Game 10 in the book: Alekhine's win over Erich Cohn at the International Tournament at Stockholm, 1912. A Scotch Game annotated by Alekhine, who plays White.
5.e5An innovation which has little to commend it. First of all Black can force a draw by 5. ....Kt x P; 6. Q—K 2, Q—K 2; 7. Kt—B 5, Q—K 3; 8. Kt—Q 4, Q—K 2, etc. Furthermore he can attempt to play for a win by 7. ....Q—Kt 5 ch; 8. Kt—B 3, P—Q 3; 9. Kt—K 3, B—K 2 and it seems doubtful if White can work up an attack sufficient to compensate for the Pawn he has sacrificed. Black could and should have captured the Pawn.
5…Qe7On the contrary this move brings about a complicated game which finally will turn to White's advantage.
9…dxe59. ....Kt—Kt 5 at once would not be good because of 10. P—K 6, etc.
11.Nc3Now 11. P—K 6 would be a mistake because of B x P; 12. Kt x B, Q x Kt; 13. R—K 1, B—B 4 ch, etc.
11…Qh4With this move Black expects to obtain the advantage, as 12. ....Kt—B 3 seems bad on account of 12. ....B—B 4 ch. After 11. ....Kt x K P; White obtains a promising attack by 12. B—B 4, P—B 3; 13. Kt—K 4, etc.
12.Nf3This move spoils Black's attack. If 12. ....B—B 4 ch; 13. K—R 1, Kt—B 7 ch; 14. R x Kt, Q x R; 15. Kt—K 4 and White wins the Queen. This is the combination which White had in mind when he played 11. Kt—Q B 3.
12…Qh5After 12. ....B—B 4 ch; 13. K—R 1, White would gain an important tempo by Kt—K 4, etc.
13…Be7Naturally not 13. ....Kt x K P; because of 14. Kt x Kt, followed by 15. Kt—B 6 ch, etc.
14.Qd4Defending the K P and preventing R—Q 1, which would leave the Q R P unprotected.
15.Bg5After this move, Black cannot avoid the loss of a Pawn.
16…O-OThere is hardly anything better. If 16. ....Kt x K P; 17. Kt x B, Kt x Kt ch; 18. R x Kt, P x Kt; 19. R—Q 1, and White wins.
18.Qe4winning the Q B P.
20…Bxg6Black's game is not yet hopeless, as his opponent is not likely to obtain a passed Pawn very speedily, and he has an isolated Pawn. On the other hand it is admittedly an advantage for the end-game to have a Bishop. For this reason White attempts, and with success, to add to his material advantage by complicated combinative play.
21.Nd4The first aim of this move is to stalemate Black's two minor pieces. In addition the White Knight at Q 4 protects the Q B P, for if now 21. ....P—Q B 4; 22. Kt—B 6, B x P; 23. K R—B 1 followed by K x P, White would obtain a passed Pawn on the Queen's side without any difficulty.
22…Rfe8This ill-timed demonstration against the K P, which cannot be taken because of Kt—B 6, suggests a new plan for White. This consists in luring the Rooks away from the first rank and taking advantage of the unfavourable position of the minor pieces in order to create mating threats.
23…Rb6The logical sequence of the preceding move.
25.c5Black probably expected 25. Kt (Q 4)—K 6, upon which 25. ....R—Kt 1 yielded a sufficient defence. Now the Rook is forced to abandon the Knight's file, for after 25. ....R x B P; White's reply would be: 26. Kt (Q 4)—K 6 and after 25. ....R—Kt 2; the answer would be: 26. Kt—B 6, R—K 1; 27. Kt—K 7 ch, K—B 1 (if 27. ....K—R 1; 28. Kt x B ch, B P x Kt; 29. R—Q 7, etc.); 28. Kt x B ch, R P x Kt; 29. R—Q 7, R—K 2; 30. R—Q 8 ch, R—K 1; 31. Kt—R 7 ch, K—K 2; 32. R (Q 7)—Q 1! and Black cannot avoid the threatened mate without serious loss in material. The following moves are therefore compulsory.
28.Nxc7Not 28. K R—Q 1, R (R 3) x Kt; 29. Kt x R, P x Kt; etc.
29.Rfd1This is clearer than the variation 29. Kt x P ch, B x Kt; 30. R x B, R—K 8 ch; 31. K—R 2, R (K 8)—K 7; 32. R (B 7)—B 8, R x P ch; 33. K—R 1, P—R 3; 34. R x Kt ch, K—R 2; in which Black has chances of a draw.
29…f6The only move.
32.Nxe8Threatening mate in two.
35…fxe5After all these complications the situation is now cleared up. With two Knights for a Rook, White should have no difficulty in winning as he has a passed Pawn in addition.
37.Ne4In order to advance the King without being exposed to Kt—B 3 ch, winning a Rook.
39.Kf3White, still under the spell of a series of problem-moves, shows a desire to continue in the same strain by seeking extraordinary combinations for the end-game. A simple way of winning was: 39. Kt (B 4)—Q 2, followed by 40. K—K 3, with the threat of 41. Kt—Kt 1, and 42. Kt (Kt 1)—B 3 ch.
40…a4Pretty, but scarcely logical. Here also 40. Kt (B 4)—Q 2 was sufficient in order to win.
41.Ncd2I had not provided against this advance as I thought that the following variation, which is not unlike an end-game study, would ensure the win: 41. P—Q Kt 4, K x Kt (B 5); 42. P—B 6, K x P (or if R—R 7 ch; 43. K—Q 1, K—Q 4; 44. Kt—B 3 ch, etc.); 43. Kt—B 3! and wins. I noticed in time, however, that on move 41 Black could capture the Kt at K 4, because after 42. P—B 6, R—Q B 8 the other Knight would not be supported by the Q Kt P. A draw was easily forced by: 41. Kt—B 3 ch, K x P; 42. Kt x P ch, K—Q 5; 43. Kt (R 4)—Kt 2, etc. But playing for a win at all cost I adopted another line, the consequences of which proved highly dangerous to my game.
42.b4White has obtained two passed Pawns, but the Black Q R P will cost him a piece.
44…Rd1+Gaining a most important tempo by which Black obtains prospects of an advantage. When playing my 41st move I had expected P—R 8 (Q); 45. Kt x Q, R x Kt; 46. Kt—B 3 ch, followed by K—B 4; with an ending similar to that which occurred in the game, but there only through a mistake on the part of my opponent.
47…Kc6The decisive mistake. He should have played 47. ....K—B 5!; 48. P—B 6, R—R 6; 49. Kt—K 4, R—R 2; and the White Pawn being stopped, Black could have brought his material advantage to bear. Now White benefits from this lucky gift and forces a win.
49.g3Securing Q B 4 for the King.
55…Rxh3There is nothing to be done.
Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source