Game 11 in the book: Rudolf Spielmann–Alekhine, International Tournament at Stockholm, 1912. A King's Bishop Opening annotated by Alekhine, who plays Black and wins.
4…Bc5After 4. ....Kt x P; 5. Q x P, etc. White obtains a very strong attack for the Pawn he has given up. On principle, in the opening, I never try to obtain such an advantage in material. It can only be had at the cost of time and of delay in development, which often proves fatal.
5.O-OAfter 5. P—K 5 Black would naturally play 5. ....P—Q 4; etc.
6.c3White insists on playing a gambit at all cost!
6…d3The text-move, giving back the Pawn, hinders the rapid and efficacious development of the White forces. It conforms to the general principle enunciated above regarding the danger of winning a Pawn in the opening.
8.b4This last move weakens the Queen's side. The reason why White plays it notwithstanding, is that in the quiet variation: 9. B—K Kt 5, P—K R 3; 10. B—R 4, B—K Kt 5; 11. Q Kt—Q 2, Kt—K 4; Black has an easy game.
10.e5This advance forces Black to play with circumspection on account of the King's exposed position. It also frustrates the threat of 10. ....Kt x B, which, in conjunction with Castles, would give Black the better game.
13…Bc5Essential, for White threatened 14. B—R 3 with good prospects of attack. Failing this possibility, White must abandon the offensive and develop his backward pieces.
14…Rf8Threatening to win a piece by 15. ....B—Q 3, etc.
17…Bd6Forcing White to play 18. P—B 4, which eliminates the possibility of opening the King's file eventually by P—B 3.
19.g4The object of this move is to force the Bishop from the Diagonal Q Kt 1—K R 7. In fact, without this move Black, by playing P—K R 3, would secure a retreat for the Bishop at K R 2, rendering his passed Pawn invulnerable and very embarrassing for White. At the same time the text-move presents serious drawbacks, since it dangerously weakens the King-side.
20.Rfe1White has the following variation in view: 20. ....B x Kt; 21. P x B, B x B; 22. R x P! etc., with advantage. That is why he does not play 20. Q R—K 1, for in this variation the K R would be en prise to the B at Q B 4.
20…e3Now the inferiority of White's position, weakened by the advance of Pawns on both wings, becomes obvious.
21.Bd3It would have been somewhat better for White to get rid of Black's K P by playing 21. K—Kt 2. There would have followed: 21. ....B x Kt; 22. P x B, B x B; 23. B x B, K—B 2; 24. P x Kt, P x P; etc. but the end-game would still have been in Black's favour.
21…Ke8This move, relieving the Bishop's pin, allows not only the defence of the K P by Kt—Q 4, but also attacks White's K Kt P.
22…Nd5Now two more Pawns are attacked, demonstrating the inconvenience of having advanced them prematurely.
23.f5By 23. B x P, White could momentarily have avoided material loss, but, after 23. ....Kt x K B P; 24. B x Kt, R x B; etc. his position remained precarious if not desperate. This is why he prefers to attempt a sacrificial combination in order to recover the initiative.
25.Bxh7Threatening the gain of the Exchange by 26. B—Kt 6 ch.
25…Nf4The only way to ensure success definitely. Neither 25. ....R—B 6; 26. B—Kt 6 ch, followed by 27. R—K B 1; nor 25. ....Kt—K 2 (which move Spielmann probably anticipated); 26. Q R—Q 1, B x R; 27. R—Q 7, B—Kt 5; 28. B x Kt, followed by B—Kt 6 ch, would have been sufficient. Now White is lost.
27.Rd7A last hope. If now 27. ....Kt—K 7 ch; 28. K—Kt 2, R—B 7 ch; 29. K—R 1, B—Kt 5; White would continue with 30. R x Kt P, threatening mate in three, and Black would have to be content with a draw by perpetual check.
Alexander Alekhine, My Best Games of Chess 1908–1923 (1927) · Public domain · source