Kitson-Tatnall, 1884

This correspondence game from the USA (1884) features a wildly tactical King’s Gambit Accepted, Salvio–Silberschmidt Gambit, between Keith Kitson and Tatnall. Black chooses an aggressive but risky setup, pushing kingside pawns early and bringing the queen out quickly to attack White’s exposed king. Although White initially responds inaccurately and drifts into a worse position, Black repeatedly misses chances to convert the advantage.

The middlegame becomes extremely chaotic, with both kings exposed, material imbalances, and constant tactical threats. Black has strong attacking possibilities, but inaccurate continuations—most notably around moves 16–17 and later with 27…Rc8+? and 28…Rc5??—allow White to escape and gradually seize the initiative.

A decisive turning point comes after Black’s blunder on move 28, which swings the evaluation sharply in White’s favor. From there, Kitson takes control with active rook play, centralization of the king, and precise tactical blows. Black’s position steadily collapses as White converts the advantage into a winning endgame.

The game ends with White exploiting Black’s exposed king and poorly coordinated pieces, eventually forcing resignation. Overall, it’s a dramatic example of how speculative attacks in the King’s Gambit can backfire if not followed up accurately, especially in long, calculation-heavy correspondence play.