4…dxc4The acceptance of the Gambit at this stage of the game was made the object of an analysis by Alapin about fifteen years ago, but his attempts to popularize it did not fructify. His analysis mentioned, after 5. P—K 3, P—Q Kt 4; 6. P—Q R 4, the moves Kt—Q 4 and Q—Kt 3. Not until the London Tournament of 1922, where my innovation 6. ….P—Kt 5 ! was disclosed, did the variation receive a new lease of life.
5.a4Rubinstein, who was already familiar with my analysis, followed religiously the line of play adopted against me by Bogoljuboff some rounds previously in the same tournament, but Black gets out of all his difficulties by the development of his Q B.
7…Bb4This is played not to exchange the K B against the Q Kt, but solely to post the Bishop in the most effective manner in this position.
9.Ne2This manoeuvre, which aims at the exchange of Black’s Q B, requires too much time and is the chief cause of all White’s subsequent difficulties. The simple developing move B—Q 2, here or on the next move, would have most easily secured equality, for he could not hope for more in the present circumstances.
11…c5Black takes advantage of the time given him by his opponent to complete his development by undertaking an action in the centre.
12.Nxg6Bogoljuboff in the above-mentioned game here continued with the hazardous move 12. P—B 4, Kt—Kt 3; 13. B—R 2, P×P; 14. P×P, Kt (B 3)—Q 4; 15. Kt—B 3, Q R—B 1; 16. Kt—K 5, B—B 7 !; 17. Q—B 3, P—B 4 !, with a great superiority in position for Black. The exchange in the text, although more prudent, also leaves White struggling to develop his inactive Q B.
14.Qe2Threatening the advance of the K P, which Black will at once prevent.
16.Qg4The combination 16. B×P, P×B; 17. Q—B 4, Q—Q 4 !; 18. Q×B, Kt×B P ! turns to Black’s advantage. The text-move is preferable to 16. Q—B 3, against which Black could have replied 16. ….Kt—Q 3, a move at present impossible because of 17. B×P, etc.
16…Nf6A fresh attempt to enforce P—K 4.
17…Qc7Gaining the necessary time to prevent once and for all the advance of the K P.
20.a5Simpler was 20. B—Kt 2. The continuation of the game shows that the text-move offers Black a chance of victory, by allowing him to support his Kt at Q B 6 by P—Kt 5 on his 29th move.
22.Bxc3It is obvious that White cannot keep his two Bishops.
23…b5The opening of the Q R, due to White’s incautious 20th move, is an evident advantage for Black.
25…Na2To gain the time to advance his Q Kt P.
28.Qf4The exchange of Queens still affords White the best chance of escaping, seeing that it leads to the opening of the King’s file for his Rooks, the other files being in his opponent’s possession. But the ensuing end-game is now a little in Black’s favour.
30…Ra3However, this thoughtless move, which involves an important loss of time, deprives Black of most of his chances, for there was no reason to persuade White to post his Bishop at B 4, where it would have to go in any event. It would have been far wiser to bring his King quickly to the centre by K—B 1, K—K 2, R—Q 5 and K—Q 3, after which Black could have contemplated the exchange of one Rook and the investment of the Q Kt P by the three remaining pieces. After the text-move he lacks precisely one tempo to execute this manoeuvre.
33…Rc8It is just this reply which Black did not sufficiently appreciate when playing his 30th move. Now he has no time to play 33. ….R—Q 5, for White is threatening to enter into the hostile game via Q B 5 and Q B 8. Being compelled to defend himself, Black must temporarily forego the victory. This demonstration, which has no real point, would have been without effect had Black simply answered it by R—B 3, whereas his actual reply allows White to introduce fresh complications.
37.Rce2A good move which meets the threat ….Kt—Kt 3 on account of B×P !, and thus gains an important tempo.
39.h5This ingenious Pawn-sacrifice, which would have had no object if White’s Rook were still on Q B 2, requires the greatest circumspection on Black’s part, without impairing White’s game. The present game, more than any other, marks the evolution of Rubinstein’s style: the deep strategist has become transformed into a clever tactician, whose every move conceals a hidden bolt, or prepares a fresh combination. This opinion is confirmed, moreover, by the number of Brilliancy Prizes which he has carried off in recent tournaments, alongside such specialists in that art as Mieses and Spielmann.
42.Red3Threatening mate in three. Now we perceive the strong attacking position secured by White with his sacrifice.
42…Ra7This continuation of the attack, although deeply conceived, is finally shown to be inadequate because of a hidden defensive manoeuvre, which, however, is the sole means of saving Black’s game. Whereas by P—B 3, preventing ….Kt—K 5, White could have forced the draw at once: ….Kt—Kt 8; R—Q 1, Kt—B 6; R (Q 1)—Q 2, Kt—Kt 8, etc.
43…Ne4The only way to prevent the threatened R—K Kt 8.
44.R2d5Black cannot answer this by the plausible move ….Kt—Q 3, because of R—K Kt 8, Kt×P (or ….Kt×B; R×Kt P ch, etc.); R (Q 5)—Q 8, Kt—Q 3; R—Q Kt 8 ! and White wins.
45.Rg8This appears at first sight decisive, as Black cannot continue ….R×R without losing the Exchange by force after B×R, but Black in his turn prepares a surprise for his opponent.
45…Ra2The saving move! Black is now protected from the threatened mate in a few moves commencing with R—Kt 5, for he himself is menacing a mate in three moves by ….R×P ch. White’s next moves are therefore forced.
49…Rd2The point of the whole combination—Black forces the exchange of the second Rook and leads into an ending which is clearly favourable for him, by reason of the weakness of White’s Q Kt P and the limited range of action of White’s King.
51…e4Opposing P—B 3 and by that fact hindering the approach of the White King to the Knight.
52.f4This makes White’s game indefensible, owing to his inability after ….P—K 6 to dislodge the Knight, and thus oppose the march of Black’s King to the Queen’s wing. Rather better was 50. P—Kt 4 !, P—R 5; 51. K—R 3, Kt—B 6; 52. P—Kt 5 !, and the sacrifice of the Pawn would afford White some drawing chances owing to the reduced material left on the board. The last phase of the game is instructive.
52…e3Now Black’s King can proceed without hindrance to annex White’s Q Kt P.
58.Kf3White could have prolonged his resistance by P—Kt 4, in which case the continuation would have been ….Kt—Q 5; P—Kt 5 ! (if ….P—Kt 6 ?; P×P !); P×P, Kt×P; B—B 7, K—Q 5; K—B 1, K—Q 6; K—K 1, Kt—R 5; B—Q 5, P—Kt 6 ! and wins.
59.Bf7Now P—K Kt 4 would yield White no chance after ….K—Q 6, etc.
59…Kd3The simplest.
Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source