Edward Winter
(2016)
Jean Taubenhaus and Andrés Clemente Vázquez
Respective sources:
Page 68 of El ajedrez en la Argentina by José Pérez
Mendoza (Buenos Aires, 1920)
Frontispiece of Análisis del juego de ajedrez by Andrés
Clemente Vázquez, volume one (Havana, 1889).
Concerning the final score of the match played in Havana in 1894-95 between Jean Taubenhaus and Andrés Clemente Vázquez, C.N. 9887 pointed out a variety of reports:
We also noted contemporary sources for some of the games, and the full set (ten) can now be presented, thanks to assistance from Eduardo Bauzá Mercére (New York, NY, USA), Patsy A. D’Eramo (North East, MD, USA), Jerry Spinrad (Nashville, TN, USA) and Olimpiu G. Urcan (Singapore).
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Andrés Clemente Vázquez – Jean Taubenhaus
First match-game, Havana, 29 December 1894
Bird’s Opening
1 f4 d5 2 e3 e6 3 Nf3 Bd6 4 Be2 Nf6 5 O-O O-O 6 b3 c5 7 Bb2 Nbd7 8 d4 Ne4 9 Nbd2 Ndf6 10 Nxe4 Nxe4 11 Qe1 b6 12 Rd1 Bb7 13 Bd3 cxd4 14 Nxd4 Nc5 15 Qg3 f6 16 Qh3 f5 17 Ba1 Qe7 18 Rf3 Rf6 19 Rg3 Rg6 20 Nf3 Rxg3 21 hxg3 Rc8 22 Nd4 Ne4 23 g4 g6 24 gxf5 exf5 25 Nf3 Nc3 26 Re1 Nxa2 27 Nh4 Nc3 28 g4 fxg4 29 Qxg4 Rc7 30 Kh2 Bc8 31 Bf5 Bxf5 32 Nxf5 Qf6 33 Nd4 Ne4
34 Rg1 Qf7 35 Rg2 Nf6 36 Qg5 Ne4 37 Qd8+ Qf8 38 Qh4 Qc8 39 Qh5 Nf6 40 Qg5 Be7 41 Nf5 Bd8 42 Bxf6 Rd7 43 Bxd8 Qxd8 44 Qxd8+ Rxd8 45 Ne7+ Kf7 46 Nc6 Ra8 47 Rd2 Ke6 48 Nb4 Kf5 49 Kg3 Ke6 50 Nxd5 Rc8 51 e4 g5 52 fxg5 Ke5 53 Kf3 Rf8+ 54 Nf6 h6 55 Kg4 Rf7 56 Rd7 Rf8 57 Rxa7 Rc8 58 Nd7+ Kxe4 59 gxh6 Rxc2 60 h7 Rh2 61 Nf6+ Ke5 62 Nh5 Resigns.
Sources: New York Sun, 7 January 1895, page 6 (48 Nb4 Resigns). La Stratégie, 15 February 1895, pages 46-47 (with notes by Vázquez). The Times, 29 January 1895, page 14 (42 Bxf6 and wins).
Jean Taubenhaus – Andrés Clemente Vázquez
Second match-game, Havana, 30 December 1894
Sicilian Defence
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 g6 5 Nxc6 bxc6 6 Qd4 Nf6 7 e5 Nd5 8 e6 Nf6
9 exd7+ Bxd7 10 Bf4 Bg7 11 Be5 O-O 12 Nc3 Qa5 13 b4 Qb6 14 Bd3 Qxd4 15 Bxd4 e5 16 Bc5 Rfe8 17 O-O e4 18 Bc4 Nh5 19 Rad1 Be6 20 Bxe6 Rxe6 21 Ne2 Ree8 22 Nd4 Rec8 23 Rfe1 Nf6 24 Nb3 Rc7 25 c4 Re8 26 f3 Bf8 27 Bd4 Nd7 28 c5 f5 29 fxe4 fxe4 30 Rd2 Bg7 31 Bxg7 Kxg7
32 Rd6 Nf6 33 Nd4 Rb7 34 Nxc6 e3 35 a3 e2 36 Rd2 Re3 37 Rdxe2 Rxa3 38 Re7+ Rxe7 39 Rxe7+ Kf8 40 Rxa7 Rb3 41 h3 Rb2 42 Ne5 Nd5 43 c6 Rxb4 44 c7 Nxc7 45 Rxc7 Kg8 46 Kf2 and wins.
Sources: New York Sun, 7 January 1895, page 6. La Stratégie, 15 February 1895, pages 47-48 (notes by Vázquez). The Sun stated that Black resigned at move 46, but the French magazine reported that a few more moves were played. In the Albany Evening Journal, 19 January 1895 (page ?) Pollock gave the same game, also as far as move 46, with ‘notes condensed from those of Sr. Vázquez in the Diario de la Marina’. It has not yet been possible to find material from the Cuban newspaper.
Andrés Clemente Vázquez – Jean Taubenhaus
Third match-game, Havana, 1 or 2 January 1895
From Gambit
1 f4 e5 2 fxe5 d6 3 exd6 Bxd6 4 Nf3 Nh6 5 g3 Ng4 6 d3 h5 7 e4 h4 8 e5 Bb4+ 9 c3
9...hxg3 10 Qa4+ Nc6 11 cxb4 Nf2 12 b5 Ne7 13 Rg1 gxh2 14 Nxh2 Nxd3+ 15 Bxd3 Qxd3 16 Nf1 Ng6 17 Nbd2 Rh4 18 Qb3 Qf5 19 Ne3 Qh5 20 Qd1 Qh6 21 Nf3 Rh1 22 Rxh1 Qxh1+ 23 Kf2 Qxd1 24 Nxd1 Bg4 25 Nc3 Bxf3 26 Kxf3 Nxe5+ 27 Ke4 Nd7 28 Bf4 Nc5+ 29 Kf3 O-O-O 30 Rd1 Rxd1 31 Nxd1 Ne6 32 Be3 b6 33 Nc3 Kd7 34 Ke4 Kd6 35 Bg1 Ng5+ 36 Kd3 Nf3 37 Bf2 Ne5+ 38 Ke4 Ke6 39 Bg3 f5+ 40 Kd4 c5+ 41 bxc6 Nxc6+ 42 Kc4 g5 43 Ne2 Ne5+ 44 Kb5 Nd3 45 Nd4+ Kf6
46 b4 f4 47 Bh2 g4 48 Ne2 f3 49 Ng3 Kg5 50 Kc4 Nf2 51 Nf1 Drawn.
Source: New York Sun, 8 January 1895, page 8.
Jean Taubenhaus – Andrés Clemente Vázquez
Fourth match-game, Havana, 4 January 1895
Sicilian Defence
1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 g6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Bg7 5 Be3 Nf6 6 Nc3 d6 7 f3 O-O 8 Qd2 Nc6 9 Be2 a6 10 O-O Bd7 11 Rad1 Rc8 12 Nb3 Ne5 13 Nd5 Nxd5 14 exd5 f5 15 Rfe1 Qc7 16 c3 Ba4 17 Bd4 f4 18 Bf1 g5 19 c4 Rf7 20 Rc1 Bxb3 21 axb3 Qd7 22 c5 Qf5 23 Bxe5 Bxe5 24 c6 b5 25 Ra1 Qf6 26 Rxa6 Bd4+ 27 Kh1 Be3 28 Qc2 Qh6 29 Bd3 Rf6
30 Bf5 Rc7 31 Ra8+ Kg7 32 b4 Qh4 33 Re2 h5 34 Be6 Rxe6 35 dxe6 g4 36 Qf5 Qf6 37 Qxh5 Qxe6 38 Qh8+ Kg6 39 Rg8+ Kf5 40 Qh5+ Resigns.
Sources: New York Sun, 10 January 1895, page 8. New York Daily Tribune, 10 January 1895, page 5. Deutsche Schachzeitung, May 1895, page 141.
Andrés Clemente Vázquez – Jean Taubenhaus
Fifth match-game, Havana, 5 January 1895
Bird’s Opening
1 f4 d5 2 e3 Nf6 3 Nf3 Bg4 4 b3 e6 5 Bb2 Bd6 6 Be2 Nbd7 7 O-O O-O 8 Qe1 Bxf3 9 Bxf3 e5 10 Qh4 exf4 11 exf4 Re8 12 Qg3 c6 13 Nc3 Nf8 14 Kh1 Ng6 15 Ne2 Ne4 16 Bxe4 Rxe4 17 Qg4
17...Be5 18 d4 Bd6 19 g3 Qe7 20 Ng1 Re8 21 Rf2 Nf8 22 Rd1 Nd7 23 Bc1 Nf6 24 Qf3 Ba3 25 Bxa3 Qxa3 26 c4 Re3 27 Qg2 Ne4 28 Rc2 dxc4 29 bxc4 h5 30 d5 Nc3 31 Rdc1 h4 32 dxc6 bxc6 33 Qxc6 R8e6 34 Qa8+ Kh7 35 Nf3
35...Ne4 36 Ng5+ Nxg5 37 fxg5 h3 38 Rf1 Qd3 39 Rcf2 Qxc4 40 Rxf7 Re8 41 Qb7 R8e7 42 Qb1+ Qe4+ 43 Qxe4+ R7xe4 44 R7f4 Rxf4 45 gxf4 Kg6 46 Kg1
46...Kf5 47 Rb1 Ra3 48 Rb7 g6 49 Rf7+ Kg4 50 f5 Kxg5 51 fxg6 Kxg6 52 Rf2 Kg5 53 Rb2 Kf4 54 Kf2 Ke4 55 Ke2 Kd4 56 Kd2 Kc4 57 Rc2+ Kd4 58 Ke2 a5 59 Kd2 Rf3 60 Ke2 Re3+ 61 Kd2 Re5 62 Rc8 Rg5 63 Rd8+ Kc4 64 Rc8+ Kb5 65 Rb8+ Kc6 66 Rc8+ Kb7 67 Rh8 Rg2+ 68 Kc3 Rxh2 69 Kb3 Kc6 70 a3 Rh1 71 Ka4 Kd5 72 Kxa5 Ke4 73 a4 Kf3 74 Ka6 Kg2 75 a5 Ra1 76 Kb6 h2 77 a6 Drawn.
Source: La Stratégie, 15 March 1895, pages 76-77 (notes by Vázquez). Page 9 of the New York Sun, 3 February 1895 and page 16 of the New York Daily Tribune, page 16 gave the conclusion as 44...Kg6 45 Kg1 Kxg5 46 Rf7 Re7 Drawn. The two newspapers’ coverage was often strikingly similar.
Vázquez’s note after 46...Kf5:
‘A ce moment nous avons proposé la nullité qui a été refusée par notre adversaire. La fin est trčs instructive, difficile et intéressante. Lorsque la partie a été déclarée nulle M. Taubenhaus a dit: “Je croyais que cette fin de partie était gagnée pour moi, mais vous avez joué d’une maničre admirable.”’
Jean Taubenhaus – Andrés Clemente Vázquez
Sixth match-game, Havana, 7 January 1895
Philidor’s Defence
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 exd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 Be7 6 Bd3 O-O 7 O-O Nc6 8 Nxc6 bxc6 9 h3 Nd7 10 Be3 Ne5 11 Be2 f5 12 f4 Ng6 13 Bf3 Ba6
14 exf5 Bxf1 15 fxg6 Ba6 16 Bxc6 Rb8 17 Bd5+ Kh8 18 Qh5 h6 19 Ne4 Qd7 20 Bd4 Bf6 21 Nxf6 Qa4 22 c4 c5 23 Bc3
23...Rb3 24 Qxh6+ gxh6 25 Ne8+ Rxc3 26 g7+ Kh7 27 gxf8(Q) Rg3 28 Be4+ Resigns.
Sources: New York Sun, 17 January 1895, page 8. New York Daily Tribune, 17 January 1895, page 4. Baltimore Sunday News, 23 January 1895, page ? (notes by Pollock). San Francisco Chronicle, 27 April 1895, page 10 (notes by Martínez).
Andrés Clemente Vázquez – Jean Taubenhaus
Seventh match-game, Havana, 9 January 1895
Falkbeer Counter-Gambit
1 e4 e5 2 f4 d5 3 exd5 exf4 4 Nf3 Nf6 5 d4 Nxd5 6 Bd3 Bg4 7 O-O Nc6 8 c3 Be7 9 Be4 g5 10 Qb3 Bxf3 11 Bxf3 Nb6 12 a4 a5 13 Qb5 Qd7 14 Na3 O-O 15 Kh1 Nd8 16 Qd3 c5 17 Nb5 cxd4 18 cxd4 Ne6 19 b3 Rad8 20 Bb2 Nd5 21 Be4 Nf6 22 Bf5 Qd5 23 Rae1 Bb4
24 Re5 Qxe5 25 dxe5 Rxd3 26 Bxd3 Nd5 27 Rc1 Nc5 28 Bc4 Ne3 29 Kg1 Bd2 30 Rb1 Nxc4 31 bxc4 Be3+ 32 Kf1 Nxa4 33 Ba3 Rd8 34 Nd6 b6 [35 Re1. The score in the two newspapers mentioned below gave ‘35 K-K’ but also ‘37 R-Kt’. It is possible, but by no means certain, that ‘35 K-K’ was a transcription error for ‘35 R-K’.] 35...Bc5 36 Bxc5 Nxc5 37 Rb1 Nd7 38 Rb5 a4 39 Ne4 Re8 40 Rd5 Re7 41 Nf6+ Nxf6 42 exf6 Re8 43 Rxg5+ Kf8 44 Rb5 Re6 45 c5 bxc5 46 Rxc5 Rxf6 47 Ra5 f3 48 g3 Rh6 49 h4 Rg6 50 Kf2 Rg4 51 Kxf3 Rb4 52 Ra7 Kg7 53 Ra6 Drawn.
Sources: New York Sun, 17 January 1895, page 8. New York Daily Tribune, 17 January 1895, page 4.
Jean Taubenhaus – Andrés Clemente Vázquez
Eighth match-game, Havana, 10 January 1895
Petroff Defence
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Nxe5 d6 4 Nf3 Nxe4 5 d4 d5 6 Bd3 Nc6 7 O-O Be7 8 c4 Nf6 9 c5 O-O 10 Nc3 Nb4 11 Bb1 c6 12 Ne2 Na6 13 Ne5 Re8 14 f4 Ne4 15 Bxe4 dxe4 16 Nc3 Bf8
17 f5 Nxc5 18 dxc5 Qxd1 19 Rxd1 Rxe5 20 Rd8 f6 21 Bf4 Re7 22 Bd6 Kf7
23 Nxe4 Re8 24 Rxe8 Kxe8 25 Re1 Bxd6 26 Nxd6+ Kd7 27 Re8 b6 28 Rg8 bxc5 29 Nxc8 Rxc8 30 Rxg7+ Kd6 31 Rxa7 c4 32 Rb7 Kc5 33 Kf2 Re8 34 g4 h6 35 Rd7 Ra8 36 a3 c3 37 bxc3 Rxa3 38 Rf7 Kd5 39 Rxf6 Rxc3 40 Rxh6 Ke5 41 Rh8 Kf4 42 h3 Rd3 43 Rh6 c5 44 Ke2 Resigns.
Sources: New York Sun, 19 January 1895, page 8. New York Daily Tribune, 19 January 1895, page 4.
Andrés Clemente Vázquez – Jean Taubenhaus
Ninth match-game, Havana, 11 January 1895
Muzio Gambit
1 e4 e5 2 f4 exf4 3 Nf3 g5 4 Bc4 g4 5 O-O gxf3 6 Qxf3 Qf6 7 d3 Nc6 8 Nc3 Bc5+ 9 Kh1 Ne5 10 Qh5 f3 11 gxf3 Ne7 12 Bxf7+ Nxf7 13 Qxc5 d6 14 Qxc7 Rg8
15 Bf4 Bh3 16 Rg1 Rxg1+ 17 Rxg1 Rc8 18 Nd5 Rxc7 19 Nxf6+ Kd8 20 c3 Ng6 21 Be3 Nfe5 22 Bxa7 Rf7 23 Rg3 Nf4 24 Nd5 Nexd3 25 Nxf4 Nxf4 26 Be3 Be6 27 Bxf4 Rxf4 28 b3 Ke7 29 Kg1
29...d5 30 exd5 Bxd5 31 Kf2 Kf6 32 Ke3 Rh4 33 Rg2 Rh3 34 Rf2 Ke5 35 c4 Bc6 36 b4 Rh6 37 f4+ Kf5 38 b5 Be4 39 Kd4 Rh3 40 Kc5 Ra3 41 Kb6 h5 42 c5 h4 43 c6 bxc6 44 bxc6 Rc3 45 c7 h3 46 a4 Rc6+ Drawn.
Sources: New York Sun, 19 January 1895, page 8. New York Daily Tribune, 19 January 1895, page 4.
Jean Taubenhaus – Andrés Clemente Vázquez
Tenth game, Havana, 12? January 1895
King’s Gambit Declined
1 e4 e5 2 f4 Bc5 3 Nf3 d6 4 Nc3 Nc6 5 Na4 Bb6 6 Nxb6 axb6 7 Bb5 Bd7 8 d4 exd4 9 Nxd4 Nf6 10 O-O O-O 11 Nxc6 bxc6 12 Bd3 Re8 13 Re1 c5
14 e5 Bg4 15 Qd2 dxe5 16 fxe5 Qd4+ 17 Qe3 Rxe5 18 Qxd4 Rxe1+ 19 Kf2 cxd4 20 Kxe1 Nd5 21 Bd2 c5 22 Kf2 Be6 23 Be4 f5 24 Bf3 Kf7 25 c4 dxc3 26 Bxc3 Ra7 27 Bxd5 Bxd5 28 a3 Re7 29 Re1 Be4 30 Rd1 Ke6 31 g3 g5 32 Rd8 f4 33 gxf4 gxf4 34 Rf8 Rf7 35 Rxf7 Kxf7 Drawn.
Sources: New York Sun, 3 February 1895, page 9. New York Daily Tribune, 3 February 1895, page 16.
Before giving the eighth and ninth games, page 8 of the New York Sun, 19 January 1895 reported:
‘Taubenhaus writes to the Sun from Havana, under date of 11 January that he had beaten Seńor A. Vázquez in the chess match by winning the eighth game, thus securing the best out of ten games, the score then being, Taubenhaus 4; Vázquez, 1; drawn 3. However, according to the regulations of the match, ten games must be played. By mutual agreement, Vázquez was to play a Muzio Gambit in the ninth game, played on 11 January, which was also drawn. The eighth game, which was played on 10 January, was a Russian Defence, adopted by Vázquez, in the course of which Taubenhaus got much the best of the contest and the verdict after 44 moves.’
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Copyright: Edward Winter. All rights reserved.