5.Nc3This move, especially recommended by Dr. Tarrasch, gives White a safe and solid game, but Black, truth to tell, has nothing much to fear in this variation.
5…Be7He has also the choice between this move, which is in practice the most usual, and 5. ....B—B 4, which is equally playable (see Game No. 74).
8.a4The main object of this move is to avoid the exchange of White's K B against Black's Q Kt, an exchange which would be inevitable after 8. P—Q 3, Kt—Q R 4; but the loss of time which it entails creates new troubles for White. It is therefore admissible that Svenonius' manoeuvre, 8. Kt—K 2, B—Kt 5; 9. P—B 3, is preferable to the text-move.
8…b4Much better than 8. ....R—Q Kt 1, which surrenders the Q R file to White (see Game No. 66).
9…O-OSimplest, and perhaps also best. Apart from Castles, Black could also have adopted one of the following three variations: I.—9. ....Kt×P; 10. P—Q 4, Castles; 11. R—K 1, Kt—B 3; 12. Kt×B ch, Kt×Kt (if 12. ....Q×Kt; 13. B—Kt 5 with the better game); 13. P×P, P×P; 14. Q×Q, R×Q; 15. Kt×P with advantage to White. II.—9. ....R—Q Kt 1; 10. P—Q 4, B—Kt 5; 11. P—B 3, Castles; 12. B—Q B 4! (but not 12. R—K 1, K P×P; 13. Kt P×P, P×P; 14. P×P, B×Kt; 15. P×B, Kt×P; winning a Pawn for Black, but giving White a slight advantage in position: Marco—Alekhin, Pistyan, 1922). III.—9. ....Kt—Q R 4; 10. Kt×B! (not 10. B—R 2, Kt×Kt; 11. B×Kt, P—Q B 3; 12. B—R 2, P—Q B 4!; 13. P—B 3, R—Q Kt 1; 14. B—Q 5, Castles; 15. P—Q 4, K P×P; 16. P×Q P, P—B 5, with marked advantage to Black, Alekhin—Bogoljuboff, Pistyan, 1922), Q×Kt; 11. P—Q 4!, Kt×B; 12. P×K P, Kt×P!; 13. P×P, B—Kt 2; 14. P×P, Q×P, with an equal game.
10.d4This move is premature in the present position. White will soon find himself under the necessity of sacrificing a Pawn for a problematical initiative. Collijn's Lärobok here rightly recommends 10. R—K 1, and if 10. ....B—Kt 5 then 11. P—B 3 (preparing 12. P—Q 4) with a satisfactory game.
11.c311. P×P, Q Kt×P would avoid the loss of the Pawn, but would transfer the attack to Black. By the text-move White, while maintaining his pressure on the centre, hopes later to profit by a certain weakness in the adverse Queen-side.
13.Re1If 13. Kt×B ch Black could have answered 13. ....Q×Kt, for if then 14. B—Q 5?, Kt×Q B P.
14.h3Compelling the opponent, should he wish to maintain the Pawn which he has won, to abandon the idea of utilizing his Q B later on to secure the defence of the weak squares on his Queen's wing.
15.Nxf6+The attempt to regain the Pawn by 15. P—Kt 4, B—Kt 3; 16. Kt×B ch, Q×Kt; 17. P×P, Kt×K P; 18. Kt×Kt, P×Kt; 19. B—R 3, P—B 4; 20. P—K B 4, K R—Q 1; 21. Q—B 1, Q—Kt 2! would ultimately end in White's discomfiture. By the move chosen he definitely abandons this, but has prospects of a positional advantage resulting from the following:
17.a5Threatening to win a piece.
18…Nb8The remoteness of this Knight, which remains on this useless square until the conclusion of the game, is a substantial compensation for White's material inferiority.
20.Be4Having already in mind the following sacrifice of a second Pawn.
20…Bg6Not 20. ....P—R 3 on account of 21. P—Kt 4.
22…e4The critical moment of the game. Black who, up to the present, has played in irreproachable style, allows himself to be led astray by a fresh capture which in the end will prove fatal for him. He would do better to attempt to free his Queen-side by 22. ....P—B 3, after which the game would probably have resulted in a draw; for example: 22. ....P—B 3; 23. Q R—Q 1, P×P (if 23. ....P—B 4; 24. R—K 4!, followed by 25. R—Kt 1); 24. Q×Q P, Q—B 3; 25. Q×Q, Kt×Q; 26. R—Q 5! (better than 26. R×P) and even if Black could maintain his material advantage he would have only the slightest chances of winning, in view of the position of White's pieces.
24…Bxc3Now White's Q R P is untenable, for if 25. R—R 2, B×P; 26. B×P, B—Kt 3! and Black in the end would win the Q P. But its capture will remove from the King-side the only piece which could secure him an adequate defence, and White will profit by this tempo to undertake a very strong attack against the weakened position of the Black King.
25…Bxa5After 25. ....B—B 3 the Pawns on Q R 3 and Q B 2 would obviously be very weak.
26.Bb2Threatening 27. Kt—Kt 5, as Black's reply 27. ....B—Q 7, previously feasible, would no longer be so, on account of 28. Q—Q 4!
26…Re8In order to play 27. ....P—K B 3.
28.Nd4White does not fear an exchange of Rooks, since after 29. ....R—K 8 ch; 30. R×R, B×R; 31. Q—K 4! he would regain one of the sacrificed Pawns, while maintaining his powerful pressure upon the adverse position.
28…Kf7Recognizing the danger threatened by the inroad of White's Knight at K 6, Black merely prepares to sacrifice the Exchange. Indeed, after 29. Kt—K 6, R×Kt; 30. P×R ch, Q×P, White would no longer have any satisfactory continuation of the attack, and Black's two centre Pawns would win ultimately.
29.Rc4This move, which is the result of a close examination, is the only one which offers prospects of a winning attack, because it prevents the sacrifice of the Exchange. For example, 30. Kt—K 6, R×Kt; 31. P×R ch, Q×P; 32. R—K 4!, Q—B 4 (or anywhere else); 33. B×P! and wins. Black therefore can no longer prevent White's Knight from occupying K 6, and from this moment White's attack becomes irresistible.
30…Rh5If 30. ....R×P, White wins by 31. Kt×Kt P!
31…Qe7And if now, or on the next move, R×P, then 32. Kt—Q 8 ch! wins a Rook.
32.Qd3Preparing the decisive action of the Rook on the fourth rank.
32…Bb6Or 32. ....Kt—Q 2; 33. R—K 4, Kt—K 4; 34. Q×P, B—Kt 3; 35. Q—B 8 with a winning attack for White.
35.Rf4This move leaves Black defenceless against the threats 36. B×P, 36. Kt×Kt P and 36. P—Kt 5.
36.Bxf6This capture leads to mate. Black could have escaped immediate danger by 36. ....R×Kt, but after 37. P×R ch, Q×P; 38. B—Q 4 ch, K—Kt 1; 39. B×B, P×B; 40. R—Q 4! his game would be hopeless.
37…Kxf6If 37. ....K—K 2; 38. Q×Kt P! and mates in two moves. Or if 37. ....K—Kt 1; 38. Q×P ch, K—R 1; 39. Q—R 5 ch, K—Kt 1; 40. R—Kt 6 ch and mates. After the text-move White mates in three moves by 38. Q—Q B 3 ch, B—Q 5; 39. Q×B ch, K moves; 40. Q—Kt 7 mate.
Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source