Jose
R. Capablanca (2775)
- Alexander A. Alekhine (2745)
[D52]
World
Championship Match in Buenos Aires,
Argentina. (Game # 11), 1927.
So
far we have looked at the moves:
1. d4, d5; 2. c4, e6; 3. Nc3, Nf6; 4. Bg5, Nbd7;
5. e3, c6; 6. Nf3, Qa5; 7. Nd2,
Remember,
the actual game diagrams have thick, bold borders.
(Analysis
diagrams have very thin borders.)
On
this page we will look at a couple more moves from the game, and explore many of
the other possibilities on move seven and eight here.
Now
we examine 7...Bb4.
***
(The
Position after 7...Bb4.)
7...Bb4;
The
most popular move here.
***
Another
line is: 7...dxc4; 8. Bxf6 Nxf6; 9. Nxc4 Qc7;
10. Be2 Be7; 11. a3, ("+/=")
***
{White is a little better, see the diagram directly
below.}
(Analysis position after 11. a3 from NCO.)
***
[
See
NCO; pg. 415-416, note # 20. ]
***
(Returning
to the actual game.)
***
8.Qc2
dxc4 ;
(The game position after Black plays 8...dxc4.)
***
The
standard move here. ( 8...dxc4.)
The other main alternative here,
(according
to book) is: 8...e5!; ('!?')
***
{Many of the OLDER books that I have, consider 8...e5;
as the best
move. But this is NOT 100% Clear.}
***
9. Nb3,
***
Or:
9. dxe5, Ne4;
***
Another line is: 9...Bxc3; 10. Qxc3 Qxc3; 11. bxc3
Nxe5; 12. Bxf6 gxf6;
13. cxd5 cxd5; 9...Bxc3; 10.Qxc3 Qxc3; 11.bxc3
Nxe5;
12.Bxf6 gxf6; 13.cxd5 cxd5; This
is equal, according to MCO. [& GM M. Gurevich.] ***
Note:
The computers all give White a slight advantage here. ("+/=")
{A.J.G.} ***
[
See
MCO 14; page 406, note (f). ]
***
10.
Ndxe4 dxe4; 11. 0-0-0 f6 !?;
***
Or:
11...Bxc3; 12. Qxc3 Qxc3+; 13. bxc3 0-0; 14. Rd4,
This
is slightly better for White, according to MCO. ("+/=")
[ See MCO-14; pg. # 406, note # g. ]
***
12. exf6 Qxg5;
***
Or
12...Bxc3?;
13. bxc3 Qxg5; 14. Qxe4+ Qe5; 15.f7+!
Now,
according to MCO-14, White has a decisive advantage. ("+/-")
[
See MCO-14; pg.'s # 406-407, column # 38, & note # (h.). ]
** *
13.
Nxe4, Qa5; ('!')
Nunn
stops here and states that this position is unclear!
***
[ See NCO; pg.'s # 415-416, line/row # 4, & note # 22. ]
***
Not 13...Qe5?;
(??) 14. f4 Qa5; 15. a3 Bf8; 16. fxg7 Bxg7;
17. Nd6+,
("+/-") or "White has a decisive
advantage."*** (See the diagram directly below.)
***
(Analysis position after 17. Nd6+.)
***
White
is winning.
Chris Lutz - Mikhail Gurevich; Munich, 1993.
***
[
See MCO - 14; page 406, column # 38, & note (i). ]
***
(
And
now after: 9. dxe5, Ne4; 10.
Ndxe4 dxe4;
11. 0-0-0 f6!?; 12. exf6 Qxg5; 13.
Nxe4 Qa5; White can play: )
***
14.
a3!, And Now White is much better. ("+/")
{A.J.G.}
***
(This
position is clearly much
better for White,
and all the major computer [chess] programs agree on this. Even though my
decision to evaluate this position as, "Much better for White" goes
against theory, I will remain firm on this evaluation until I see analysis
proving that Black has a reasonable line at his disposal.)
***
(DeFirmian
gives the line 13... Qa5; 14. a3, Bf8; 15. fxg7, Bxg7;
16. Nd6+, Ke7; 17. Qe4+, Qe5; with the evaluation of, "Unclear.")
***
[
See MCO-14; pg.'s 406-407, column # 38, and note # (i.). ]
***
If
14. fxg7!?, the position is either unclear
or greatly favors White! ("+/")
{A.J.G.}
***
(Back
to 8...e5; 9. Nb3.)
***
9...Qc7;
10. Be2 dxc4; 11. Bxc4 0-0; 12. 0-0 Bd6; 13. h3 a6;
[Unclear ? - A.J.G.]
***
"and White is slightly better." - DeFirmian.
("+/=")
***
(Analysis position after 13...a6.)
***
[
See
NCO; pg 415-416, line/row # 4, note # 24. ]
***
(But now:) Not 13...Re8?!; ('?') 14. Rad1 exd4; 15. Nxd4 Be5; 16. f4 Bxd4;
17. Rxd4 Rxe3; 18. Rfd1,
("+/", - Maybe "+/-")
***
V. Kramnik - G. Kamsky; Linares,
1993.
[ See MCO - 14, page # 406, column 37, note (e). ]
***
After
8...0-0!?; White can play 9. Bh4, ("+/=")
with a small edge for White;
***
(See
the diagram below.)
![(Analysis Diagram) "Yet ANOTHER [famous] Capa-Alekhine game!" (Says Life-Master A.J. with a grin.) {By the way, did I get your attention with the size of this diagram? Hee-hee.}](ld_capa-alek-ad_1.jpg)
Capablanca-Alekhine; World Championship Match,
7th Game, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 1927. (A.J.G.)
***
This
line is often overlooked by most chess [opening] books. {A.J.G.}
***
After
8...0-0; (!?) we [White] can also play: 9. Be2 e5;
***
Or
9...c5; 10. 0-0,
***
[
For 10. Nb3!?, See MCO 14; page 406-407, note (n). ]
***
10...cxd4;
11. Nb3 Qb6; 12. exd4 dxc4; 13. Bxc4 Qc7;
14. Nb5,
White
is a little better.
("+/=")
{A.J.G.}
***
(
After 9. Be2 e5; we now can play: )
10.
0-0 exd4; 11. Nb3 Qc7;
***
Or
11...Qb6;
(The position after 11...Qb6.)
***
Van
der Sterren - Yusupov; Munich, 1994.
***
Now
best play is: 12. Nxd4, (12. exd4!?) 12... Bxc3;
13. bxc3 dxc4; 14. Bxf6 Nxf6; 15. Bxc4,
("=")
(Van der Sterren.)
***
[
See MCO-14; pg.'s # 406-407; column # 39, & note # (k.). ]
***
(
After
8... 0-0!?; 9. Be2 e5; 10.
0-0 exd4; 11. Nb3 Qc7; )
12.
Nxd4 Bxc3;
***
Or
12...dxc4; 13. Bxc4 Qe5; 14. Nf3 Qe7;
White
is clearly better.
("+/")
***
(Our Analysis position. Black just played 14...Qe7.)
***
Belyiavsky
- Smagin; USSR, 1986.
***
[
See MCO-14; pg.'s # 406-407, column # 39, & note # (l.). ]
***
13.
bxc3, dxc4; 14. Bxc4, Qe5; 15. Bf4!,
***
Not 15. Bh4?! Qe4;
("=")
(See the diagram
below.)
(The position after 15. Bh4?!, Qe4!
;
"="
***
(Ruban -
Cvetkovic, Yugoslavia, 1993.)
*** [
See MCO-14; pg.'s 406-407, column # 39, & note # (m.). ]
***
Now
we continue to analyze the line
-
(
AFTER 8... 0-0!?; 9. Be2 e5; 10.
0-0 exd4; 11. Nb3 Qc7;
12.
Nxd4 Bxc3;
13.
bxc3, dxc4; 14. Bxc4, Qe5; 15. Bf4!, )
***
Now
White should play:
15...Qc5;
16. Bd3 Ne5; 17. Bxe5 Qxe5; 18.e4,
(
White is clearly at least a little better. "+/=" )
Analysis by
GM Ruban.
***
(See
the diagram below.)
(Analysis
Position. White just played 18. e4.)
***
[
See MCO - 14; page # 406, column # 39, and note # (m). ]
***
White has the huge threat of f2-f4 and e5, followed by Bxh7+. {A.J.G.}
***
This concludes our analysis of seventh and eighth move alternatives.
Click on the "Next" button below, to go to the next page. (Of this game.)
  
Copyright (c) {LM} A.J. Goldsby
I
Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby,
1995-2008.
Copyright © A.J. Goldsby, 2009. All rights reserved.
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