Game 5 in the book: Alekhine's win over Milan Vidmar at the International Tournament at Carlsbad, 1911. A Four Knights' Game annotated by Alekhine, who plays White.
6…bxc6After the better move: 6. ....Q P x B; White can either obtain an easy draw by 7. Kt x P, R—K 1; 8. Kt—Q 3, B x Kt; 9. Q P x B, Kt x P; 10. Q—B 3, or he can attempt a King-side attack by 7. P—Q 3 followed by Kt—K 2, Kt—Kt 3, P—K R 3, Kt—R 2, P—K B 4. But in my opinion Black can repel this attack, for he has two Bishops and good chances of a counter-attack on the Queen's file.
7…Qe8After 7. ....R—K 1; 8. P—Q 4, B x Kt; 9. P x B, Kt x P; 10. Q—B 3, etc. White obtains a slight advantage.
8.Ng4Here the following line is considered stronger: 8. Kt—Q 3, with the continuation 8. ....B x Kt; 9. Q P x B, Q x P; 10. R—K 1, Q—K R 5; 11. Q—B 3, and 12. B—B 4. It is, however, uncertain whether this line of play is sufficient to prevail against a correct defence. The fault lies in the variation 6. B x Kt, which, in this opening, proves to be dull and lifeless.
8…Nxe4The complications which he seeks with the text-move turn out to his discomfiture.
9.Nh6+With this unexpected sally, White completely assumes the initiative. It would have been relatively better for Black to remove the audacious Knight, though in that case also White's game would have remained superior.
10.Re1This pin which, on the previous move, would not have been favourable because of the reply: 9. ....P—Q 4 (threatening 10. ....B x K Kt, etc.) now causes Black serious difficulties.
11…Qe5The alternative was: 11. ....Kt x Kt; 12. P x Kt, B—K 2; 13. Q—R 5, B—K 3; 14. P—K B 4, etc. with good prospects for White. In giving preference to the text-move, Black probably did not sufficiently consider the consequences of 16. R—Kt 1.
15.Nxf7+Here White had the choice between the variation in the text and the equally good continuation 15. R—Kt 1, with the sequel: 15. ....Q—K 3 (if P x B (Q); 16. Kt x P ch and Kt x Q) 16. R x P, P x Kt; 17. R—Kt 3, and Black, forced to prevent B—Kt 2 ch followed by R—Kt 3 ch, will thus lose the K R P. However, I gave the preference to the text-move both because I did not wish to give Black any chance of counter-action on an open K Kt file opposite the castled White King, and because the consequences of Kt x P ch seemed to be simpler and equally certain.
16.Rb1With this move White secures an advantage in material. Indeed, Black has nothing better than to bring about an ending with Bishops of different colour, for the variation 16. ....B P x B (Q); 17. R x Q, Q—K B 5; 18. Kt—Q 3, etc., leaves him not the slightest chance. On the contrary, White has chances of further gain, based not only on the possession of an extra Pawn, but also on the clear majority of Pawns on the King-side. On the Queen-side Black's extra Pawn is quite a negligible quantity, as two of his Pawns are doubled.
36.Ra8Threatening mate in three, commencing with 37. Q—Kt 8 ch.
Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source