13. B - K 3

[Ill.u.s.tration]

13. ........ B - Kt 5

This is a serious mistake. The position was most interesting, and though in appearance dangerous for Black, not so in reality. The right move would have been 13...R - Kt 5, when we would have 14 B Kt, R B; 15 P - Q B 3, B P; 16 P B, R - K Kt 5; 17 Q - K 3 (best), Q P ch; 18 B - B 2, Q Q; 19 P Q, R P, and Black has the best of the game with four p.a.w.ns for a Knight, besides the fact that all the White p.a.w.ns are isolated.

14. Kt - Kt 5 ! R B

There was nothing better.

15. Q B ! Kt - K 7 ch

{204}

[Ill.u.s.tration]

16. B Kt ! R B 17. Kt - K 4 ! R Kt 18. Q R Q - Kt 4 ch 19. P - K B 4 Q - Kt 4 20. P - B 3 B - B 4 21. K R - K 1 Q - B 3 22. R - Q 5

Q Q would have given White a decided advantage, enough to win with proper play. Mieses, however, feared the difficulties of an ending where, while having the exchange, he would be a p.a.w.n minus. He preferred to keep the Queens on the board and keep up the attack. At first sight, and even after careful thought, there seems to be no objection to his plan; but in truth such is not the case. From this point the game will gradually improve in Black's favour until, with the exchange ahead, White is lost. {205}

22. ........ Q - Q 2 23. P - B 5 P - Q B 3 24. R - Q 2 P - Q 4

[Ill.u.s.tration]

My plan for the moment is very simple. It will consist in bringing my Bishop around to B 3. Then I shall try to paralyse White's attack against my King by playing P - K R 3, and also prevent White from ever playing P - K Kt 5. Once my King is safe from attack I shall begin to advance my Queen's side p.a.w.ns, where there are four to three; and that advantage, coupled with the enormous attacking power of my Bishop at B 3, will at least a.s.sure me an even chance of success.

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

{206} To prevent P - K R 4, which I would answer with P - K Kt 3, winning the Queen. It can now be considered that my King is safe from attack. White will have to withdraw his Queen via R 3, and Black can use the time to begin his advance on the Queen's side.

29. K - Kt 1 R - Q 1 30. R - Q 1 P - B 4

Notice that, on a.s.suming the defensive, White has placed his Rooks correctly from the point of view of strategy. They are both on white squares free from the possible attack of the Black Bishop.

31. Q - R 3 Q - R 5

This gains time by attacking the Rook and holding the White Q at R 3 for the moment, on account of the K Kt P. Besides, the Queen must be in the middle of the fray now that the attack has to be brought home. White has actually more value in material, and therefore Black must utilise everything at his command in order to succeed.

32. R (K2) - Q 2 Q - K 5 ch 33. K - R 1 P - Q Kt 4

threatening P - Kt 5; which would open the line of action of the Bishop and also secure a pa.s.sed p.a.w.n.

34. Q - Kt 2 Q - R 5

indirectly defending the Q P, which White cannot take on account of Q R ch.

{207} /* 35. K - Kt 1 P - Kt 5 */

The attack increases in force as it is gradually brought home directly against the King. The position now is most interesting and extremely difficult. It is doubtful if there is any valid defence against Black's best play. The variations are numerous and difficult.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

36. P P Q P

Black has now a pa.s.sed p.a.w.n, and his Bishop exerts great pressure. White cannot very well play now 37 R P because of R R; 38 R R, B P; and White could not take the Bishop because Q - K 5 ch would win the Rook, leaving Black a clear pa.s.sed p.a.w.n ahead.

37. P - Q R 3 Q - R 5 !

38. R P R - Q Kt 1 39. R (Q 1) - Q 2 P - B 5 40. Q - Kt 3 R - Kt 6 41. Q - Q 6

{208}

[Ill.u.s.tration]

41. ........ P - B 6

B P would also win, which shows that White's game is altogether gone. In these cases, however, it is not the prettiest move that should be played, but the most effective one, the move that will make your opponent resign soonest.

42. R - Q B 2 P P 43. R - Q 3 Q - K 5 !

44. R - Q 1 R - Q B 6 Resigns.

Of course White must play Q - Q 2, and Black then plays R P.

{209}

GAME 9. QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED

(Berlin, 1913)

White: J. R. Capablanca. Black: R. Teichmann.

1. P - Q 4 P - Q 4 2. Kt - K B 3 Kt - K B 3 3. P - B 4 P - K 3 4. B - Kt 5 B - K 2 5. Kt - B 3 Q Kt - Q 2 6. P - K 3 O - O 7. R - B 1 P - Q Kt 3 8. P P P P 9. B - Kt 5

An invention of my own, I believe. I played it on the spur of the moment simply to change the normal course of the game. Generally the Bishop goes to Q 3, or to R 6, after Q - R 4. The text move is in the nature of an ordinary developing move, and as it violates no principle it cannot be bad.

9. ........ B - Kt 2 10. O - O P - Q R 3 11. B - R 4 R - B 1 12. Q - K 2 P - B 4 13. P P Kt P

If P P; K R - Q 1, and White would play to win one of Black's centre p.a.w.ns. The drawback to the {210} text move is that it leaves Black's Q P isolated, and consequently weak and subject to attack.

14. K R - Q 1 Kt B

The alternative would have been 14...P - Kt 4; 15 B - B 2, P - Kt 5; 16 Kt - Q R 4, Kt (B 4) - K 5.

15. Kt Kt P - Kt 4 16. R R Q R 17. Kt - B 3 Q - B 5

Black aims at the exchange of Queens in order to remain with two Bishops for the ending, but in this position such a course is a mistake, because the Bishop at Kt 2 is inactive and cannot come into the game by any means, unless Black gives up the isolated Queen's p.a.w.n which the Bishop must defend.