Chess Strategy · Chapter 46Game No. 38
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White: Rotlewi. Black: Teichmann.
Queen’s Gambit Declined.
1. P-Q4 P-Q 4 2. Kt-KB3 Kt-KB3 3. P-B4 P-K3 4. Kt-B3 QKt-Q2 5. B-Kt5 B-K2
Capablanca tried 5. … B-Kt5; against Ed. Lasker in New York, 1915. The continuation was: 6. P-K3, P-B4; 7. B-Q3, Q-R4; 8. Q- Kt3.
The correct move is here 8. Castles. If Black wins the pawn by BxKt; 9. PxB, QPxP; 10. BxP, QxBP, White obtains a strong attack, e.g., 11. R-B1, Q-R4; 12. BxKt, PxB (KtxB; 13. PxP); 13. P-Q5, with this possible continuation l3. … Kt-Kt3, 14. PxP, PxP; 15. Q-Q6, with a strong attack.
6. P-K3 Castles 7. Q-B2 P-B4
White intends to castle on the Queen’s side, and to follow this up with a storm by the King’s side pawns. Although Rubinstein has on many occasions been successful with this form of attack, it is open to criticism. For, where Kings have castled on different wings, the attack on the King which has castled on the Q side should be more successful.
This is much stronger than P-Q Kt3 and B-Kt2, as then the Black Queen cannot participate in the attack quickly enough. As pointed out before, speed is the first consideration for the attack, whenever the Kings have castled on different wings. An interesting counterpart to the present game is found in a game won by Rubinstein from Teichmann (Match, Vienna, 1908) 7. … P- QKt3; 8. PxP, PxP; 9. B-Q3, B-Kt2; 10. Castles QR, P-B4; 11. P- KR4, P-B5? (the only hope lay in the opening of the QB file); 12. B-B5, R-K1; 13. BxKKt, KtxB; 14. P-KKt4, B-Q3; 15. P-Kt5, Kt- K5; 16. P-R5, Q-K2; 17. QR-Kt1, P-QR3; 18. BxPch!, KxB; 19. P- Kt6ch, K-Kt1; 20. KtxKt, PxKt; 21. P-R6, P-B31 22. PxP, PxKt; 23 R-R8ch, KxP; 24. R-R7ch, and Black resigned a few moves later.
8. Castles Q-R4 9. PxQP
White loses time in the centre. It was imperative to proceed at once with P-KKt4 followed by BxKt, P-Kt5 and P-KR4.
9. … KPxP 10. PxP KtxP 11. Kt-Q4 B-K3 12. K-Kt1
It would be too risky to leave both King and Queen on the QB file.
The threat was: BxKt and BxPch. Had White played P-KKt4 and P-KR4 instead of effecting exchanges in the centre, Black would not have been able to afford this weakening move. But now Black wins the game on the other wing, before White is able to make use of the weakness thus created.
14. BxKt BxB 15. B-B5 KR-Q1 16. BxB PxB 17. Q-Kt6
The Queen must leave the QB file without delay, as Kt-K5 is threatened. Black’s game is already superior; with the exception of the Queen, White has no piece available for the attack on the opposing King.
Now White must again provide against Black’s Kt-K5, as White’s QKt is needed for the defence of QR2.
Black intends to move his B and then to advance his KP with an attack on the Queen. The object of the text move is to prevent White from saving himself by an attack on the Rook (Q-B5).
20. R-B2 BxKt
By this exchange Black achieves his object of driving off the Knight by P-Q5, but White has time to give his RP further protection by P-QKt3, This, Black would have prevented by playing B-Kt4 instead of the text move, e.g. 21. P-B4, P-K4; 22. Q-B5, PxKt; 23. PxP, B-B3; 24. PxKt, P-Q5, etc.
21. PxB P-K4 22. Q-Kt4 PxP 23. QxP Kt-K3 24. Q-K5
This delays the fatal advance of the QP for one move.
24. … P-QKt4 25. P-QKt3 P-Q5 26. Kt-K4 P-Q6 27. R-Q2 Kt-Q5 28. R-QB1 Kt-B7 29. Q-Kt2 Kt-R6ch 30. K-R1 Kt-B7ch 31. K-Kt1 Kt-R6ch 32. K-R1 Kt-B7ch 33. K-Kt1
Black does not play for a draw, but only wishes to gain time.
The intention is to double Rooks and to force an entry at B7. P- Kt5 would not be good. The White Rook would no longer be attacked, and the Knight could attack the QP.
Now that the White Rook has left the QB file, one Rook would be sufficient to force an entry at B7, and Kt-R6ch followed by P-Kt5 could have been played at once, e.g. 34. … Kt-R6ch; 35. K-R1, P-Kt5 (preventing P-QKt4); 36. Kt-B2,R-B7; 37. RxR, PxR; 38. R- QB1, Q-Kt3; 39. Kt-K4, R-Q8 followed by RxRch, Q-Q5ch and P-B8 mate.
35. RxP Kt-R6ch 36. K-R1 P-Kt5 37. R-Q7 Q-K4!!
If QxQ, Black mates in three.
38. R-Q8ch RxR 39. RxRch K-R2 40. R-Q1 QxQch
Curiously enough there is nothing better. Q-B2 only leads to the exchange of Queens and the same end-game, which, however, is an easy win for Black, as the permanent mating threat keeps the White Rook tied to the first rank, whilst the Black King threatens to capture all the White pawns.
If Q-B2 White forces the exchange of Queens with the following combination: 41. Q-Q2, R-B7; 42. Q-Q3, R-B8ch; 43. K-Kt2, with a threat of Kt-B6ch and Q-R7 mate. Black therefore would have to play Q-B7ch, etc., as in the game.
41. KxQ R-B7ch 42. K-R1 RxP 43. R-R1 P-Kt4 44. Kt-B6ch K-Kt2 45. Kt-K4 K-Kt3 46. Kt-Q6 P-QR4
We have now a position with a forced move. If the White Knight moves, there follows K-B4-B5, etc. Therefore White gives up his R P voluntarily.
47. R-QB1 RxP 48. Kt-B4 Kt-Kt4
Now Kt-B6 and RxP mate are threatened.
49. Kt-K5ch K-Kt2 50. Kt-Kt4 R-K7 51. R-B5 R-K8ch 52. K-Kt2 Kt-R6 53. R-B7ch K-B1 54. R-B1 R-K7ch 55. K-R1 Kt-B7ch 56. K-Kt1 Kt-R6ch
Black again appears to be short of time.
57. K-R1 Kt-Kt4 58. R-B5 R-K8ch 59. K-Kt2 Kt-R6 60. R-B1 R-K7ch
Now, after the sixtieth move Black has again plenty of time, and can prepare the final combination at leisure.
61. K-R1 R-K3 62. R-R1 K-Kt2 63. R-QB1 K-Kt3 64. R-B6 RxR 65. Kt-K5ch K-B4 66. KtxR P-R4 67. Kt-Q4ch K-K4 68. Kt-K2 Kt-B7ch 69. K-Kt2 Kt-Q5 Resigns.