Jose Raul Capablanca
Notable Games

Jose Raul Capablanca

20 celebrated games · 620 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 620 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1911.02.20 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsBernstein, Ossip Samuel 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense 34 moves San Sebastian Int Masters-01 San Sebastián 1911 — on his international debut Capablanca won the tournament's Rothschild brilliancy prize for this Ruy Lopez win over Ossip Bernstein, who had led the protests against inviting the unknown Cuban. It ends in a king hunt (31.Nxf6+, 34.Qe3+); Capablanca went on to win the tournament outright.
  • 1914 Bernstein, Ossip Samuel vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 0-1 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Main Line 29 moves Moscow Casual Games Moscow 1914 — the famous thunderbolt. In a level-looking Queen's Gambit Declined, Capablanca (Black) uncorked the quiet 29…Qb2, hitting the rook on c3 and threatening mate on b1, and Ossip Bernstein resigned on the spot.
  • 1916.02 Janowski, Dawid Markelowicz vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 0-1 Slav Defense: Three Knights Variation 46 moves New York Rice final New York Rice Memorial 1916 — a patient, entirely technical win with Black over the great attacker Dawid Janowski, the kind of clean endgame grind that earned Capablanca the nickname 'the Human Chess Machine.'
  • 1918 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsMarshall, Frank James 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Marshall Attack, Original Marshall Attack 36 moves Manhattan CC International New York 1918 — Marshall sprang his deeply prepared Marshall Attack of the Ruy Lopez for the first time. Capablanca accepted the pawn, defended with icy precision through the complications, and won — refuting the gambit over the board.
  • 1918.06.18 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsFonaroff, Marc 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Hedgehog Variation 22 moves Capablanca casual New York 1918 — a jewel of a 22-move miniature finished by a knight combination: 20.Nh6+! and, after 21.Qxe5, the fork 22.Nxf7+ wins the queen.
  • 1919.08.14 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsThomas, George Alan 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense, Hedgehog Variation 29 moves Victory Congress Chief Tournament Hastings Victory Congress 1919 — from the tournament Capablanca swept with 10½/11, a crisp Ruy Lopez attack that overruns Sir George Thomas in 29 moves.
  • 1921.03.29 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsLasker, Emanuel 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Main Line 46 moves World-ch11 Capablanca-Lasker +4-0=10 Havana 1921 — beating the reigning World Champion in the title match Capablanca won without losing a single game. Meeting Lasker's 9…c5 with the over-the-board find 10.Qc6!, he seized a lasting bind.
  • 1922.08.07 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsBogoljubov, Efim 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Closed, Yates Variation 52 moves British CF-15 London International London 1922 — Capablanca won this elite tournament with 13/15 and no losses, 1½ points ahead of Alekhine. Here he grinds down Efim Bogoljubow in a Closed Ruy Lopez and promotes a passed pawn.
  • 1924.03.23 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsTartakower, Saviely 1-0 Horwitz Defense 52 moves New York International Masters-01 New York 1924 — perhaps the most celebrated rook endgame ever played. Capablanca sacrifices pawns to activate his king (35.Kg3!), marches it all the way to f6, and the passed g-pawn decides.
  • 1927.02.24 Alekhine, Alexander vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 0-1 Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Rubinstein Variation 42 moves New York International Masters-02 New York 1927 — at the tournament Capablanca won undefeated, 2½ points clear, he outplays Alekhine with Black in a Queen's Indian, planting 'octopus' knights on b3 and d3 that paralyse White.
  • 1927.03.09 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsSpielmann, Rudolf 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined: Barmen Variation 26 moves New York International Masters-02 New York 1927 — Capablanca took the tournament's best-game prize for this crushing 26-move win over Rudolf Spielmann, whose pieces end up trapped behind a rampant passed a-pawn.
  • 1927.02.20 Nimzowitsch, Aron vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 0-1 Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian 41 moves New York International Masters-02 New York 1927 — a model demonstration of rooks on the seventh: Capablanca (Black) doubles on the second rank with …Rc2 and …Rd2 and overwhelms the arch-strategist Aron Nimzowitsch.
  • 1929.08.11 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsTreybal, Karel 1-0 Slav Defense: Modern Line 60 moves Karlsbad-04 International Masters Karlsbad 1929 — a textbook positional masterpiece. Capablanca gains space on both wings, storms the kingside with g4–g5 and h4–h6, then breaks through with 55.Ba6! to squeeze Karel Treybal to death.
  • 1933 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsSteiner, Herman 1-0 Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation 25 moves Los Angeles Los Angeles 1933 — a sparkling 25-move brilliancy: 17.Rxf6! rips open the king and Capablanca hunts it down the board, finishing 25.Qb4# against Herman Steiner.
  • 1936.05.17 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsRagozin, Viacheslav 1-0 Nimzo-Indian Defense: Spielmann Variation 63 moves Moscow International-03 Moscow 1936 — Capablanca, at 47, won this strong tournament a point ahead of Botvinnik; this win over Viacheslav Ragozin is a model of his flawless technique, converting a small edge deep into the endgame.
  • 1909.06.23 Marshall, Frank James vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 0-1 Tarrasch Defense: Rubinstein System 49 moves Match Capablanca-Marshall +8-1=14 New York 1909 — a 49-move win with Black against Frank James Marshall. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part I, game 75 (PDF page 496).
  • 1919.08.15 Winter, William vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 0-1 Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation 29 moves Victory Congress Chief Tournament Hastings 1919 — a 29-move win with Black against William Winter. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part I, game 88 (PDF page 568).
  • 1921.04.08 Lasker, Emanuel vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 0-1 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Rubinstein Variation 68 moves World-ch11 Capablanca-Lasker +4-0=10 World Championship 1921, game 10 — a 68-move win with Black against Emanuel Lasker. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part I, game 90 (PDF page 581).
  • 1928.10.29 Reti, Richard vsCapablanca, Jose Raul 0-1 Ruy Lopez: Morphy Defense, Modern Steinitz Defense, Siesta Variation 18 moves Berlin Tageblatt Berlin (Cafe Koenig) 1928 — a 18-move win with Black against Richard Reti. Selected in Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont, 500 Master Games of Chess, game 105 (PDF page 83).
  • 1936.08.20 Capablanca, Jose Raul vsReshevsky, Samuel Herman 1-0 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Mannheim Variation 58 moves Nottingham International Masters Nottingham 1936 — a 58-move win with White against Samuel Herman Reshevsky. Selected in Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont, 500 Master Games of Chess, game 359 (PDF page 246).
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