[Event "New York"] [Site "New York, NY USA"] [Date "1924.03.23"] [Round "6"] [White "Jose Raul Capablanca"] [Black "Savielly Tartakower"] [Result "1-0"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A40"] [Opening "Horwitz Defense"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/letsrokzz"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/M3mZMe8l/MshiKf1G"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { Notes by Alekhine and Reti. } { [%cal Gf7f5] } 1... e6 2. Nf3 f5 3. c4 Nf6 { [%csl Gf6,Gf8][%cal Ge2e3] } 4. Bg5 { [%csl Gb2,Gg6][%cal Gh7h6] } 4... Be7 (4... h6 { [%csl Gg6] } 5. Bh4 g5 6. Bg3 f4) 5. Nc3 O-O 6. e3 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 { [%csl Gf5,Ge6] } 8. O-O Qe8 { [%cal Gf7f5,Ge8h5] } 9. Qe2 Ne4 { [%csl Ge4][%cal Ge3e4] } (9... d6 10. e4 { [%csl Gc3,Gd3,Ge2,Ge6][%cal Ge2e6] }) 10. Bxe7 Nxc3 { [%cal Gc3e2] } 11. bxc3 Qxe7 { [%csl Ga2] } 12. a4 Bxf3 13. Qxf3 { [%cal Ga4a5,Ga7a5] } 13... Nc6 14. Rfb1 Rae8 15. Qh3 (15. h3 e5 16. dxe5 Nxe5 { [%csl Gf3] } 17. Qe2 Nxd3 18. Qxd3) (15. e4) 15... Rf6 (15... e5 16. Bxf5 { [%csl Gh7][%cal Gf5h7] }) 16. f4 Na5 (16... e5 17. fxe5 Nxe5 18. dxe5) 17. Qf3 d6 { [%csl Ge5][%cal Gd7d6] } 18. Re1 Qd7 { [%cal Gd3f5] } (18... e5 19. e4 exf4 20. e5) 19. e4 fxe4 20. Qxe4 { [%csl Ga5][%cal Gd3h7] } 20... g6 { [%csl Gf4][%cal Ga5b3,Ga1a2] } 21. g3 (21. g4 { [%csl Gf4][%cal Gd7f7] } 21... Qf7 { [%csl Gf4][%cal Gf6f4] }) 21... Kf8 22. Kg2 Rf7 23. h4 { [%cal Ge1h1,Gh4h5] } 23... d5 (23... Qe7 24. h5 gxh5 25. Rh1 d5 26. cxd5 exd5 27. Qxe7+ Rfxe7 28. Rxh5 { [%cal Gd3h7] }) 24. cxd5 exd5 { [%csl Gd7,Ge8,Ge4,Ge1] } 25. Qxe8+ Qxe8 26. Rxe8+ Kxe8 27. h5 { ! This is the calamity--the Rook now enters the hostile camp. -- Alekhine } 27... Rf6 (27... gxh5 28. Rh1 { [%csl Gh5] } 28... Kf8 29. Rxh5 { [%csl Gd5,Gh7] } 29... Kg8 { [%csl Gf7,Gg8,Gh5,Gd3,Gh7] } 30. Bxh7+ (30. Rxd5 { [%cal Gg2f3] }) 30... Rxh7 31. Rxh7 Kxh7) 28. hxg6 hxg6 { [%csl Gg6,Gg3][%cal Gg3g5] } 29. Rh1 { White plays logically to utilize his advantage on the K-side and very properly does not concern himself with the weakness of the Q-side. Black, on the other hand, makes a defensive move which he could perhaps have omitted. -- Reti } 29... Kf8 30. Rh7 (30. Rh6 { [%csl Gg6] } 30... Kg7) (30. Rh8+ Kg7) 30... Rc6 31. g4 { Anxious nature might have moved the King towards the queenside, but Capablanca adheres to the principle of aggression that governs rook endings. -- Reti } { [%csl Gf4,Gg4,Gg6] } 31... Nc4 (31... Rxc3 32. Bxg6 { [%csl Ga5] }) 32. g5 { He gives his opponent the opportunity of winning a pawn. But Capablanca has confidence in the passed pawn which he obtains. -- Reti } 32... Ne3+ { [%csl Gf4,Gg5] } 33. Kf3 Nf5 34. Bxf5 { Simple and compelling. -- Alekhine } 34... gxf5 { [%csl Gc3] } 35. Kg3 { Decisive! White sacrifices material in order to obtain the classical position with King on f6, pawn on g6, and Rook on h7, whereupon the black pawns tumble like ripe apples. -- Alekhine } 35... Rxc3+ { It is extremely instructive to see how Capablanca is no longer in the least concerned about material equality, but thinks only of supporting his passed pawn. -- Reti } 36. Kh4 Rf3 37. g6 Rxf4+ 38. Kg5 Re4 39. Kf6 { It is a frequently available finesse in such positions not to capture hostile pawns, but to pass them by in order to be protected in the rear against checks by the rook. -- Reti } 39... Kg8 (39... Rf4) 40. Rg7+ { [%cal Gg8f8] } (40. Rxc7) 40... Kh8 (40... Kf8 41. Rxc7 Re8 42. g7+ Kg8 43. Kxf5) 41. Rxc7 { [%cal Gg6g7] } 41... Re8 (41... Rxd4 42. Rc8# { [%csl Gf8] }) 42. Kxf5 { Again the simplest. Kf7 would not yet have been disastrous because of Rd8, etc. -- Alekhine } 42... Re4 43. Kf6 Rf4+ 44. Ke5 Rg4 45. g7+ Kg8 { After exchanging rooks, White would win still more easily. -- Alekhine } (45... Rxg7 46. Rxg7 Kxg7 47. Kxd5 Kf7 48. Kc6 Ke7 49. Kb7 Kd6 50. Kxa7 Kd5 51. Kxb6 Kxd4 52. a5 { [%csl Gb6] } 52... Kd5 53. a6) 46. Rxa7 Rg1 47. Kxd5 Rc1 48. Kd6 Rc2 49. d5 Rc1 50. Rc7 Ra1 { [%cal Gc7c1] } 51. Kc6 Rxa4 52. d6 { Capablanca's management of the endgame gives the impression of being so natural that one easily forgets the difficulty of such precise play. The difficulty is chiefly psychological. In chess, as in life, one is so accustomed to place value on the material factors that it is not easy to conceive the idea of indulging in pawn sacrifices when there is so little available material. --Reti } 52... Rc4+ 53. Kb7 1-0