1.
e4
e5
2.
d4
exd4
3.
Qxd4
Nc6
4.
Qe3
Be7
5.
Bd2
Nf6
6.
Nc3
O-O
7.
O-O-O
d5
8.
exd5
Nxd5
9.
Qg3
Bh4
10.
Qf3
Be6
11.
Be3
Nxc3
12.
Rxd8
Nxa2+
13.
Kb1
Raxd8
14.
Be2
Nab4
15.
Nh3
Rfe8
16.
Nf4
Bf5
17.
Rc1
g6
18.
g4
Be4
19.
Qh3
Bf6
20.
Bf3
Bxf3
21.
Qxf3
Ne5
22.
Qe2
c5
23.
Rg1
c4
24.
h4
Nd5
25.
Nxd5
Rxd5
26.
f4
Nd3
27.
Qf3
Rb5
28.
cxd3
Rxb2+
29.
Kc1
cxd3
30.
Kd1
Rc8
31.
g5
Rcc2
32.
Ke1
Rb1+
33.
Qd1
Bc3+
0-1
Opening Explorer
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Event
Site
Scheveningen
Date
1913.07.29
Round
3
White
Black
Result
0-1
Score
Game 19 in the book: J. Mieses–Alekhine, International Tournament at Scheveningen, 1913. A Centre Game annotated by Alekhine, who plays Black and wins.
- 3.Qxd4 It is quite evident that such displacements of the Queen at an early stage in the opening are not likely to reap any advantage. However, Black is compelled to play with precision, so that his opponent may have no time to start an attack against the King-side or even in the centre. For, no doubt, the White Queen installed at K Kt 3 (via K 3) would exercise a pressure on Black's King-side if he eventually Castles on that side.
- 4…Be7 Black could also have played Kt—B 3, for the following variation is mere bluff and eventually turns to Black's advantage: 5. P—K 5, Kt—K Kt 5; 6. Q—K 4, P—Q 4!; 7. P x P e.p. ch., B—K 3; 8. B—Q R 6 (or 8. P x P, Q—Q 8 ch!), Q x P; 9. B x P, Q—Kt 5 ch! 10. Q x Q, Kt x Q.
- 7…d5 This advance, which at first sight appears somewhat risky, in view of the position of White's Q R, will on the contrary allow Black to extract the maximum return from his advanced development. 7. ....P—Q 3; would result in almost a close game and White would find time to complete his neglected development.
- 9…Bh4 Providing without loss of time against the threat 10. B—K R 6. Black's advantage is now evident.
- 10…Be6 The sacrifice initiated by this move is full of promise and on the other hand devoid of risk, for Black will have an equivalent in material for his Queen. It would, however, have been more logical to adopt the following variation: 10. ....Kt x Kt; 11. B x Kt, Q—Kt 4 ch; 12. B—Q 2 (else 12. ....B—Kt 5), Q—Q B 4!; 13. B—K 3, Q—Q R 4; which would have given Black a dominating position without such complications as defy exact calculation.
- 11.Be3 Calling for the subsequent combination, for 11. ....Q Kt—K 2; would be bad because of 12. Kt x Kt, followed by 13. Q—R 5, and 14. P—Q B 4, etc.
- 11…Nxc3 Black obtains Rook, Knight, and Pawn for his Queen while maintaining the superior position. The sacrifice is therefore fully justified. Much less strong would be: 11. ....Q Kt—Kt 5; 12. P—Q R 3, Kt x Kt; 13. R x Q, Kt (Kt 5)—R 7 ch; 14. K—Q 2, Kt—Kt 8 ch; 15. K—K 1, and the two Black Knights would find themselves in a tragi-comical situation.
- 15…Rfe8 Essential as a basis for all the subsequent combinations.
- 16.Nf4 16. R—Q 1, B—Q 4; 17. Q—R 5, B—B 3 was no better, as Black now threatens 18. ....B—K 5.
- 17.Rc1 Preparing the combination Kt x P followed by Kt (B 3)—Kt 5, etc. which at present would not be sufficient, e.g. 17. ....Kt x P; 18. R x Kt, Kt—Kt 5; 19. Kt—Q 3!, R—K 5; 20. Kt x Kt!, etc.
- 18.g4 In order to exchange the dangerous Black Bishop.
- 20.Bf3 White seems to be able to disentangle his forces now; but nevertheless Black's position still remains very strong, even after the unavoidable exchange.
- 22.Qe2 It is clear that the capture of the Q Kt P would entail a rapid disintegration through the combined action of the K B and the Q R, the latter seizing the open Q Kt file.
- 22…c5 A very important move which puts renewed vigour into Black's attack. White in particular threatened to force further simplifications by 23. P—B 3, Kt (Kt 5)—Q 6; 24. Kt x Kt, Kt x Kt; 25. R—Q 1, etc. By his last move Black frustrates this plan, and, if necessary, aims at posting a Knight at Q 6 by P—B 5, etc. As White cannot reply 23. B x P, because of 23. ....Kt (K 4)—Q 6; 24. Q x R ch, R x Q; 25. Kt x Kt, Kt—B 3, etc., weakening his right wing, he has to attempt a counter-attack which Black allows him no time to develop.
- 24…Nd5 The renewed complications resulting from this move required the most exact calculations.
- 26.f4 If 26. P—Kt 5, B—Kt 2; 27. R—Q 1, then 27. ....R—Kt 4; 28. B—Q 4, R—K 3, etc., also to Black's advantage.
- 26…Nd3 Black takes immediate advantage of the weakening of the White Bishop resulting from 26. P—B 4.
- 27.Qf3 If White had taken the Knight the sequel would have been: 27. ....R x P; 28. R—Kt 3, B—Q 5!; 29. Q—Q B 2 (not 29. Q x R, P x Q; 30. B x B, R—K 8 ch; 31. K—R 2, P—Q 7! and wins), B x B; 30. Q x P, R (K 1)—Q 1; with the better game. However, this variation is more favourable than the one chosen by White, after which Black can force the win by a fresh sacrifice.
- 27…Rb5 Decisive! Now White has to take the Knight, for after 28. P—Kt 3, R—Q R 4; 29. P x Kt, Black could force the win by 29. ....P x Kt P; 30. K—B 1, B—B 6; 31. K—Q 1, R—R 8 ch, etc. A curious position, for although Black has only a Rook for the Queen, White is without resource.
- 30.Kd1 30. R—Kt 2, R—B 1 ch; 31. K—Q 1, etc., is merely an inversion of moves.
- 30…Rc8 Against the threat 31. ....R (B 1)—B 7, White's only defence was 31. R—Kt 2. But it was in no way sufficient for a draw, despite the opinion of all the critics who annotated the game at the time it was played, and in this case Black would have won as follows: 31. ....R—Kt 8 ch; 32. K—Q 2, R—Kt 6; 33. K—Q 1 (or A), B—B 6!; 34. B—B 1, B—Kt 5! and White is helpless against the threats 35. ....P—Q 7; and 35. ....R—Kt 8. A. 33. K—K 1, R—B 8 ch; 34. K—B 2 (or 34. B x R, P—Q 7 ch), B x P ch and wins. This analysis shows the correctness of the sacrifice initiated on move 11, and the soundness of the final combination.
[Event "Scheveningen"] [Site "Scheveningen"] [Date "1913.07.29"] [Round "3"] [White "Mieses, Jacques"] [Black "Alekhine, Alexander"] [Result "0-1"] 1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Be7 5. Bd2 Nf6 6. Nc3 O-O 7. O-O-O d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. Qg3 Bh4 10. Qf3 Be6 11. Be3 Nxc3 12. Rxd8 Nxa2+ 13. Kb1 Raxd8 14. Be2 Nab4 15. Nh3 Rfe8 16. Nf4 Bf5 17. Rc1 g6 18. g4 Be4 19. Qh3 Bf6 20. Bf3 Bxf3 21. Qxf3 Ne5 22. Qe2 c5 23. Rg1 c4 24. h4 Nd5 25. Nxd5 Rxd5 26. f4 Nd3 27. Qf3 Rb5 28. cxd3 Rxb2+ 29. Kc1 cxd3 30. Kd1 Rc8 31. g5 Rcc2 32. Ke1 Rb1+ 33. Qd1 Bc3+ 0-1