Botvinnik - Capablanca, Rotterdam 1938
The chess game Botwinnik - Capablanca, Rotterdam 1938 was played on November 22, 1938 in the eleventh round of the AVRO tournament in Rotterdam between Michail Botwinnik (white) and José Raúl Capablanca (black). It is the most famous game of the later world chess champion Botvinnik, its final combination is world famous and has been printed in many chess books. Botwinnik, who at that time was still at the beginning of his career, took third place behind Reuben Fine and Paul Keres in the strong tournament and thus established himself among the best in the world.
Notes on the game
The game is played back in algebraic notation .
- 1. d2-d4 Ng8-f6 2. c2-c4 e7-e6 3. Nb1-c3 Bf8-b4
The Nimzowitsch-Indian Defense , ECO Code E49 . With his next move, Botvinnik chooses a system that is named after the Polish grandmaster Akiba Rubinstein .
- 4. e2 – e3 d7 – d5 5. a2 – a3
Because of the d7 – d5 that has happened, White can dissolve his double pawn at any time. Therefore, in later years z. B. Samuel Reshevsky 5.… Be7 6. Nf3 0–0 7. b4 Nbd7 8. Bb2 c6 9. Qc2 dc4 10. Bxc4 a5 11. b5 Nb6 12. Bd3 cxb5 13. Nxb5 Bd7 14. 0–0 Rc8 with counterplay on the c-file or the white squares: 15. Nc3 Na4, 15. De2 Na4, 15. Qb3 a4 16. Qa2 Bc6 17. Rac1 Bd5 18. Qb1 Nc4
- 5.… Bb4xc3 + 6. b2xc3
The double pawn that has now arisen is a fake double pawn because there is a possibility of capturing c4xd5. A continuation that wants to take advantage of this resolution of the false double pawn is the maneuver Bg4 after 6.… 0–0 7. cd5 ed5 8. Bd3, which also proves to be useful after 8. Qc2. In doing so, Black is trying to exchange his rather "bad" bishop on f5 or g6 for Bd3. That would remove the "good" bishop from the white bishop pair . 9. Nge2 (or 9. Qb3 Qc8 10. f3 Bh5 11. Nge2 Bg6) is answered with Qc8 10. Qc2 (or 10. Qb3) c5, 9. f3 with Bh5. Because 6.… 0–0 exerts less pressure in the c- file and on the center than 6.… c5 is the immediate exchange after 6.… 0–0 7. cd5 ed5 8. Bd3 Bg4 9. Qb3 Qc8 10. Nge2 Bg4xe2 in order to avoid the double pawn on g6 after Bh5 11.Nf4 Bg6. Or after 6.… 0–0 7. cd5 ed5 8. Bd3 b6 Black concentrates on exchanging his rather "bad" bishop via b6. Even the additional queens exchange 9. Ne2 Ba6 10. f3 Qc8 11. Ng3 Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Qa6 13. Qxa6 Nxa6 14. e4 puts the black queen's knight on the sidelines and gives the c1 bishop a free diagonal.
- 6.… c7 – c5 7. c4xd5 e6xd5 8. Bf1 – d3
Here, too, the Bg4 maneuver would be an option. With 8. Qc2 Bg4 9. Nge2 Qc8 happens after 10. Ng3 cxd4 and there is a relieving queen exchange or the backward pawn c3. The disadvantage of Qc2, with a normal course like 8. Dc2 0–0 9. Bd3, is the clogging of the later retreat area for the necessary Bd3 after its displacement c5 – c4. Because White has to bring his pawn majority in the center into play with e3 – e4. Many figures from both parties orientate themselves on this. 8. f3 leads to game 9 of the 2013 World Chess Championship .
- 8.… 0–0 9. Ng1 – e2
In this case, the white king knight stands better here because the advance e3 – e4 through f2 – f3 must be prepared for the exploitation of the white pawn majority in the center. Botvinnik liked to use such a structure in the Queen's Gambit .
- 9.… b7 – b6 10. 0–0
In 1946 in the radio match USSR - England Botvinnik continued as white with 10. a4 against Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander . The rest of the game was Ba6 11. Bxa6 Nxa6 12. Ba3 Re8 13. Qd3 c4 14. Qc2 Qd7 15. 0–0 Nb8 16. Tae1 Nc6 17. Ng3 Sa5 18. f3 Nb3 19. e4 Qxa4 20. Qb2 a5 21. e5 b5 22. Bd6 Re6 23. exf6 Rxd6 24. fxg7 b4 25. Re5 Re8 26. f4 Qd7 27. De2 Tde6 28. f5 Rxe5 29. dxe5 bxc3 30. f6 Qa7 + 31. Kh1 Nd4 32. Qe3 Ra8 33. Qxc3 a4 34 Qxd4 Qxd4 35.Nf5 h5 36.Nxd4 Re8 37.Nf5 d4 38.e6 1: 0
Kasparow - Ivanović , Nikšić 1983, went as follows: 10. f3 Re8 11. 0–0 Ba6 12. Ng3 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 Nc6 14.Bb2 (14.Ra2 !? Rc8 15. Re2) c4 15.Qd2 Qd7 ?! (b5 16. Tae1 a5 17. e4 b4! 18. e5 Nd7 19. f4!) 16. Tae1 h5 ?! 17. e4 g6 18. Bc1! Nh7 19.Qh6! Re6 20. f4! Ne7 21.f5 gxf5 22.Qxh5 dxe4 23.Nxf5 Nxf5 24.Rxf5 Tae8 25.Re3 Rd6 26.Rg3 + 1: 0
- 10.… Bc8 – a6
Position after Black's 10th move |
A good move to exchange the dangerous d3 bishop who could otherwise be involved in an attack on the black king. Black thus eliminates the better bishop of the white bishop pair.
Raymond Keene points to the maneuver Nc6 11. f3 Sa5 12. Ng3 Re8 13. Ra2 Nb7 14. Re2 h5 with the idea of Nb7 – d6.
- 11. Bd3xa6 Nb8xa6 12. Bc1 – b2 ?!
White determines his black-squared bishop too early. More precisely is 12. Qd3 Qc8 13. f3 Qb7 14. Ng3 and Bc1 still covers e3.
- 12.… Qd8 – d7
Qd7 reserves the right to block and siege the a3 pawn with Qa4, Na6 – c7 – b5.
- 13. a3 – a4 Rf8 – e8 ?!
This is a positional error. 13.… cxd4 14. cxd4 Rfc8 would have been better, with counterplay on the c-file by Rc4 and Tac8.
- 14. Qd1 – d3 c5 – c4 ?!
This move initiates an offensive on the queenside. Capablanca would like to regroup his knight from a6 via b8, c6, a5 to b3. The game shows, however, that White's attack in the center and on the kingside is more dangerous. Therefore, according to Botwinnik, 14.… Qb7 would have been better to work towards e4. Later games therefore ended with 12. Qd3 Qc8 13. f3 Qb7 14. Ng3 and Bc1 still covers e3 or 12. a4 Re8 13. Qd3 Qc8 14. Ba3 ?! c4 15.Qc2 Qe6 !? .
- 15. Qd3-c2 Sa6-b8 16. Ta1-e1 Sb8-c6
Better probably 16.… Nh5, whereupon Botwinnik wanted to play 17. h3 f5 18. Bc1 Nc6 19. f3 Sa5 20. g4.
- 17. Ne2-g3 Nc6-a5
If Black instead plays 17. ... Ne4, White withdraws his knight from an exchange with 18.Nh1 and then drives the black knight away from his outpost with 19. f3 . E.g. 18.… f5 19. f3 Nd6 20. Ba3 g6 21. Ng3
Position after White's 18th move |
The plan Ng1 – e2 – g3, f2 – f3, e3 – e4 implemented by Botwinnik, with which White builds a dangerous pawn center and secures attack prospects on the kingside, was discovered in individual games by the Polish chess master Akiba Rubinstein . It was systematically developed and often used successfully by the Russian Botvinnik, after whom it is occasionally named.
- 18. f2-f3 Sa5-b3 19. e3-e4 Qd7xa4
Both sides carried out their strategic plan. Black won a pawn on the queenside, while White pushed through the advance of his e-pawn.
- 20. e4-e5 Nf6-d7 21. Qc2-f2
Botvinnik thought this was forced because of the threat of 21.… Nbc5, but it was later discovered that White could also gain an advantage with the move 21. Re2.
- 21.… g7 – g6 22. f3 – f4 f7 – f5 23. e5xf6
White opens lines of attack for his pieces and does not allow Black to block with Nf8 and Ne6.
- 23.… Nd7xf6 24. f4 – f5 Re8xe1 25. Rf1xe1 Ra8 – e8
Black tries to relieve himself by exchanging. After 26. fxg6 hxg6 the knight f6 cannot be taken because the rook is on e1, and after 27. Rxe8 + the knight takes back on e8 and thus evades the attack by the white queen.
- 26. Re1 – e6 Re8xe6
26.… Kg7 does not work because of 27. Rxf6 Kxf6 28. fxg6 + Kxg6 29. Qf5 + Kg7 30. Nh5 + Kh6 31. h4 Rg8 32. g4 Qc6 33.Ba3 with a decisive attack.
- 27. f5xe6 Kg8 – g7 28. Qf2 – f4 Qa4 – e8
There was a threat of 29.Nh5 + gxh5 30. Qg5 + (29.… Nxh5 30. Qf7 + Kh6 31.h4 plus e7; variant: 29.Nf5 +), so the black queen returns to defense.
- 29. Qf4 – e5 Qe8 – e7
29.… Sa5 is followed by 30. Bc1 with the threat of Bh6 +. Later it turned out that black only 29 by train h6 yet ... remisieren could include 30 La3 Qd8! 31. Ne2 Sa5 32. e7 Qd7 33. Qb8 Ne8 34.Nf4 Kf7 35. Qd8 Qf5! 36. Qxd5 + Qxd5 37.Nxd5 Nc6 with even play.
Position after Black's 29th move |
In this position Botvinnik finds the decisive combination: He sacrifices his idle b2 bishop to distract the black queen . Botvinnik freely admitted that he could not work through the variants to the end and trusted his intuition.
- 30. Bb2 – a3 !! Qe7xa3
If Black rejects the sacrifice with 30.… Qe8, 31. Qc7 + Kg8 32. Be7 Ng4 33. Qd7 Qa8 34. Bd6 leads to a win for White.
- 31. Ng3 – h5 + g6xh5 32. De5 – g5 + Kg7 – f8 33. Qg5xf6 + Kf8 – g8 34. e6 – e7
The conversion of the white pawn cannot be stopped. Black can only try to achieve a draw through perpetual check . Botvinnik reports that Capablanca tried to look confident in order to confuse his young opponent.
- 34… Qa3 – c1 + 35. Kg1 – f2 Qc1 – c2 + 36. Kf2 – g3 Qc2 – d3 + 37. Kg3 – h4 Qd3 – e4 + 38. Kh4xh5 De4 – e2 + 39. Kh5 – h4 De2 – e4 + 40. g2 – g4 De4 -E1 + 41. Kh4-h5 1-0
The black queen's chess is exhausted, Capablanca gave up and applause broke out in the gaming room.
The game received the tournament's beauty prize. The Soviet master Grigori Löwenfisch called them a work of art of the highest order .
literature
- Erich Carl: AVRO world tournament 1938 . Edition Marco, Berlin 1988. ISBN 3-924833-09-5 , pp. 104-107.
- Garry Kasparov : My great predecessors . Volume 2. Gloucester Publishers, London 2003. ISBN 1-85744-342-X , pp. 125-129.
- Raymond Keene : Two Opening Repertoires For White - Volume 1 . Hardinge Simpole Verlag 1st edition 2004, ISBN 1-84382-109-5 .