Rubinstein, Akiba VS Capablanca, Jose Raul 1911.03.13

Annotations

1. 8…Rc8 This move is not satisfactory at this juncture. It rather helps a combination which is frequently resorted to in similar positions, namely, the exchange of the Black Q B and subsequent pressure on the K P by the White K B on the diagonal K R 3—Q B 8. 8...Kt—B 3 should have been played, after which White could hardly be said to possess any advantage, e.g. 9 B—Kt 5, Kt—K 5, or 9 B—K 3, Kt—K Kt 5, or 9 P—Q R 3, or 9 P x P, B x P; 10 B—Kt 5, B—K 2. After 9 P x P, however, it would be weak to recapture with the Queen. In a game E. Cohn—Ed. Lasker (match 1909) there followed: 9...Q—R 4; 10 Kt—K Kt 5, Q x P; 11 B—K 3, Q—R 4; 12 Q—Kt 3, after which Black had to give up a pawn already: Castles Q R; 13 Kt x B, P x Kt; 14 B—R 3, etc.
2. 13.Bg5 P—K 4 is stronger here, in order to play B—Kt 5 after P x P. 13...P—Q 5 would then be refuted by Kt—Q 5.
3. 14.Bxf6 After this White gains a pawn by a complicated and well-timed combination. Capablanca did not consider the subtle reply on Rubinstein's seventeenth move. Otherwise he would have recaptured with the pawn. However, in that case too, White's chances are good in the end-game which ensues after: 15 Kt x P, P x Kt; 16 Q x P ch, K—R 1; 17 B x R. The Rooks would soon become effective in view of the open K side.
4. 15.Nxd5 B x P ch fails because of 16 K—Kt 2, Q—B 2; 17 Kt—B 4 !
5. 17…exd5 If R x Kt, White exchanges Queens and plays B x P ch.
6. 20.Qd3 With an extra pawn White forces the exchange of Queens. Black cannot prevent it, as 20...Q x Kt P loses the Knight on account of 21 K R—Kt 1, and 20...Q—Kt 5 loses the Q P by 21 K R—Q 1 and B—K 6 ch.
7. 22.Bg4 K R—K 1 would not prevent the entry of the Black Rook: Kt—B 7; 23 R x R ch, R x R; 24 R—Q B 1, R—K 7; 25 B—Kt 4, R—Q 7. Black would win the pawn back and might even succeed in the end-game with a Knight against a Bishop.
8. 24…Rb6 Black should first play his King to K B 3, and keep the Rook away from his K 5. Not that the Q P is of paramount importance; the Q Kt P fully makes up for its loss. But as played the Knight is driven from his dominating position, and the badly placed Bishop gets into play. No doubt even after the text move the ending is most difficult, and it requires Rubinstein's full powers to bring it to a successful issue.
9. 30…a6 Black's only chance is his extra pawn on the Q side. To exchange the Kt for the B by 30...K—Q 3; 31 R—B 7, Kt—K 4; 32 R x K Kt P, Kt x B would take too much time where time is all-important. White would clear the K side in the meantime, push on his K R P, and ultimately give up his R for Black's remaining P, as soon as the latter runs into Queen, after which the three passed pawns win easily against the Rook. Generally speaking it is wise, in R endings like the present one, to advance pawns on the side where there is an extra pawn, in order to get a passed pawn as soon as possible. Then the hostile Rook has to look after that pawn lest it should queen, and the greater mobility of one's own Rook often saves the game even when opposed by a preponderance of pawns.
10. 38.Bd5 R x P is tempting but unavailing, as White plays B—B 4 followed by R—Kt 5 ch and P—R 5-6, etc. After the text move White has a problem-like continuation, which he has worked out with great accuracy.
11. 40.Bxc6 If now P—R 7, White simply plays 41 R—Kt 5 ch, K—R 3; 42 R—Kt 8—R 8.
12. 42.Rh6+ As the R holds the R P, e.g. K—R 4; 43 B—B 4 followed by R—R 6 ch or 42...K—R 2; 43 R—R 8, etc.

Edward Lasker, Chess Strategy (1921) · Public domain · source