Nimzowitsch, Aron VS Alekhine, Alexander 1912.09.03

Annotations

Game 13 in the book: Aron Nimzovitch–Alekhine, All-Russian Masters' Tournament at Vilna, 1912. A Queen's Pawn Game annotated by Alekhine, who plays Black and wins.

1. 4…Nf6 Here 4. ....Q—Kt 3 would be premature on account of 5. Kt—B 3.
2. 5.Nc3 Now, however, this move is out of place. The usual line of play 5. P—B 3 followed by 6. B—Q 3 is certainly better.
3. 5…Bg4 Equally satisfactory would be 5. ....P—Q R 3 followed by 6. B—Kt 5.
4. 7…Bh5 This move will allow White to weaken the adverse position on both wings. Black had two ways of obtaining a good game: 7. ....B x Kt; 8. Q x B, P—Q R 3; 9. B x Kt ch, P x B; etc.
5. 9…Qb6 Of course not 9. ....R—B 1, because of 10. Kt x Kt, followed by 11. B—Q R 6, etc. However, 9. ....Q—B 1 would have been more prudent.
6. 10.a4 Very strong, as Black has no time to play P x P followed by B—Kt 5, because of 11. P—R 5, etc. Therefore he is compelled to yield the square at Q Kt 5 to his opponent.
7. 11.h4 This move is relatively better than P—R 3, as it forces White to make an immediate decision on the King's wing.
8. 13.gxh5 The variation 13. P—Kt 5, Kt—K Kt 1; 14. Q—Q 3, K—B 2; 15. R—K R 3, looks stronger than it really is, as Black can resist the attack by bringing his K Kt via K 2 to K B 4. The text-move makes things easy for Black. His K Kt P, it is true, is weakened, but, on the other hand, he obtains excellent prospects in the centre.
9. 14…O-O-O The King's position on the Queen-side will be quite safe, as the White Bishop can easily be eliminated.
10. 15.O-O-O A very pretty trap.
11. 15…Bd6 Black discovers in time the adversary's subtle plan: 15. ....P x P; 16. P x P, Kt x P; 17. R x Kt, Q x R; 18. Q x K P ch, Kt—Q 2; 19. Q—B 6 ch!, P x Q; 20. B—R 6, mate. The text-move eliminates all danger.
12. 17.Bd3 White has not sufficiently weighed the consequences of this move; in particular he has not realized that the Knight will have no time to settle down at Q Kt 5, and consequently Black will obtain an important advantage. Better would be: 17. B x Kt, P x B; 18. K R—Kt 1, R—Q 2; etc., but in this case also Black's game is superior.
13. 17…c4 Dislodging the Bishop and initiating a combined attack on both wings.
14. 18.Bg6 Naturally not 18. Kt—Kt 5, P x B; 19. Kt x R ch, K—Q 2, followed by K x Kt, etc.
15. 20…Rb6 An amusing reply to White's trap on the 15th move. Black in his turn threatens mate by a Queen sacrifice, a Roland for an Oliver! 21. ....Kt x B; 22. R x Kt, Q x Kt P; 23. R—Q Kt 1, Q x Kt ch; 24. K x Q, Kt—K 5 mate. In addition the text-move allows the Queen to co-operate in a decisive action against the tracked White Bishop.
16. 21.f3 Evading the threat.
17. 22.Bf7 Hapless Bishop, with only one square on which to shelter!
18. 24.Nb5 A desperate move. After 24. B—Kt 6 Black would win at once by 24. ....Kt x R P, threatening, if 25. Q x Kt, to win the Queen by 25. ....Kt—K 5 ch. In giving up the Bishop, White has a vague hope of complications resulting from the Queen reaching Q Kt 8.
19. 26…Nd6 Black could have continued with 26. ....Q—K 1. But his objective, which he indeed succeeds in achieving, is the capture of the White Queen.
20. 28…Rf6 Not, of course, 28. ....Q x P; because of 29. R x P ch.
21. 32…Qe7 Taking advantage of the fact that White cannot capture the K Kt P because of the pin by 33. ....Q—R 2, etc.
22. 36…Qd6 If now 37. R x Kt P, Kt x P; 38. R—Kt 7 ch, K—B 3; 39. Q x P, R—R 3, and the Queen is lost.

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