Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927)
Game 100 of 100
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Event
Alekhine consultation
Site
Antwerp
Date
1923.10.10
White
Black
Prils/Blaut,
Result
1-0
- 5.Nc3 This move, especially recommended by Dr. Tarrasch, gives White a safe and solid game, but Black, truth to tell, has nothing much to fear in this variation.
- 5…Be7 He has also the choice between this move, which is in practice the most usual, and 5. ....B—B 4, which is equally playable (see Game No. 74).
- 8.a4 The main object of this move is to avoid the exchange of White's K B against Black's Q Kt, an exchange which would be inevitable after 8. P—Q 3, Kt—Q R 4; but the loss of time which it entails creates new troubles for White. It is therefore admissible that Svenonius' manoeuvre, 8. Kt—K 2, B—Kt 5; 9. P—B 3, is preferable to the text-move.
- 8…b4 Much better than 8. ....R—Q Kt 1, which surrenders the Q R file to White (see Game No. 66).
- 9…O-O Simplest, and perhaps also best. Apart from Castles, Black could also have adopted one of the following three variations: I.—9. ....Kt×P; 10. P—Q 4, Castles; 11. R—K 1, Kt—B 3; 12. Kt×B ch, Kt×Kt (if 12. ....Q×Kt; 13. B—Kt 5 with the better game); 13. P×P, P×P; 14. Q×Q, R×Q; 15. Kt×P with advantage to White. II.—9. ....R—Q Kt 1; 10. P—Q 4, B—Kt 5; 11. P—B 3, Castles; 12. B—Q B 4! (but not 12. R—K 1, K P×P; 13. Kt P×P, P×P; 14. P×P, B×Kt; 15. P×B, Kt×P; winning a Pawn for Black, but giving White a slight advantage in position: Marco—Alekhin, Pistyan, 1922). III.—9. ....Kt—Q R 4; 10. Kt×B! (not 10. B—R 2, Kt×Kt; 11. B×Kt, P—Q B 3; 12. B—R 2, P—Q B 4!; 13. P—B 3, R—Q Kt 1; 14. B—Q 5, Castles; 15. P—Q 4, K P×P; 16. P×Q P, P—B 5, with marked advantage to Black, Alekhin—Bogoljuboff, Pistyan, 1922), Q×Kt; 11. P—Q 4!, Kt×B; 12. P×K P, Kt×P!; 13. P×P, B—Kt 2; 14. P×P, Q×P, with an equal game.
- 10.d4 This move is premature in the present position. White will soon find himself under the necessity of sacrificing a Pawn for a problematical initiative. Collijn's Lärobok here rightly recommends 10. R—K 1, and if 10. ....B—Kt 5 then 11. P—B 3 (preparing 12. P—Q 4) with a satisfactory game.
- 11.c3 11. P×P, Q Kt×P would avoid the loss of the Pawn, but would transfer the attack to Black. By the text-move White, while maintaining his pressure on the centre, hopes later to profit by a certain weakness in the adverse Queen-side.
- 13.Re1 If 13. Kt×B ch Black could have answered 13. ....Q×Kt, for if then 14. B—Q 5?, Kt×Q B P.
- 14.h3 Compelling the opponent, should he wish to maintain the Pawn which he has won, to abandon the idea of utilizing his Q B later on to secure the defence of the weak squares on his Queen's wing.
- 15.Nxf6+ The attempt to regain the Pawn by 15. P—Kt 4, B—Kt 3; 16. Kt×B ch, Q×Kt; 17. P×P, Kt×K P; 18. Kt×Kt, P×Kt; 19. B—R 3, P—B 4; 20. P—K B 4, K R—Q 1; 21. Q—B 1, Q—Kt 2! would ultimately end in White's discomfiture. By the move chosen he definitely abandons this, but has prospects of a positional advantage resulting from the following:
- 17.a5 Threatening to win a piece.
- 18…Nb8 The remoteness of this Knight, which remains on this useless square until the conclusion of the game, is a substantial compensation for White's material inferiority.
- 20.Be4 Having already in mind the following sacrifice of a second Pawn.
- 20…Bg6 Not 20. ....P—R 3 on account of 21. P—Kt 4.
- 22…e4 The critical moment of the game. Black who, up to the present, has played in irreproachable style, allows himself to be led astray by a fresh capture which in the end will prove fatal for him. He would do better to attempt to free his Queen-side by 22. ....P—B 3, after which the game would probably have resulted in a draw; for example: 22. ....P—B 3; 23. Q R—Q 1, P×P (if 23. ....P—B 4; 24. R—K 4!, followed by 25. R—Kt 1); 24. Q×Q P, Q—B 3; 25. Q×Q, Kt×Q; 26. R—Q 5! (better than 26. R×P) and even if Black could maintain his material advantage he would have only the slightest chances of winning, in view of the position of White's pieces.
- 24…Bxc3 Now White's Q R P is untenable, for if 25. R—R 2, B×P; 26. B×P, B—Kt 3! and Black in the end would win the Q P. But its capture will remove from the King-side the only piece which could secure him an adequate defence, and White will profit by this tempo to undertake a very strong attack against the weakened position of the Black King.
- 25…Bxa5 After 25. ....B—B 3 the Pawns on Q R 3 and Q B 2 would obviously be very weak.
- 26.Bb2 Threatening 27. Kt—Kt 5, as Black's reply 27. ....B—Q 7, previously feasible, would no longer be so, on account of 28. Q—Q 4!
- 26…Re8 In order to play 27. ....P—K B 3.
- 28.Nd4 White does not fear an exchange of Rooks, since after 29. ....R—K 8 ch; 30. R×R, B×R; 31. Q—K 4! he would regain one of the sacrificed Pawns, while maintaining his powerful pressure upon the adverse position.
- 28…Kf7 Recognizing the danger threatened by the inroad of White's Knight at K 6, Black merely prepares to sacrifice the Exchange. Indeed, after 29. Kt—K 6, R×Kt; 30. P×R ch, Q×P, White would no longer have any satisfactory continuation of the attack, and Black's two centre Pawns would win ultimately.
- 29.Rc4 This move, which is the result of a close examination, is the only one which offers prospects of a winning attack, because it prevents the sacrifice of the Exchange. For example, 30. Kt—K 6, R×Kt; 31. P×R ch, Q×P; 32. R—K 4!, Q—B 4 (or anywhere else); 33. B×P! and wins. Black therefore can no longer prevent White's Knight from occupying K 6, and from this moment White's attack becomes irresistible.
- 30…Rh5 If 30. ....R×P, White wins by 31. Kt×Kt P!
- 31…Qe7 And if now, or on the next move, R×P, then 32. Kt—Q 8 ch! wins a Rook.
- 32.Qd3 Preparing the decisive action of the Rook on the fourth rank.
- 32…Bb6 Or 32. ....Kt—Q 2; 33. R—K 4, Kt—K 4; 34. Q×P, B—Kt 3; 35. Q—B 8 with a winning attack for White.
- 35.Rf4 This move leaves Black defenceless against the threats 36. B×P, 36. Kt×Kt P and 36. P—Kt 5.
- 36.Bxf6 This capture leads to mate. Black could have escaped immediate danger by 36. ....R×Kt, but after 37. P×R ch, Q×P; 38. B—Q 4 ch, K—Kt 1; 39. B×B, P×B; 40. R—Q 4! his game would be hopeless.
- 37…Kxf6 If 37. ....K—K 2; 38. Q×Kt P! and mates in two moves. Or if 37. ....K—Kt 1; 38. Q×P ch, K—R 1; 39. Q—R 5 ch, K—Kt 1; 40. R—Kt 6 ch and mates. After the text-move White mates in three moves by 38. Q—Q B 3 ch, B—Q 5; 39. Q×B ch, K moves; 40. Q—Kt 7 mate.