furnish interest for a back game.
4.
W. The queen takes the pawn.
B. Queen’s pawn 1 square.(c)
5.
W. King’s bishop’s pawn 2 squares.
B. Queen’s bishop at his king’s 3d.(d)
6.
W. The bishop takes the bishop.
B. The pawn takes the bishop.
7.
W. Queen’s bishop’s pawn 2 squares.
B. Queen’s pawn 1 square.(e) ☜
(c) If he had played his king’s knight to his bishop’s third square, you must have attacked the knight with your king’s pawn, by which play you would have won many moves.
(d) If, instead, he had advanced his king’s bishop’s pawn two squares, you must then have pushed your king’s pawn.
(e) He makes this move in order to break your pawns in the centre, or be able to establish his pawns strongly on his queen’s side: he would have played wrong, had he pushed his queen’s bishop’s pawn upon your queen; as appears by a back game.
8.
W. The queen’s bishop’s pawn takes the pawn.
B. The king’s pawn takes the pawn.(f)
9.
W. King’s pawn 1 square.
B. Queen’s bishop’s pawn 1 square.
10.
W. The queen at her king’s bishop’s 2d.(g)
B. Queen’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
11.
W. King’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
B. Queen’s pawn 1 square.(h) ☜
(f) It would have been improper for the adversary to take with his queen’s bishop’s pawn, because his pieces would be confined, and their sphere of action less extensive than yours.
(g) It would be wrong to give check with your queen, because it would answer no useful purpose, and for any other, she ought not to be removed from one of the four files in the centre; you must, on the contrary, keep her behind your principal pawns, especially in the beginning of a party.
(h) It would have been bad play to push his queen’s bishop’s pawn; and a back game on this move will shew it to be of consequence, when you have a cordon of pawns, to push the leading one.
12.
W. The king castles.
B. The queen at her 4th square.
13.
W. King’s rook at its queen’s square.(i)
B. The king castles.(k)
14.
W. Queen’s knight’s pawn 1 square.
B. King’s knight at his rook’s 3d.
15.
W. Queen’s knight at his rook’s 3d.
B. King’s bishop at his king’s 2d.
16.
W. Queen’s bishop at his queen’s knight’s 2d.(l)
(i) This move is indispensible to prevent him from pushing his queen’s bishop’s pawn, which would bring two of his pawns a-breast upon your ground; besides, affording a favourable opportunity for his bishop to get out.
(k) If he had pushed his queen’s knight’s pawn two squares, you would have won a pawn, by attacking his queen with your queen’s knight.
(l) This party is quite even, the position is as good on one side as the other, the bishops are reduced to a narrow field, and the rooks are free.
FIRST BACK GAME,
On the Third Move of the Black.
3.
W. Queen’s pawn 2 squares.
B. The same.
4.
W. The king’s pawn takes the pawn.
B. The queen’s bishop’s pawn takes the pawn.
5.
W. The king’s bishop gives check.(a)
B. The bishop covers the check.
6.
W. The bishop takes the bishop.
B. The knight takes the bishop.
7.
W. The pawn takes the pawn.
B. The knight takes the pawn.
(a) If, instead of giving check, you had removed this bishop to your queen’s third square, you would have lost the advantage, both of the move and of the situation, because he would immediately have made himself master of the centre, by pushing his king’s pawn.
8.
W. The queen at her king’s 2d.
B. The same.(b)
9.
W. Queen’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
B. The king castles.
10.
W. Queen’s bishop at his king’s bishop’s 4th.
B. Queen’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
11.
W. The king castles.
(b) If he had sustained this knight by any other piece, he would have been subject to lose him, by your pushing the king’s bishop’s pawn two squares.
Philidor leaving the conduct of the party here—adds—"Such being the situation of the game, you have chiefly two objects in view: first, to fortify the queen’s bishop, whose direction annoys the adverse king, and next to attack the queen’s pawn, which being separated from the other pawns, can no longer be sustained but by the pieces. It is always advantageous to attack a separated pawn, were it only to employ the adverse pieces." This direction consigns the black pieces to the defensive: but if the Editor rightly interprets the indications of their situation, timid play must be discarded. As the black knight loses two moves, by the retreating course, assigned him in the back game, it is requisite to attempt a variation.
VARIATION BY THE EDITOR,
On the Tenth Move of the Black.
Return the king to his square—the rook to his
square—the white queen’s bishop to his square—
the black queen’s knight to his king’s fourth.
10.
W. Queen’s bishop at his king’s bishop’s 4th.
B. The knight at the adverse queen’s bishop’s 4th.(a)
(a) He takes an assailing position, leaving you to attack the exposed pawn as you can. The knight is protected by an ambuscaded check. Several pieces, in the course of the variation, are so protected.
11.
W. The king castles.
B. The queen at the adverse queen’s knight’s 4th.
12.
W. The queen gives check.(b)
B. The rook covers the check.
13.
W. The queen’s rook takes the pawn.
B. The queen takes the pawn and gives check.
14.
W. The king removes.
B. Queen’s knight at his 3d square.(c)
15.
W. Queen’s rook at its queen’s 3d.
B. The king at his queen’s square.
16.
W. The king at his queen’s 2d.
B. The king’s bishop at the adverse queen’s
knight’s 4th.
(b) Were the adverse queen suffered to take the pawn, in the present situation of the pieces, there would be a smothered mate.
(c) To prevent check-mate. From the present position, he must not stir, while the adverse rook and queen menace his queen, unless to take the rook, or to give check.
The black player has the best of the game. Whatever changes take place must be to his advantage. As the juncture did not favor the promotion of the single black pawn; involved play against the adverse superior pieces, was the only expedient by which the black pieces could support a competition. If at the 11th move, the white king should not castle, and the attacked pawn should be moved against the knight, the black queen must still go to the adverse knight’s 4th.
SECOND BACK GAME,
On the Seventh Move of the Black.
7.
W. Queen’s bishop’s pawn 2 squares.
B. Queen’s bishop’s pawn 1 square.(a)
8.
W. The queen at her 3d square.
B. King’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
9.
W. Queen’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
B. The same.
10.
W. Queen’s rook’s pawn 1 square.(b)
B. King’s bishop at his king’s 2d.
(a This allows you to lay a foundation for a result) in your favour. You must give him no other opportunity of pushing his queen’s pawn; if you succeed, his king’s bishop must remain imprisoned, and your pieces will cover more ground than those of your adversary.
(b) This move is essential; he would otherwise have attacked your queen with his queen’s knight; by which he would have obtained liberty to push his queen’s pawn, and disengage his pieces.
11.
W. King’s knight at his bishop’s 3d square.
B. The king castles.
12.
W. King’s knight’s pawn 1 square.(c)
B. Queen’s knight at his rook’s 4th.(d)
13.
W. Queen’s bishop at his king’s 3d.
B. Queen’s knight at the adverse queen’s knight’s 3d.
14.
W. Queen’s rook at its queen’s square.
B. King’s knight at the adverse king’s knight’s 4th.
(c) If circumstances had permitted you to remove your queen’s bishop to the king’s third square, he would have played his king’s knight to his fifth square, in order to take your bishop, and free that of his king. It is convenient to preserve a bishop of the same diagonal with your adversary. The oblique action of the bishop is very dangerous, and the best defence is to oppose bishop to bishop.
(d) He plays this knight in order to exchange him for your bishop.
15.
W. Queen’s bishop at his king’s knight’s square.(e)
B. Queen’s rook’s pawn 1 square.(f)
16.
W. King’s rook’s pawn 1 square.
B. King’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
17.
W. Queen’s bishop at his king’s 3d.
B. King’s knight at his rook’s 4th.
18.
W. Queen’s knight at his king’s 2d.
B. Queen’s knight at his rook’s 4th.(g)
(e) None of the attacks of the adversary are dangerous, because they do not break your centre; and you may dislodge the knights whenever you please; this proves that real attacks are to be made only by the co-operation of several pieces, and very seldom succeed with one or two.
(f) In order to hinder your queen’s knight from attacking his queen’s pawn.
(g) Instead of removing this knight, he might have sustained him by playing his queen to her knight’s third square: then you would have pushed your king’s knight’s pawn.
19.
W. The king castles.(h)
(h) In this situation you have a practicable road for the attainment of the game, but it will depend on preventing the adverse queen’s pawn from advancing, and on not being too hasty in pushing the pawns on the right wing, till the king is ready to sustain them.
THIRD BACK GAME,
On the Eleventh Move of the Black.
11.
W. King’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.
B. Queen’s bishop’s pawn 1 square.
12.
W. Queen’s bishop at his king’s 3d.
B. The king’s bishop gives check.
13.
W. Queen’s knight at his bishop’s 3d.(a)
B. King’s knight at his king’s 2d.
14.
W. The king castles with his rook.
B. King’s knight at his bishop’s 4th.(b)
15.
W. Queen’s rook at its queen’s square.(c)
B. The king’s knight takes the bishop.
(a) If he take your knight, his queen must necessarily fall into your hands, because it cannot be sustained by any other pawn; besides, you may attack it with all your pieces.
(b) He plays this knight to get rid of your bishop, and open afterwards a passage for his king’s bishop upon your king and queen, which would prove very dangerous.
(c) Your view is, to oblige him, either to sustain the pawn of his queen, or to take your knight.
16.
W. The queen takes the knight.
B. Queen’s knight at his king’s 2d.
17.
W. The king at his rook’s square.(d)
B. The king’s bishop takes the knight.(e)
18.
W. The pawn takes the bishop.
B. The king castles.(f)
(d) You might have taken his queen’s pawn with your knight, and afterwards played your queen to your king’s fourth, to force his knight; but he would then have disentangled his queen by giving check; so that this move is previously necessary.
(e) Being no longer able defensively to sustain his queen’s pawn; he is forced to take your knight, to preserve it.
(f) In this situation, the white player must win; the remaining measures being, to hinder the adverse queen’s pawn from coming into play, and to sustain the centre pawns, not advancing them too hastily.