Game 13 in the book: Aron Nimzovitch–Alekhine, All-Russian Masters' Tournament at Vilna, 1912. A Queen's Pawn Game annotated by Alekhine, who plays Black and wins.
4…Nf6Here 4. ....Q—Kt 3 would be premature on account of 5. Kt—B 3.
5.Nc3Now, however, this move is out of place. The usual line of play 5. P—B 3 followed by 6. B—Q 3 is certainly better.
5…Bg4Equally satisfactory would be 5. ....P—Q R 3 followed by 6. B—Kt 5.
7…Bh5This move will allow White to weaken the adverse position on both wings. Black had two ways of obtaining a good game: 7. ....B x Kt; 8. Q x B, P—Q R 3; 9. B x Kt ch, P x B; etc.
9…Qb6Of course not 9. ....R—B 1, because of 10. Kt x Kt, followed by 11. B—Q R 6, etc. However, 9. ....Q—B 1 would have been more prudent.
10.a4Very strong, as Black has no time to play P x P followed by B—Kt 5, because of 11. P—R 5, etc. Therefore he is compelled to yield the square at Q Kt 5 to his opponent.
11.h4This move is relatively better than P—R 3, as it forces White to make an immediate decision on the King's wing.
13.gxh5The variation 13. P—Kt 5, Kt—K Kt 1; 14. Q—Q 3, K—B 2; 15. R—K R 3, looks stronger than it really is, as Black can resist the attack by bringing his K Kt via K 2 to K B 4. The text-move makes things easy for Black. His K Kt P, it is true, is weakened, but, on the other hand, he obtains excellent prospects in the centre.
14…O-O-OThe King's position on the Queen-side will be quite safe, as the White Bishop can easily be eliminated.
15.O-O-OA very pretty trap.
15…Bd6Black discovers in time the adversary's subtle plan: 15. ....P x P; 16. P x P, Kt x P; 17. R x Kt, Q x R; 18. Q x K P ch, Kt—Q 2; 19. Q—B 6 ch!, P x Q; 20. B—R 6, mate. The text-move eliminates all danger.
17.Bd3White has not sufficiently weighed the consequences of this move; in particular he has not realized that the Knight will have no time to settle down at Q Kt 5, and consequently Black will obtain an important advantage. Better would be: 17. B x Kt, P x B; 18. K R—Kt 1, R—Q 2; etc., but in this case also Black's game is superior.
17…c4Dislodging the Bishop and initiating a combined attack on both wings.
18.Bg6Naturally not 18. Kt—Kt 5, P x B; 19. Kt x R ch, K—Q 2, followed by K x Kt, etc.
20…Rb6An amusing reply to White's trap on the 15th move. Black in his turn threatens mate by a Queen sacrifice, a Roland for an Oliver! 21. ....Kt x B; 22. R x Kt, Q x Kt P; 23. R—Q Kt 1, Q x Kt ch; 24. K x Q, Kt—K 5 mate. In addition the text-move allows the Queen to co-operate in a decisive action against the tracked White Bishop.
21.f3Evading the threat.
22.Bf7Hapless Bishop, with only one square on which to shelter!
24.Nb5A desperate move. After 24. B—Kt 6 Black would win at once by 24. ....Kt x R P, threatening, if 25. Q x Kt, to win the Queen by 25. ....Kt—K 5 ch. In giving up the Bishop, White has a vague hope of complications resulting from the Queen reaching Q Kt 8.
26…Nd6Black could have continued with 26. ....Q—K 1. But his objective, which he indeed succeeds in achieving, is the capture of the White Queen.
28…Rf6Not, of course, 28. ....Q x P; because of 29. R x P ch.
32…Qe7Taking advantage of the fact that White cannot capture the K Kt P because of the pin by 33. ....Q—R 2, etc.
36…Qd6If now 37. R x Kt P, Kt x P; 38. R—Kt 7 ch, K—B 3; 39. Q x P, R—R 3, and the Queen is lost.
Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source