Isodore Gunsberg
Died 01/06/1930 in London, England
Moved to England around 1876, eventually becoming a British citizen.
Gunsberg hired on as an operator of the chess automaton,
Mephisto , for a period of time before turning professional.
Lost a match against Blackburne in London in 1881 (4 wins, 7 loses, 3 draws)
Won a match against Henry Bird in London 1886 (5 wins, 1 loses, 3 draws)
Won a match against Blackburne in Bradford 1887 (5 wins, 2 loses, 6 draws)
Won a match against F.Lee in Bradford 1888 (3 wins, 0 loses, 2 draws)
Won a match against J.Mortimer in London 1888 (4 wins, 0 loses, 1 draws)
Won a match against Bird in London 1889 (3 wins, 2 loses, 0 draws)
Drew a match against M.Chigorin in Havanna 1890 (9 wins, 9 loses, 5 draws)
In match play, Gunsberg had a total of 37 wins, 27 loses and 29 draws.
Born 02/11/1854 in Budapest, Hungary
He won his first two big tournaments in 1885 in Hamburg and London. From this point on he seems to have found his stride.
He finally reached the level of play to be able to challenge Steinitz to a World Championship match. This was played in New York 1890 with the commendable result of 4 wins, 6 loses, 9 draws.
Gunsberg's Career
Was chess editor of the London Daily News.
Was the first British chess player to become a challenger for the official World Championship.
Steititz deigned to play Gunsberg on the basis of his strong tournament results, having previously spurned challenges by both Bird and Mason.
Chessmetrics places Gunsberg as the 3rd strongest player in the world in 1890 and 1891, behind Steinitz and Chigorin. His extrapolated ratings were 2633 and 2631 respectively.
Operated Mephisto, a chess auomaton for a period of time (George Macdonnell also spent time later as an operator), entering a chess tournament by Counties Chess Association in London in 1878 and won.
Some Anecdotes
"Gunsberg did not defeat Steinitz, but he showed that one can defeat him. It would have succeeded little to more sharpness with the attack, more obstinacy with the defense..."
- Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch
According to a posting in the Chess History newsgroup by Victor Sturgeon:
Here is the 12th match game. Interestingly enough, a conversation between himself and Steinitz, sprang up after whites 5th move. It was the first time Gunsberg had tried the Evans Gambit in the match and Steinitz asked him if he expected him to play his usual system against it, at which point Gunsberg indicated yes, so Steintz said he would. A time when gentlemen where sportsmen indeed. Gunsberg I - Steinitz W [C52/01]
12 New York, WCH, 18901.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Ba5 6.0-0 Qf6
7.d4 Nh6 8.Bg5 Qd6 9.d5 Nd8 10.Qa4 Bb6 11.Na3 c6 12.Be2 Bc7
13.Nc4 Qf8 14.d6 Bxd6 15.Nb6 Rb8 16.Qxa7 Ng4 17.Nh4 Ne6
18.Bxg4 Nxg5 19.Nf5 Ne6 20.Rfd1 Bc7 21.Na8 Rxa8 22.Qxa8 Kd8
23.Rxd7+ Kxd7 24.Rd1+ 1-0
Concerning an interesting lawsuit instigated by Gunsberg:
"1919, Vol. XVI The classic New York magazine emerges from the war years with accounts of American chess players lost in action, plus the rebuilding of chess activity afterwards. News comes of a High Court case involving the Daily Telegraph chess columnist Isidor Gunsberg, claiming damages for libel over claims of carelessness regarding flawed chess problems. BCM's problem editor, B.G. Laws, is called as an expert witness and Gunsberg wins his case, the jury awarding GBP 250 (then no mean sum). 284pp"
and
"Gunsburg, Isidor (1854-1930)
Only British player who has ever played a match for the world championship. In 1916 he sued the Evening News for libel when they said that his chess column contained blunders. He won the suit after the British High Court accepted a submission that in chess matters, eight oversights did not make a blunder."
(I misplaced the source of the above information)
from EUWE AND KRAMER, The Middle Game Vol I:
"Here Gunsberg picked up his KKt (f3) with the evident intention of playing it to R4 (h4). He even placed it on that square, and then hastily retracted the move. After a while Gunsberg picked up the Knight again and played
20 Kt-R4 (h4).
As he did so he shook his head head and shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'I'm bound to move this piece, and I can't see a better place to put it'.
20...QxBP (xf2).
Steinitz played this move without thought. In view of what had happened he was quite convinced that his opponent had overlooked, until too late, that his KBP was unprotected.
21 Kt-K4 (e4).
Rude awakening. The only move for the Black Queen is to K6 (e3), but then comes 22 B-QB1 (c1)*, and the Queen is trapped in mid-board.
Black resigned...
We must make it clear, however, that Gunsberg's tactics are not to be condoned. After the game Steinitz pointed out that Gunsberg had been the victim of similar tactics, in a match-game with Chigorin, and on that occasion Gunsberg had been extremely angry."
An Annotated Game from the British Chess Magazine, Oct. 1887, p. 397
First Game, Sept. 26, 1887
------------------------------------------------------------
4. ... d6
6. ... 0-0
7. d5 Nb8
9. g4 (17m.)
9. ... Kh1 (24m.)
11. ... b5
15. ... Bf6
19. h4 f5 (1 hr.)
22. h6 (1 hr.) Rg8
25. ... Rf5
25. ... Rg6 (1 hr. 44 m.)
28. R:g6 g6
Gunsberg-Blackburne
Notes by Blackburne and Gunsberg
Gunsberg Blackburne
1. e4 e5
2. Nc3 Nf6
3. Nf3 Nc6
4. a3 d6
The usual continuation here is Bg5, as plated in the late Steinitz v. Zukertort match.
5. h3 Be7
6. d4
This game develops itself into a type of Philidor.
Mr. Blackburne now thinks 6. ... e:d4 is preferable.
8. Be3 Ne8
8. ... c6 would have been better.
To prevent ... f7-f5.
10. Qd2 c5
11. Ne2
It would not have been advisable to castle too early on the Queen's side.
12. Ng3 a6
13. Be2 g6
14. Bh6 Rg8
15. 0-0-0 Bf6
Now White is sufficiently developed to castle on the Queen's side.
16. Rdg1 Ra7
17. g5 Bg7
18. Bg7+ (42 m.) Rg7 (56 m.)
If Knight had taken Bishop, Black would have had two weak spots on f6 and h6.
20. f5 f5
21. h5 (55 m.) f4 (1 hr. 15 m.)
(last move before adjournment at 3:30)
If ... e4, White gets a strong attack by h6 followed by Qf6, &c.
23. Nh5 Rf7
24. Bd3 Bf5
25. B:f5
25. N:f4 would also have been a strong continuation, leading to a good many pretty variations.
26. Qd3 R5f8
27. g6
If ... g6, White answers by h7 which would prove fatal to Black.
29. Nh4 h5
30. Ng6+ Kg8
31. h7+ Kh7
32. Ne7 dis.ch. Resigns
(1 hr. 30 m.) (1 hr. 50 m.)