Chess Strategy · Chapter 29Game No. 21
This chapter is not translated yet. You are reading the original.
White: Eduard Lasker. Black: Aljechin.
Three Knights’ Defence.
1. P-K4 P-K4 2. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3 3. Kt-B3 B-Kt5 4. Kt-Q5
Developing another piece by B-Kt5 or B4 would be more in accordance with principle.
There was a threat of KtxB and KtxP. If Black plays P-Q3, the B must retire all the same after 5. B-Kt5. It seems best to retire the B to K2 rather than to B4 or R4, because there remains the threat of a pin subsequently by B-KKt5, which might become serious with the Knight at Q5.
5. B-B4 Kt-B3 6. P-Q3 P-Q3 7. KtxB QxKt 8. P-B3 P-KR3
The KKt is to support the advance of P-Q4 subsequently, and that is why Black does not want to allow it to be pinned. This is sound strategy, since White has exchanged his QKt, which from B3 prevents P-Q4 in the ordinary way.
9. B-K3 Castles 10. Q-Q2 B-K3 11. B-Kt3
The first mistake. B-QKt5 should be played to retard P-Q4.
11. … BxB 12. PxB P-Q4
13. PxP
The second mistake. Unimportant as it seems, it leads to the loss of the game. White did not defend the pawn by Q-B2, because it would have proved 10. Q-Q2 to have been a lost move. But giving up the centre is a far greater evil. Black now commands his Q5 and KB5, and this enables him to start an attack to which there is no defence. The game shows conclusively how important it is to maintain the centre.
13. … KtxP 14. Castles KR P-B4 15. P-QKt4 P-QKt3 16. Q-K2
to prevent P-K5, which would now be countered by PxP and Q-B4. However, as P-K5 cannot be prevented permanently, and the Q must move in any case, Q-B2 would have been the better move, as there the Queen cannot be molested by a Rook.
16. … Q-Q3 17. P-Kt5 QKt-K2 18. B-Q2 Kt-Kt3 19. R-R4 QR-K1!
Black’s game is beautifully developed, whilst White cannot make a combined effort. The Black Rooks are particularly well placed, and threaten to take an effective part in the attack in various ways. All this is the outcome of White losing the centre.
20. P-KKt3
Though this prevents Kt(Q 4)-B5, it weakens KB3, which is all the more serious as Black threatens to open the file by P-B5.
If now White refrains from taking the pawn, Black plays P-QR4!
21. RxP P-K5 22. Kt-Q4 PxP 23. QxP Kt-K4 24. Q-K2 P-B5
All the avenues of attack are now open, and White’s game collapses quickly.
25. Q-R5 Kt-KB 3 26. Q-B5 Kt-B6ch 27. K-R1 QxQ 28. KtxQ KtxB 29. R-Q1 Kt(B3)-K5 30. KtxP KtxBPch 31. K-Kt2 P-B6ch Resigns.