Scid

Capablanca, Jose - Alekhine, Alexander
World Championship 13th
[1927.10.01]
[D52m]

[ this variation may also arise through a corresponding order of moves out of the Slav defense: 2. ... c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 when Black avoids the sharpest Botvinnik variation and is sufficed with a modest continuation 5. ... Nbd7 ]

3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bg5 c6 6.e3 The Cambridge-Springs variation became especially popular after the match Capablanca – Alekhine (1927). In which it was Alekhine's main weapon against 1.d4. We start our narration with the classic games out of this match in order first to acknowledge the main strategic ideas of this variation 6. ... Qa5 The Cambridge-Springs system was introduced in practice by the American grandmaster H. Pillsbury. It is characterized by the black queen's development to a5, from where it exerts pressure along the a5-e1 diagonal, which may be supported by the black bishop lunge Bf8-b4 together with the Nf6-e4 maneuver, and also operates on the fifth rank acting against the white g5-bishop. These tactical opportunities for Black force White to the continuation 7.Nd2 the white knight's retreat neutralizes the unpleasant tension arisen on the a5-e1 diagonal.

[ Otherwise the double edged variation is possible 7.cxd5 Nxd5! 8.Qd2 in which White frequently must sacrifice a pawn 8. ... Bb4

[ 8. ... N7b6 9.Bd3 Nxc3 10.bxc3 Nd5 11.O-O Qxc3 12.Qe2 Bd6 13.Rac1 Qa5 14.Bb1=/& Teschner ]

9.Rc1 O-O!

[ 9. ... f6 10.Bh4 O-O 11.e4 Nxc3 12.bxc3 Ba3 13.Rb1 e5~ Teschner ]

10.e4 Nxc3 11.bxc3 Ba3 12.Rb1 e5 13.Bd3 Re8 14.O-O b6! 15.Rfe1 Ba6= Vajda-Grünfeld/London/1927 ]

7. ... Bb4 8.Qc2 O-O

[ 8. ... dxc4 9.Bxf6 Nxf6 10.Nxc4 Qc7 which leads to a calm positional struggle. ]

9.Bh4!? /\ Bd3 - This is a cunning retreat of the white bishop. Usually they played 9.Be2 that may be replied with 9...e5 or 9...c5.

[ 9.Bd3? dxc4-+ ]

[ 9.Be2 e5

[ 9. ... c5 10.Nb3 Qa4 11.Bxf6 Nxf6 12.O-O Bxc3 13.Qxc3 cxd4 14.Qxd4 dxc4 15.Qxc4 Qxc4 16.Bxc4 Bd7 17.Be2 Rfc8 18.Rfc1 Rxc1+ 19.Rxc1 Rc8 20.Rxc8+ Bxc8 21.Kf1 Ne8 22.Nd2 Kf8= ]

10.dxe5 Ne4 11.Ndxe4 dxe4 12.O-O Bxc3 13.bxc3 Nxe5 Grünfeld-Bogoljubov/Maehrisch Ostrau/1923/ ]

[ 9.Bxf6 Nxf6 10.Bd3 Re8 11.O-O e5 Rotlevi-Marshall/Karlsbad/ 1911/ ]

[ 9.f4 Ng4 10.Ke2 Euwe ]

9. ... c5

[ 9. ... Ne4? 10.Ndxe4 dxe4 11.Be2 e5 12.O-O exd4 13.Nxe4 f5 14.a3 fxe4 15.axb4 Qxb4 16.exd4+/- ^^ Golombek ]

[ A. Alekhine did not like 9. ... e5?! 10.dxe5 Ne4 11.Ndxe4

[ 11.Ncxe4 dxe4 12.a3 Nxe5 13.Rd1 Bxd2+ 14.Qxd2 Qxd2+ 15.Rxd2 Bf5 16.Bg3 Nd3+ 17.Bxd3 exd3 1/2-1/2, Bellon Lopez Juan Manuel 2442 - Vera Reynaldo 2557, Santa Clara 2001 Memorial G. Garcia ]

11. ... dxe4 12.e6! Ne5! 13.exf7+ Rxf7 14.Be2

[ "with better chances for White" but the continuation 14.O-O-O! Bf5! gives Black good counter play.

[ 14. ... Bxc3?! 15.bxc3

[ 15.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 16.bxc3 Bf5 17.Rd4 ]

15. ... Bf5 16.Rd4 With advantage in the endgame. Alekhine ]

]

14. ... Nd3+→ Asztalos ]

10.Nb3

[ 10.dxc5 Ne4 11.Rc1 Ndxc5 12.Be7+= Havasi-Asztalos/Raab/1924/ ]

10. ... Qa4!?

[ 10. ... Qc7 11.Bg3!

[ 11.Be2 dxc4 12.Bxc4 cxd4 13.Nxd4= Sraat-Spielmann/Scheveningen/1923/ ]

11. ... Qc6 12.a3+=

[ 12.dxc5 dxc4 13.Bxc4+= ]

10. ... Bxc3+ 11.Qxc3 Qxc3+ 12.bxc3+/- Grünfeld ]

11.Bxf6 Nxf6

[ 11. ... gxf6 12.cxd5 exd5 13.Qd2+/- Euwe ]

12.dxc5 Ne4?! Time for this move: More than 1h.

[ Black should have continued 12. ... Bxc3+! 13.Qxc3 Ne4 14.Qa5

[ 14.Qd4 Qb4+ 15.Ke2 Qxc4+= ]

14. ... Qxa5+ 15.Nxa5 Nxc5+= Capablanca 16.cxd5 exd5 17.Be2 with White's minimal edge, 1-0, Lopez Martinez Josep Manuel (ESP) 2474 - San Segundo Carrillo Pablo (ESP) 2528, Cala Mendia (Spain) 2001 ]

[ 12. ... Qc6 13.a3 Bxc5 14.cxd5 exd5! 15.Nxd5

[ 15.Bb5 Qd6! = ]

15. ... Qxd5 16.Nxc5 b6

[ 16. ... Bf5 17.Qc4 Qxc4 18.Bxc4 Rac8 19.Rc1 Rxc5 20.Bxf7+ Kxf7 21.Rxc5 ]

17.Nb3 Bf5 18.Qc4 Qe5= G. Kasparov 19.Qd4 Qe7 20.Be2 Bc2 21.Nd2 Rad8 22.Qb4 Qe6 23.Rc1 Bd3 24.Bxd3 Rxd3 25.Qc4 Qxc4 26.Nxc4 Rb3 27.O-O b5 28.Nd6 Rxb2 29.Rc7 a6 30.Ra7 Ra2 31.Rxa6+= b4 32.Ra4 bxa3 33.Nb5 Rb2 34.Nxa3 Ra2 35.Ra5 Rd8 36.Nc4 Rxa5 37.Nxa5 g6 38.Rc1 Ra8 39.Nc6 ]

13.cxd5?!

[ 13.Bd3! would have been more accurate. 13. ... Bxc3+ 14.bxc3 dxc4 15.Bxe4 cxb3 16.Bxh7+ Kh8 17.Qe4 Vukovic 17. ... Qa5! 18.Qh4 Qxc3+ 19.Ke2 g5! 20.Qh6 Qg7 21.Qxg7+ Kxg7 22.Bd3 bxa2 23.Rxa2 G. Kasparov 23. ... Rh8

[ 23. ... Rd8 24.Ra5 f5 ]

24.Rb1 Rxh2 25.Be4 a6 26.Bxb7 Bxb7 27.Rxb7 ]

13. ... Bxc3+?

[ Black should have continued 13. ... Nxc5! 14.Rc1!

[ 14.Rd1?! exd5 15.Rxd5 b6 /\ 16... Be6 ]

14. ... Ne4!

[ 14. ... exd5 15.Nxc5 Qxc2 16.Rxc2 Bxc5 17.Nxd5+/- ]

15.Bd3 exd5 16.O-O Bxc3 17.bxc3 Be6 ]

14.bxc3 Nxc5

[ 14. ... exd5 15.Bd3 /\ c3-c4 ]

15.Rd1!

[ 15.dxe6? → Bxe6 16.c4

[ 16.Rb1 Rac8~ /\ Ne4 ]

[ 16.Nd4 Qxc2 17.Nxc2 Na4 18.c4 Rfc8 19.Na3 Nb2~ ]

16. ... Nxb3! 17.Qxb3 Qa5+ 18.Ke2 b5! ~ ]

15. ... exd5

[ 15. ... Rd8 Reti 16.Rd4! Qa3 17.Nxc5 Qxc5 18.dxe6 Bxe6 19.Bd3+/- ]

16.Rxd5 Nxb3?!

[ 16. ... b6 Lasker 17.Be2!

[ 17.Rd4 Qc6 18.Nxc5

[ 18.Bc4 Teschner ]

18. ... bxc5 19.Rh4 f5 20.Bc4+ Kh8 21.O-O Bb7 22.f3 Rad8 With counterchances. >< Rh4 Soutanbeieff ]

[ 17.Rd2 Teschner ]

17. ... Qe4

[ 17. ... Bb7 18.Rd4 ]

18.Qxe4 Nxe4 19.Bf3! +/- ]

17.axb3 Qc6 18.Rd4! /\ f3, Kf2 - This is an ideal position for the white rook. It turns out that Black has not obtained compensation for the given pawn.

[ 18.Bc4? Be6 19.Rd4 Bxc4 20.Rxc4 Qxg2 ]

18. ... Re8 19.Bd3! We encounter a dynamic way of realizing the advantage.

[ 19.Qd2 Be6 20.c4 a5! /\ a4 ]

[ 19.e4 /\ f3 +- Alekhine ]

19. ... Qxg2 20.Bxh7+ Kf8

[ 20. ... Kh8 21.Be4 Qh3 22.Rg1 /\ c4, Qc3 -> Golombek ]

21.Be4 Qh3 22.Qd2! Be6 23.c4 /\ Qb4 23. ... a5 24.Rg1! /\ Qb2 White returns a pawn for the sake of developing the attack. 24. ... Qxh2

[ 24. ... Qh6? +/- Golombek ]

25.Rh1 Qc7 26.Qb2! /\ 27.Qa3 Kg8 28.Bh7 Kh8 29.Rdh4! +- /\27.Th8 26. ... Qc5 27.Bd5 /\ 28.Be6 fe 29.Rf4 Kg8 30.Qc2 +-

[ 27.Bxb7?? Qb4+-+ ]

27. ... Ra6?