Kmoch, Hans VS Alekhine, Alexander 1922.11.14

Annotations

1. 4.e3 If 4. Kt—B 3, the reply would be 4. ….P×P (see Games Nos. 70 and 71).
2. 5.Nbd2 This system of development, involving the advance of the Queen-side Pawns, was successfully adopted by Réti against Spielmann in the Tournament at Teplitz-Schönau, which took place a few weeks before the Vienna Tournament, where the present game was played. Doubtless this is the reason why my opponent, hypnotized solely by the result, adopted this system in preference to the usual moves 6. Q—Kt 3 or 6. P×P, without sufficiently fathoming the depths of this novelty.
3. 10…dxe4 Far better than the recapture with the Bishop, which Spielmann played in an analogous position in his game with Réti, for in this case Black, after 10. Kt—Q 2, P—B 4; 11. Kt×B, etc., cannot obtain sufficient attack to compensate for White’s advantage on the Queen-side.
4. 11…h5 The signal for the attack. As White will in any case be compelled to play P—B 4, there is no reason for Black to provoke it by Q—R 5. He therefore utilizes the time thus saved to strengthen his attacking position by a move which will enhance his prospects.
5. 12.f4 Black was threatening the sacrifice B×P ch, followed by Q—R 5 ch and Kt—B 3, yielding him a very powerful attack.
6. 13.g3 After this timid defensive move, which anticipates the desire of White’s opponent, Black’s attack becomes irresistible. It would have been better to continue 13. Kt—B 4, Kt—B 3; 14. Kt—K 5, P×P; 15. P×P, P—R 3, although in this case also Black would remain with the better position on account of the weakness of the adverse Q P.
7. 13…Nf6 Preparing the advance of the K B P, which would at this juncture be insufficient, because of 14. P—K Kt 4. Obviously, if 14. P×P, Black would reply 14. ….Kt—Kt 5.
8. 15.exf4 Or 15. Kt P×P, Kt—Kt 5, etc.
9. 16.Qb3 If 16. P—Kt 4, R—K Kt 1; 17. P—K R 3, Kt—Q 4 and White’s K B P could not be saved.
10. 18.Nc4 White is already defenceless against the threatened sacrifice at his K B 4.
11. 18…Nxf4 Decisive, for if 19. P×Kt, Q—R 5 ! winning; and if 19. R×Kt, B×R; 20. P×B, Q—R 5 ! and Black wins.
12. 20…Nd3 ….forcing mate in a few moves. White resigns. This short game shows once again the risks run by young players when blindly adopting certain innovations of the masters, without having carefully calculated all their consequences.

Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source