Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927)
Game 60 of 100
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Site
Budapest
Date
1921.09.17
Round
10
White
Black
Balla, Zoltan
Result
1-0
Game 59 in the book: A. Alekhin—Z. v. Balla, International Tournament at Budapest, 1921. A Queen's Pawn Game annotated by Alekhine, who plays White.
- 5.c4 5. P—B 3 would be more in accordance with the system springing from B—B 4. The main object of the text-move is to avoid the beaten track.
- 5…Nf6 If 5. ....Q—Kt 3 White could have answered 6. Kt—B 3!, and if Q×Kt P; 7. Kt—Q Kt 5, etc.
- 7…Ne4 This demonstration is clearly premature, White being better developed. 7. ....Q—Kt 3 was also unfavourable for Black, on account of 8. P—B 5!, Q×Kt P; 9. Kt—Q Kt 5, etc. On the other hand, he could have obtained a fairly satisfactory game by 7. ....B—Kt 5; 8. B—Q 3, P×P; 9. B×B P, Castles.
- 11…g5 Having embarked on a dangerous voyage, Black is compelled to persevere at all costs. This advance makes it unsafe to Castle King-side, without inconveniencing White in any way. Better was 11. ....Castles; 12. Castles, Kt×Kt; 13. P×Kt, B—K 2; 14. K R—K 1!, and if 14. ....P—Q Kt 3; 15. P—Q 5, etc., although in this case also White's superiority in position is manifest.
- 13.Ne5 If this Knight had been compelled to retire, perhaps to Kt 1 or Q 2, Black's preceding manœuvre would have had some measure of justification.
- 15…b6 If 15. ....Q×K P; 16. B—Q 4, Q—B 5; 17. B—Kt 5 ch, followed by 18. Castles, with a winning attack.
- 16.O-O Intending the following sacrifice. But owing to the complications to which it gives rise, I would prefer now-a-days the simpler variation, 16. B—Kt 5 ch, B—Q 2; 17. B×B ch, K×B; 18. Castles, as now the Black King is left in the centre, and White obtains a strong attack (18. ....K—B 2; 19. Q—Kt 4!). But White hoped for a still better result with the text-move, and his opponent lends himself to it by accepting the sacrifice.
- 16…Bd7 16. ....Castles (K R) would clearly be equivalent to suicide.
- 17.Bd3 The most energetic way of taking advantage of Black's compromised position; in reply to this move Black should decide upon: 17. ....Castles (Q R)!; 18. Q—Kt 4!, Q×Q; 19. P×Q, K—Kt 2; 20. B—K 2!, threatening P—B 3, after which Black would have lost a Pawn, with a long end-game in view. But he cannot resist the bait of the Rook, and this indiscretion costs him the game.
- 23.Qd7 If now 23. ....Q—B 1, then 24. Q—K 7 followed by mate in two moves.