Evergreen Game

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.

Beginning with Howard Staunton in 1853, 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.

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

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

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

7. 0-0 d3 (diagram)