[Event "Evans Gambit debut game"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "1825.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Evans, William Davies"]
[Black "McDonnell, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C52"]
[Annotator "Harding, Tim"]
[ICUid "32765"]
{ Date of this (Evans Gambit debut game) is disputed. See Harding, Eminent
Victorian Chess Players, where September 1825 is shown to be the most
likely period. } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O d6 5. b4 $5 Bxb4 6. c3 Ba5 7. d4 Bg4
8. Qb3 Qd7 $2 9. Ng5 { The point of Black's last move was that } (9. Qxb7
$2 { would lose to } 9... Rb8 { and White has to give up his bishop on f7
to rescue the queen, in view of } 10. Qa6 Rb6) 9... Nd8 10. dxe5 dxe5 11.
Ba3 Nh6 12. f3 Bb6+ 13. Kh1 Bh5 14. Rd1 Qc8 { Diagram # } 15. Rxd8+ $6 {
Captain Evans plays a slightly unsound combination. } (15. Qb5+ Nc6 16. Bd5
{ would have won more prosaically and more certainly. }) 15... Qxd8 (15...
Kxd8 16. Ne6+ $1 fxe6 (16... Ke8 17. Nxg7+ Kd8 18. Nxh5) 17. Bxe6 { and
Black must give up his queen because of } 17... Bf7 18. Qd1+) 16. Nxf7 $1
Qh4 $4 { Black threatens a crude mate but allows one of White's own. } (
16... Nxf7 17. Bb5+ { forces mate } 17... c6 18. Qe6+) (16... Bxf7 17.
Bxf7+ Nxf7 18. Qe6+) (16... Qf6 $1 { is the correct defence, offering the
rook on h8 in order to castle queenside. White still has a lot of work to
do to win then. } 17. Qa4+ c6 18. Nd6+ { followed by Nxb7 may be best, to
leave the black king homeless. }) 17. Qb5+ (17. Bb5+ { would be one move
quicker. }) 17... c6 18. Qxe5+ Kd7 19. Qe6+ Kc7 20. Bd6# 1-0
