[Ill.u.s.tration] {226}

8. Q - K 2

This is played to prevent P - Q Kt 3, followed by B - Kt 2, which is the general form of development for Black in this variation. If Black now plays 8...P - Q Kt 3; 9. B - Kt 5 ch, B - Q 2; 10. Kt - K 5 and White obtains a considerable advantage in position.

8. ........ O - O 9. B - K Kt 5 P - K R 3

Of course Black could not play P - Q Kt 3 because of B Kt, followed by Q - K 4.

10. B Kt B B 11. Q - K 4 P - K Kt 3

This weakens Black's King's side. R - K 1 was the right move.

12. P - K R 4

[Ill.u.s.tration]

12. ........ P - K 4

This is merely giving up a p.a.w.n in order to come out quickly with his Q B.

But as he does not obtain {227} any compensation for his p.a.w.n, the move is bad. He should have played Q - Q 4 and tried to fight the game out that way. It might have continued thus: 13. Q - B 4, B - Kt 2; 14. Q B P, B P; 15. Kt B, Q Kt; 16. O - O - O with considerable advantage of position for White. The text move might be considered a mild form of suicide.

13. P P B - B 4 14. Q - K B 4 B B 15. O - O - O B - Kt 2 16. R B Q - K 2 17. Q - B 4

In order to keep the Black Queen from coming into the game.

17. ........ Q R - Q 1 18. K R - Q 1

A better plan would have been to play R - K 1, threatening P - K 6.

18. ........ R R 19. R R R - K 1 20. P - B 3 P - Q B 3

Of course if B P; Kt B, Q Kt; R - K 3. Black with a p.a.w.n minus fights very hard.

21. R - K 3

The p.a.w.n had now to be defended after Black's last move, because after B P; Kt B, Q Kt; {228} R - K 3, Black could now play Q - Kt 1 defending the Rook.

21. ........ P - Q B 4 22. K - B 2 P - Kt 3 23. P - R 4

White's plan now is to _fix_ the Queen's side in order to be able to manoeuvre freely on the other side, where he has the advantage of material.

23. ........ Q - Q 2 24. R - Q 3 Q - B 1 25. Q - K 4 Q - K 3 26. R - Q 5 K - B 1 27. P - B 4 K - Kt 1

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Black sees that he now stands in his best defensive position, and therefore waits for White to show how he intends to break through. He notices, of course, that the White Knight is in the way of the K B P, which cannot advance to K B 4 to defend, or support rather, the p.a.w.n at K 5. {229}

28. P - Q Kt 3 K - B 1 29. K - Q 3 K - Kt 1 30. R - Q 6 Q - B 1 31. R - Q 5 Q - K 3 32. P - K Kt 4 K - B 1 33. Q - B 4 K - Kt 1 34. Q - K 4 K - B 1

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Black persists in waiting for developments. He sees that if P - K R 5, P P; P P, the Queen goes to R 6, and White will have to face serious difficulties. In this situation White decides that the only course is to bring his King to K Kt 3, so as to defend the squares K R 3 and K Kt 4, where the Black Queen might otherwise become a source of annoyance.

35. K - K 2 K - Kt 1 36. K - B 1 K - B 1 37. K - Kt 2 K - Kt 1 38. K - Kt 3 K - B 1

{230}

Now that he has completed his march with the King, White is ready to advance.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

39. P - K R 5 P P

39...P - K Kt 4 would be answered by Q - B 5, with a winning game.

40. P P Q - K 2

Against K - Kt 1; White would play Q - Kt 4, practically forcing the exchange of Queens, after which White would have little trouble in winning the ending, since Black's Bishop could not do much damage in the resulting position.

41. Q - B 5 K - Kt 1

Black overlooks the force of 42 R - Q 7. His best defence was R - Q 1; against which White could either advance the King or play Kt - R 4, threatening Kt - Kt 6 ch.

42. R - Q7 B P ch

{231}

This loses a piece, but Black's position was altogether hopeless.

43. K - Kt 4 Q - B 3 44. Kt B Q - Kt 2 ch 45. K - B 4 Resigns.

The interest of this game centres mainly on the opening and on the march of the White King during the final stage of the game. It is an instance of the King becoming a fighting piece, even while the Queens are still on the board.

GAME 13. RUY LOPEZ

(New York, 1918)

White: J. S. Morrison. Black: J. R. Capablanca.

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

In this form of defence of the Ruy Lopez the development of the K B via Kt 2 is, I think, of great importance. The Bishop at Kt 2 exerts great pressure along the long diagonal. At the same time the position of the Bishop and p.a.w.ns in front of the King, once it is Castled, is one of great defensive strength. Therefore, in this form of development, the Bishop, {232} we might say, exerts its maximum strength (Compare this note with the one in the Capablanca-Burn game at San Sebastian, page 197.)

7. Kt - B 3 B - Kt 2 8. B - Kt 5 Kt - B 3

Of course not K Kt - K 2; because of Kt - Q 5. The alternative would have been P - B 3; to be followed by K Kt - K 2; but in this position it is preferable to have the Kt at K B 3.