White to move. Black's king is stuck on f8 and his pieces are tangled. Steinitz found a rook sacrifice on e7 that begins a forced mate. Can you find the first move?
Wilhelm Steinitz vs Curt von Bardeleben
Why this game matters
Hastings, 1895. The first World Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, produced one of the great combinations of the classical era. After 22.Rxe7+! his rook sat untouchable on the seventh rank for move after move of checks, because every black capture lost instantly. Von Bardeleben, unable to bear it, simply got up and left the room. Steinitz then demonstrated the forced mate in ten to the spectators.
The lesson
A piece that can't be captured is worth more than its points. Steinitz's rook is attacked again and again, yet every way of taking it loses — so it keeps giving check while Black's pieces stay frozen. Build a position where your opponent's defenders are pinned and overloaded, and ordinary material rules stop applying.
Move by move
4. c34.c3 prepares d4 — Steinitz builds the broad classical centre that his theories made famous.
14. Re114.Bxe7 Nxe7 — Steinitz keeps trading down to lines where Black's king will be exposed and his pieces awkward.
18. Nd418.Nd4! heads for the e6 outpost, a thorn that cramps Black's whole position.
19. Ne619.Ne6+ — the knight plants itself on a dream square, forking and freezing Black's pieces.
21. Ng5+21.Ng5+ sets the trap: the king is forced to e8, where the rook combination becomes decisive.
22. Rxe7+22.Rxe7+!! The famous move. The rook lands on e7 and cannot be taken — 22...Kxe7 23.Re1+ wins the queen, 22...Qxe7 23.Rc8+ mates.
23. Rf7+23.Rf7+! The rook stays untouchable and keeps checking, shuffling along the seventh rank while Black is helpless.
24. Rg7+24.Rg7+ — still immune, still checking. Black's king is herded with no piece able to interfere.
25. Rxh7+25.Rxh7+ — at this point von Bardeleben left the room. Steinitz showed the forced mate: 25...Kg8 26.Rg7+ Kh8 27.Qh4+ Kxg7 28.Qh7+ Kf8 29.Qh8+ Ke7 30.Qg7+ Ke8 31.Qg8+ Ke7 32.Qf7+ Kd8 33.Qf8+ Qe8 34.Nf7+ Kd7 35.Qd6#.
Frequently asked
Why did von Bardeleben walk out instead of resigning?
Faced with Steinitz's untouchable rook and a forced mate, von Bardeleben simply left the tournament room and never returned, so the game was lost on time. Steinitz then demonstrated the full mating sequence to the audience.
Why can't Black capture the rook on e7?
Every capture loses immediately: 22...Kxe7 runs into 23.Re1+ winning the queen, and 22...Qxe7 allows 23.Rc8+ and mate. So the rook keeps checking from the seventh rank, untouchable, while Black's pieces stay frozen.
Can I try the combination?
Yes — take the board as Steinitz at move 22 and try to find the rook sacrifice and the king hunt, or replay the whole game, no sign-up.