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The Evergreen Game is a famous chess game won by Adolf Anderssen against Jean Dufresne in 1852.

This was probably an informal game. At the time, there was no formal title of "World Champion", but the German mathematics professor Anderssen was widely considered the best player in the world after winning the first major international chess tournament in London in 1851. Though not in the same class as Anderssen, Dufresne, a popular author of chess books, was also a strong player. It is usually assumed that the game was played in Berlin, where Dufresne lived and Anderssen often visited, but no details of the game's circumstances were given in the original publication in the September and October 1852 issues of the Berlin-based Deutsche Schachzeitung.[1][2][3]

Beginning with Howard Staunton in 1853,[4] the game has been extensively analysed over the years, particularly the critical positions before and after White's remarkable 19th move, Rad1. Although defensive resources for Black have since been found, Anderssen's combination remains much admired.

After Anderssen's death in 1879, Wilhelm Steinitz published a tribute in The Field in which he annotated Anderssen's two most famous games, the Evergreen and the Immortal Game against Lionel Kieseritzky. Annotating 19.Rad1, Steinitz wrote, "An evergreen in the laurel crown of the departed chess hero", thus giving this game its name.[1]

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

The game

[edit]

White: Adolf Anderssen   Black: Jean Dufresne   Opening: Evans Gambit (ECO C52)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4

The Evans Gambit, an opening popular in the 19th century and still occasionally seen today. White gives up material to gain an advantage in development.
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8c8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8g8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawne7f7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6 black knightd6e6f6g6h66
5a5 black bishopb5c5d5e5f5g5h55
4a4b4c4 white bishopd4e4 white pawnf4g4h44
3a3b3c3 white pawnd3 black pawne3f3 white knightg3h33
2a2 white pawnb2c2d2e2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1f1 white rookg1 white kingh11
abcdefgh
Position after 7...d3

4... Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4

A solid alternative, unknown to theory at the time, is 6...d6 7.Qb3 Qd7 8.0-0 Bb6 with the idea of ...Na5, driving White's bishop off the dangerous a2-g8 diagonal. (Spielmann-Salwe, Vienna 1908)[5]

7. 0-0 d3 (diagram)

Black attempts to slow White's rapid development by depriving the queen's knight of its preferred c3 square and forcing White to spend a tempo capturing the pawn. This move was favoured by Dufresne, but is today considered inferior. Most popular today is 7...Nge7, in order to answer 8.cxd4 or 8.Ng5 with 8...d5. Other alternatives include 7...dxc3, (the risky "Compromised Defence"), 7...Nf6, and 7...d6.

8. Qb3

Immediately attacking the f7-pawn. FIDE Master Graham Burgess suggests 8.Re1 instead.[6]

8... Qf6 9. e5 Qg6

White's e5-pawn cannot be taken: if 9...Nxe5, then 10.Re1 d6 11.Bg5, when 11...Qf5 (11...Qg6 12.Nxe5 dxe5 13.Rxe5+ wins the bishop) 12.Nxe5 wins the knight (if the knight is recaptured with 12...dxe5, then 13.Qb5+ followed by 14.Rxe5+ wins).
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8c8 black bishopd8e8 black kingf8g8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawne7f7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6b6c6 black knightd6e6f6g6 black queenh66
5a5 black bishopb5c5d5e5 white pawnf5g5h55
4a4b4c4 white bishopd4e4f4g4h44
3a3b3 white queenc3 white pawnd3 black pawne3f3 white knightg3h33
2a2 white pawnb2c2d2e2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1e1 white rookf1g1 white kingh11
abcdefgh
Position after 10.Re1

10. Re1 (diagram)

In his 2023 book Re-Engineering the Chess Classics, in which he analyzes 35 classic chess games with the aid of modern chess engines, Grandmaster Matthew Sadler criticizes this move, preferring 10.Rd1, with the idea of regaining the pawn after the inevitable ...d6.[5]

10... Nge7 11. Ba3

Consistent with the previous move, but 11.Qd1 and 11.Re3, eliminating the d3-pawn, are preferred by engines.[5]

11... b5?

Rather than defending his own position, Black offers a counter-sacrifice to activate his a8 rook with tempo. Sadler considers that White should be "somewhat worse" after 11...d5 12.exd6 cxd6 13.Re3 0-0 14.Bxd3 Qh6 15.Nbd2 Be6.[5] Burgess suggests 11...a6, to allow the b-pawn to advance later with tempo.[6]

12. Qxb5 Rb8 13. Qa4 Bb6

Black cannot castle because 14.Bxe7 would win a piece, as the knight on c6 cannot simultaneously protect the knight on e7 and the bishop on a5.

14. Nbd2 Bb7?

Black must castle without delay.

15. Ne4 Qf5?

A poor move that loses a tempo. 15...0-0 16.Bxd3 also gives White a very dangerous attack (Neishtadt, 1961).[7] Better was 15...d2! 16.Nexd2 0-0 (Lasker), although White still has a clear advantage.[8]

16. Bxd3 Qh5 17. Nf6+?

A dramatic sacrifice, but this move is objectively bad, turning a won position into an equal one.[5] 17.Ng3 Qh6 18.Bc1 Qe6 19.Bc4 wins material in a simpler way.[6][9] 18.Nf5 is also winning.[8]
abcdefgh
8a8b8 black rookc8d8e8 black kingf8g8 black rookh88
7a7 black pawnb7 black bishopc7 black pawnd7 black pawne7 black knightf7 black pawng7h7 black pawn7
6a6b6 black bishopc6 black knightd6e6f6 white pawng6h66
5a5b5c5d5e5f5g5h5 black queen5
4a4 white queenb4c4d4e4f4g4h44
3a3 white bishopb3c3 white pawnd3 white bishope3f3 white knightg3h33
2a2 white pawnb2c2d2e2f2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1b1c1d1 white rooke1 white rookf1g1 white kingh11
abcdefgh
Position after 19.Rad1!

17... gxf6 18. exf6 Rg8 19. Rad1! (diagram)

A somewhat controversial move, which has been both exulted and criticised over the years. It sets a deep trap, which Black walks into. In Common Sense in Chess (1895), the then-world champion Emanuel Lasker praised it as "one of the most subtle and profound moves on record". However, probably influenced by the analysis of Paul Lipke which revealed defensive possibilities for Black, he later criticised the move, saying that 19.Be4 would have won relatively easily.[10] Lasker's analysis turned out to be faulty, however. Analysis by Jacob Murey and German Fridshtein published in the Soviet magazine 64 in 1975 found that after 19.Be4 Qh3! 20.g3 Rxg3+ 21.hxg3 Qxg3+ 22.Kh1 Bxf2 23.Bxe7! (Lasker's 23.Re2? is refuted by 23...Nd4!) 23...Qh3+! 24.Nh2 Bxe1 25.Rxe1 Qh4! 26.Qd1! Nxe7 27.Bxb7 Qxf6 the game will likely end in a draw. Subsequent analysts such as Zaitsev and Kasparov have agreed with this assessment.[11][12]

19... Qxf3?

"Who would have played anything else here?!" (Lipke, 1898). White cannot play 20.gxf3 since the g2-pawn is pinned by the rook on g8. Black now threatens to take either on f2 or g2, both major threats to the white king, but Anderssen has a shattering resource available.
Dissatisfied with the lack of analysis in the game's original publication, Howard Staunton published a detailed analysis of several of Black's alternatives in the Chess Player's Chronicle in 1853. Staunton analysed 19...Ne5, 19...d6, 19...Bc5, 19...Rxg2+ and 19...Qh3, concluding that Black was lost in all lines.[4]
This was the accepted view for many years, until the German master Paul Lipke published analysis in the May and June 1898 issues of the Deutsche Schachzeitung.[9] Lipke recommended 19...Rg4!? for Black, concluding that it offered Black excellent drawing chances with best play. Lipke's main line went 19...Rg4 20.Bc4 Qf5! 21.Rxd7! Kxd7 22.Ne5+ Kc8 23.Nxg4 Nd5 24.Qd1 Nd8 25.Re5 Bxf2+ 26.Kh1 Nf4 27.h3 and now either 27...Qb1 or 27...Nxg2 will probably draw for Black.[9] Analysis published in the early 1930s by O. Hoppe and H. Heckner found a win for White after 25.Bd3! (instead of 25.Re5), but Black can also improve with 24...Nxf6 (Kasparov).[12] Zaitsev's 21...Rxg2+ (rather than 21...Kxd7) also appears to be sufficient for a draw.[12][13] Hoppe and Heckner also found a win for White after 20.c4 Rf4? (Lipke) 21.Bg6!!. Better is 20...Bd4 (Zaitsev, 64, 1976)[13][14] or 20...Rxg2+! (Kasparov).[12] 20.Re4 has also received renewed attention as an attempt for White to gain the advantage. The final assessment of 19...Rg4 remains unclear;[12][13] according to Burgess in the 2021 edition of The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games, White has a slightly better endgame after 20.Re4 Rxe4 21.Qxe4 d6 22.Re1 Qg6! 23.Qxc6+ Bxc6 24.Rxe7+ Kf8 25.Bxg6 hxg6 26.Ne5! Be8.[15]
Most analysts have followed Staunton in rejecting 19...Rxg2+?! on account of 20.Kxg2 Ne5 21.Qxd7+!!, but I.J. Good contended that after 21...Kxd7 22.Bg6+ Ke6 23.Bxh5 Rg8+ 24.Kh3! N7g6 25.Bg4+ Kxf6 26.Nxe5 Nxe5 27.Be7+ Kxe7 28.Rxe5+ Kf6 White does not have a clear win in the endgame.[16]
In 1958, analysis by readers of the Schach-Echo came to the conclusion that 19...Bd4 and 19...Qh3 are even better than 19...Rg4 and sufficient to force a draw.[17] (19...Bd4 was also found independently by Zaitsev.[13]) This view is endorsed by Burgess, who quotes the lines (a) 19...Bd4 20.cxd4 Qxf3 21.Be4 Rxg2+ 22.Kh1 Rxh2+ 23.Kxh2 Qxf2+ and (b) 19...Qh3 20.Bf1 Qf5! (not analysed by Staunton) 21.Bd3 Qh3, repeating moves in each case.[6]

20. Rxe7+! Nxe7?

This loses instantly to a very attractive mate in four. 20...Kd8 would put up more resistance, but White should still win after 21.Rxd7+ Kc8 22.Rd8+!! Kxd8 (if 22...Rxd8 23.gxf3; if 22...Nxd8 23.Qd7+ Kxd7 24.Bf5+ Ke8 25.Bd7#) (Staunton, 1853)[4] 23.Bf5+ Qxd1+ (Rubinstein, 1921).[14] Another way is 23.Be2+,[12] but White must play accurately: 23...Nd4! 24.Bxf3 Bxf3 25.Rxd4+? leads to a probable draw after 25...Bxd4 26.Qxd4+ Kc8 27.Qd3 Bxg2 28.f3 Bh3+ 29.Kf2 Rb6 30.Qxh7 Rg2+ 31.Ke3 Be6 (Levenfish, 1959).[18] White must instead play 25.g3! (Neishtadt, 1961)[7] Bxd1 26.Qxd1 "with a boring but winning endgame" (Kasparov).[19]
It is unclear whether the following moves were actually played, or whether Anderssen simply "announced mate", a common practice at the time. The Deutsche Schachzeitung where the game was originally published simply said "White mates in 4 moves", without providing the actual moves.[3]

21. Qxd7+!! Kxd7 22. Bf5+

Double checks like 22.Bf5+ are powerful because they force the king to move. In this position, the double check was vital as it prevented the queen from capturing the bishop and ruining white's attack and also white's rook, which would have resulted in checkmate. Here it is decisive.

22... Ke8

Or 22...Kc6 23.Bd7#.

23. Bd7+ Kf8

Some sources give 23...Kd8 as Black's move, with the same reply.

24. Bxe7# 1–0

abcdefgh
8
b8 black rook
f8 black king
g8 black rook
a7 black pawn
b7 black bishop
c7 black pawn
d7 white bishop
e7 white bishop
f7 black pawn
h7 black pawn
b6 black bishop
f6 white pawn
c3 white pawn
f3 black queen
a2 white pawn
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
d1 white rook
g1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Final position after 24.Bxe7# (a pure mate)

Savielly Tartakower commented, "A combination second to none in the literature of the game."[20]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Evergreen Game

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from Grokipedia
The is a renowned chess game played in 1852 in between , playing , and Jean Dufresne, playing , in which Anderssen secured a through a series of bold sacrifices, including his queen on move 21, exemplifying the aggressive style of romantic-era chess. The game, likely an informal encounter possibly involving Anderssen mentoring the lesser-known Dufresne, opens with the Evans Gambit and features key tactical highlights such as Anderssen's rook sacrifice on move 20 and the decisive queen capture, leading to a stunning checkmate position. Named "the Evergreen" by future world champion Wilhelm Steinitz in 1879 for its timeless beauty and instructional value, it remains one of Anderssen's most celebrated masterpieces alongside the Immortal Game, widely studied for its sacrificial attacking play and has been analyzed by prominent figures like Howard Staunton as early as 1853.

Background

Players Involved

Adolf Anderssen (1818–1879), born on July 6 in Breslau, Prussia (now Wrocław, Poland), was a prominent German chess master and schoolteacher of mathematics and German at the Friedrichs Gymnasium. Renowned for his romantic, attacking style that emphasized bold combinations and sacrificial play to achieve decisive results, Anderssen rose to prominence by winning the first modern international chess tournament in London in 1851, solidifying his status as the world's leading player through the mid-1850s. At 34 years old in 1852, Anderssen brought significant experience and dominance to Berlin's vibrant chess scene, where he was a respected figure among local enthusiasts. Jean Dufresne (1829–1893), born on February 14 in Berlin, was a 23-year-old German chess author, journalist, and strong amateur player at the time of the game. Initially pursuing law studies, Dufresne shifted to chess writing and editing after financial setbacks in his family, contributing to key periodicals such as the Deutsche Schachzeitung, where he co-edited with Anderssen in the late 1850s and managed chess columns. Though not a professional of Anderssen's caliber, Dufresne was a capable competitor in Berlin circles, known for his analytical contributions to chess literature, including collaborative works with his mentor like the Anthologie der Schachaufgaben (1864). The two players were connected through Berlin's active chess community, with Dufresne first meeting Anderssen at the Berlin Chess Club in 1850 and viewing him as a mentor; they frequently engaged in casual games and shared a professional bond in chess publishing. This age and experience gap—Anderssen's seasoned mastery versus Dufresne's youthful promise—highlighted the informal yet instructive nature of their encounters in the 19th-century romantic chess era, which favored aggressive, imaginative play over positional restraint. The Evergreen Game itself arose as a casual exhibition traditionally dated to 1852 in Berlin, though the exact circumstances remain unconfirmed by primary sources. The game was first published by Dufresne in the September 1852 issue of the Deutsche Schachzeitung.

Historical Context

In the 1850s, emerged as a vibrant hub for chess in , fueled by the establishment and growth of the Berliner Schachgesellschaft, Germany's oldest chess club founded in 1827, which fostered a dedicated of players and enthusiasts. This period aligned with the Romantic era of chess, characterized by an emphasis on bold, sacrificial attacks and imaginative combinations rather than cautious positional maneuvering, reflecting broader artistic and cultural trends of the time. The city's chess scene thrived through informal gatherings and local rivalries, with players prioritizing aesthetic brilliance over systematic strategy. The Evergreen Game is traditionally dated to in as an offhand, casual , outside any formal , and was likely witnessed only by a small circle of local chess aficionados. It formed part of a broader series of among 's chess players, emblematic of the pre-professional when international competitions were rare and chess remained largely an amateur pursuit among intellectuals and club members. This game occurred in the immediate aftermath of the groundbreaking International Tournament, the first major global chess event, where had emerged victorious and earned widespread recognition as the unofficial . Anderssen and his opponent, Jean Dufresne, were key figures in Berlin's chess circles, with Anderssen frequently traveling there to engage in such friendly .

The Game

Opening Moves

The opened with , playing , opting for the , a bold within the to gain rapid development and attacking initiative. The sequence began 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4, targeting Black's bishop and aiming to undermine ; Jean Dufresne, as , accepted the gambit with 4...Bxb4, capturing the offered pawn. Early development proceeded aggressively for , with 5.c3 forcing Black's bishop to retreat to 5...Ba5, followed by 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O, kingside and the rooks while challenging the center. Black advanced with 7...d3, blocking the c3 pawn and hindering White's development, but White ignored the pawn and played 8.Qb3 to the f7 pawn and support further advances. Dufresne responded 8...Qf6 9.e5 Qg6, retreating the queen as White pushed the pawn to seize space; White then maneuvered with 10.Re1, developing the rook with tempo, while Black developed 10...Nge7 to defend and contest the center. White's Ba3 on move 11 targeted the knight on e7, enhancing coordination. By move 11, the position featured White exerting central control through the advanced e5 pawn and active pieces—including the rook on e1, queen on b3, and bishop on a3—despite the obstructive d3 pawn. White's castled king provided security, setting the stage for aggressive lines against Black's uncastled position. The Evans Gambit exemplified the Romantic era's preference for sharp, tactical play, popular among 19th-century masters for opening the position and creating immediate attacking opportunities.

Middlegame Developments

In the middlegame of the , () transitioned from the aggressive opening into a dynamic kingside , coordinating his and to exploit Black's exposed position. Following move 10.Re1, White's pieces gained , with the bishop on a3 pinning the knight on e7 and pressuring the d3 pawn, while Black's Jean Dufresne sought counterplay by pushing 11...b5 to challenge the queenside. White captured 12.Qxb5, and Black responded 12...Rb8, prompting 13.Qa4 Bb6 14.Nbd2 Bb7. This led to an open board where White's central control allowed for escalating threats against Black's uncastled . The tactical buildup began in earnest as White developed the knight to d2 and then to e4 on move 15, eyeing Black's kingside, while Black's queen moved to f5. White then captured the obstructing pawn with 16.Bxd3, and Black's queen retreated to h5. The position became a classic example of , where piece activity trumped , as White's forces converged relentlessly. The climax unfolded with White's sacrifice on move 17, 17.Nf6+, forcing 17...gx f6 18.exf6, opening the g-file. Black played 18...Rg8, but White brought the other rook into play with 19.Rad1, after which Black's 19...Qxf3 captured White's knight on f3. White continued the attack with 20.Rxe7+, sacrificing the rook, and after 20...Nxe7, followed with the queen sacrifice 21.Qxd7+ Kxd7 22.Bf5+, leading to a series of checks and ultimately 24.Bxe7#, delivering checkmate. By this point, White had sacrificed the knight, rook, and queen in exchange for Black's knights and other , demonstrating sacrificial brilliance that overwhelmed Black's defenses. This sequence highlighted the middlegame's theme of open lines and king hunts, setting the stage for White's eventual victory.

Analysis

Key Sacrifices

In the Evergreen Game, executed a series of brilliant sacrifices as White against Jean Dufresne's Black, culminating in a decisive kingside attack. The first major sacrifice came on move 17 with Nf6+, where White offered the knight to force Black's pawn capture on f6, thereby shattering the pawn shield around Black's and creating a discovered attack along the e-file that exposed the monarch to immediate threats. This tactical motif not only opened critical lines for White's rook and bishop but also compelled Black to weaken the kingside further, transitioning from a material balance to a fierce initiative favoring White's coordination. The second sacrifice followed on move 20 with Rxe7+, where rook plunged into Black's position on the e-file, gaining vital by forcing the knight's recapture and drawing Black's toward the center. This move exemplified classical principles of development under , as it accelerated White's piece activity while disrupting Black's defensive formation, allowing the and queen to align for a devastating follow-up. By prioritizing open lines and a relentless hunt over material preservation, Anderssen ensured that Black's temporary advantage in pieces could not stem the mounting . The climactic third sacrifice occurred on move 21 with Qxd7+, offering the queen to Black's and stripping away the last major defender on the d-file, which unleashed checkmate threats via the bishops' battery. This demonstrated how White's overwhelming attack compensated for the deficit, as the exposed Black faced inevitable mate regardless of captures. Each of these sacrifices adhered to classical attacking principles—exploiting open lines, pursuing the hunt, and securing compensation through sustained initiative—principles that required no modern engines for validation in the human analytical tradition of the era.

Modern Computer Evaluation

In contemporary analyses, chess engines such as , , and Komodo have been applied to the Evergreen Game to assess its objective soundness, revealing a blend of tactical brilliance and minor inaccuracies amid the romantic-era style. Grandmaster Matthew Sadler, in his 2023 book Re-engineering the Chess Classics, provides a detailed engine-based reappraisal, demonstrating that White's position prior to the key sacrifices was already decisively advantageous, evaluated at over +3 by 15 at depth 30, due to Black's earlier errors like 11...b5?. The opening is assessed as slightly favoring (+0.4 with best play), but Anderssen's 10. Re1 and 11. Ba3 are minor inaccuracies; engines prefer 10. Rd1 and 11. Re3, maintaining a +1.2 edge, while Black's best response of 11...d5 would equalize or grant a slight advantage (-0.3). The knight sacrifice on move 17 (Nf6+) is sound in but not optimal, as it throws away a forced material win (+4 via 17. Ng3); nevertheless, it leads to a +2.5 position post-capture, with 's attack persisting despite the material deficit. Black's critical error comes at move 19 with Qxf3?? (-5.8), allowing the rook sacrifice (20. Rxe7+) and subsequent queen sacrifice (21. Qxd7+), which engines evaluate as +M3 (mate in three) or better than +10 for White, confirming the sequence's forcing nature against inaccurate defense. Alternatives for Black, such as 19...Qh3 or 19...Bd4, would draw the game by perpetual check or simplification, but even then, White retains attacking chances with precise play. Anderssen committed no major blunders, only minor inaccuracies totaling about 20 centipawns lost, underscoring his intuitive grasp. These evaluations affirm the game's enduring romantic appeal, where aggressive sacrifices align with engine preferences more than expected, though modern positional understanding—emphasizing prophylaxis and structure—has evolved beyond such open lines, rendering similar play riskier against optimal defense.

Legacy

Influence on Chess Theory

The Evergreen Game, featuring Adolf Anderssen's spectacular queen sacrifice against Jean Dufresne in 1852, exemplified the romantic era's emphasis on bold attacking play in open positions, popularizing the strategic value of material sacrifices to seize the initiative and pursue king hunts. This approach influenced subsequent analyses of gambit openings, particularly the , by demonstrating how aggressive piece activity could overwhelm defensive setups, thereby shaping early theoretical discussions on combinative tactics over material preservation. In chess literature, the game was extensively analyzed by , who in 1879 coined its enduring name, "Evergreen Game," praising it as "an evergreen in the laurel crown of the departed Chess hero" for its artistic brilliance and as a model of initiative-driven play. further elevated its status, annotating the combination in his 1896 book Common Sense in Chess and 1907 Lasker's Chess Magazine as one of the finest games on record, underscoring its role in illustrating the superiority of dynamic aggression in underdeveloped opening theory like the Evans Gambit. Over the long term, the contributed to the transition from toward classical principles, as Steinitz's own positional theories highlighted the risks of pure gambits, leading to their decline in elite modern play. Nonetheless, it endures as a pedagogical tool for combinative play and tactical motifs, with its annotations appearing in 19th-century works such as Howard Staunton's analyses from 1853 and later editions of The Chess-Player's Handbook. Modern computer evaluations confirm the combination's practical despite some inaccuracies, reinforcing its theoretical .

Cultural References

The Evergreen Game earned its nickname from 19th-century German chess enthusiasts, who dubbed it the "Immergrün Partie" for its enduring aesthetic appeal and strategic freshness, a term later popularized in English by Wilhelm Steinitz in a 1879 tribute in The Field, where he called it "an evergreen in the laurel crown of the departed chess hero." The game's first printed analysis appeared in the September and October 1852 issues of the Deutsche Schachzeitung, marking its early entry into chess periodicals. Although sometimes conflated with Adolf Anderssen's of due to similar sacrificial themes, the remains distinct in chess lore for its brilliance. In media, it has inspired references in chess s, such as Michael Weitz's Even Dead Men Play Chess (), where the game serves as a narrative device highlighting tactical ingenuity. A 2023 Japanese titled The Evergreen Game by Jinzo Ishii, supervised by International Master Shinya Kojima, further incorporates the game into fictional storytelling about chess prodigies. Artistic depictions of the game abound in vintage chess literature, including illustrated analyses in 19th-century books emphasizing its romantic flair. In contemporary culture, it features in online recreations, such as animated videos on platforms like YouTube that dissect its moves for educational purposes, and digital memes within chess communities celebrating its sacrifices. The game's cultural resonance is evident in anniversary commemorations, including discussions and analyses marking its 150th year in 2002 across chess publications. As of 2025, it continues to appear in modern chess literature, such as Alper Efe Ataman's Instructive Chess Miniatures (2025), underscoring its ongoing role in teaching tactics.
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