Alekhine, Alexander VS Levenfish, Grigory 1914.01.16

Annotations

Game 20 in the book: Alekhine's win over H. Löwenfisch at the All-Russian Masters' Tournament at St. Petersburg, 1914. A Ruy Lopez annotated by Alekhine, who plays White.

1. 7…O-O An unusual move. The usual line of play commencing 7. ....P—Q 3 is Black's best.
2. 8.a4 But White does not answer with the strongest move, and thereby allows Black to equalize the game. He should play 8. P—Q 4 (but not 8. B—Q 5 because of 8. ....B—Q 3!); 9. P—Q 5, Kt—Q R 4; 10. B—B 2 followed by Q Kt—Q 2 and P—Q R 4, thereby fully justifying 5. Q—K 2.
3. 8…d5 The right reply.
4. 9.axb5 The answer 9. K P x P would, of course, be unfavourable for White after 9. ....P—K 5!
5. 9…dxe4 This is very tempting and leads to very interesting complications, from which, however, White succeeds in emerging with advantage. By playing 9. ....B—K Kt 5!; 10. P—Q 3! (if 10. P x Kt, P x B; 11. Q P x P, P x P; 12. B x R, Q x B; 13. Castles) Black would have secured equality at least.
6. 10.Ng5 White in this manner wins a Pawn to the detriment of his development. He had, however, foreseen that Black's pressure would be only temporary, since he could not in the long run maintain his Pawn at K 5. The whole variation is based on the fact that Black cannot now play 10. ....B—K Kt 5 on account of 11. Kt x B P! (not 11. P—B 3, P x B P; 12. P x B P, P x P; 13. R x R, Q x R; 14. P x B, Kt—R 4! with advantage to Black); 11. ....R x Kt; 12. Q—B 4! and White wins at least the Exchange; not, however, 12. B x R ch, K x B; 13. Q—B 4 ch, B—K 3; 14. Q x Kt, B—Q 4! and Black wins.
7. 10…Na7 This is Black's best chance.
8. 11.bxa6 Of course 11. Kt x K P would be inadequate, because of 11. ....Kt x P!
9. 12.Bc2 The key of the adverse position, Black's Pawn on K 5, must be attacked as quickly as possible.
10. 12…Qd5 Thus enabling his Q Kt to be developed; but on the other hand the text-move renders the squares Q 5 and Q Kt 5 available to Black's Knight now occupying Q R 2.
11. 13…Qd4 After the interesting continuation 13. ....Q—B 3 the danger White would run is more apparent than real, e.g.: 13. ....Q—B 3; 14. Kt—B 3, P—K 6; 15. B x B, Q x Kt P; 16. R—B 1, Q x Kt (or 16. ....P x B P ch; 17. R x P, Q x Kt; 18. P—Q 4, etc.); 17. B P x P, Q—R 5 ch; 18. K—Q 1 and White has the advantage.
12. 15…Nc6 Being unable to defend his K P any longer, Black attempts to rid himself of the dangerous White Q R P, a plan which he later on abandons, with very serious consequences.
13. 17…Bxf6 The variation 17. ....P x Kt; 18. B—Kt 1! (but not 18. B—K 4 because of 18. ....P—K B 4) was no better.
14. 18…Qxc4 This continuation of the attack at all cost will be countered by a sacrifice on the 20th move, whereby White will secure a decisive advantage on the Queen-side. After 18. ....R x P; 19. R x R, Kt x R; 20. P—Q 3, Kt—Kt 5; 21. Castles, Black would have retained some drawing chances by reason of the weakness of White's Pawns on the Queen-side.
15. 19.a7 The despised Pawn now becomes formidable.
16. 20.b3 By this sacrifice White is enabled to Castle, and he thereby puts an end to the hostile attack. Black cannot reply 20. ....Kt—Q 6 ch because of 21. K—B 1, etc.
17. 21…Nc2 A little better, but insufficient to save the game, was 21. ....P—B 3 etc.
18. 22.Qc5 The decisive move. If 22. ....Kt x R; 23. B x R, R x B; 24. Q—B 6! and wins. Much less effective was 22. B x R, Kt x Q; 23. B—Q 5, Kt x B; 24. P—R 8 = Q, Kt x Kt; 25. P x Kt, Q x P, and Black with his two Bishops has a very fine game, apart from the fact that he has two Pawns for the Exchange.
19. 22…c6 As hopeless as every other move.

Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source