Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927)
Game 54 of 100
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Site
Berliner Schachheim
Date
1921.06.17
Round
1
White
Black
Saemisch, Friedrich
Result
1-0
- 1…e5 By answering 1. P—Q B 4 with 1. ....P—K 4 Black accommodates White in his desire to play a Sicilian with a move ahead. As a reply to White's first move Black has the choice between several good continuations: 1. ....Kt—K B 3, 1. ....P—K 3, 1. ....P—Q B 4 and 1. ....P—K B 4, the Dutch Defence being more playable for him by the fact that White has already advanced his Pawn to Q B 4.
- 2…Nf6 2. ....Kt—Q B 3, with the intention of developing his K Kt at K 2 after the fianchetto of Black's K B, was also to be considered. It is true that against this move White is not compelled to answer 3. P—K Kt 3, seeing that 3. Kt—B 3, followed by 4. P—Q 4, seems preferable.
- 3…g6 Regarding 3. ....P—Q 4 see Game No. 8.
- 6…exd4 It was preferable to keep the Pawn-position intact by playing 6. ....Q Kt—Q 2, free to disturb it at a more opportune moment.
- 9.b3 In an analogous position, save that the exchange of centre-Pawns had not occurred, I played the weaker move 8. Q—B 2 against Réti at Pistyan, 1922, after which Black equalized the game by 8. ....P×P; 9. Kt×P, Kt—Kt 3; 10. Q—Q 3, P—Q 4! 9. P—Kt 3 is probably the only move to maintain an appreciable advantage.
- 12.Rad1 12. Kt—B 3 was better. Black's position is so hemmed-in that White should seek to avoid every exchange capable of alleviating this constraint.
- 12…Qe7 For the above reason, 12. ....Kt×Kt was the best alternative.
- 14…Qf8 Black's position, although free from weaknesses, is almost without resource, on account of the lack of range of his pieces, which obstruct each other. Under such conditions it is generally impossible to establish an adequate plan of defence, and the loss of the game is only a question of time.
- 16.Ba3 The commencement of the decisive manœuvre, which finally ends in the win of a Pawn, with a dominating position. White now threatens on the one hand 17. P—K 5, and on the other hand 17. Kt—Q 5 or Q Kt 5, followed by 18. Kt×Q B P and 19. B×P. Black's next moves are therefore forced.
- 19…Qg7 Black was threatened with 20. P—K B 5.
- 20…Bf6 Or 20. ....P—Q B 4; 21. P—B 5, Kt—B 1; 22. P×P, R P×P; 23. R×P, P×R (or 23. ....Q×B?; 24. B—Kt 2); 24. B×P and White recovers the Exchange with a Pawn ahead.
- 23.Qc3 The simplest. White leads into an end-game with two Bishops and a Pawn against Bishop and Knight.
- 25…b5 A desperate attempt to free his pieces, but in reality merely easing White's task.
- 28.Bxe5 Not 28. B—B 6, B—Kt 2.
- 31.Red1 Instead of playing 31. R—K B 1 White temporizes, reserving this possibility until after Black's plausible move, K—B 1, when he no longer has the defence ....R—K B 1 at his disposal.
- 33.f5 Winning a second Pawn and therefore the game.
- 33…gxf5 Clearly forced, since if 33. ....R×R; 34. P×Kt ch would win a piece.