[Event "Triberg-A"] [Site "Triberg"] [Date "1921.07.16"] [Round "10"] [White "Brinckmann, Alfred"] [Black "Alekhine, Alexander"] [Result "0-1"] [Variant "From Position"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [StudyName "Alekhine the Magician"] [ChapterName "Brinckmann, Alfred - Alekhine, Alexander"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/FDohjE0N/t6imcQLg"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [FEN "r2qkb1r/pbpn1ppp/1p1p1n2/4p3/3P4/1P3NP1/PBP1PPBP/RN1QK2R w KQkq - 0 7"] [SetUp "1"] [Orientation "black"] [ChapterMode "gamebook"] 7. dxe5 dxe5 { Par Score 5 Black avoids a simplifying trade of queens and clears the way for the dark-squared bishop, but you may accept full credit for 7. ... Nxe5. } (7... Nxe5 { Accept full credit for 7. ... Nxe5. }) 8. O-O { By castling, White protects the g2-bishop, which means the e5-pawn is now threatened. } 8... e4 { Par Score 5 Black saves the pawn with a threat. Accept full credit for 8. .. . Bd6. } (8... Bd6 { Accept full credit for 8. ... Bd6. }) 9. Ne5 { White is not averse to trading a few pieces. } 9... Bd6 { Par Score 5 Alekhine develops and threatens, while readying kingside castling. Accept full credit for either 9. . .. Nxe5 or 9. ... Bc5. } (9... Nxe5 { Accept full credit for either 9. ... Nxe5 or 9. ... Bc5. }) (9... Bc5 { Accept full credit for either 9. ... Nxe5 or 9. ... Bc5. }) 10. Nxd7 { As expected, knights are traded, though 10. Nc4 was possibly a little better. } 10... Qxd7 { Par Score 5 Alekhine has a nice position. His advanced e-pawn gives him more space and some opportunities for a kingside attack. } 11. Nd2 { White develops, with an eye on the e-pawn. } 11... Qe6 { Par Score 5 Black adds some protection to the e4-square, but a more promising way was 11. . .. Qf5, with greater kingside prospects. Give yourself 1 bonus point if you realized White was threatening to win the e-pawn, starting with 12. Bxf6. } 12. e3 { This fixes the black e-pawn but spawns light square weaknesses. Alekhine wastes no time trying to exploit them. } 12... h5 { Par Score 5 Alekhine finally gets going. He plans to open the h-file. You may accept full credit for 12. ... 0-0-0 or 12. ... Be5. } (12... O-O-O { You may accept full credit for 12. ... 0-0-0 or 12. ... Be5. }) (12... Be5 { You may accept full credit for 12. ... 0-0-0 or 12. ... Be5. }) 13. Qe2 { White connects the rooks. He instead might have tried 13. Nc4. } 13... h4 { Par Score 5 The attack proceeds. The h-file is going to be opened. You may indeed accept full credit for 13. ... 0-0-0. } (13... O-O-O { You may indeed accept full credit for 13. ... 0-0-0. }) 14. Nc4 { It’s natural for White to think of trading off some pieces. } 14... Bc5 { Par Score 5 Black wants to keep the dark-squared bishop, thinking it might still be useful. Accept full credit for 14. ... Be7. } (14... Be7 { Accept full credit for 14. ... Be7. }) 15. Rfd1 { This stops Black from castling queenside, while also clearing f1, in case White’s king needs to run away. } 15... Bd5 { Par Score 5 A good centralizing move that possibly threatens to take the knight and enables queenside castling. } 16. Na3 { White has visions of an attack (Qe2-a6+) if Black plays 16. ... 0-0-0. But it’s not going to work. } 16... hxg3 { Par Score 5 Alekhine opens the h-file as planned. } 17. hxg3 { Taking back with the f-pawn isn’t any better. It might even be worse. } 17... a6 { Par Score 5 For now, this stops queen and knight invasions so Black can move ahead with his kingside campaign. } 18. c4 { White pries open the d-file, stopping queenside castling. He’s ready to shift his knight to c2 and then d4. } 18... Bb7 { Par Score 5 This is a bit better than 18. ... Bc6 since it secures the a6-pawn, just in case. } 19. Nc2 Qf5 { Par Score 5 Black gets ready for further kingside operations. You certainly may accept full credit for 19. ... Ng4. } (19... Ng4 { You certainly may accept full credit for 19. ... Ng4. }) 20. Ba3 { The wrong idea. Better was to remove the pesky knight, 20. Bxf6. } 20... Bxa3 { Par Score 5 This trades pieces, but it’s good for Black, since White winds up wasting time with his displaced knight. } 21. Nxa3 Ng4 { Par Score 6 As expected, the knight invades. } 22. Nc2 { White tries to get his knight back for defense and attack. } 22... Rh2 { Par Score 6 A rook on the 7th! } 23. Qd2 { On 23. Nd4, Alekhine had 23. ... Qh5, threatening 24. ... Rh1+ (1 bonus point). } 23... Ke7 { Par Score 6 Alekhine clears the home rank, preparing to double on the h-file. } 24. Nb4 { With the idea of being able to check on d5. } 24... Rah8 { Par Score 5 The threat is 25. ... Rxg2+, followed by 26. ... Qf3+ (1 bonus point). } 25. Qe2 { The queen comes back to where it was, hoping to keep out Black’s queen. } 25... Qf3 { Par Score 7 But no deal! Mate is threatened at g2, and taking the black queen doesn’t save the day. On 26. Bxf3 exf3, White has no defense against the looming rook check at h1. A rather nice conclusion. But you may accept full credit for 25. . .. Rh1+, which also forces mate. White Resigned } (25... Rh1+ { You may accept full credit for 25. ... Rh1+, which also forces mate. }) 0-1