Game 40 in the book: a Bishop's Gambit, the second game of Alekhine's match with S. Levitski at St. Petersburg, March 1913, in which Alekhine has White.
3…Nf6This defence is now considered to be the best. The old line of play: 3. ....Q—R 5 ch; 4. K—B 1, P—Q 4; 5. B x P, P—K Kt 4 is played less and less on account of Tchigorin's attack, 6. P—K Kt 3, P x P; 7. Q—B 3!, etc.
4…Bb4Black has now a "Ruy Lopez" with Schliemann's defence (P—K B 4) but with a move behind, evidently an important consideration. Very interesting, and probably better, is Bogoljuboff's move 4. ....P—B 3, as played by him successfully against Spielmann (Carlsbad, 1923).
5.Nge2A new move which this game fails to refute. After 5. Kt—B 3, Castles; 6. Castles, Kt x P; White loses the initiative by 7. Kt x Kt, P—Q 4, etc., and therefore would have to sacrifice a Pawn permanently by playing 7. Kt—Q 5, with some attacking chances.
5…d5If 5. ....Kt x P White Castles and obtains a good attack for the sacrificed Pawn. With the text-move, Black in his turn intends a very audacious Pawn sacrifice, the soundness of which is, however, open to question.
6…f3Intending to compromise the White King's position; but, as the sequel will show, the opening of the K Kt file is not without danger for Black and on the other hand White will momentarily have an extra Pawn.
8.d4This move is inconsequent. After 8. Castles!, P—B 3; 9. P x P, Kt x P; 10. P—Q 4, B—K B 6; 11. R—B 2, R—B 1; etc., and Black's development is favourable, but the attack is insufficient to make up for the loss of a Pawn. But after the text-move Black could and should have regained his Pawn by 8. ....Kt x P; 9. Castles, B—K 3, etc., with a good game.
9.Bg5The plausible move was 9. Kt—B 4, protecting both Pawns and attacking the Bishop, but upon this Black had the following win in view: 9. ....R—K 1 ch; 10. K—B 2, Kt—Kt 5 ch! (seemingly inoffensive because of White's reply); 11. K—Kt 3, Kt—B 7!!, etc. With the text-move White definitely assumes the initiative.
11…Be711. ....Kt—K 5 would be bad because of 12. B x Q, Kt x Q; 13. B—B 6, etc. On the other hand Black was threatened with 12. Q—B 4, and the variation 11. ....B x K Kt; 12. B x B, B x Kt; 13. Q x B, R—K 1 would be refuted by 14. Castles, R x B; 15. Q—B 3, etc.
12…Bh5Here again 12. ....Kt—K 5 would lose for Black, e.g.: 13. B x B, Kt x Q (if 13. ....Q x B; 14. Q—R 6!); 14. B x Q, Kt x B; 15. Kt x P ch!, K x R; 16. R—Kt 1 ch, K—R 3; 17. B—Kt 5 ch, K—Kt 3 (if K—R 4; 18. Kt—B 4 mate); 18. B—K 7 ch, followed by B x R, etc. Now White has a comfortable attacking game.
15.h4Obviously threatening 16. P—R 5, etc.
17…Bf517. ....R x R ch first offered Black a more prolonged defence; but it is evident that in any event White's attack would have succeeded ultimately.
18.Ne6This irruption opens new lines of attack of a decisive nature for White. Black is forced to capture the Knight, as after 18. ....Q—B 1 White wins by 19. Q—B 3!
22.h6The winning move. Black must at the very least lose a piece at K B 3.
26.d626. R x Kt was also sufficient.
26…Nh5Or 26. ....B—B 3; 27. P—Q 7!, giving two variations: I.—27. ....B x Q; 28. P x Q (Q), R x Q; 29. R x Kt!, etc. II.—27. ....Q x P; 28. Q—B 2!, Kt—Kt 1; 29. Q x B! and wins. It is with a view to the latter variation that White played 26. P—Q 6.
Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source