Game 63 in the book: A. Alekhin—A. Selesnieff, International Tournament at Pistyan, April 1922. A Queen’s Gambit Declined annotated by Alekhine, who plays White.
8.Bd3I consider this old move at least as good as the modern move 8. Q—B 2, because the White Queen must lose a tempo in order to occupy K 2, its natural square in the Queen’s Gambit Declined.
8…dxc4The best reply, beyond doubt. It is essential for Black to capture the B P, and to play 9. ….Kt—Q 4, before White has Castled, because otherwise the latter can prevent the exchange of his Knight on Q B 3 by playing Kt—K 4! with a far superior game (see Game No. 88); whereas before Castling the move is not without danger and leads to variations of great complexity.
10.Bf4In order to avoid the dull equalizing variation, 10. B×B, Q×B; 11. Castles, Kt×Kt; 12. R×Kt, P—K 4. But this move is venturesome, as Black’s energetic play in the present game shows. It is more playable in the variation arising from 8. Q—B 2, which, against Black’s Kt—Kt 3, allows of the withdrawal of the K B to Q 3 without loss of time, owing to the threat on the hostile K R P.
12.Bb3Again best. If 13. P—K Kt 3, Kt×Kt; 14. P×Kt, P—Q B 4, followed by 15. ….P—Q Kt 3 and ….B—Kt 2, and the security of White’s King will be compromised in view of the weakness of the white squares.
13.Qd2Avoiding P—K Kt 3 for the above reason.
14…Nxc3Simple and strong! Black, in addition to his two Bishops, has chances of undertaking a counter-attack on the Queen’s side.
16…b5Black’s game seems at present preferable, and White must manœuvre with circumspection to preserve equality.
17.Bc2An important move with the double threat 18. Q—Q 3, followed by Q×Kt P; and 18. B—K 4, followed by Kt—B 6.
19…cxd4By playing 19. ….P—Kt 3 immediately, Black would have maintained an excellent position, with good chances on the Queen’s side. On the contrary, the text-move, which frees the position in the centre, is distinctly advantageous to White, and the latter succeeds in taking advantage of it by undertaking an attack as lively as it is interesting.
20…g6Inevitable, sooner or later.
21.Bb3This move first threatens 22. Kt×B P! and secondly prevents the manœuvre 21. ….B—Kt 2 and 22. ….B—Q 4.
21…Bc8Preventing the threatened sacrifice.
23.d5If 23. ….P×P; 24. B×P followed by 25. Kt×B P.
26.f5If Black accepts the sacrifice, White wins as follows: 26. ….Kt P×P; 27. P—Q 6!, R—Kt 2; 28. Q—K 5, P—R 3; 29. Q—B 6, K—R 2; 30. B×P.
26…Rb7In this way Black loses a Pawn without weakening White’s attack. Black’s game rapidly becomes hopeless.
29.Rd7The Rook cannot be taken, for 29. ….B×R; 30. P×B, K—R 1, White would not continue 31. Q×R?, but would first play 31. P—Q 8=Q!
33.h4If now 33. ….R—K B 1, clearly 34. Q×R (K 7), Q×P ch; 35. K—R 2, Q—B 5 ch; 36. K—R 1 and wins.
Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source