Part 20 (1/2)

[Ill.u.s.tration]

24. R Kt

with this sacrifice of the Rook for a Knight and p.a.w.n White obtains an overwhelming position.

24. ........ P R 25. Q P Kt - B 1

Kt - Q 2 was better in order to get rid of one of the two White Knights.

There were, however, any number of good replies to it, among them the following: Kt (B 5) Kt, B Kt; Q P, Q Q; Kt - B 7 ch, K - Kt 2; Kt Q, and with two p.a.w.ns for the exchange, and the position so much in his favour, White should have no trouble in winning. {156}

26. Kt - Kt 4 R - Kt 3 27. P - K 5 R - Kt 2 28. B - B 4 B - B 2

All these moves are practically forced, and as it is easily seen they tie up Black's position more and more. White's manoeuvres from move 24 onwards are highly instructive.

29. Kt - B 6 Kt - Kt 3

This wandering Knight has done nothing throughout the game.

30. Kt (B5) - K 4 P - K R 3 31. P - K R 4 Kt - Q 4 32. Q - Q 2 R - Kt 3 33. P P Q - B 1

If P P; K - B 2, and Black would be helpless.

34. P - B 4 Kt - K 2 35. P - K Kt 4 P P 36. P P Resigns.

There is nothing to be done. If B - Kt 1; Q - R 2 ch, K - Kt 2; B P.

The student should notice that, apart from other things, White throughout the game has had control of the Black squares, princ.i.p.ally those at K 5 and Q B 5.

From now on to the end of the book I shall give a collection of my games both lost and won, chosen so as to serve as ill.u.s.trations of the general principles laid down in the foregoing pages.

{159}

PART II

GAME 1. QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED

(Match, 1909)

White: F. J. Marshall. Black: J. R. Capablanca.

1. P - Q 4 P - Q 4 2. P - Q B 4 P - K 3 3. Kt - Q B 3 Kt - K B 3 4. B - Kt 5 B - K 2 5. P - K 3 Kt - K 5

I had played this defence twice before in the match with good results, and although I lost this game I still played it until the very last game, when I changed my tactics. The reason was my total lack of knowledge of the different variations in this opening, coupled with the fact that I knew that Dr. E. Lasker had been successful with it against Marshall himself in 1907. I thought that since Dr. Lasker had played it so often, it should be good. The object is to exchange a couple of pieces and at the same time to bring about a position full of possibilities and with promising chances of success once the end-game stage is reached. On general principles it should be wrong, because the {160} same Knight is moved three times in the opening, although it involves the exchange of two pieces. In reality the difficulty in this variation, as well as in nearly all the variations of the Queen's gambit, lies in the slow development of Black's Queen Bishop.

However, whether this variation can or cannot be safely played is a question still to be decided, and it is outside the scope of this book. I may add that at present my preference is for a different system of development, but it is not unlikely that I should some time come back to this variation.

6. B B Q B 7. B - Q 3