Game 45 in the book: a Scotch Game, an exhibition game played at Moscow, March 1914 — Alekhine's first encounter with the World Champion, Dr. Em. Lasker — drawn by perpetual check.
3.d4In adopting in this my first encounter with the World's Champion, this comparatively little-played opening, my object was simply to avoid the well-trodden paths of the Ruy Lopez and the Queen's Gambit, both positional openings for which at the time I did not deem myself ripe enough.
7…d5These last moves constitute the best defence to the Scotch Game.
10…Be6The usual move, which offers Black the best chances, is here 10. ....P—B 3. After the text-move White could already play for a draw with 11. B x Kt, Q x B; 12. Kt x P (not Q—R 5, P—K Kt 3; 13. Kt x P, Q—Q 1! and Black wins), B x Kt; 13. Q—R 5, P—Kt 3; 14. Q x B, Q x P; 15. Q R—Kt 1.
12.Rfe1Preparing the combination which is to follow.
13.Bxh6With these little fireworks White forces the draw. The fact that this combination, so closely connected with this opening, should never have occurred in master play nor have been pointed out in any analysis, is both curious and surprising. This note was written before the game Romanovski—Capablanca, Moscow, 1925, was played, in which an analogous combination led to a draw.
15…Kh8Not 15. ....K—B 2, because of 16. Q—Kt 6 mate.
16.Qg6The point. Black cannot prevent the perpetual check by 17. Q x P ch and 18. Q—Kt 5 ch, etc. He can force it by playing e.g.: 16. ....Q—K 1. Therefore: Drawn game.
Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source