When Beauty Comes from Mistakes • Paulsen vs Gunsberg • 3rd DSB Congress • Nuremberg, Germany (1883) • Center Game: Paulsen Attack Variation (C22)
Francisco Yepes Barrera
2 min read
Enrico Motta - https://unsplash.com/photos/chess-pieces-on-chess-board-Z6f3hr87R4E
This clash is a fascinating artifact from the 3rd DSB Congress (German Chess Federation Congress), held in Nuremberg in 1883. This tournament was one of the strongest of the 19th century, serving as a proving ground for the transition from the “Romantic” era of reckless sacrifices to the “Modern” positional school.
Wilfried Paulsen, the brother of the more famous Louis Paulsen. While perhaps slightly less celebrated than his sibling, Wilfried was a deeply respected German master known for a solid, classical style.
Isidor Gunsberg was a Hungarian-British Grandmaster who would later go on to challenge Wilhelm Steinitz for the World Championship in 1890. Gunsberg was a versatile player, blending tactical sharpness with the emerging positional theories of the time.
On the eve of Round 7, the tournament was in full swing. Nuremberg 1883 was grueling, featuring 19 elite players. The atmosphere was one of high intellectual tension, as the masters were beginning to grapple with the “Close Games” and the refined “Center Counter” variations like the one seen here.
The game is a Center Game (1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4). While the opening typically leads to open lines, this encounter quickly descended into a complex middle-game struggle.
White develops naturally, but Black’s 9…Neg4 puts immediate pressure on the Queen. A major turning point occurs at move 10; Gunsberg plays the provocative 10…h5?, which should have been punished. However, the game remains sharp until move 17.
In a superior position, Paulsen commits a catastrophic error with 17.exf6??. This move allows Black to pin the White Knight to the Queen with 17…Re8.
Instead of maintaining a massive advantage with 17.O-O-O, Paulsen allowed an immediate equalization that turned into a nightmare. After the sequence 18.Ne4 Bf5 19.O-O-O? Rxe4, Black won the Queen for minor pieces.
The game transitioned into a long struggle where Gunsberg held a Queen against Paulsen’s Rooks and minor pieces. Gunsberg demonstrated exceptional technique, slowly picking off White’s pawns and coordinating his pieces.
The final phase saw Black’s King safety and the strength of the passed pawns become overwhelming. After 46.c4 Rxc4+, the material deficit became too much for White to bear. Paulsen resigned after Black consolidated the extra material.
