Game 48. Spielmann—Nimzowitsch, San Sebastian, 1911. Being the first game in which the thesis of the relative harmlessness of the ‘pawn-roller’ was stated. The embedded Schlechter opening excerpt prints 3...Kt-Q5, which the knight on f6 cannot play. The source wording is retained.

1. 2…Nf6 This set Spielmann thinking. After some minutes I raised my eyes from the board and saw that my dear old companion in arms was quite disconcerted. He looked at the Kt, now confidently, now suspiciously, and after much hesitation gave up the possible chase started by P-K5 and played the more circumspect Kt-QB3. Next year I tried 2. ... Kt-KB3 on Schlechter, and in the Book of the Congress we find the following note to this move by Tarrasch: 'Not good, since the Kt is at once driven away, but Herr Nimzowitsch goes his own road in the openings, one, however, which cannot be recommended to the public.' Ridicule can do much, for instance embitter the existence of young talents; but one thing is not given to it, to put a stop permanently to the incursion of new and powerful ideas. The old dogmas, such as the ossified teaching on the centre, the worship of the open game, and in general the whole formalistic conception of the game, who bothers himself to-day about these? The new ideas, however, those supposed by-ways, not to be recommended to the public, these are become to-day highways, on which great and small move freely in the consciousness of absolute security. My game against Schlechter ran as follows: 1. P-K4, P-QB4; 2. Kt-KB3, Kt-KB3; 3. P-K5, Kt-Q5; 4. P-Q4. Why, asks Dr. Tarrasch, should not P-QB4 be played here? The Black Kt would then certainly be driven on to unfavourable squares. Alas, no; even in the case of 1. P-K4, Kt-KB3 (Alekhine's defence); the effect of driving the Kt by 2. P-K5, Kt-Q4; 3. P-QB4, Kt-Kt3; 4. P-Q4 is merely to compromise White's game. In my game against Schlechter the continuation was: 4. ... P x P; 5. Q x P, P-K3; 6. B-QB4, Kt-QB3; 7. Q-K4, P-Q3!; 8. P x P (or 8. B x Kt, P x B; 9. Q x P, P x P; with two B's and a compact pawn majority), Kt-KB3; 9. Q-KR4, B x P; 10. Kt-QB3, Kt-K4!; and Black obtained a certain freedom for manœuvring in the middle of the board. To return to my game with Spielmann.
2. 9…Qc7 What now follows is play against the hanging pawns which will soon come into existence.
3. 12…cxd4 This exchange in conjunction with Kt-QKt5 is the point of the proceedings started by 9. ... Q-B2.
4. 16…Ba6 The hanging pawns, which come under heavy fire, prove, however, in the end to have a lot of vigour. The game is about equal.
5. 19.Qa4 19. P-B5, B x Kt; 20. P x B would have led to a draw.
6. 23…Bd5 With his B thus posted Black's advantage is clear.
7. 28.Qc3 White cannot well give up the QB file; if, however, 28. R-B3 then 28. ... P-KR4; 29. P-KR4, R x P.
8. 38…Kh8 Directed against B-B6.
9. 45…a4 A passed pawn plus a mating attack, a wicked affair.
10. 46.Kf1 But he was lost whatever he did.