Game 30 in the book: Alekhine's win over J. Mieses at the International Tournament at Mannheim, 1914. A Giuoco Piano annotated by Alekhine, who plays Black.
5…Be6A good way of avoiding the symmetrical variations springing from 5. ....Kt—B 3.
6.Nd5This plausible move, however, allows Black a series of favourable exchanges. The best continuation at this stage is 6. B—K 3!
6…Na5If 7. B—Kt 3 there would likewise follow 7. ....Kt x B, and 8. ....P—Q B 3, dislodging White's advanced Knight with advantage.
8.dxc4If 8. B x B, then 8. ....Kt x P.
8…Bxe3Taking advantage of the fact that White cannot recapture with the Pawn, because of 9. ....P—Q B 3.
10.Qd310. Kt—Q 2 would be a little better. After the text-move Black provokes a weakening of the hostile Queen-side.
10…Nd7If now 11. Kt—Q 2, then 11. ....Kt—B 4; 12. Q—K 2, Q—R 5! also to Black's advantage.
13…g6Having assumed the initiative on the Queen-side, Black by this move prepares an advance on the other flank. This advance aims at either the formation of a strong centre after 14. ....P—B 4; 15. P x P, P x P; or at the decisive attack resulting from the opening of the K Kt file after the blockade by 14. ....P—B 5, which sooner or later forces White's reply P—K B 3.
16.Nd1Not 16. Kt—Q 5 on account of 16. ....P—B 3. After the text-move White's Knights have an extremely limited range of action.
19…Qe7Black could definitely have prevented White's next move by 19. ....P—Kt 3, but this precaution seemed needless to him, since the variation resulting from 20. P—B 5 leaves him with a Pawn to the good in the end-game.
20.c5Compelling the opponent to modify his plan of attack—but at what a cost! It is true that without this diversion Black would ultimately have shattered the enemy position by P—Kt 5, after the preparatory moves K—R 1, R—K Kt 1, R—Kt 3, Q—Kt 2 and R—K Kt 1.
20…axb4There was equally to be considered the line of play 20. ....Q P x P; 21. Kt—B 4, B—B 2!; 22. Kt x R P (or 22. P x R P, Q—K 3), P x P. But in the variation adopted in the text Black's material advantage will be still more readily exploited in the end-game.
21…Qxd6At first sight Black does not seem to have gained very much, for after 22. P x P, Q x P White would obtain good counter-chances by 23. K R—Kt 1. The finesse of the variation selected does not become apparent until Black's 24th move.
24…Bxa2The ensuing end-game still offers Black some technical difficulties, because of the weakness of his K P, but he makes certain of victory by a far-sighted pinning combination.
28…Ne8The most difficult move in the whole game, for other defences of his Q B P would be inadequate, e.g.: I.—28. ....P—B 3; 29. P—Kt 5!, P x P; 30. Kt x P, and Black's material advantage would be illusory. II.—28. ....Kt—Q 2; 29. Kt—R 5, P—Kt 3; 30. Kt—B 6, and the strong position of this Knight would give White good drawing chances. After the text-move Black threatens P—Kt 4.
29.b5Threatening 30. P—Kt 6 and 31. Kt x K P.
30.Nxe5Forced, for if 30. K—B 2, then 30. ....P—Kt 5! White now expects to find sufficient compensation for his lost Pawn in the entry of his Rook at Q B 6.
33…h4The point of the whole combination! White's pieces are paralysed and 34. Kt—B 7, the sole way to free White, is temporarily impossible because of 34. ....R—Kt 8 ch. White therefore selects the continuation:
35…Kh7White would reply to the plausible move 35. ....P—Kt 4 by 36. Kt—B 7! and would then be out of all his difficulties. The text-move, on the contrary, removes this last resource. In fact, if now 36. Kt—B 7, R x R; 37. Kt x R ch, K—Kt 3, winning the Knight. And against any other reply by White the Q Kt P would go straight on to Queen.
Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source