A Special Message + The Match With Marshall, Chapter V, My Chess Career, Part XI
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Before we go on to the Capablanca game I would like to follow up on the reader survey I did last week.
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Now it is time for another game from my republication of Capablanca’s My Chess Career. If you have missed the first 10 games they are indexed here:
Games in the series
CHAPTER V
The Period of Evolution.
“A careful analysis and proper comparison will show that this combination taken as a whole is one of the longest and most difficult ever played over the board. These were the reasons that prompted the Committee to award me the Rothschild brilliancy prize.” — Capablanca
The San Sebastian Tournament of 1911.
The conditions of this tournament made it the best that could be had. It was limited to those players who had won at least two third prizes in previous first-class international tournaments. An exception was made with respect to me, because of my victory over Marshall. Some of the masters objected to my entry before this clause was known. One of them was Dr. Bernstein. I had the good fortune to play him in the first round, and beat him in such fashion as to obtain the Rothschild prize for the most brilliant game of the tournament. Before this game the strongest of the masters looked upon me as an easy prey to their wiles; but, after it, the feeling changed to something more akin to awe than anything else; at least, a profound feeling of respect for my ability remained throughout the rest of the contest. During the course of the tournament many incidents of more or less interest took place. Niemzowitch, who considered himself very superior to me and others in the tournament, became very arrogant during the course of one of his lightning games against Bernstein, saying, because of a remark that I made, that I should not interfere in their game, as they were reputed masters and I had yet to become one. The outcome of his discourteous remark was a series of quick games for a side bet, which I won with ridiculous ease, and ended by his retracting the statement he had previously made. Many more of these games were played, until all the masters agreed that I had no equal at this kind of chess.
To return to the tournament, I won first prize, having only lost one game to A. K. Rubinstein, who finished second together with Dr. Vidmar. Below I give a selection of some of the best games won by me.
GAME No. 11
J. R. Capablanca vs. Dr. O. S. Bernstein, 1-0
Link to Lichess study
Year: 1911
Opening: Ruy Lopez
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. O-O Be7 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. d4 exd4 8. Nxd4
8…Bd7 9. Bg5 O-O 10. Re1 h6 11. Bh4 Nh7 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Qd3 Rab8 14. b3
14…Ng5
Up to this point the game has proceeded along the lines generally recommended by the masters; the last move, however, is a slight deviation from the regular course, which brings this Knight back to f8 in order to leave open the diagonal for the Queen, and besides is more in accordance with the defensive nature of the game. Much more could be said as to the reasons that make Nf8 the preferred move of most masters, but a long dissertation on the subject would not be justified by the nature of this book. Of course, lest there be some misapprehension, let me state that the move Nf8 is made in conjunction with Rfe8, which comes first.
15. Rad1
f4 was indicated by Tarrasch as better, though it would force the Black Knight to the place where it wants to go, e6.
15... Qe5 16. Qe3 Ne6 17. Nce2 Qa5
Black’s plan is to attack the Queen-side Pawns in order to gain time for the further development of his game. At the same time by forcing White to bring back to that side one of his pieces, or if not to weaken his Queen-side Pawns, he, in that way, counterbalances the advantage that White may have in the centre and on the King-side due to the excellent strategical position of his pieces.
18. Nf5
White begins to form the base of a combination to upset the adversary’s design as explained in the previous note. Black cannot play 18...Qxa2 because then would come: 19.Qc3 threatening to win the Queen and forcing therefore Black to play 19...Qa6 or Qa3. If 19...Qa6 the following is one of the many variations: 20.Nf4 f6 21.Qg3 g5! 22.Ng6! Rf7! 23.Nxh6+ Kg7 24.Nxf7 Kxg6 (if 24...Kxf7 25.f4) 25.Nxd6 cxd6 26.Rxd6 Rb7 27.e5 and White should win.
18...Nc5 19. Ned4 Kh7
White threatened Nxc3, and if Bxc3 Ne7+ followed by Nxc3. Besides, Black could not take the a-pawn because of Ra2 Qb7 Reb1 winning the Queen.
20. g4 Rbe8 21. f3 Ne6 22. Ne2 Qxa2
At last Black takes the Pawn. I can say, because of the conversation I had at the time with Dr. Bernstein, that he had not the slightest idea of what was coming. He is not much to be blamed, however, because the combination involved is very deep and difficult to foresee. Qc3, instead of the text move, would have simplified matters, but at any rate White would have had the superior position.
23. Neg3 Qxc2
This second capture is disastrous, but as I previously said, Black had no idea of the storm that was coming. Here, as Lasker has pointed out, it was necessary to play f6, to be followed by Rf7 in case White continued the attack, with Nh5.
24. Rc1 Qb2 25. Nh5
The march of this Knight is most remarkable. Even now it looks inoffensive, and yet it is this Knight that is going to decide the game.
25... Rh8
There was nothing better. If 25...g5 26. e5 f6 27. Qd3, and with proper play White will win. I do not give the variations because they are very long and complicated. If 25...g6 26. Qxh6+ Kg8 27.e5 gxh5 28.gxh5, and White wins because there is no way to stop one of the Rooks from checking in the open g-file.
26. Re2 Qe5 27. f4 Qb5 28. Nfxg7
Now at last the result of the moves of the Queen Knight are clearly seen. This move marks the turning point of the long combination initiated on the twenty-second move.
28...Nc5
Weak, I expected Nxg7 when would have come: 29.Nf6+ Kg6 30.Nxd7 f6 (best) 31.e5 Kf7 32.Nxf6 Re7 33.Ne4, and Black’s position is untenable. A careful analysis and proper comparison will show that this combination taken as a whole is one of the longest and most difficult ever played over the board. These were the reasons that prompted the Committee to award me the Rothschild brilliancy prize.
29. Nxe8 Bxe8 30. Qc3 f6 31. Nxf6+
31…Kg6 32. Nh5 Rg8 33. f5+ Kg5
Black should have resigned instead of continuing such a game.
34. Qe3+ Kh4 35. Qg3+ Kg5 36. h4# mate
The Post Mortem
Capablanca was very satisfied with his play and saw no defense against 25.Nh5 in his analysis. But can you find a way to defend for Black?
This concludes this newsletter. I hope you found it interesting. Next week I will share a podcast interview with a fellow chess improver Braden, who recently gained a lot of rating!
Stay tuned!
/Martin