Game 61 in the book: A. Alekhin—A. Rubinstein, International Tournament at The Hague, November 1921. A Queen's Gambit Declined annotated by Alekhine, who plays White.

1. 3…a6 A move of Janowski's, quite frequently played by Rubinstein in recent tournaments, but without appreciable success. Necessary in the greater number of the variations of the Queen's Gambit Accepted. 3. ....P—Q R 3 is here merely a loss of time, and in addition creates weaknesses on the Queen-side when White continues by 4. P×P, or even 4. P—B 5, as in the present game.
2. 4.c5 4. P×P is quite sufficient to secure a slight superiority of position, as was shown by the games Johner—Rubinstein and Kostich—Rubinstein in the Teplitz-Schönau Tournament of 1922 among others. The former game continued 4. P×P, P×P; 5. Kt—B 3, Kt—K B 3; 6. B—Kt 5, B—K 2; 7. P—K 3, Castles; 8. B—Q 3, P—Q Kt 3 (a little better, but also insufficient to equalize the game, was 8. ....Q Kt—Q 2; 9. Q—B 2!); 9. B×Kt! B×B; 10. Q—B 2, P—K R 3, and Johner could have obtained a very strong attack against Black's weakened Castled position by 11. P—K R 3, followed by 12. Castles Q R and P—K Kt 4. In his game against Kostich Rubinstein tried 5. ....B—K 2 in place of 5. ....Kt—K B 3, and the continuation was 6. B—B 4, Kt—K B 3; 7. P—K 3, Castles; 8. B—Q 3, Q Kt—Q 2; 9. Castles, R—K 1; 10. R—B 1, P—Q Kt 3, after which White could have obtained a distinctly superior game by 11. P—K R 3 (in order to conserve his Q B against the threat of exchange by Kt—R 4). In the present game, the first which I played against Rubinstein after a seven-year interval, I voluntarily adopted a new line of play in order to avoid the variations resulting from 4. P×P (because I rightly thought them very familiar to Rubinstein), resolved that I would do or die!
3. 4…Nc6 Wishing to play 5. ....P—K 4, which White must oppose by every means at his disposal.
4. 7.Be3 A move rather out of the common! White, while preventing 7. ....P—K 4, avoids the exchange of his Q B. I learnt, some time after the game ended, that Rubinstein in Collijn's Lärobok only examined 7. P—K 3, a variation leading to equality.
5. 7…b6 Black, giving up hope of breaking through in the centre, at least eliminates the cramping adverse Q B P, and reckons to secure an advantage in development, by reason of the unusual position of White's Q B at K 3.
6. 9.h4 The only means of weakening the black squares of the enemy's position, and thus obtaining a future for his Q B.
7. 9…Bd6 If 9. ....P—K R 4, then 10. B—K Kt 5, P—B 3; 11. Q—B 2 followed by 12. B—Q 2, P—K 3, P—Q R 3 and B—Q 3, with the better game for White.
8. 10…Nge7 Not 10. ....Kt—B 5?; 11. P—K Kt 3.
9. 11.h6 The point! If Black captures the R P, he weakens his own R P without the slightest compensation. In the other case White's Q B will occupy the diagonal K R 4—Q 8, where it exercises a very embarrassing pressure.
10. 12…O-O More prudent was 12. ....P—B 4 first, after which Black would not have had to fear the threat of mate at K Kt 2, although in any case White's game would have already been preferable.
11. 13.Bf6 An extraordinary position after the 13th move of a Queen's Gambit! During the first thirteen moves White has played his Q B P thrice, his K R P thrice and his Q B four times, after which he has obtained a position in sight of a win, if not actually a winning one. It is especially with respect to the original opening of this game that people often speak of a “hyper-modern technique,” a “neo-romantic school,” etc. The question is in reality much simpler. Black has given himself over to several eccentricities in the opening which, without the reaction of his opponent (for example, 7. P—K 3 instead of 7. B—K 3 or 9. P—K Kt 3 instead of 9. P—K R 4) would in the end give him a good game. It is, therefore, as a necessity, and not with a preconceived idea, that I decided upon the advance of the K R P, preventing Black from securing an advantage in the centre. But, as a rule, in the opening stages of a game such eccentricities are in accordance neither with my temperament nor my style, as the reader can see from the perusal of this book.
12. 15…Rc8 Black dreams only of the possibility of an immediate attack by White (commencing by Kt—K Kt 5, or Kt—K 5 followed by Q—B 3), which he hopes to thwart by a demonstration on the Queen-side (Q—R 4, B—K 5). With this idea, the preparatory move 15. ....R—B 1 would have been very useful. But as White is not compelled to bestir himself as long as the opponent does not trouble him seriously, it would have been better for Black to play at once 15. ....Kt—R 4, followed by 16. ....B—Kt 5, and thus compel White, by this semblance of counter-attack, to take some defensive measures.
13. 16.a4 Whereas it is now White who seizes the initiative on the left flank, forcing Black to block this side, which allows him to post his Q Kt in a dominating position, without loss of time.
14. 18.Nc1 Preventing 18. ....P—Kt 6.
15. 19…Na5 Too late!
16. 20.Nc5 By this manœuvre White transforms his positional advantage into a gain of material, Black being unable to capture the Knight.
17. 20…Nc4 This move is not a whit better than those which precede it. It allows White the choice between two very good variations, but it happens that White chose the less decisive one.
18. 22.Ne5 22. Kt—K 4 would force the win of the Exchange, and also maintain the attack, in view of the double threat 23. Kt×B followed by 24. B—K 5; and 23. B—Kt 7, followed by 24. Kt—B 6 mate.
19. 23.Bxe7 With his clear judgment of position, Rubinstein at once recognizes that the sacrifice of the Exchange still offers him the best chance. Indeed, after 23. ....R—K 1; 24. P×B, R×B; 25. Kt—K 4! (not 25. Q—B 3, P—B 4; 26. P×P e.p., R—B 2 with defensive chances) Black would have lost more speedily than in the actual game, e.g.: I.—25. ....P—B 4; 26. Q—Q 6, B—B 3; 27. Kt—B 6 ch, K—B 2; 28. Q—Q 8!, B—K 1; 29. Kt×P and wins. II.—25. ....B—K 1; 26. Kt—B 6 ch, K—R 1; 27. Q—Q 8, R—Kt 2; 28. R—Q 1, Q—B 3; 29. Castles, and White wins.
20. 26.a5 Preventing the consolidation of Black's Pawn-position by 26. ....P—R 4.
21. 28.Rc1 This move, which forces the advance of the Q B P, is intended to clear up the position on the Queen's side, in order to place his pieces in the most favourable way.
22. 32…Ba3 If 32. ....R—R 6, White would have continued 33. K—K 2, followed by 34. R—R 1.
23. 34.Ke2 Not 34. Castles, on account of 34. ....R—R 4, winning the K R P, with good drawing chances.
24. 38.Qc8 The exchange of Queens is forced, as White threatens 39. Q—K R 8.
25. 42.d5 Thus obtaining a passed Pawn, which decides the game in a few moves. Black's desperate attempts to obtain a last chance on the King's side merely succeed in leading his King into a cul-de-sac.
26. 44.exd5 Indirectly securing the advance of the Q P.