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, Bb4; 8. Qc2, dxc4; 9. Bxf6, Nxf6; 10. Nxc4, Qc7;
11. a3!, Be7;
12. Be2, 0-0; 13. 0-0, Bd7; 14. b4, b6;
15. Bf3, Rac8; 16. Rfd1, Rfd8;
17. Rac1, Be8; 18. g3, Nd5;
19. Nb2!?, Qb8; 20. Nd3, Bg5!;
21. Rb1, Qb7; 22. e4!?,
22...Nxc3; 23. Qxc3
Qe7;
(Game position after 23...Qe7.)
***
24. h4 Bh6; 25. Ne5
g6[]; ("Box," or "only move.")
(Actual game position after 25...g6.)
***
"Forced," -
according to Capablanca. (If the threat is not soon met,
then White will play Ng4 and Nxh6, defacing Black's pawn structure.
So then ...g6; is forced to give Black's Bishop an escape
square.)
[ 25...f6?; 26. Ng4 Bf7; 27. Nxh6+ gxh6; 28.Qe3, ("+/")
or ("+/-") ]
***
26. Ng4 Bg7; 27.
e5!?,
(Game position after White played 27. e5.)
***
White is attempting to
follow-through on his plan of occupying the
f6-square with his knight. The problem with e5, is that it leaves White
with a backward d-pawn, and his pawns are also completely immobile.
<<
[ Some alternatives to 27. e5!?, are:
27. Rbc1!?; or 27. Bg2!?; or 27.
Qe3.
(
After 27. Qe3, we analyze further: )
27...
h5; 28. Nh2 e5; 29. d5,
( Maybe better is: 29. dxe5! "+/="
and perhaps White has a small advantage. )
29...cxd5; 30. exd5 Bd7; 31. Nf1 Ba4; 32. Rdc1 Bc2;
33. Rb2 Bf5; 34. Rxc8 Rxc8; 35. Nd2 Rc1+; 36. Kh2 e4;
37. Rb3 Be5; 38. Kg2!, Bxg3;
***
... or Black can
play: 38...exf3+!?; 39. Nxf3,
(Now White has a nice double attack.) 39 ... Rd1;
(There was no way to save the Black Rook
at c1 and the Black Bishop
on e5.)
40. Qxe5 Qxe5; 41. Nxe5 Be4+; 42. f3 Rxd5; 43. Nc4 Rd4; ("=")
***
(We now return to the main analysis
line that began with 27. Qe3.)
39. fxg3 exf3+; 40. Nxf3 Rc2+; 41. Kg1 Qd7;
42. Nd4 Ra2; 43. Qe5,
(The position in our analysis after 43. Qe5. The
position is equal.)
***
The position is very close
to equal. (Original analysis.) {A.J.G.} ] >>
27...h5; 28. Ne3 c5;
(!?)
(Actual game position after Black plays 28...c5.)
***
'!' - Black's 28th
move is best, according
to Capablanca.
Black vigorously attacks White's center. {A.J.G.}
***
29. bxc5?!,
Maybe -
'?'
(The actual position after 29. bxc5?)
***
The first really bad
move. This is clearly inferior to 29. dxc5. But Capa
is playing to anchor a pawn on f6.
Capa
himself pointed out this
move was bad, but MANY (!) annotators have missed that fact.
This is indeed the turning point of the game. After this move, I strongly
doubt White has any real advantage.
***
***
Normally
you capture towards the center, but White
should
instead play: 29. dxc5! bxc5; 30. b5, ("+/=")
(The analysis position after 30. b5.)
***
which
... "is better than the game continuation."
- Capablanca.
(White is clearly just a little better here.)
One of the key points here is in this position, White wins a pure
K+P ending hands down! After 29. bxc5?;
Black may be winning the K+P ending.
***
(Now
back to the actual game.)
29...bxc5; 30. d5,
(Actual Game position after White plays 30. d5.)
***
White wanted to play
this move, probably thinking it would lead to
an advantage for him. Capa remarked that this move was forced.
***
[ Terrible is: 30. dxc5? Rxd1+; 31. Rxd1 Rxc5; ("-/+")
{A.J.G.} ]
***
30...exd5;
(Forced.) Black could not allow White's
d-pawn to advance any further.
31. Nxd5
Qe6;
(Actual game position after 31...Qe6.)
***
< White
based his entire strategy on getting the Knight to f6.
Black would then be forced to swap, leaving a pawn on f6.
White thought this pawn on f6 would guarantee him an
advantage. The idea fails, but not by much. > {A.J.G.}
***
After
I wrote the above words, I searched the database
of Capa's games, and there is no other games that Capa
did not win easily in a similar position.
***
Think about it!!
***
Capa's experience told him that every time
he had a pawn on f6,
he won easily. Why should this game be any different? We also
have to remember how far chess theory has advanced since this
game was played. Perhaps I was too harsh on the great Cuban. {A.J.G.}
***
***
[ Not 31...Qxe5?; (or
'??') 32. Qxe5 Bxe5;
33. Ne7+ Kg7; 34. Nxc8, and "White is winning." ("+/-")
]
***
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Copyright (c) {LM} A.J. Goldsby I
Copyright (c) A.J. Goldsby, 1995-2008.
Copyright © A.J. Goldsby, 2009.
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