Alekhine, Alexander VS Nimzowitsch, Aron 1914.01.19

Annotations

Game 21 in the book: Alekhine's win over A. Nimzovitch at the All-Russian Masters' Tournament at St. Petersburg, 1914. A Ruy Lopez annotated by Alekhine, who plays White.

1. 5…Nxe4 The most analysed variation of the Ruy Lopez. In the latest practical tests the results are somewhat in White's favour, and it occurs less and less in master-play.
2. 10.Nbd2 After 10. B—K 3, Castles; 11. Q Kt—Q 2, Kt x Kt; 12. Q x Kt, Kt—R 4; Black has a satisfactory game. Less recommendable, however, is 11. ....B—K Kt 5; because of 12. Kt x Kt, P x Kt; 13. Q—Q 5!, etc. (see game No. 91).
3. 10…Nc5 Better would have been 10. ....Castles; 11. B—B 2, P—B 4; 12. P x P e.p., Kt x P (B 3); although in this case also White's game after 13. Kt—Kt 3 (not 13. Kt—Kt 5, because of 13. ....B—K Kt 5; 14. P—B 3, B—B 1!, etc.) is somewhat preferable.
4. 11…Bg4 11. ....Castles would be insufficient because of Bogoljuboff's ingenious innovation in his game against Réti (Stockholm Tournament, 1920): 12. Kt—Q 4, Kt x P; 13. P—K B 4, B—Kt 5; 14. Q—K 1, B—R 5; 15. Q x Kt, R—K 1; 16. Kt—B 6, Q—Q 2; 17. P—B 5!, and White must win.
5. 13…Ne4 If 13. ....Kt—K 3 (Janowski—Lasker, Paris, 1913) White obtains a fine attacking game after 14. Q—Q 3. The text-move is an innovation which is refuted in the present game.
6. 14.Bf4 Not 14. B x Kt, P x B; 15. Q x Q, R x Q; 16. R x P, R—Q 8 ch; 17. Kt—K 1, B—K B 4; 18. R—K 2, B—Q 6; 19. R—K 3, B—Kt 4; whereas with the text-move White threatens to win a Pawn.
7. 16…Ne4 This Pawn sacrifice will ultimately prove insufficient; but Black's position was already beset with difficulties. If, for instance, 16. ....B—R 4; then 17. Kt—R 4! with a great positional superiority.
8. 17…Qd7 Obviously Black cannot afford 17. ....Q x B; because of 18. Q x P ch, etc.
9. 19…Bh4 It is clear that Black cannot capture the B P with the Rook because of 20. R x Kt.
10. 21…Bf5 At first sight this move seems to create difficulties for White, for instance after 22. Q—K 2, the manoeuvre 22. ....B—Kt 5; would force the White Queen back to Q 3.
11. 22.Qd4 This definitely ensures an advantage, since the threat of Kt x Kt P by Black is illusory, e.g.: 22. ....Kt x Kt P; 23. Kt—B 5, Q—Q 3; 24. B—Kt 3! and wins. Consequently Black is now forced to look after his weak point, Q 4.
12. 22…Rfd8 Q R—Q 1 would have been slightly better, but the game was lost in any event.
13. 23…Qc7 Renewing the threat of 23. ....Kt x Kt P.
14. 24.Nd2 To this move Black cannot reply with 24. ....Kt x Kt P, because of 25. B—Kt 3; nor is 24. ....Kt x Kt feasible, on account of the following variation: 25. B x B, Kt—B 5; 26. B—K 6 ch, K—R 1; 27. B x P!, Kt x P; 28. R—Kt 1, Kt—B 5; 29. B x R! and wins.
15. 24…Nxf2 A desperate sacrifice. But similarly after 24. ....B—Kt 3; 25. B—Kt 3, Kt—B 3; 26. Kt—B 3, the win was only a question of technique.
16. 31.Qf2 More straightforward would have been 31. B x R!, and the passed Pawn would have become irresistible. But once the Queens are exchanged the ending could not present any difficulties for White.
17. 32…Qxf3 Evidently forced.
18. 40.Bc4 Winning the Exchange as well; for after 40. ....R—Q B 1; 41. R—Q 7 ch, K—R 3; 42. B—Q 5; or if 40. ....R x R, then 42. P—B 7 and Black loses at once.
19. 44.Nf2 If 44. ....R—Q R 5; 45. Kt—Kt 4 ch, K—R 4!; 46. R—Q 5 ch, P—Kt 4; 47. R—Q 6 and mate to follow. Or 44. ....P—Kt 4; 45. Kt—Kt 4 ch, followed by 46. Kt—K 5 ch and White wins.

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