3…g6Pillsbury's favourite defence, with which he opened at the Hastings Tournament and gained several fine wins; but modern theory not unreasonably considers it inferior. If I adopted it in the present game, doubtless for the last time, it was solely to verify in practice a variation indicated by Rubinstein in Collijn's Lärobok, and then, should White play 4. Kt—B 3, to try out the new move 4. ....Kt—Q 5!, which seems to give Black complete equality: 5. Kt×P?, Q—Kt 4; or 5. Kt×Kt, P×Kt; 6. Kt—K 2?, Q—Kt 4!; 7. Kt×P, B—Kt 2; 8. P—Q 3, Q—Q B 4! and Black wins a piece.
4.d4If 4. ....P×P; 5. B—Kt 5, P—B 3; 6. B—K R 4 and White will recover his Pawn in a few moves, with a strong attacking position.
7.Qd3Without the slightest doubt the correct move here is 7. P—K 5, after which 7. ....Q—Kt 3 (recommended in the Lärobok) would be quite bad, because of 8. Q×Q!, R P×Q; 9. Kt—B 3, B—Kt 2; 10. B—K B 4!, and Black would experience great difficulty in developing his Queen-side. Likewise after 7. ....Q—K 2 White can lead into very interesting complications, which appear to result in his favour, e.g.: 8. Kt—B 3, P—Q B 3 (or 8. ....B—Kt 2; 9. Kt—Q 5!, Q×P ch; 10. Q×Q, B×Q; 11. Castles, threatening 12. R—K 1, with a good attack for the Pawn); 9. Kt—K 4!, B—Kt 2! (if 9. ....P×B, then 10. Kt—Q 6 ch, K—Q 1; 11. B—K 3 [threatening mate in two by Q—Kt 6 ch!], 11. ....Q—K 3; 12. Castles K R and White has a winning attack); 10. Kt—Q 6 ch, K—B 1; 11. B—K B 4, P×B (or 11. ....P—B 3; 12. Kt×B, R×Kt; 13. P—K 6!, Q×P ch; 14. B—K 2, and White recovers the Pawn sacrificed with an obvious advantage in position); 12. Castles K R, Kt—R 3; 13. B×Kt! B×B; 14. P—B 4, B—Kt 2; 15. Q R—K 1, with an overwhelming attack for White. On the contrary, the move actually chosen by White does not occasion his opponent any difficulty, and even allows him shortly to seize the initiative.
10.Be310. Castles was preferable, for after the text-move White will be compelled to protect his Q Kt P by withdrawing his Knight to Q 1 where it remains immobile.
12.a412. P—Q R 3 was a little better, although in this case also the reply 12. ....B—Q R 3 would have forced the disadvantageous retreat of White's Knight, e.g.: 12. ....B—Q R 3; 13. Kt—Q 1, Castles K R!; 14. Castles K R (if 14. Q×P, K R—Q 1; 15. Q—Kt 4, P—R 5; 16. B—R 2, P—Kt 5; 17. P×P, P—R 6; 18. P—B 3, P×P; 19. R—Q Kt 1, Q×P ch!; 20. Kt×Q, B×Kt ch; 21. B—Q 2, R×B and wins), 14. ....P—Q 4! with by far the superior game for Black. The text-move results in the complete blockade of White's Queen-side, which is strategically equivalent to the loss of the game. Nevertheless, the tactical realization of victory is fraught with very serious difficulties, owing to the consummate skill with which Dr. Tarrasch defends himself.
12…b4Compulsory in order to protect the Q Kt P. However, the immobility of this Knight on a square on which it prevents communication between the White Rooks will soon have fatal consequences for White.
14…d5Much stronger than 14. ....B—Q R 3; 15. B—Q B 4, B×B; 16. Q×B, P—Q 4, after which White could still have avoided the decisive opening of the Q B file, by playing 17. Q—Q 3.
18…d4Opposing 19. P—Q B 3 and initiating an attack difficult to meet against the weak Q B P.
20.Re1Temporarily preventing 20. ....R—B 4.
22.b3White hopes to free his unfortunate Knight and afterwards post it on Q B 4, but, as will be seen later on, Black will not leave him time for this.
22…Qf5This move, which White could not escape, at once settles the fate of the backward Pawn. Obviously White cannot exchange Queens without losing the Pawn subsequently. On the other hand, the interposition of the White Rook at K 4 will favour the successful entry of Black's Knight at Q B 6, thereby forcing the exchange of White's Q B, his best defensive piece.
25.Bxc3Forced, for if 25. R—K 1, Q×Q; 26. Kt×Q, Kt—R 7, winning the Pawn; or 26. P×Q, Kt—K 7 ch.
25…Rxc3The final point of the attack against White's Q B P, initiated by 14. ....P—Q 4!
27.g4A desperate counter-attack, the refutation of which leads to very interesting positions.
30…Rxc2At last!
31…Qf3This move, which is no doubt the most difficult in the whole game, is based on the following considerations: White threatens to consolidate his position by 32. Q—K 4 and 33. P—B 4, after which the win would be very difficult for Black, because of the unfavourable position of his K B. On the other hand, the possible end-game resulting from 31. ....Q—K 3; 32. Q×Q, P×Q; 33. R—Q 1! is not without resources for White, e.g.: 33. ....K—B 3; 34. P—B 4, P—Kt 4; 35. P—R 4! Therefore 32. Q—K 4 or 32. P—B 4 must be prevented. The text-move alone answers this end.
32.Ne5The capture of the Q P by 32. Q—K 5 ch, K—Kt 1; 33. Q×Q P would have facilitated Black's victory, e.g.: 33. ....R—Q 7; 34. Kt—K 5 (or 34. Q—Q 8 ch, B—B 1; 35. Kt—K 5, Q—B 5!; 36. Q—Kt 8, K—Kt 2, followed by 37. ....B—Q 3 and Black wins), 34. ....Q×P; 35. Q—R 7, Q—Q 4, followed by 37. ....P—Kt 6, and wins.
33.Nd7Now White threatens mate on the move!
34.Rd1Preventing the advance of the Q P, and threatening 35. R×P! But Black's next move puts things in their proper place.
34…Be3White is compelled to bring his Rook back again to its starting point, for if 35. P×B, Q×P ch and mates next move; or if 35. Q×B, P×Q; 36. R×Q, P—K 7 and wins.
35…Bg5Threatening now 36. ....B—K 2 followed by 37. ....P—Q 6, which threat forces the exchange of Queens.
37…Bf4The ensuing end-game is undoubtedly won for Black, but it still requires very precise tactics.
39…d3Not 39. ....P—Q 7, which would appreciably diminish the strength of the passed Q P, after 40. K—B 1.
40…Kf6It is much more interesting to bring the King to the centre of the board without delay, rather than to recover the lost Pawn by 40. ....B—B 2. Moreover, White cannot protect his Q Kt P for ever.
53…Ra1Avoiding White's last trap, 53. ....P—Kt 7; 54. R—Kt 8 ch, B—Kt 3; 55. R×B ch, followed by 56. Kt—B 4 ch and 57. Kt×R.
54…Bb6If now 55. Kt—Q 5, then simply 55. ....P—Q 7!, etc.
Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source