Chess Strategy · Chapter 34Game No. 26
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White: Capablanca. Black: Blanco
French Defence.
1. P-K4 P-K3 2. P-Q4 P-Q4 3. Kt-QB3 PxP 4. KtxP Kt-Q2 5. Kt-KB3 KKt-B3 6. KtxKtch KtxKt 7. Kt-K5
This crosses Black’s plan of developing the QB at Kt2.
9. B-Kt5ch, P-B3; 10. KtxP was threatened.
9. P-B3 Castles 10. B-KKt5 B-K2 11. B-Q3
Whatever Black plays now, he must create some weakness in order to provide against White’s Q-R3, BxKt, QxRP, and White’s attack must succeed. The whole of Black’s plan is thus frustrated, as the only reason for abandoning the centre by PxP was the occupation of the long diagonal by the QB. Now the Queen’s side pieces cannot get into play without much difficulty, and by the time they have succeeded it is too late.
11. … Kt-K1
Intending to intercept the diagonal of the White KB by P-KB4. If Black plays P-KKt3 with the same intention, White plays P-KR4-5 and PxP, and brings the Rook into play.
P-KR3 would lead to an immediate disaster: 13. BxP, PxB; 14. QxRP, P-KB4; 15. P-KKt4. The move in the text avoids the immediate attack on the King, but the King’s Pawn is now “backward,” and White immediately fastens on this weakness.
13. BxB QxB 14. Castles KR R-B3 15. KR-K1 Kt-Q3 16. R-K2 B-Q2 17. QR-K1 R-K1 18. P-QB4 Kt-B2 19. P-Q5 KtxKt 20. RxKt P-KKt3
21. BxP was threatened.
21. Q-R4 K-Kt2 22. Q-Q4 P-B4 23. Q-B3 P-Kt3 24. PxP B-B1 25. B-K2
The Bishop now settles at Q5, and whether Black takes the pawn or not, he is paralysed either by the pawn itself, or the pin of the Bishop if the pawn is taken.
25. … BxP 26. B-B3 K-B2 27. B-Q5 Q-Q3 28. Q-K3 R-K2 29. Q-R6 K-Kt1 30. P-KR4
The deciding manœuvre, tearing up the chain of pawns in front of the K.
30. … P-QR3 31. P-R5 P-B5 32. PxP PxP 33. RxB Resigns.
After RxR, 34. RxR, RxR; 35. QxPch wins a piece. A beautifully concise game.