Hi there,


I have read that in the year 1723 Severino played the very first game
with a Sicilian Defense. But I cannot find any record of this game or
of the player named Severino. Is there anybody out there that might
have some details?

Also I am quite interested if anyone can point me in the direction of
some other early games played with the Sicilian Defense.

Thanks.

XaqaX wrote:

I have read that in the year 1723 Severino played the very first game
with a Sicilian Defense. But I cannot find any record of this game or
of the player named Severino. Is there anybody out there that might
have some details?

For old games -- i.e. up to 1800 -- try Oxford Encyclopedia of Chess
Games, if you can find a copy. It tries to provide scores of all known games up
1800, and this game is there as well. (The original source of it seems
unclear: it was taken from a Murray manuscript, but he must have found
it somewhere ...)

A. Severino plays black against unknown in Napoli. The year is probably
1723, but don't bet your reputation on it.

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Nd5 d6 5. c3 f5 6. exf5 Bxf5 7. Bb5 Qd7 8. d4
cxd4 9. cxd4 0-0-0!!?

However, not as you'd expect. So-called free castling: in this case
the king goes to b8, the rook to e8. It was OK according to Italian rules
up to fairly late in the 19th century. The game ends:

10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Bxd7 Nxf3+ 12. Kf1 Bd3+ 13. Qxd3 Re1#

That 'non-FIDE' castling is probably the reason you won't find the
game in any PGN collection (or can it be found somewhere?).

Also I am quite interested if anyone can point me in the direction of
some other early games played with the Sicilian Defense.

Try OEoCG ... its Opening Index is just what you're asking for. Without
breaking a sweat I can see scores from 1783, 1794, 1795, and, of course,
two of those Greco 'games' from 1620 or so, not to mention lots and
lots of games up to (but not including) 1867. (It's player index
is another matter: for some reason Severino is not even mentioned
in it ...)

--
Anders Thulin ath*algonet.se http://www.algonet.se/~ath

Thank you.

This is just that what I was looking for.

regards