[Event "147: AVRO Tournament, Holland"] [Date "1938.??.??"] [White "Alekhine, A."] [Black "Capablanca, JR."] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Garry Kasparov"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C05"] [Opening "French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation"] [StudyName "Alekhine"] [ChapterName "Alekhine, A. - Capablanca, JR."] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/MrDnwAly/rmEfDbkM"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 (3... dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bd7 { [%cal Gd7c6] } (4... Nd7)) (3... c5) 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ne2 Qb6 { [%csl Gb6][%cal Gd8b6] } (7... cxd4 8. cxd4 f6! { leads to sharp debates. } 9. exf6 Nxf6 10. O-O Bd6 11. Nf3 O-O (11... Qc7)) 8. Nf3 { [%csl Gd4] } 8... cxd4 9. cxd4 f6 { is better. } (9... Bb4+?! 10. Bd2 { Black can force the exchange of queens. But in this particular game I was aiming to win at all costs, because I had some kind of premonition that this would be my last game with Capablanca. It is true that it might have happened differently, since we could still have met at the Olympiad in Buenos Aires (1939), but he avoided this meeting.' (Alekhine) } (10. Nc3) (10. Kf1!? { 'This leads to more spirited play, } 10... Be7 { [%csl Gf6][%cal Gf7f6] } (10... O-O? 11. Bxh7+! Kxh7 12. Ng5+ Kg8 13. Qd3 g6 14. Qh3) (10... f6?! 11. Nf4! { . }) 11. a3 { [%csl Gd3] } 11... Nf8?! { 'The start of a complicated regrouping which does not lead to a satisfactory result.' (Alekhine) } (11... O-O { Alekhine suggested } 12. Qc2 (12. h4! { . })) (11... a5!? { was sounder. }) 12. b4 { [%csl Gc4] } 12... Bd7 13. Be3 Nd8?! { Hoping for ...Bd7-b5. } (13... Rc8 14. Rc1 a5) (13... f5 { , adding 'It is hard to play an important game on the day of your 50th birthday.' }) 14. Nc3 { 'Black's position is already extremely difficult.' (Panov) } 14... a5?! { 'A very unfortunate manoeuvre, but such moves are usually made in already compromised positions.' (Alekhine) } (14... Ng6 { , then } 15. h4! O-O 16. h5 Nh8 17. Qc2 { (Euwe) }) (14... a6) (14... Rc8 { , then } 15. Na4! { is strong. }) 15. Na4! { [%csl Gb6] } (15. b5 a4 { with some counterplay. }) 15... Qa7 (15... Bxa4 { [%csl Ga4][%cal Gd7a4] } 16. Qxa4+ { [%csl Ga5] } 16... Nc6 17. Ke2! { is clearly to White's advantage, for example: } { [%csl Gf8] } 17... Nd7 (17... Rc8 18. b5 Na7 19. Rhc1 Nd7 20. Rxc8+ Nxc8 21. Rc1) (17... Ng6 18. h4 O-O 19. b5! Nd8 20. Qc2 { (Panov) }) 18. Rhb1 { (Euwe) }) 16. b5 b6 { 'Now the position on the queenside is completely fixed and White needs to arouse the kingside into action.' (Alekhine) } 17. g3 f5 18. Kg2 Nf7 { (beginning a battle 'for' and 'against' ...g7-g5) } 19. Qd2! (19. Rc1?! g5! { . }) 19... h6 { [%cal Gg7g5] } 20. h4 { [%csl Gg5] } 20... Nh7 21. h5! { 'Completely suppressing the threat of ... g7-g5. It is true that this move gives the black knight temporary use of g5, but on the other hand it secures the g6-square.' (Alekhine) } { [%csl Gg5] } 21... Nfg5 (21... O-O!? { . }) (21... g5 22. hxg6 { [%cal Gg6f7,Gg6h7] }) 22. Nh4 Ne4 23. Qb2 Kf7?! (23... Bxh4?! 24. gxh4! { would cost the life of the knight at e4.' (Alekhine) }) (23... O-O { was more tenacious. }) 24. f3 Neg5 { 'Now the breaching of Black's kingside begins.' (Alekhine) } 25. g4 fxg4 26. Bg6+! Kg8 (26... Kf8 { , then } 27. Rhf1! { is good, for example: } 27... g3 (27... gxf3+ 28. Nxf3 Kg8 29. Nxg5 Nxg5 30. Bxg5 Bxg5 31. Nxb6!! Qxb6 32. Qf2 { winning (Euwe) }) 28. f4 Ne4 29. f5! Bxh4 30. fxe6+ { (Panov). }) 27. f4! Nf3?! { Desperation! } (27... Nf7 { Alekhine was also intending } 28. Bxh7+ (28. Bd3! { (threatening Ng6) } 28... Bxh4 29. Rxh4 { followed by the doubling of rooks on the g-file and a winning attack }) 28... Rxh7 (28... Kxh7? 29. Qb1+ Kg8 30. Ng6) 29. Ng6 { . I agree, that after the approximate } 29... Bd8 { [%csl Gh7] } 30. Rac1 Nh8 31. Qe2 { [%csl Gg4][%cal Ge2g4] } 31... Nxg6 32. hxg6 Rh8 33. Qxg4 Rc8 34. Rc6! { Black is in trouble. } { [%cal Gb5c6,Gh1c1] } 34... Bxc6 35. Qxe6+ { [%cal Ge6c8] } 35... Kf8 36. Qxc8 Qd7 37. Qxc6 Qg4+ 38. Kf2 Bh4+ 39. Rxh4 Qxh4+ 40. Ke2 Qg4+ 41. Kd3 { [%csl Gf5][%cal Gg4f5] } 41... Qf5+ (41... Qd1+ { [%csl Ga4] } 42. Bd2 Qf1+ (42... Qxa4 { [%csl Gf8] } 43. Qc8+ Ke7 44. Qxh8 Qc4+ 45. Ke3 Qb3+ 46. Kf2 { [%cal Gh8g7] }) 43. Kc2) 42. Kd2 { [%csl Gh8] }) 28. Bxh7+! Rxh7 (28... Kxh7 29. Qb1+ Kg8 30. Ng6 { . }) 29. Ng6 Bd8 30. Rac1! (30. Kg3 { and Kxg4, trapping the knight, but then Black would have gained quite good chances by } 30... Rc8 31. Rac1 (31. Kxg4 Rc4! { , saving the piece }) 31... Rc4! { and the black knight is a long way from being lost. The move in the game, by depriving Black of counterplay on the c-file, eliminates this chance.' (Alekhine) }) 30... Be8 { (there isn't anything more useful) } 31. Kg3! { [%csl Gf3] } 31... Qf7 32. Kxg4 Nh4 (32... Ng5 33. fxg5 Qf5+ 34. Kg3 Bxg5 35. Rcf1 { winning. }) 33. Nxh4 Qxh5+ 34. Kg3 Qf7 35. Nf3 { 1-0 Black resigns. } (35. h5 { , for only the second time in his life (the first was in his game with Ryumin, Moscow 1935) Capa lost on time. Not a bad 'present' for his birthday! The overall score of decisive games between these historic opponents was fixed forever at 7-7. Caissa is severe, but just... }) 35... Qg6+ 36. Kf2) 10... Bxd2+ 11. Qxd2 (11. Nxd2) 11... Qb4) 1-0