Torres Caravaca, Joaquin VS Alekhine, Alexander 1922.??.??

Annotations

1. 5…d6 This move, commended by Rubinstein, seems to me less sound than 5. ....B—K 2, as White has at his disposal several good continuations and as he can obtain a draw by a forced variation (compare the next note).
2. 6.Bxc6+ This exchange, however, is not to be commended. White would do better to adopt one of the following continuations: (1) 6. P—B 3 and if 6. ....Kt×P; 7. P—Q 4, with a fine attack. (2) 6. Q—K 2. (3) 6. P—Q 4 and if 6. ....P—Q Kt 4; 7. B—Kt 3, P×P; 8. P—B 3!, sacrificing a Pawn for the attack. This line of play was successfully played by Yates against Rubinstein on two occasions (London, 1922, and Carlsbad, 1923). (4) 6. R—K 1, P—Q Kt 4; 7. B—Kt 3, Kt—Q R 4. A game Aurbach—Alekhin, played in Paris in October, 1922, continued thus: 8. P—Q 4, Kt×B; 9. R P×Kt, B—Kt 2; 10. P×P, Kt×P; 11. P×P, B×P; 12. Q—Q 4!, Q—K 2; 13. Kt—B 3! (not 13. Q×P!, Castles; 14. B—Kt 5, Kt×B! and wins) P—K B 4; 14. B—Kt 5, Q—Q 2 (if 14. ....Q—B 2, given in Collijn's Lärobok, 15. Kt×Kt, P×Kt; 16. R×P ch!, B×R; 17. Q×B ch, K—Q 2; 18. R—Q 1 and wins); 15. Kt×Kt, P×Kt; 16. R×P ch!, B×R; 17. Q×B ch, K—B 2; 18. R—K 1!, Q R—K 1!; 19. Q—Q 5 ch, K—B 1; 20. R—K 5!, R×R; 21. Kt×R, Q—K 1; 22. Q—B 3 ch, K—Kt 1; 23. Q—Q 5 ch and White draws by perpetual check.
3. 9…d5 Now Black has undoubtedly the better game, with his two Bishops and his strongly-posted Knight in the centre.
4. 11.c3 Sooner or later necessary in order to develop the Q Kt at Q 2, without leaving the K Kt en prise to Black's K B.
5. 12.f4 It would have been rather better to dislodge the Black Knight by 12. P—B 3 and then to play 13. P—K B 4. Nevertheless, in this blocked position the gain of a tempo is hardly capable of improving his game sufficiently.
6. 14…Bb7 In perfect safety Black prepares the advance of his centre Pawns, thus enabling his Bishops to exercise pressure on the hostile King.
7. 17.Nb3 17. Kt—K 2 at once was preferable, upon which Black would probably have continued 17. ....P—R 3, followed by 18. ....K—R 1 and 19. ....R—K Kt 1, preparing to open the K Kt file by ....P—Kt 4. The text-move allows him to increase his pressure on the centre to a still greater extent.
8. 17…c4 Profiting by the fact that White cannot play 18. B×B on account of 18. ....P×Kt.
9. 20…h6 In continuation of the above-mentioned plan.
10. 21…Kh8 In order that the Q B P shall not be captured by the hostile Queen with a check, in the event of ....P—Q 5, a precaution whose purpose will appear later on.
11. 22…Qg6 Black intends to occupy K R 4 with his Queen, which would make the advance of the Kt P still more effective.
12. 23.Neg1 By attempting to prevent this strategically decisive advance White allows his opponent to conclude the game with a pretty combination, based upon the hidden action of his Q B on the long diagonal.
13. 24…d4 Allowing the sacrifice of the Queen on the 28th move, thanks to which Black wins a piece or forces mate.

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