Pearl from Zandvoort

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The pearl of Zandvoort is a game of chess that was played on December 3, 1935 in Zandvoort during the competition for the world chess championship between challenger Max Euwe and reigning world champion Alexander Alekhine .

It is considered Euwe's best performance in this match, in which he surprisingly won the title. The name "Pearl of Zandvoort" goes back to Grand Master Savielly Tartakower , who reported on the competition as a journalist.

Before this 26th game it was 13:12 for Euwe, who was able to extend his lead to two points with this victory. In the remaining four games of the competition Alekhine was no longer able to achieve a tie. Euwe won in the end with 15.5: 14.5.

Annotated course of the game

1. d2-d4 e7-e6 2. c2-c4 f7-f5

The Dutch Defense , ECO Code A90. Alekhine chose it because he was behind and therefore had to risk something with the black pieces.

3. g2-g3 Bf8-b4 + 4. Lc1-d2 Bb4-e7

Black lured Bc1 to the modest square d2. 5. Qb3 or 6. Qb3 would have kept the exchange idea Bd2 – b4 up their sleeves.

5. Bf1-g2 Ng8-f6 6. Nb1-c3 0-0 7. Ng1-f3 Nf6-e4

Garri Kasparov considers the move d5 to be better, after which a pawn formation known as the Stonewall is created, in which Bd2 is suboptimal.

8. 0-0 b7-b6

In the 24th game of the competition, which ended in a draw , Alekhine played Bf6 instead.

9. Qd1-c2

There are two alternatives: 9. Nxe4 dxe4 10. Ne5 and 9. d5, each with an advantage for White.

9.… Bc8 – b7

A well-known position from the Ladies Indian Defense (ECO E18) was created by changing the train .

10. Nf3-e5 Ne4xc3 11. Bd2xc3

Not good for White is the quality gain against two pawns with 11. Bxb7 Nxe2 + 12. Kg2 Nxd4 13. Qd3 Nc6 14. Nxc6 Nxc6 15. Bxa8 Qxa8.

11.… Bb7xg2 12. Kg1xg2 Qd8 – c8 13. d4 – d5 d7 – d6 14. Ne5 – d3 e6 – e5 15. Kg2 – h1 c7 – c6 16. Qc2 – b3

After exchanging pawns on d5, Black threatened to gain an advantage with Qc4. White's move poses the threat 17. c5 bxc5 18. Nxe5 dxe5 19. d6 +, so the black king moves from the diagonal a2 – g8.

16.… Kg8 – h8 17. f2 – f4 e5 – e4 18. Nd3 – b4

White threatens to gain a positional advantage with 19. dxc6 Nxc6 20. Nd5.

18.… c6 – c5 19. Nb4 – c2 Nb8 – d7

Instead, Black would have better played Bf6 straight away.

20. Nc2-e3 Be7-f6
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Position after Black's 20th move

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21. Ne3xf5

Euwe gives a piece against three pawns. Alekhine allowed this combination on his last move because he hoped to get counter opportunities in the ensuing entanglements.

21.… Bf6xc3 22. Nf5xd6 Qc8 – b8 23. Nd6xe4 Bc3 – f6 24. Ne4 – d2

White is now threatening to let his e-pawn advance. With his next move Black tries to get counterplay on the kingside by opening the g-file.

24.… g7 – g5 25. e2 – e4 g5xf4 26. g3xf4 Bf6 – d4 27. e4 – e5 Qb8 – e8 28. e5 – e6 Rf8 – g8

A good move. If Black had played 28.… Nf6 instead, White would have had an advantage with 29.Nf3 because he could eliminate Black's strong bishop. Now White cannot take on d7 because Qe2 would follow strongly.

29. Nd2-f3

Euwe himself said that Qh3 would have been better instead, but Kasparov thinks the move is correct.

29.… De8 – g6 30. Rf1 – g1

Another victim . After 30. Ng5 Ne5 Black would have good counterplay.

30.… Bd4xg1 31. Ra1xg1 Qg6 – f6

This is arguably Alekhine's crucial mistake. After the move 31.… Qf5 suggested by Salo Flohr , Black could probably have achieved a draw, because 31. Ng5 can then be followed by 31.… h6 or 31.… Rxg5.

32. Nf3-g5
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Position after White's 32nd move

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This position was shown on a Dutch chess stamp issued in 2001 in honor of Euwe . Now White is winning because the defense 32.… h6 is insufficient because of 33. Nf7 + Kh7 34. Qd3 + Rg6 35. Ne5 Nxe5 36. fxe5 Qg7 37. h4 h5 38. d6

32.… Rg8 – g7 33. e6xd7 Rg7xd7 34. Qb3 – e3 Rd7 – e7

Followed Qxb2 35. De5 + (Kasparov) and the white pawn prevail.

35. Ng5 – e6 Ra8 – f8 36. De3 – e5 Qf6xe5 37. f4xe5 Rf8 – f5

Both players were short of time here . Better would have been 37. ... Txe6 38. dxe6 Tf5, after which the rook ending is not easy for White to win. In order to prevent this possibility, which still exists on the next move, Euwe would have better played 38th Rg5.

38. Rg1 – e1 h7 – h6 39. Ne6 – d8 Rf5 – f2 40. e5 – e6 Rf2 – d2

At this point there was a hanging game . Euwe is clearly on profit and subsequently realized his advantage.

41.Nd8 – c6 Re7 – e8 42. e6 – e7 b6 – b5 43. Nc6 – d8 Kh8 – g7 44.Nd8 – b7 Kg7 – f6 45. Re1 – e6 + Kf6 – g5 46.Nb7 – d6 Re8xe7 47.Nd6– e4 +

Black gave up.

literature

  • Kurt Richter (Ed.): Dr. Max Euwe . De Gruyter, Berlin 1965. pp. 49-53.
  • Garry Kasparov: My great predecessors . Vol. 2. Gloucester Publ., London 2003. pp. 55-61.

Web links