Part 24 (1/2)

GAME 6. FRENCH DEFENCE

(Rice Memorial Tournament, 1916)

White: O. Chajes. Black: J. R. Capablanca.

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

Of all the variations of the French Defence I like this best, because it gives Black more chances to obtain the initiative.

5. P - K 5

Though I consider P P the best move, there is much to be said in favour of this move, but not of the variation as a whole, which White adopted in this game.

5. ........ P - K R 3 6. B - Q 2 B Kt 7. P B Kt - K 5 8. Q - Kt 4 K - B 1

The alternative, P - K Kt 3; leaves Black's King's side very weak. White by playing P - K R 4 would force Black to play P - K R 4; and later, on White's Bishop by going to Q 3, would threaten the weakened K Kt P. By the text move Black gives up Castling, but gains time for an attack against White's centre and Queen's side. {190}

9. B - B 1 P - Q B 4

Threatening Q - R 4 and stopping thereby White's threat of B - R 3. It demonstrates that White's last move was a complete loss of time and merely weakened his position.

10. B - Q 3 Q - R 4 11. Kt - K 2 P P 12. O - O P P 13. B Kt P B 14. Q P Kt - B 3

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Black has come out of the opening with a p.a.w.n to the good. His development, however, has suffered somewhat, and there are Bishops of opposite colour, so that it cannot be said as yet, that Black has a won game; but he has certainly the best of the position, because, besides being a p.a.w.n to the good, he threatens White's K P, which must of course be {191} defended, and this in turn will give him the opportunity to post his Knight at Q 4 via K 2. When the Black Knight is posted at Q 4, the Bishop will be developed to B 3 via Q 2, as soon as the opportunity presents itself, and it will be Black that will then have the initiative, and can consequently decide the course of the game.

15. R - Q 1

To prevent Kt - K 2; which would be answered by Kt P, or still better by B - R 3. The move, however, is strategically wrong, since by bringing his pieces to the Queen's side, White loses any chance he might have of making a determined attack on the King's side before Black is thoroughly prepared for it.

15. ........ P - K Kt 3 16. P - B 4 K - Kt 2 17. B - K 3

Better would have been P - Q R 4, in order to play B - R 3. The White B would be much better posted on the open diagonal than here, where it acts purely on the defensive.

17. ........ Kt - K 2 18. B - B 2 Kt - Q 4

This Knight completely paralyses the attack, as it dominates the whole situation, and there is no way to dislodge it. Behind it Black can quietly develop his pieces. The game can now be said to be won for Black strategically. {192}

19. R - Q 3 B - Q 2 20. Kt - Q 4 Q R - Q B 1 21. R - Kt 3 K - R 2 22. P - K R 4 K R - Kt 1 23. P - R 5 Q - Kt 5

In order to pin the Knight and be ready to come back to either K 2 or B 1.

Also to prevent Q R - Kt 1. In reality nearly all these precautions are unnecessary, since White's attack amounts to nothing. Probably Black should have left aside all these considerations, and played Q - R 5 now, in order to follow it up with P - B 4, as he did later, but under less favourable circ.u.mstances.

24. R - R 3

[Ill.u.s.tration]

24. ........ P - B 4