Botvinnik versus Capablanca, AVRO 1938

The game of chess Botvinnik - Capablanca, Rotterdam 1938, Raúl Capablanca played ( Black) on November 22, 1938 in the eleventh round of the AVRO tournament in Rotterdam between Mikhail Botvinnik (white) and José. She is the most famous game of the future world chess champion Botvinnik, their final combination is world famous and was reprinted in many chess books. Botvinnik, who was still at that time early in his career, finished second in the tournament with strong third place behind Paul Keres and Reuben Fine and established itself in the world's best.

Comments on the game

The play of the game takes place in algebraic notation.

The Nimzowitsch - Indian Defence, ECO code E49. Botvinnik selects his next train a system that is named after the Polish grandmaster Akiba Rubinstein.

By the happened d7 -d5 White can at any time to his now emerging doubled pawns. Therefore turned in later years, for example, Samuel Reshevsky 5 ... Be7 6 Nf3 0-0 7 b4 Nbd7 8 Bb2 c6 9 Dc2 dc4 10 Lxc4 a5 11 b5 12 Bd3 Sb6 cxb5 13 Sxb5 Bd7 0-0 14 Rc8 with counterplay on the c-file or the white fields: 15 Sc3 Sa4 15 De2 Sa4 15 Db3 a4 16 Da2 Bc6 17 TAC1 Ld5 Db1 18 Sc4

In the doubled pawns now created is an improper double farmers because the impact possibility c4xd5. A sequel that wants to make this fake resolution of doubled pawns advantage after 6 ... 0-0 7.cd5 ED5 8.Bd3 Bg4 is the maneuver, which proves to be useful just after 8.Qc2. This aims at Black for a battle of his rather " bad" bishop on f5 or g6 against the Ld3. This would remove the "good" runners of the white bishop pair. 9.Sge2 (or 9.Db3 DC8 10.f3 Bh5 11.Sge2 Lg6 ) is answered in DC8 10.Dc2 (or 10.Db3 ) c5 9.f3 with Bh5. Because 6 ... 0-0 less pressure in the c-file and to the center exerts a 6 ... c5 is after 6 ... 0-0 7 cd5 ED5 8 Bd3 Bg4 9 Db3 DC8 10 Sge2 the immediate Abtausch Lg4xe2 to consider in order to avoid double pawns on g6 after Bh5 11.Sf4 Lg6. Or Black concentrates after 6 ... 0-0 7 cd5 ED5 8 Bd3 b6 for a battle on his rather " bad" runner via b6. Even the additional exchange of queens 9 Se2 La6 10 f3 DC8 11 Sg3 Lxd3 12 Dxd3 Da6 13 Dxa6 Sxa6 14 e4 represents the black queen's knight to the sidelines and gives the c1-bishop a free diagonal.

Again came the maneuver Bg4 in question. At 8 Dc2 Bg4 9 Sge2 DC8 happens after 10 Sg3 cxd4 and it comes to relieving women exchange or backward pawn c3. The disadvantage of Dc2 is a normal course as Dc2 8 0-0 9 Bd3 clogging of the later withdrawal field for the necessary Bd3 c5 - c4 after its Abdrängung. Because White has to get his pawn majority in the center using e3 -e4 into play. Then inspiration for many pieces of both parties.

In this case, the white king knight is better here, because for the recovery of the white pawn majority in the center of the advance e3 -e4 must be prepared by f2 -f3. Such a structure turned Botvinnik like to watch on the Queen's Gambit.

1946 radio match USSR - England sat Botvinnik as White with 10 a4 continued against Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander. The other game of course was La6 11 Lxa6 Sxa6 12 La3 Re8 13 Dd3 c4 14 Dc2 Qd7 15 0-0 Sb8 16 TAE1 Nc6 17 Sg3 Sa5 18 f3 e4 Dxa4 Sb3 19 20 a5 21.e5 Db2 b5 22 Bd6 Te6 23 exf6 Txd6 24 fxg7 b4 25 Te5 Re8 26 f4 Qd7 27 De2 Tde6 28 f5 Txe5 29 dxe5 bxc3 30 f6 Da7 31 Kh1 Nd4 32 De3 Ta8 33 Dxc3 a4 34. Qxd4 Qxd4 35 Sf5 h5 36 Nxd4 Re8 37 Sf5 d4 38 e6 1-0

Kasparov - Ivanovic, Nikšić in 1983 was as follows: 10 f3 Re8 11 0-0 La6 12 Sg3 Lxd3 13 Dxd3 Nc6 14 Bb2 c4 15 Dd2 Qd7 ( 14 Ta2 Rc8 15 Te2? )? (b5 16 17 e4 TAE1 a5 b4! 18 e5 Nd7 19 f4! ) 16 TAE1 h5! 17 e4 g6 18 Lc1! Sh7 19 dh6! Te6 20 f4! Ne7 21 f5 GXF5 22 Dxh5 dxe4 23 Sxf5 Sxf5 24 Txf5 Tae8 25 Te3 Td6 26 Tg3 1-0

A good train to abzutauschen the dangerous runners d3 who might otherwise participate in an attack on the black king. Black thus eliminates the better runner of the white bishop pair.

Raymond Keene has the maneuver Nc6 11 f3 Sa5 12 Sg3 Re8 out 13 Ta2 Sb7 14 Te2 h5 with the idea Sb7 - d6.

Qd7 reserves the blockade and siege of farmers a3 means Da4, Sa6 c7 - b5.

This is a positional error. Better would have been 13 ... cxd4 14 cxd4 TFC8, with counterplay on the c-file by Tc4 plus Tac8.

This train passes an offensive one on the queenside. Capablanca would regroup his knight on b8 of a6, c6, a5 by b3. In the game, however, shows that the white attack in the center and on the kingside is more dangerous. According to Botvinnik would therefore be 14 ... Db7 been better to act in the direction e4. Therefore later games went with 12 Dd3 DC8 13 f3 Db7 or 12 a4 Re8 13 Dd3 DC8 14 La3? c4 15th Dc2 DE6? .

Better probably 16 ... Sh5 what Botvinnik h3 f5 17 18 19 f3 Nc6 Lc1 Sa5 20 g4 wanted to play.

If Black plays 17 ... Ne4 instead, so deprives White by 18 Sh1 his knight being exchanged and then distributes through 19 f3 the black knight back from his outpost.

The by Botvinnik implemented in another plan Sg1 - e2- g3, f2 -f3, e3 -e4, which White built a dangerous pawn center and attack prospects secures on the kingside, has been discovered in various parts of the Polish chess champion Akiba Rubinstein. Systematically developed and successfully applied frequently has him the Russian Botvinnik, after which he is also sometimes named.

Both sides have completed their strategic plan. Black won a pawn on the queenside while White has enforced the advance of his e-pawn.

Botvinnik thought this was because of the threat 21 ... SBC5 for forced, later was found, however, that White was able to come into advantage by train 21 Te2.

White opens his characters attack lines and can not come to a blockade by Black Sf8 plus Se6.

Black tries to relieve themselves by exchanging. After 26 fxg6 hxg6 the f6 knight can not be taken because the tower on e1 depends, and after 27 Txe8 takes the jumper back to e8 and eludes the attack by the white lady.

26 ... KG7 is not because 27 TXF6 Kxf6 28 fxg6 Kxg6 29 Qf5 KG7 30 Sh5 Kh6 31 h4 Rg8 32 g4 Qc6 33 La3 with ultimate attack.

It threatened Sh5 29 gxh5 30.Dg5 ( 29 ... Sxh5 30 DF7 Kh6 31 h4 together with e7; variant: 29 Sf5 ), hence the black queen returns to the defense.

On 29 ... Sa5 follows 30 Lc1 with the threat Bh6 . Later it turned out that black only by train 29 ... h6 could still remisieren, after about 30 La3 Qd8! 31 Se2 Sa5 32 e7 Qd7 33 DB8 Se8 34 Sf4 Kf7 35 Qd8 Qf5! 36 Qxd5 Qxd5 37 Nxd5 Nc6 with a balanced game.

In this position, Botvinnik is the ultimate combination: He sacrifices his idle runners b2 to deflect the black queen. Botvinnik admitted frankly that he could not be expected until the end of the variants and intuition familiar.

If Black declines the sacrifice by 30 ... Qe8, leads 31 Qc7 Kg8 32 Be7 Sg4 33 Qd7 Qa8 34 Bd6 to win for White.

The conversion of the white pawn is unstoppable. Black can only try to reach a draw by perpetual check. Botvinnik reported that Capablanca was trying to make a confident impression in order to confuse his young opponent yet.

Thus, the chess of the black lady are exhausted, Capablanca gave up and in the game room surged applause.

The game was awarded the brilliancy prize of the tournament. The Soviet champion Grigory lion fish called it a work of art of the highest order.