Alekhine, Alexander VS Rozanov, Vasily I 1908.11.04

Annotations

Game 35 in the book: Alekhine's win over W. Rosanoff, first prize in a Local Tournament in Moscow, 1908. A Queen's Fianchetto Defence annotated by Alekhine, who plays White.

1. 4…d5 A move which is not in the spirit of the opening selected by Black, for it restrains the action of the Q B. More logical would have been: 4. ....B—Kt 5; 5. B—Q 3, P—Q 3; followed by Kt—Q 2 and Kt—K 2.
2. 6…Nf6 Relatively better would have been 6. ....P x P; 7. Kt x P, Kt—B 3; leading into a variation—in truth not very favourable for Black—of the French Defence. White takes advantage of this move by commencing an immediate attack on the Black King's position.
3. 8.Ng5 Threatening 9. Kt x K P, P x Kt; 10. Q—R 5 ch, followed by B—Kt 5 ch, etc.
4. 8…Be7 If 8. ....P—K R 3; 9. Kt x K P, P x Kt; 10. Q—R 5 ch, K—K 2; 11. Q—R 4 ch, and White wins.
5. 9.Qg4 Much better than 9. Q—R 5, after which Black would have had a sufficient defence by 9. ....P—Kt 3; 10. Q—Kt 4, Kt—B 1; etc. After the text-move Black has nothing better than: 9. ....B x Kt; 10. B x B, Q—B 2; 11. B—R 4!, P—Kt 3; 12. Kt—K 2, P—Q B 4; 13. P—Q B 3, and White has a fine attacking position.
6. 9…Nf8 This allows of a sacrificial combination.
7. 10.Nxh7 White threatens 11. Q x Kt P, etc.
8. 12…Nf8 At first sight it would appear that White has a simple win by advancing his K R P after P—K Kt 3, after which it would cost Black at least a piece by the time it reached K R 7. But Black in that case could, by a counter-attack in the centre, hinder that plan or else obtain compensation elsewhere. E.g.: 13. P—K Kt 3, P—Q B 4; 14. P—K R 4 (or 14. Kt—K 2, Kt—B 3; 15. P—Q B 3, P x P; 16. P x P, B—R 3! followed by Kt—Kt 5) P x P; 15. Kt—K 2, P—Q 6!; 16. P x P, P—Q 5; 17. Kt—Q 1, B—R 3, etc. There is only one way for White to obtain an immediate win from his advantage in position.
9. 13.h4 A surprise move, the first link in the chain of the ensuing combination, in the course of which Black will have to give up his Queen.
10. 15.Bg5 Black, being unable to keep the White Queen from K B 6, with a double threat of mate at K 7 and Q 8, is compelled to give up his Queen for the Bishop.
11. 18.Qxg5 The rest is only a matter of routine.
12. 26.Qxg6 The simplest, White remaining with an extra Rook.

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