[Event "match"] [Site "?"] [Round "0"] [White "Tartakower"] [Black "Sultan Khan"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A45"] [Opening "Indian: 2.g3"] {36. TARTAKOWER (1888-1956) Despite the fact that Tartakower played so much chess and became so thoroughly experienced, his play was perpetually original. As a lawyer, he knew the art of defending a weak case; as a chessmaster nothing pleased him more than winning a game by means of a little known or inferior variation. his play showed a clear preference for the methods of Reti, Breyer and Capablanca without rejecting those of Steinitz or Rubinstein. This is clear also in several books he wrote} 1. d4 Nf6 2. g3 {A very rare choice at this juncture, but Tartakower loved to play unsual, even bizzare-looking moves (though he was also an outstanding theorist)} 2... d5 3. Nf3 c6 4. Bg2 Bf5 5. Nh4 Bg6 6. O-O e6 7. Nd2 Be7 8. Nxg6 hxg6 9. c4 Nbd7 10. Qb3 Qb6 11. Qxb6 axb6 {The two Bishops are not an advantage in closed positions of this sort. In any case, Sultan Khan often preferred Knights to Bishops, and as we shall see, soon trades off his remaining Bishops for the other Knight} 12. Rd1 Bb4 (12... dxc4 13. Nxc4 b5 14. Ne5 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Ng4) 13. cxd5 exd5 14. a3 O-O 15. Rb1 Bxd2 {Showing his preference for Knights over Bishops} 16. Bxd2 Rfe8 17. Kf1 b5 {Steinitz had shown that the way to fight against Knights is to deprive them of their best squares.} 18. Bb4 {White threatens Pf3} (18. f3 Nb6 19. -- Nc4) 18... g5 19. h3 (19. f3 Nf8 20. Kf2 Ne6 21. e3 g4 {annoying}) 19... Ne4 20. Bf3 $1 {Tartakower adopts a new tack} 20... g6 21. Kg2 Kg7 22. e3 f5 23. Rh1 Re6 24. Rbg1 $1 { Finally White's plan clarifies: he is going to open a file on the Kingside} 24... Kf7 25. g4 Rh8 (25... fxg4 26. Bxg4 Rf6 27. f3 $16 (27. Bxd7 $4 Rxf2#)) 26. Kf1 Ndf6 (26... f4 27. exf4 gxf4 28. h4 b6) 27. gxf5 gxf5 28. Bxe4 $1 Nxe4 29. f3 Nf6 30. Rxg5 Rxe3 31. Rxf5 $1 Kg6 (31... Ke6 { this depends on this finesse} 32. Kf2 $1 (32. Rf4 Nh5) 32... Rd3 33. Re5+) 32. Rf4 $1 (32. Kf2 Rhe8) 32... Kg5 $2 33. Bd6 Re6 (33... Rhe8 34. Rg1+ Kh5 35. Rf5+ $18) 34. Rg1+ { White now takes advantage of the Black King's exposed position} 34... Kh5 35. Rf5+ Kh6 (35... Kh4 36. Bg3+ Kxh3 37. Rg5 $1 -- 38. Rh1#) 36. Bf4+ Kh7 37. Be5 Rf8 38. Rf4 $1 {Some idea of the strength of the opposition here is that Sultan Khan won this match 6.5-5.5} 1-0