Game 11. Sir George Thomas—Dr. Alekhine, Baden-Baden, 1925. In the following game we come to the ‘restricted advance’ (of a Rook) in an open file, in which the file does not show up sporadically like summer lightning, but throughout dominates the field. The student may learn from this game how closely the ‘elements’ are allied to the higher technique of the game. A thorough knowledge of the elements takes us more than half the road to mastership.

1. 11.Nc4 The position of this Kt is all the (poor) consolation White has for the want of harmony in his position (BK2). Black stands much the better. White at his 5th move or even earlier ought to have played P-QB4.
2. 11…Nd4 Outpost in the Q file.
3. 13…Nd5 See the remarks on this position in I. ii, § 2.)
4. 17…Qxb7 White has eased his position by the exchanges, but the open QB file forces the next disorganising move. (See again I. ii, § 2)
5. 22.d4 We have now arrived at a well known position in the QP opening only with the colours reversed. Compare the following, the opening of a consultation game, Nimzowitsch v. Professor Kudrjawzew and Dr. Landau, Dorpat, 1910. 1. P-Q4, P-Q4; 2. Kt-KB3, Kt-KB3; 3. P-QB4, P-K3; 4. Kt-QB3, P-QB4; 5. PxQP, KPxP; 6. B-KKt5, PxQP; 7. KtxP, B-K2; 8. P-K3, O-O; 9. B-K2, Kt-QB3; 10. KtxKt, KtPxKt; and now with colours reversed we have the same pawn configuration as in the game Thomas—Alekhine, the game went on: 11. O-O, B-K3; 12. R-QB1, R-QKt1; 13. Q-B2, B-Q2; 14. KR-Q1. The well known theme of the isolated passed pawn now comes up for discussion. 14. ....Kt-K1; 15. BxB, QxB; 16. Kt-R4, Kt-B3; 17. Kt-B5, R-Kt3; 18. R-Q4!, R(B)-QKt1; 19. P-QKt3, B-K1; 20. B-Q3, P-KR3; 21. Q-B3, B-Q2; 22. R-QR4, with marked advantage in position. We will now revert to the Thomas—Alekhine game.
6. 28…Rc4 The restricted advance, or else the QB file used as a jumping off place for the QR file. See I. ii, § 5. Observe the similarity of the manœuvre in this game and the consultation game quoted above.
7. 30…Ra6 The Q file is also used as a jumping off place!
8. 32…Rcc6 Very fine! The regrouping Q-QB4, R-QR5 and R-QR3 is planned.
9. 34.Rf1 White dare not weaken his own base by say R-K5; e.g., 34. R-K5?, QxQ; 35. PxQ, RxR; 36. BxR, R-R3; 37. B-Kt2, R-R7 and wins.
10. 35…Rxc4 The exchange is grist to Black’s mill, for now White’s QRP is become very weak. The student should notice that the exchange is the direct, almost automatic consequence of the quiet seizing of strategically important points. The beginner seeks to bring about an exchange in other ways; he pursues the piece, which tempts him, with offers to elope (aliter exchange), only to have them refused. The master occupies the strong points and the exchange which seems desirable to him falls like ripe fruit into his lap. See I. v.
11. 39…Ke7 Bringing the K to the centre, see I. vi, § 1.
12. 43…Kd5 Centralization is now complete.
13. 46…h5 A new attack and yet the logical consequence of the play on the extreme Queen’s wing; for the White R’s are chained to this QRP, and even if we assumed the Black R’s to suffer from a like immobility, which is not the case since they can be brought into play via their QB5 against the QBP, yet there remains to Black an indubitable advantage in the more enterprising position of his K. And that this advantage should weigh in the balance at all, we have once more only to thank the fact that as a consequence of Black’s diversion the White R’s have lost their wind; for if they were mobile, White’s advantage derived from his K’s position would be illusory. Thus the attack on the extreme flank has not immaterially increased the importance of the mobility of Black’s King. The strategic contact between the two seemingly separated theatres of war is now made clear. And now on the King’s wing Black’s P-KR4 is intended to provoke P-KR4, so that, with White’s PKKt3 exposed P-K4 may exercise its full effect. A very instructive case which the student is recommended to study.
14. 48…e5 The break through which sets the seal on White’s downfall.
15. 51…b4 Obvious though this move be, it must yet delight every connoisseur, that the sole purpose of the break through was to get the disturbing White QBP out of the way.
16. 53…Rxb2 The ‘restricted advance’ has in this game been carried out with great virtuosity.