[Event "Simpson's Divan Handicap Play-off 1884"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "1884.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Guest, Antony"]
[Black "Mason, James"]
[Result "0-1"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[Source "Chess Monthly vol V (July 1884) pp333-334"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/ppppp1pp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]
[Entry "David McAlister"]
[URL "https://www.irlchess.com/games_archive/sundry_files_2026-05/guest-mason-simpsons-1884.htm"]
[LastModified "Thu May 28 15:10:08 2026"]

{ Source: <em>Chess Monthly</em>, vol. V (July 1884), pp. 333-334. }

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 d6 3. e3 Bg4 4. Bd3 Nc6 5. c4 e5 6. d5 Nb8 ({ &#91;RR }
6... e4 { would have been objectively better but after } 7. Bxe4 Nxe4 8.
dxc6 bxc6 { the resulting position would provide less opportunity for
Mason, already one game down, to win the game and match.&#93; }) 7. Nc3
Nbd7 8. h3 Bxf3 9. Qxf3 Nc5 10. Bc2 Be7 11. h4 O-O 12. b4 Ncd7 ({ &#91;RR
Again here the obvious } 12... Nfe4 { would be best in normal circumstances
but after } 13. Qh5 g6 14. Qh6 Nxc3 ({ or } 14... Nxf2) { Guest could have
claimed a draw with } 15. Bxg6 hxg6 16. Qxg6+ { and a perpetual check.&#93;
}) 13. h5 Nb6 14. g4 Nfxd5 15. Qe4 Nf6 16. Qd3 d5 17. cxd5 Bxb4 18. Bd2
Bxc3 19. Bxc3 e4 20. Qf1 ({ &#91;RR A strange move. The straightforward }
20. Qd4 { would have been much better.&#93; }) 20... Nfxd5 21. O-O-O Qe7
22. Bb3 Qc5 23. Qe1 a5 24. a4 Rad8 25. Kb2 Nc4+ 26. Kb1 b5 27. Bxc4 bxc4
28. Bd4 Qa3 29. Qxa5 ({ Abandoning her consort to his fate. White had,
however, no saving move; if } 29. Rd2 { then } 29... Rb8+ 30. Rb2 c3) 29...
Rb8+ 30. Kc2 Rxf2+ ({ Hastily played: Black mates in two moves with } 30...
Qa2+ 31. Kc1 ({ or } 31. Bb2 Qxb2#) 31... Rb1# { mates. }) 31. Rd2 Qd3+ ({
&#91;RR As the prosaic } 31... Qb3+ { also works, perhaps Mason chose this
flashy finish for the onlookers instead of the annotator's mate in
two.&#93; }) 32. Kc1 Rb1# 0-1