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Capa-Alek (1-7)

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Jose R. Capablanca (2775) - Alexander A. Alekhine (2745) 

[D52]

World Championship Match in Buenos Aires, 
Argentina. (Game # 11), 1927.

Thus far, we have analyzed the first 41 moves, i.e.:
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!?, Nxc3; 23.Qxc3, Qe7; 24. h4, Bh6; 25. Ne5, g6;
26. Ng4, Bg7; 27. e5!?, h5; 28. Ne3, c5; ('!') 29. Bxc5?!, bxc5;
30. d5, exd5; 31. Nxd5, Qe6; 32. Nf6+, Bxf6; 33. exf6; Rxd1+;
34. Rxd1, Bc6; 35. Re1, Qf5; 36. Re3, c4!; 37. a4?!, a5!;
38. Bg2, Bxg2; 39. Kxg2, Qd5+; 40. Kh2, Qf5; 41. Rf3.

(White just played 41. Rf3, and it is Black's turn to make his move.)

***

41...Qc5; 42. Rf4 Kh7!;

Black just played a brilliant and inspired move. Do you know why Black played his King to h7? (capa-alek-21_amb42.jpg, 14KB)
(Game diagram. Black just played 42...Kh7!)

***

Maybe - '!!' ---> A.J.G. 
An extremely beautiful and insightful move. Right now, the 
main rationale is to guard f6 from a Queen intrusion. 

***

 

***

[ Capablanca gives the variation: 42...Qb4!?; Bad. 
Throws away the win.  Maybe - '?/??'  43. Qe3! Qxa4;  Possibly - '?!'

***
 (NOT 43...Qc5??; 44. Rxc4 Qxc4; 45. Qh6, ("+/-"); 
Probably best is 43...Qf8; -- A.J.G.)

***
44. Rg4!, ("!!"  - A.J.G.)
The best move, according to Capa. 44...Qe8;  (The only move?)

***

The alternatives were:  Var. a).  44...Kh7?; 45. Rxg6!!, fxg6; 
(Not 45...Qb3; 46.Qh6#.)  
46. Qe7+, Kh6;  47. Qg7 #. (Mate.)

***

{See the diagram directly below.}

Again, this variation shows the dangerous possibilities for White with a Pawn on f6.
(Analysis Diagram. White has just mated Black with Qg7.)

***

Var. b).  44...Qc6?!; 45. Rxc4! Qe8;

{Not 45...Qxc4; ('?')  46. Qh6, ("+/-")}

46. Qh6 Qf8; 47. Rxc8. ("White is clearly winning," or "+/-".)

***

{See the diagram below.}

***

White's next move will be Qg7, NO MATTER WHAT BLACK plays!! Can you figure out why this is so?

Its mate next move. 
(Analysis Diagram.)

***

 Var. c).  44...Qb4?!; 45. Rxg6+!, fxg6;  46. Qe6+, Kf8;  
47. Qd7!, Qc5; 48. Qg7+, Ke8;  49. f7+, Kd8; 50. f8Q+.

("White is clearly winning," or "+/-".)

***
(See the diagram directly below.)

***

According to popular myth, Capa was too lazy to be a good analyst. But these variations show what a brilliant and inspired analyst Capa could be when the occasion demanded it of him. (By the way, these variations have all been checked with a computer.) - LM A.J. Goldsby I
(Analysis Diagram. White just won the game by promoting
his f-Pawn. {50. f8(Q)+.}  Brilliant play by White.)

***

(We resume our analysis of Capa's 44...Qe8.)

***

 These variations clearly demonstrate the danger 
 to the Black King of the White Pawn at f6!  

***

Now after 44. Rg4!, Qe8;  we now have - 45. Rxc4!,

(This is MY move, NOT Capablanca's.)

***

[ I first found it as a teen-ager, and marked it 
in the margins of my chess book. ]

***

White just played my move, 45. Rxc4! (This is s GREAT move that I first found as a teen-ager and scribbled it in the margin of my book.)
(The position after 45. Rxc4!)

***

I like this move. (The computers like it too.) White wins a key 
pawn and maintains some very, very slight winning chances.

***

[ Capa concludes with: 45. Qh6!? Qf8; 
46. Rxg6+ fxg6; 47. Qxg6+, and White gets a draw by perpetual check. 
(This is Capa's main line and is certainly the safest for White.) ]

***

45...Ra8; 46. Qe7 Qf8; 47. Ra4, ("=")

The position is completely balanced. Attack and defence have balanced themselves completely.

(Analysis Position. White just played 47. Ra4.)

***

The position is pretty close to equal. {A.J.G.}
***

I analyzed this position for several weeks with a couple of friends 
and also on the computers.  A draw can easily occur after: 
47...Qxe7!?; 48. fxe7, f5; 49. e8(Q)+!, RxQ/e8; 50. RxP/a5.

(The position is equal, "=".)

***

And now, back to the game!

***

43. Rd4 Qc6; 44. Qxa5, ('!?')

If YOU think 44. Qxa5, is an error, then come up with a better move!
(Actual game position after White played 44. QxP/a5.)

***

This looks like a mistake, but it is not.  White is in a quandary.

***

(Many annotators from the 1920's to the 1970's - in many, many books,
 - have  all  attached a question mark to White's 44th move.)

***

His a-pawn is attacked, and he has no effective defense. 
He also had no good waiting moves. Many authors have labeled 
this as a mistake, but they are incorrect. 

White had already compromised his game by his earlier inaccuracies! 
  {A.J.G.} 

***

[ Or 44. Kg1, Qxa4; ("/+" or "-/+") ]

***

44...c3;

That Black c-Pawn is a very dangerous character.
(Game position after 44...c3.)

***

It turns out that Black has the (MUCH) more 
dangerous passed pawn. 

***
(Completely ruining Black's advantage is: 
44...Qxf6?; ('??') 45. Rf4, Qe6;  46. Qc3, {"+/="}
and White may be better.)

 

Black can't allow White to keep his c-Pawn firmly blockaded and then start shoving his own a-pawn. AND REMEMBER!!! Both Kings are VERY uncomfortable in this heavy-piece ending!

(Analysis Diagram. The position after 46. Qc3.)

***

45. Qa7 Kg8; ('!')

Black just played 45...Kg8; a really tremendous move. In fact I know of no other game like this in all of chess literature. The King goes back and forth between h7 and g8 and this virtually decides the game.

(The actual game position after 45...Kg8.)

***

(45...Kg8) '!' or '!!' - A.J.G. The best. And a truly great move. 
(This is a very unusual idea, the Black King shuttling 
back and forth - from g8 to h7, and back to g8.)

*** 
[ Now Capa analyzes: 
Blowing the win was: 45...Rc7!?; 46. Qb8 c2?;  Maybe - '??' 
(Capa himself awarded the single question mark.)

---> Black should play: (instead) 46...Qxf6; ('!') 

(Now after 46...Qxf6; we follow the line:) 47. Rf4,

(47. Qxc7!?, Qxd4; 48.Qxf7+ Kh6; 
49. a5 c2; 50. Qf8+, [unclear] seems drawish, 
but that is not 100% clear.)

47...Qe7; 48. Re4 Qc5; 49. Re8 c2; 50. Qb2 Qxf2+; 

(50...c1Q??; 51. Rh8#.)

51. Kh3 Qf5+; 52. Kh2 f6; ('!')
[ Black is better, a plus under a line. ("/+") ]

(See the diagram below.)

***

Black has blocked the long diagonal to his King. He has secured his position and is prepared to promote his c-pawn. In addition, White's King is much more exposed than Black's. Black is probably winning.

(Analysis Diagram. Black just played 52...f6.)

***

Black is clearly better, maybe the position 
should be evaluated as "-/+." 
 (Analysis by - A.J.G.)

***

***

Now after 45...Rc7!?; 46. Qb8 c2?; we have:

47. Rd8 Qxf6; 48. Rh8+!, Qxh8; 49. Qxc7 Qb2; 50. Qxf7+, Kh8; 
51. Qf8+, Kh7; 52. Qf7+, Qg7; 53. Qc4 Qb2;  54. Qf7+, ("=")

***

(Analysis Diagram.)

"The game ends in a perpetual check, a common occurence in Queen and Pawn endings." - LIFE-Master A.J. Goldsby I

( Position after 54. Qf7+. [Analysis Diagram.] )

***
Draw by repetition. ]

(The end of the analysis after 45...Rc7!?)

***

 To see the next page of this extraordinary game, 
 press on the "next button below. 

  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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