games annotated by alekhine

Game 1
[Event "RUS"]
[Site "Tournament Vilno"]
[Date "1909.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Dus Chotimirsky"]
[Black "Akiba Rubinstein"]
[ECO "D30"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "75"]

1.d4 {Notes by Alexander Alekhine from "Shakhmatnoe Obozrenie"
#88-89, 1909, and Leopold Hoffer from the "American Chess
Bulletin" 1910.} d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 dxc4 4.Nc3 c5 5.e3 a6 6.Bxc4
Nf6 7.O-O b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Qe2 {Alekhine: With the
obvious threat 11.Bxb5+.} Nbd7 11.e4 {Alekhine: There is much
to be said against this move. It not only closes an important
diagonal to the bishop, but it permits Black further to occupy
the d4- and c4-squares and to secure the better game. White is
at trouble to develop his bishop at c1. The move 11.a3 (with
the idea of posting the bishop on the a1-h8 diagonal) is
useless, in view of the reply 11...Rc8.} e5 {Hoffer: This
advance is forced. White is threatening to dislodge Nf6 with
e4-e5 and to clear the diagonal bearing on h7. Black must,
therefore, submit to the lesser evil of allowing White's
Nh4-Nf5.} 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bd2 O-O {Hoffer: "Deutsche
Schachzeitung" suggests here 13...b4, which seems the better
move in the circumstances.} 14.Nh4 {Alekhine: This move is the
consequence of Black's 12th, but the weakness of the move
e3-e4 begins to be felt immediately.} Bd4 15.b4 {Alekhine: To
stop 15...Nc5.} Rc8 16.Rac1 Nb6 17.Nf5 Nc4 18.Bxc4 Rxc4
19.Rfd1 Qc7 {? Alekhine: A mistake that costs the game. With
19...Qd7! (also not bad is 19...Bxc3 20.Rxc3 Bxe4, if 20.Bxc3
Qc7) Black retains his distinct advantage. If White answers by
20.Be3, then after 20...Rfc8, he loses a pawn without any
compensation. Also, 20.Qf3 would be disastrous, in view of
20...Nxe4!.} 20.Nd5 {!} Bxd5 {Hoffer: 20...Nxd5 21.exd5 Bxd5
would probably have been followed by 22.Bxh6.} 21.exd5 Rxc1
22.Rxc1 Qd7 23.Qf3 Re8 24.Nxh6+ {! Alekhine: White rightly
plays for simplification, as a result of which he is left with
a pawn extra - sufficient to win in an easy ending. If
24.Bxh6, then Black can, apparently, defend himself
satisfactorily by 24...Qxd5.} gxh6 {Hoffer: As Przepiorka
indicates, in "Munchener Neuesten Nachrichten", in case of
24...Kf8 White wins by 25.Rc6!, after which Black can not
capture the d5-pawn (25...Nxd5 26.Rd6! or 25...Qxd5
26.Rxf6!).} 25.Qxf6 Qxd5 26.Bxh6 e4 27.Qg5+ Qxg5 28.Bxg5
{Alekhine: With a passed and extra pawn, the better position,
and command of the open file, White wins easily.} Re6 29.Kf1
Kg7 30.Bd2 Kg6 31.Ke2 f5 32.Bf4 Kf6 33.g3 Bb2 34.Rc8 Ba3
35.Bd2 Rd6 36.h4 Ke6 37.h5 Kd7 {Alekhine: The last hope. If
38.Rf8? Rxd2+!} 38.Ra8 1-0

Game 2
[Event "Hamburg"]
[Site "Hamburg, Germany"]
[Date "1910.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Abraham Speyer"]
[Black "Alexander Alekhine"]
[ECO "C15"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "84"]

1.e4 {Notes by Alexander Alekhine.} e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 {This
move is far better than its reputation. Its object is to
simplify the position, at any rate in the variation usually
adopted by White, starting 4.exd5, a simplification which
allows Black more easily to evolve a plan of development. It
has been adopted with success at various times by
Neimzowitch.} 4.Bd2 {This idea is interesting but does not
produce any advantage if Black makes the correct reply. The
most usual move here is 4.exd5, the consequences of 4.e5 c5
appearing to be rather in Black's favor (compare
Dr. Lasker-Maroczy, New York, 1924).} 4...Ne7 {Simplest, for
the complications resulting from 4...dxe4 5.Qg4 would give
White attacking chances: e.g.: 1) 5...Nf6 6.Qxg7 Rg8 7.Qh6
Qxd4 8.O-O-O, threatening 9.Bg5. 2) 5...Qxd4 6.Nf3 Qf6 7.Qxe4
followed by O-O-O with good attacking chances for White.}
5.exd5 {White was threatened with: 5...dxe4 and 6...Qxd4.}
5...exd5 6.Qf3 {This is not a normal developing move. As the
sequel will show, most of the White pieces will find
themselves on unfavorable squares. It might have been better
to play 6.Bd3 followed by 7.Nge2; 8.O-O-O, etc.} 6...Nbc6
7.Bb5 {compulsory after the last move.} 7...O-O 8.Nge2 Bf5
{The Black pieces, on the other hand, are well placed for
concerted action.} 9.O-O-O {White's object in playing 6.Qf3
was to castle on the queenside; this is a strategic error,
however, for on the king's side White has no prospect which
might compensate for Black's attack on the queen's
side. 9.Rc1, followed by 10.O-O, was certainly not so bad.}
9...a6 {White's b5 bishop must be eliminated in order to allow
a black knight to occupy b5.} 10.Bd3 Bxd3 11.Qxd3 Na5 {!}
12.a3 {White takes advantage of the opportunity to force the
exchange of one of Black's attacking pieces, for 12...Bd6
fails on account of 13.Nxd5, unmasking the white bishop.}
12...Bxc3 13.Bxc3 Nc4 14.Rde1 Nc6 {Strategically, the game is
already won by Black, but the latter here makes a slight
tactical error, which allows his opponent to exchange
queens. The simple plan of attack to lead to an easy win would
be: a4 followed by b4-3, etc. The decision of the game could
and should have been brought about by a direct attack on the
king.} 15.Nf4 Qd6 {Against any other move, White's reply
16.Qf3 would have been still more awkward for Black.} 16.Qf3
Rad8 {The plausible Rfd1 would have been wrong, for then
17.Nxd5 and if ...Qxd5; 18.Re8+, etc. However, White now
succeeds in exchanging queens.} 17.Nd3 a5 {Better late than
never!} 18.Qf4 {Else Black's attack would become
irresistible.} 18...Qxf4+ {If 18...Qd2; White could already
try a counter-demonstration with 19.h4 followed by Rh3.}
19.Nxf4 b5 {This advance remains strong even after the
exchange of queens, for the white bishop is very badly
placed.} 20.Nd3 Rb8 21.Ne5 {There does not appear to be any
other method of saving the pawn. But after the exchange of
knights Black finds fresh resources for the attack, with the
aid of his c7-pawn.} 21...N6xe5 22.dxe5 c5 {Less good would
have been: 22...b4 23.axb4 axb4 24.Bd4 Ra8 25.b3, etc.} 23.b3
{again the only chance against the threat of b4, etc.} 23...d4
{The winning move, for this pawn will exert a decisive
pressure in the ensuing rook end-game. Should White avoid the
exhchange of pieces by 24.Bb2, Black obtains a winning
advantage by: 24...Nb6 followed by ...a4.} 24.bxc4 dxc3 25.Re3
{Compulsory, for after 25.cxb5 Rxb5 this move would not be
feasible because of 26...Rfb8.} 25...b4 26.a4 Rbd8 {For the
better appreciation of this end-game, it may be pointed out
that White cannot here offer the exchange of both rooks; e.g.:
27.Rd1 Rxd1+ 28.Kxd1 Rd8+ 29.Rd3 Rxd3+ 30.cxd3 g5 31.h3 h5
32.g3 (if f3 then ...h4) g4 followed by Kf8, Ke7, Ke6 and Kxe5
winning. White's subsequent moves are therefore forced.}
27.Rhe1 Rd4 28.Re4 Rxe4 29.Rxe4 Rd8 30.e6 {If 30.Re2 Black
would win a pawn by 30...Rd4.} 30...fxe6 31.Rxe6 Rd2 {After
this incursion by the black rook the remainder of the game is
purely a matter of technique.} 32.Re5 Rxf2 33.Kb1 Rf1+ 34.Ka2
Rc1 35.Rxc5 Rxc2+ 36.Kb1 Rb2+ 37.Kc1 Rxg2 38.Rb5 {to parry the
threat of ...b3.} 38...Kf7 39.c5 Ke6 40.c6 Kd6 41.c7 Kxc7
42.Rxa5 Rxh2 43.Rb5 Rb2 44.a5 Kc6 45.Rb8 Kc5 46.a6 Ra2 47.Rc8+
Kb5 48.Rb8+ Kc4 0-1

Game 3
[Event "Moscow exhib"]
[Site "Moscow exhib"]
[Date "1910.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Alexander Alekhine"]
[Black "Akiba Rubinstein"]
[ECO "C68"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "78"]

1.e4 {Notes by Alexander Alekhine.} e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6
4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 f6 6.Be3 Bg4 7.Nbd2 c5 8.Nc4 Bd6 9.Qd2 Ne7
10.Qc3 Nc6 11.Nxd6+ cxd6 12.Nd2 Be6 13.f4 O-O 14.Nf3 Nd4
15.Qd2 d5 {!} 16.c3 Nxf3+ 17.gxf3 c4 {!} 18.f5 {If 18.d4 dxe4
19.fxe4 exf4 20.Bxf4 Qe8! 21.Bd6? Bd5! 22.Bxf8 Qxe4+ 23.Kf2
Qf3+ or 23...Qg2+ forcing mate.} Bf7 19.Rg1 Kh8 20.dxc4 dxe4
{!} 21.fxe4 Bxc4 22.Qg2 Rf7 23.Rd1 Qc7 24.Qc2 Rd8 {! Avoiding
the trap 24...Bxa2? 25.b3 Qa5 26.Ra1 Bxb3 27.Qxb3 Qxa1+ 28.Kf2
and White wins.} 25.Kf2 Rfd7 26.Qa4 Bd3 27.Qb4 b5 28.Rg4 Be2
{!} 29.Rxd7 Qxd7 30.Rg1 Bh5 31.Re1 Qd3 32.Qe7 h6 33.Kg1 Kh7
34.Bf2 {This loses quickly. Better is 34.Qc7.} Qh3 {!} 35.Bd4
Bf3 36.Kf2 Qg2+ 37.Ke3 Bxe4 38.Re2 exd4+ 39.cxd4 Qf3+ 0-1

Game 4
[Event "St Petersburg"]
[Site "St Petersburg"]
[Date "1914.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "S Von Freymann"]
[Black "Alexander Alekhine"]
[ECO "D30"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "48"]

1. d4 {Notes by Alekhine} d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Bg5 {This
move is of doubtful value, for it allows the following reply,
hit upon by Duras. It is better to play Nc3 first.} h6 {!
After this move White has nothing better than to take the
Knight, leaving his opponent with two Bishops, for if the
Bishop retreats, the acceptance of the Gambit is in favour of
Black.} 5. Bh4 dxc4 {More precise would have been 5...Bb4+;
followed by dxc4; as then the Gambit Pawn could be held by
...b5, etc.} 6. Qa4+ {The only way of regaining the
Pawn. Black threatened 6...Bb4+; followed by 7...b5.} Nbd7
7. Qxc4 c5 8. Nc3 a6 {With the intention of developing the
Queen Bishop on the long diagonal, a plan which White, as the
sequel shows, will be unable to frustrate.} 9. a4 b5 {! Black
still persists, for if 10.axb5 axb5; the White Queen and Rook
would both be en prise.} 10. Qd3 c4 11. Qb1 Bb7 {! A Pawn
sacrifice, the object of which is to obstruct White's
development through pressure on c3.} 12. axb5 {It would have
been preferable to decline the offer of a Pawn. But in any
event, even after 12.e3 Qb6 White's position would have
remained distinctly inferior.} axb5 13. Nxb5 Bb4+ 14. Nc3 g5
15. Bg3 Ne4 16. Qc1 {All White's last moves were obviously
forced.} Nb6 {Threatening 17...Na4.} 17. Rxa8 Qxa8 18. Nd2
Nxd2 19. Kxd2 Qa2 {! Initiating the deciding manouver. Black
again threatens 20...Na4 and does not allow his opponent the
respite he needs to disentangle his position by 20.e3} 20. Kd1
Qb3+ 21. Qc2 {Now the Black c-Pawn will move straight on to
Queen.} Bxc3 22. bxc3 Be4 {! Simple and immediately decisive.}
23. Qxb3 cxb3 24. e3 {24.Kc1 Nc4 and mates in a few moves.} b2
0-1

Game 5
[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Richard Reti"]
[Black "Efim Bogoljubov"]
[ECO "A13"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "50"]

1.Nf3 {Notes by Alekhine} d5 2.c4 e6 {As for the merit of this
system of defence, compare the game Reti vs. Yates in the
sixth round.} 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bd6 5.O-O O-O 6.b3 Re8 7.Bb2 Nbd7
8.d4 {To our way of thinking, this is the clear positional
refutation of 2...e6, which, by the way, was first played by
Capablanca (as Black) against Marshall and is based upon the
simple circumstance that Black cannot find a method for the
effective development of his Queen's Bishop.} c6 9.Nbd2 {In
the game referred to, Capablanca, in a wholly analogous
position, played ...Ne4 and likewise obtained an advantage
thereby. Of course, Reti's quieter development is also quite
good.} Ne4 {If the liberating move of 9...e5, recommended by
Rubinstein and others, is really the best here-then it
furnishes the most striking proof that Black's entire
arrangement of his game was faulty. For the simple
continuation 10.cxd5 cxd5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.Bxe5
Rxe5 14.Nc4 Re8 15.Ne3 Be6 16.Qd4, would have given White a
direct attack against the isolated Queen's pawn, without
permitting the opponent any chances whatsoever. Moreover, the
move selected by Bogoljubow leads eventually to a double
exchange of Knights, without moving the principal disadvantage
of his position.} 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Ne5 f5 {Obviously forced.}
12.f3 {The proper strategy. After Black has weakened his
position in the center, White forthwith must aim to change the
closed game into an open one in order to make as much as
possible out of that weakness.} exf3 13.Bxf3 {Not 13.exf3,
because the e pawn must be utilized as a battering ram.} Qc7
{Also after 13...Nxe5 14.dxe5 Bc5+ 15.Kg2 Bd7 (after the
exchange of Queens, this Bishop could not get out at all)
16.e4, White would have retained a decisive advantage in
position.} 14.Nxd7 Bxd7 15.e4 e5 {Otherwise would follow
16.e5, to be followed by a break by means of d5 or g4. After
the text move, however, Black appears to have surmounted the
greater part of his early difficulty and it calls for
exeptionally fine play on the part of White in order to make
the hidden advantages of his position count so rapidly and
convincingly.} 16.c5 Bf8 17.Qc2 {Attacking simultaneously both
of Black's center pawns.} exd4 {Black's sphere of action is
circumscribed; for instance, 17...fxe4 clearly would not do on
account of the two-fold threat against h7 and e5, after
18.Bxe4} 18.exf5 Rad8 {After 18...Re5 19.Qc4+ Kh8 20.f6, among
other lines, would be very strong.} 19.Bh5 {The initial move
in an exactly calculated, decisive manouver, the end of which
will worthily crown White's model play.} Re5 20.Bxd4 Rxf5 {If
20...Rd5 21.Qc4 Kh8 22.Bg4, with a pawn plus and a superior
position.} 21.Rxf5 Bxf5 22.Qxf5 Rxd4 23.Rf1 Rd8 {Or 23...Qe7
24.Bf7+ Kh8 25.Bd5 Qf6 26.Qc8, etc. Black is left without any
defence.} 24.Bf7+ Kh8 25.Be8 {A sparkling conclusion! Black
resigned, for, after 25...Bxc5+, he loses at least the
Bishop. Rightfully, this game was awarded the first brilliancy
prize.} 1-0

Game 6
[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Efim Bogoljubov"]
[Black "Edward Lasker"]
[ECO "C60"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "113"]

1.e4 {Notes by Alexander Alekhine.} e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Qf6 {A
defence that is rightly rarely played, as Black makes his own
development more difficult because of the early exposing of
his queen.} 4.Nc3 {Threatening Nd5 already.} Nge7 5.d3 Nd4
{More in the spirit of the continuation chosen was ...h6 with
the fianchettoing of the bishop later. Black now embarks on an
unfavorable variation of the inferior Bird's opening.} 6.Nxd4
exd4 7.Ne2 c6 8.Ba4 d5 9.O-O g6 {Else the king's side pieces
can hardly be developed.} 10.b4 {With this move White centers
his attack on the pawn at d4 and holds his advantage with an
iron hand. Black also always finds the only moves to hold his
compromised position. But his defence is not sufficient to
attain equality.} Qd6 11.a3 {This protecting move forces black
to compromise his position still further in order to hold his
exposed pawn.} Bg7 12.Bb2 b5 13.Bb3 c5 14.bxc5 Qxc5 15.Rc1
{Simple and conclusive. The consequent unavoidable opening of
the c-file promises white further advantages. Black would
hardly care to bet on his chances now.} O-O 16.c3 dxc3 17.Nxc3
d4 {At least 17...dxe4 18.Nd5! Qd6 19.Bxg7! Kxg7 20.dxe4 was
not better.} 18.Nd5 Qd6 19.f4 {Threatening e5.} Nxd5 20.Bxd5
Rb8 21.Rc6 Qd8 22.Qb3 {As so often happens, one weak move is
enough to lose the advantage gained by faultless play. Correct
would have been 22.Qc2 Bb7 23.Rc5 Bxd5 24.Rxd5 Qb6 25.e5 Rbc8
26.Qf2; or 23...Qb6 24.Bxb7 Qxb7 25.e5 Rfc8 26.Rfc1, etc.} Bb7
23.Rc5 Qd6 {This reply makes all the difference, Rxb5 is not
possible on account of ...Bxd5 and as the f-pawn is attacked,
White must lose a valuable tempo.} 24.Qc2 Rfc8 25.Rc1 Bf8
{Black is eventually outplayed during the following
maneuvers. Instead there was a chance here to save the
game. 25...Rxc5 26.Qxc5 Qxf4! 27. Bxb7 (or 27. Rf1 Qe3+ 28.Kh1
Bxd5 29.Qxd5 Qxd3 30. Q(or rook)xf7 Kh8, etc.)...Be5! and
White cannot avoid the draw; for instance 28.Qc2 (or 28. g3
Qe3+, etc.) Qxh2+ 29.Kf1 Qh1+ 30.Kf2 Qh4+ 31.Ke2 Qh5+!, etc.}
26.Bxd4 Qxf4 {With this move Black wins the exchange, but only
for a short time.} 27.Rf1 Bxc5 28.Bxc5 Qe3+ {If 28...Qe5
29.d4! Qh5(g5) 30.Bxf7+ Kg7 31.d5! But the following endgame
is also hopeless for Black.} 29.Bxe3 Rxc2 30.Bxf7+ Kg7 31.Bb3
Rc7 {Obviously forced, because of the terrible threat of
Rf7+.} 32.Bf4 Rbc8 33.Be6 {A bit fanciful but
sufficient. Simpler would have been 33.Be5+ Kh6 34.Bxc7 Rxc7,
then if 35...Rc3 36.Be6! with a winning position.} Re7 34.Bxc8
Bxc8 35.Rc1 Bb7 36.Rc7 {But this plausible move is a mistake
which gives the opponent a chance to obtain a difficult
draw. 36.Kf2 was now necessary, whereupon the united passed
pawns would have won without difficulty.} Kf7 {Black fails to
seize the lucky opportunity. After 36...Rxc7 37.Bxc7 b4!, a
draw would result despite the two pawns minus; for instance:
38.axb4 Ba6 39.d4 Bd3 40.e5 Bc4 41.Kf2 a6 42.Ke3 Bd5 43.g3 Kf7
44.Kf4 h6 45.Bd6 Ke6 46.Bf8 h5 47.Kg5 Be4, etc. After the move
in the text, no real fighting chances are left.} 37.Rxe7+ Kxe7
38.Bd2 Ke6 39.Kf2 Kd6 40.Ke3 Kc5 41.Ba5 Bc8 42.Bd8 Bd7 43.Ba5
g5 44.Bc3 h5 {Or 44...a6 45.Bf6 g4 46.Be7+ Kc6 47.d4 to be
followed by d5, etc.} 45.Bd4+ Kd6 46.Bxa7 h4 47.Bd4 Ke6 48.Bc3
Kf7 49.d4 Kg6 50.d5 Bc8 51.Ba5 Bd7 52.Bd8 h3 53.gxh3 Bxh3
54.Kd4 Bd7 55.e5 Kf5 56.e6 Be8 57.Bxg5 1-0

game 7
[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Alexander Alekhine"]
[Black "A Frieman"]
[ECO "C21"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "51"]

1. e4 {Notes by Alekhine} e5 2. d4 exd4 3. c3 d5 {Doubtless
the best defence, permitting Black to obtain an even game.}
4. exd5 Qxd5 {But here 4...Nf6 is even better.} 5. cxd4 Nf6
6. Nc3 Bb4 7. Nf3 Nc6 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Bxc3 {So far Black has
made the right moves, but this exchange is wrong as it
stregthens White's center. Correct was 9...Qa5.} 10. bxc3 b6
{This also is not good, because the White Pawns will now
advance with a win of both time and space. Better was
10...Bg4.} 11. c4 Qd8 12. d5 Ne7 13. Nd4 {Preventing an
effective development of the Black Bishop on the diagonal
h6-c1.} Bb7 14. Bb2 {Simpler was 14.Bf3 or 14.Bg5. Still the
idea of sacrificing the central Pawn in order to increase the
advantage in development was rather tempting.} c6 15.{!} Bf3
cxd5 16. Re1 Re8 {Instead 16...Qd7 17.Nb5! was certainly not
better.} 17. Qd2 Rb8 18. Qg5 {Threatening 19.Ne6!} Ng6 19. Nf5
{After this attack can hardly be parried. White's next threat
is the simple 20.cxd5} Rxe1+ 20. Rxe1 dxc4 {If 20...h6 then
21.Qg3, threatening both 22.Bxf6 or 22.Ne7+, etc.} 21. Bxb7
Rxb7 22. Bxf6 Qxf6 {Or 22...gxf6 23.Qh6 Qf8 24.Re8, followed
by mate. White announces mate in four moves.} 23. Re8+ Nf8
24. Nh6+ Qxh6 25. Rxf8+ Kxf8 26. Qd8# 1-0

Game 8
[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Alexander Alekhine"]
[Black "Leon Kussman"]
[ECO "D41"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "40"]

1. d4 {Notes by Alekhine.} d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 c5
5. cxd5 exd5 {? Nowadays "theory" considers-and rightly so for
once-5...Nxd5 as the only correct reply. But when this game
was played, even masters did not realize the danger of the
text move; for instance, Dr. Vidmar it against me in the
London Tournament, 1922.} 6. Bg5 {! Much more effective here
than 6.g3 which in the regular Tarrasch Defence (with the
Black Queen's Knight at c3 and the King's Knight undeveloped)
would be the most promising line.} Be6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. e4 {!}
dxe4 9. Bb5+ Bd7 {Or 9...Nd7 10.Nxe4 Qg6 11.Bxd7+ Bxd7 12.O-O,
etc, with advantage.} 10. Nxe4 Qb6 11. Bxd7+ Nxd7 12. O-O cxd4
{Facilitating White's attack. A lesser evil would be to allow
the unpleasant ...d5} 13. Nxd4 Rd8 {After White's next move
Black's d6 will need further protection.} 14. Nf5 {!} Ne5
15. Qe2 g6 {Permitting an elegant finish; but the position,
was of course, lost.} 16. Qb5+ {!} Nd7 {The Queen could not be
taken because of 17.Nf6 mate.} 17. Rfe1 {Threatening mate
again.} Bb4 18. Nf6+ Kf8 19. Nxd7+ Rxd7 20. Qe5 {! Threatening
this time three different mates. That is too much!} 1-0

game 9
[Event "London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1932.??.??"]
[EventDate "1932.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Milner-Barry"]
[Black "Savielly Tartakower"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "81"]

1. e4 {Notes by Alekhine} c6 2. d4 Nf6 3. e5 {The most logical
way to meet Black's second move. In the Bled tournament, 1931,
I played against Dr. Tartakower 3.Bd3 but did not get any
appreciable advantage.} Nd5 4. c4 Nc7 5. Nc3 d6 6. f4 dxe5
7. fxe5 g6 8. Nf3 Bg7 9. Be3 f6 10. exf6 exf6 11. Qd2 O-O
12. O-O-O Be6 13. Bh6 {White has played the opening very
soundly and obtained a clear advantage in the center. Here
however, the diversion on the King's side seems
unnecessary. Why not simply 13.d5, etc.} Bxh6 14. Qxh6 Qd7
15. Bd3 Nba6 16. h4 Nb4 17. Be2 Qf7 {? And now Black misses
his chance by losing a decisive tempo. In any case he must try
for counter-attack such as 17...b5 (18.a3 Na6 or even a5) with
considerable complications. After the text move White
practically forces the exchange of Queens which give him the
possibility of advancing the d pawn in a decisive manner.}
18. Rhf1 {!} Qg7 19. Qxg7+ Kxg7 20. a3 Nba6 21. d5 cxd5
22. cxd5 Bd7 23. Nd4 Rac8 24. Kb1 Nc5 25. Bf3 Rcd8 26. Rfe1
Rfe8 27. Rxe8 Rxe8 28. b4 Na4 29. Nxa4 Bxa4 30. Rc1 Nb5 {This
loses a piece, but after 30...Na6 or Na8 31.d6 Black's
position would be quite hopeless.} 31. Ne6+ Kh6 32. Nc5 Nxa3+
33. Kb2 Nc2 34. Nxa4 Nxb4 35. Rc7 b5 36. Nc5 Re5 37. d6 {! The
British master finishes a really finely played game in a very
convincing way. His achievement was the sensation of the
second round.} Rxc5 38. d7 Nd3+ 39. Kb1 Rxc7 40. d8=Q Rc1+
41. Ka2 1-0

Game 10
[Event "London"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1932.??.??"]
[EventDate "1932.??.??"]
[Round "1"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Savielly Tartakower"]
[Black "William Winter"]
[ECO "A46"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "50"]

1. d4 {Notes by Alekhine} Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 b6 4. Nbd2 Bb7
5. Bd3 d5 {It is hardly logical to develop the Bishop on the
long diagonal and immediately after that to close it with d5
and in addition White's square on e5 now becomes very
strong. The usual line 5...c5 is doubtless better.} 6. Ne5 Bd6
7. f4 Nbd7 8. Qf3 c5 9. c3 Qc7 10. g4 {!} cxd4 11. exd4 Bxe5
{It is only to easy to understand that in his already
strategically compromised position, Black is trying to create
tactical complications. The following sacrifice is ingenious,
but by tyhe right answer (the 14th move of White) is proved
insufficient.} 12. fxe5 Nxe5 {If 12...Ne4 then simply 13.O-O
Ng5 14.Qe3 h6 15.h4 Nh7 16.Qf2, etc., with a tremendous
position for White.} 13. dxe5 d4 14. Qe2 {!} Bxh1 15. exf6
dxc3 16. Ne4 {This valuable gain of tempo definetly defeats
Black's combination.} Qe5 17. fxg7 Qxg7 18. Bb5+ Kf8 19. Nxc3
h5 20. g5 Qd4 21. Be3 Qh4+ 22. Qf2 Qb4 {Or 22...Qxf2+ 23.Kxf2
Bb7 24.Bd4 Rg8 25.Bf6 and Black has no defense against Bd3
followed by Bh7.} 23. Qf6 Rg8 24. O-O-O Bd5 25. Qh6+ {A good
game by Dr. Tartakower.} 1-0