Part 30 (1/2)

9. Q - Q 2 P - K R 3 10. B - K R 4

An error of judgment. White wants to keep the Knight pinned, but it was more important to prevent Black from Castling immediately. B - K B 4 would have done this.

10. ........ O - O 11. O - O - O

Bold play, but again faulty judgment, unless he intended to play to win or lose, throwing safety to the winds. The Black Bishop at Kt 2 becomes a very powerful attacking piece. The strategical disposition of the Black pieces is now far superior to White's, therefore it will be Black who will take the offensive.

11. ........ R - K 1 12. K R - K 1

{233}

[Ill.u.s.tration]

White wanted to keep his Q R on the open file, and consequently brings over his other Rook to the centre to defend his K P, which Black threatened to win by P - K Kt 4, followed by Kt P.

12. ........ P - Kt 4 !

Now that the K R is in the centre, Black can safely advance, since, in order to attack on the King's side, White would have to s.h.i.+ft his Rooks, which he cannot do so long as Black keeps up the pressure in the centre.

13. B - Kt 3 Kt - K R 4

Uncovering the Bishop, which now acts along the long diagonal, and at the same time preventing P - K 5, which would be answered by Kt B; P Kt, Kt P; etc., winning a p.a.w.n.

14. Kt - Q 5 P - R 3

Black drives the Bishop away so as to _unpin_ his pieces and be able to manoeuvre freely. {234}

15. B - Q 3 B - K 3

Preparing the onslaught. Black's pieces begin to bear against the King's position.

16. P - B 3

[Ill.u.s.tration]

With the last move White not only blocks the action of Black's K B, but he also aims at placing his Bishop at Q Kt 1 and his Queen at Q B 2, and then advancing his K P, to check at K R 7.

16. ........ P - B 4 !

Initiating an attack to which there is no reply, and which has for its ultimate object either the winning of the White Q B or cutting it off from the game. (Compare this game with the Winter-Capablanca game at Hastings.)

17. P - K R 4 P - B 5

The Bishop is now out of action. White naturally counter attacks violently against the seemingly {235} exposed position of the Black King, and, with very good judgment, even offers the Bishop.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

18. P P ! P P !