The strongest moves are often impossible: They look too flawed to be playable.
Adolf Rosentreter White
Leopold Hoffer Black
Berlin 1899
Giuoco Piano C55
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗c4 ♗c5 4 0-0 ♘f6 5 d4 ♗xd4!
Black avoids the Max Lange Attack (5...exd4 6 e5) and the risky 5...♘xd4 6 ♘xe5 (6...0-0? 7 ♗e3! ♘e6 8 ♗xe6 ♗xe3 9 ♗xf7+).
6 ♘xd4 ♘xd4
Here 6...exd4 would be fine if it weren’t for 7 e5! (7...♘xe5? 8 ♖e1 d6 9 f4).
7 ♗g5 h6
Postal players have had mixed results after 7...d6 8 f4 ♕e7 and 7...♕e7 8 ♘c3 c6.
8 ♗h4 g5
9 f4!
This move was made “impossible” by 8...g5. Now 9...exf4 10 ♕xd4 wins a piece (10...gxh4 11 ♖xf4).
9...gxf4?
Crucial was 9...d5. Then 10 fxe5 ♘e4 11 ♕xd4 dxc4 12 ♕xc4 and White is doing very well.
Question 344: How does Black improve?
Better is 10 exd5 ♗g4 when the jury is still out on who stands better.
10 ♖xf4! exf4 11 ♕xd4 0-0
Also lost was 11...c5 (12 ♕xf6 ♕xf6 or 12 ♕e5+ ♕e7 13 ♗xf6 ♕xe5).
12 ♗xf6 ♕e8 13 ♗h8! resigns.
Mate on g7 can only be delayed.
Frank Marshall White
Arturo Reggio Black
Monte Carlo 1901
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗c4 ♗c5 4 d4 ♗xd4 5 0-0 d6 6 ♘xd4 ♘xd4 7 f4 ♗e6 8 ♗d3 f6 9 ♗e3 ♘c6 10 f5 ♗f7 11 ♘c3 ♘ge7 12 ♕g4 ♖g8 13 ♕h4 h6 14 a3 ♘b8 15 ♖ad1 ♘d7 16 ♗e2 a6 17 ♔h1 g6 18 ♕xh6 gxf5 19 exf5 ♖f8 20 ♗h5 ♗xh5 21 ♕xh5+ ♖f7 22 g4 d5 23 g5 d4 24 g6 ♖f8 25 ♗h6 dxc3 26 ♗xf8 ♔xf8 27 ♕h6+ ♔e8 28 ♕h8+ resigns.