Aron Nimzowitsch vs Jose Raul Capablanca
587958
[Event "Riga"]
[Site "Riga"]
[Date "1913.12.30"]
[Round "0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Jose Raul Capablanca"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C47"]
[Opening "Four Knights: Italian Variation"]
1.e4 {Notes by Capablanca.} e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bc4 {The normal move, 4.
Bb5, is stronger. Nimzowitsch must have had some new idea in mind when he
chose this line in preference to the other which he generally adopts.} Bc5 {If
4... Bb4 5. Nd5 gives White an excellent game.} 5.d3 d6 6.Bg5 Be6 {With the
idea of driving the Queen's Bishop back at the proper time by ...h6 and ...g5,
and thus bringing the game to a position full of complications and unknown
possibilities where Black hoped to outplay his adversary.} 7.Bb5 h6 8.Bh4 Bb4
{To prepare against d3-d4, after or before Bxc6 which was the intention
indicated by White's 7.Bb5.} 9.d4 Bd7 10.O-O Bxc3 11.bxc3 g5 {There were a
dozen select spectators around our table, one of them Nimzowitsch's father, a
fairly good player, and they looked at one another when they saw the bold
course I was pursuing, reckless on my part, they thought, and bound to bring
disaster, especially after my next move 12...Nxe4, when I had not castled and
my King was in the center of the board.} 12.Bg3 Nxe4 13.Bxc6 {Not the best way
to continue the attack, as by exchanging pieces the Black King will not be
submitted to the strong attack that would be necessary to compensate for the
material advantage obtained by Black and the disarrangement of White's
Queenside pawns. 13. Qd3 was the best move to keep up the pressure.} Bxc6
14.dxe5 dxe5 15.Bxe5 {Some people have suggested 15. Nxe5. It has its good and
bad points, but at all events Black will come out with the better game in any
variation.} Qxd1 16.Raxd1 f6! {The key to my maneuver in this variation. I had
counted on it, together with 17...Kf7, when I played 11...g5.} 17.Bd4 {17.
Bxc7 would leave the c-file open for the Black Rooks to act against White's
c-pawns. My opponent must have thought that on account of the Bishops of
opposite colors he had a safe game.} Kf7 {Now the Black King is much more
useful than White's.} 18.Nd2 Rhe8 {Notwithstanding the Bishops of opposite
colors I did not hesitate to exchange. Those who wish to learn should do well
in carefully studying this game. It is one of the finest endings I ever
played, and I have had very often the great pleasure of hearing my opponent
pay tribute to the skill displayed by me in winning it.} 19.f3 Nxd2 20.Rxd2
Rad8 21.g4 Bb5 22.Rb1 Ba6 23.Rbd1 {Not 23. Kf2 because of 23...c5! 24. Be3
Rxd2+ 25. Bxd2 25... Re2+, winning a piece.} Re2! {Still exchanging.} 24.Rxe2
Bxe2 25.Re1 Bxf3 26.Rf1 c5! {The move that gives Black the advantage.} 27.Bxf6
{If now 27. Rxf3 cxd4 28. Rd3 Rc8 and for all practical purposes Black is a
pawn ahead. My opponent chose the other line of play in order to keep Bishops
of opposite colors, which he thought should give him a draw.} Rd1 28.Be5 Rxf1+
29.Kxf1 Bxg4 {The ending is now won by force. Several months after the game
was played, when Nimzowitsch had come to St. Petersburg to play in the
All-Russian Masters Tournament, he told me that he had studied the game and
thought that he had finally found a way to draw this ending. Although I had
not seen the game since it was played I offered to make him a small sporting
bet, giving him odds of a draw in any position from now on. The offer was
immediately accepted and we sat down. In a few moves he saw that his idea was
wrong and gave up the game.} 30.a4 Ke6 31.Bb8 {It would seem that had White
played 31. Bg7 and then followed with a4-a5, he could have drawn; but such is
not the case, as 31...h5 32. a5 a6 would also have won, though taking much
longer.} a5! 32.Ke1 {White cannot attack the pawn by 32. Bc7 as 32...b5!
wins.} Kd5 33.Kd2 Bd7 34.Bc7 Kc6 35.Bd8 {White cannot take the pawn with 35.
Bxa5 because of 35...b6} b6 36.c4 Kb7 37.Kc3 Bxa4 38.Kb2 Bd7 39.Kb3 Be6 40.Kc3
a4 41.Kd3 Kc6 42.Kc3 g4 43.Bh4 h5 44.Bg3 a3 45.Kb3 Bxc4+! {If White now plays
46.Kxc4 then 46... a2 47. Be5 h4 48. Kb3 g3 49. hxg3 49... h3! and wins, as
one of the two Rook's pawns will Queen.} 46.Kxa3 b5 47.c3 Kd5 48.Bf2 Be2 {In
order to make room for the King at c4.} 49.Kb3 Bd1+ 50.Kb2 Kc4 51.Kc1 Bf3
52.Kd2 b4 53.cxb4 cxb4 54.Bh4 Be4 55.Bf6 Bg6 56.Bh4 b3 57.Bf6 h4 58.Ke3 g3
59.hxg3 h3 60.Kf2 Bf5 {So as to prevent the advance of White's single pawn.
Now the Black King marches down to the support of the b-pawn and wins the
Bishop, and then comes back and forces the other pawn to the eighth rank
winning.} 61.g4 Bxg4 62.Kg3 Kd3 63.Kh2 Kc2 64.Kg3 b2 {White resigns.} {#R} 0-1
0-1
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Players | |
---|---|
White | Aron Nimzowitsch |
Black | Jose Raul Capablanca |
Game | |
---|---|
Moves | 64 |
Opening | C47 — Four Knights: Italian Variation |
Result | 0-1 |
Date | December 30, 1913 |
Tags |
Tournament | |
---|---|
Tournament | Riga |
Location | Riga |
Round | 0 |