Capablanca - Bernstein, San Sebastián 1911
Capablanca - Bernstein, San Sebastián 1911 is one of the most famous games in chess history . It was at the beginning of the career of the future world champion José Raúl Capablanca . His opponent was the later International Grand Master Ossip Bernstein . The game was played in the 1911 tournament in San Sebastián (Spain).
Capablanca himself said in retrospect about the encounter:
- Some of the Masters objected to my participation before the tournament. One of them was Dr. Amber. I was lucky enough to meet him in the first round and beat him in such a way that I was awarded the Rothschild Prize for the most brilliant game in the tournament.
Notes on the game
- 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6 3. Bf1-b5
The Spanish game , one of the most played and studied openings. It is very popular at all skill levels.
- 3.… Ng8 – f6 4. 0–0 Bf8 – e7 5. Nb1 – c3 d7 – d6
The Steinitz defense emerged in the Spanish game.
- 6. Bb5xc6 +
Tarrasch rebukes this move: It is not clear what the purpose of the exchange is at this point. The natural move was 6. d2 – d4.
Viswanathan Anand exchanged for Gilberto Milos in 2004 in Sao Paulo only after 6. d2 – d4 Bc8 – d7 with 7. Bb5xc6. After Bd7xc6 8. Rf1 – e1 e5xd4 9. Nf3xd4 Bc6 – d7 10. h2 – h3 0–0 he centralized with 11. Qd1 – f3 Rf8 – e8 12. Bc1 – f4 c7 – c6 13. Ra1 – d1
- 6.… b7xc6 7. d2 – d4 e5xd4 8. Nf3xd4 Bc8 – d7
Position after Black's 8th move |
- 9. Lc1-g5
Introduced by Lasker in his first competition with Janowski and recognized as the strongest continuation since the St. Petersburg tournament in 1909. I think the move is weak, as it only leads to the exchange of the beautiful bishop, thus making Black's game easier and promoting his development. The development method b2 – b3 plus Bb2, which I first played in the tournament in Manchester 1890, very often leads to a mate attack on point g7 and is by far preferable. (Tarrasch)
It was the game Tarrasch-Blackburne, Manchester 1890, in which 6 d2 – d4 e5xd4 7. Nf3xd4 Bc8 – d7 8. b2 – b3 0–0 9. Bc1 – b2 was played without Bb5xc6.
At the 9th DSB Congress in Leipzig in 1894, Tarrasch successfully repeated the fianchetto against Schlechter after 6. d2 – d4 Bc8 – d7 7. Rf1 – e1 Nc6xd4 8. Nf3xd4 e5xd4 9. Bb5xd7 + Qd8xd7 10. Qd1xd4 0–0 11. b2 – b3 .
In the 1908 world chess championship against Laser Tarrasch turned after 6. d2 – d4 Bc8 – d7 7. Rf1 – e1 e5xd4 8. Nf3xd4 0–0 9. Nd4xc6 Bd7xc6 10. Bb5xc6 b7xc6 11. Nc3 – e2 Qd8 – d7 12. Ne2– g3 Rf-e8 13. b2 – b3 the fianchetto.
- 9.… 0–0 10. Rf1 – e1 h7 – h6 11. Bg5 – h4 Nf6 – h7
The best way to equalize was shown in the third game of the Capablanca-Lasker world championship match by the latter: 11.… Rf8 – e8 12. Qd1 – d3 Nf6 – h7 13. Bh4xe7 Re8xe7 14. Re1 – e3 Qd8 – b8 15. b2-b3 Db8-b6. (Golombek)
- 12. Bh4xe7 Qd8xe7 13. Qd1-d3 Ra8-b8
Emanuel Lasker , who analyzed the game for Pester Lloyd , thought 13.… Re8 to be more natural in order to free f8 for the knight.
- 14. b2-b3 Nh7-g5 15. Ta1-d1
Tarrasch doesn't find good words for Capablanca's opening treatment. At this point he recommends 15. f2 – f4.
- 15.… De7 – e5 16. Qd3 – e3 Ng5 – e6 17. Nc3 – e2 De5 – a5
Tarrasch thinks this is dangerous and recommends 17.… Ne6 – c5.
- 18. Nd4-f5 Ne6-c5
The a2 pawn is taboo because of (18.… Qxa2) 19. Qc3 Qa6 20. Nf4 f6 21. Qg3 etc. Une petite combinaison . (Prins)
- 19. Ne2 – d4 Kg8 – h7
Position after Black's 19th move |
- 20. g2-g4
A typical Capablanca move that harmonizes perfectly with the obvious ease with which White has built the whole position. (...) One of the phenomenal qualities of the Cuban was his seldom failing intuition in recognizing situations in which "relaxation" had to take the place of exertion. (Prins)
- 20.… Rb8 – e8 21. f2 – f3 Nc5 – e6
Position after Black's 21st move |
- 22. Nd4 – e2
Kasparov considers this move to be dubious: a purely intuitive sacrifice by the a2 pawn to gain an attack against the king. (...) I think in the mid-20s the Cuban would turn 22. Ne2 ?! haven't played anymore. Tarrasch also criticizes this move, but finds recognition for the boldness of the young Cuban, who sacrifices two pawns on the queenside in order to attack on the kingside.
- 22.… Qa5xa2?
Finally Black takes the pawn. I would like to point out that Dr. Bernstein, who communicated this to me in our conversation at the time, had not the faintest idea of what was next. He shouldn't be criticized too much, however, as the combination inherent in the position is very deep and difficult to predict. 22.… Qb6, instead of the text move, would have simplified the position, but the attractive person would still have an advantage. (Capablanca) Lasker declares the advantage that White would enjoy after the sequence 22.… Qb6 23. Nd4 as "infinitesimal".
- 23. Ne2-g3
Position after White's 23rd move |
- 23.… Qa2xc2?
The second strike is fateful, but as I said before, Black has no idea of the storm brewing over him. As Lasker noted, 23… f7 – f6 was necessary here. If White then continued his attack with 24.Nh5, followed by 23.… Rf7. (Capablanca)
- 24. Td1-c1
Such harassment is of course very often exposed to a single lady who has carelessly embarked on adventures. (Tarrasch)
- 24.… Qc2 – b2 25. Ng3 – h5 Rf8 – h8
According to Capablanca there was nothing better, according to Kasparov this is the crucial mistake. He recommends 25.… g7 – g5 !? or 25.… Rf8 – g8!?, whereupon White still has attack, but a win cannot be proven. Tarrasch is also considering 25… Re8 – d8. According to Lasker, 25.… f7 – f6 along with Rf8 – f7 offered a better defense.
- 26. Re1-e2 Qb2-e5 27. f3-f4 De5-b5
Position after White's 27th move |
- 28.Nf5xg7!
Finally, we clearly see the result of the lady's moves. This move represents the turning point due to the combination that was initiated on move 21. (Capablanca)
- 28.… Ne6 – c5
This move is Bernstein's last mistake. He was able to offer more resistance with 28.… Qb6. Capablanca writes that he expected 28.… Ne6xg7, whereupon 29. Nf6 + Kg6 30. Nxd7 f6 31. e5 Kf7 32. Nxf6 Re7 33. Ne4 with an untenable position for Black. Prins thinks that the variant 28.… Rd8 29. f5 Nf8 30. Qc3 Qc5 + 31. Qxc5 dxc5 32. e5 is pleasing to the eye .
- 29. Ng7xe8 Bd7xe8 30. De3-c3 f7-f6 31. Nf5xf6 + Kh7-g6 32. Nf6-h5 Rh8-g8 33. f4-f5 + Kg6-g5 34. Qc3-e3 +
Black gives up.
swell
- JR Capablanca: My Chess Career. New York 1920. (here: Reprint 1966, pp. 48–54)
- H. Golombek: Capablanca's 100 Best Games of Chess. London 1947 (here: 1980 edition, pp. 38–40)
- G. Kasparov: Moi welikie predschestwenniki. [My great predecessors]. Volume 1, Moscow 2003, pp. 254-256.
- L. Prins, M. Euwe: Capablanca, Das Schachphänomen. Hamburg 1979, pp. 23-26.
- S. Tarrasch: The modern game of chess. 2nd Edition. Leipzig 1916. (here: Reprint Zurich 1986, pp. 33–36)