Chess Strategy · Chapter 48Game No. 40
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White: Rubinstein. Black: Capablanca.
Queen’s Gambit Declined.
1. P-Q4 P-Q4 2. Kt-KB3 P-QB4 3. P-B4 P-K3 4. PxQP KPxP 5. Kt-B3 Kt-QB3 6. P-KKt3 B-K3 7. B-Kt2 B-K2 8. Castles R-B1
This move is not satisfactory at this juncture. It rather helps a combination which is frequently resorted to in similar positions, namely, the exchange of the Black QB and subsequent pressure on the KP by the White KB on the diagonal KR3-QB8. 8. … Kt-B3 should have been played, after
which White could hardly be said to possess any advantage, e.g. 9. B-Kt5, Kt-K5, or 9. B-K3, Kt-KKt5, or 9. P-QR3, or 9. PxP, BxP; 10. B-Kt5, B-K2. After 9. PxP, however, it would be weak to recapture with the Queen. In a game E. Cohn-Ed. Lasker (match 1909) there followed: 9. … Q-R4; 10. Kt-KKt5, QxP; 11. B-K3, Q- R4; 12. Q-Kt3, after which Black had to give up a pawn already: Castles QR; 13. KtxB, PxKt; 14. B-R3, etc.
9. PxP BxP 10. Kt-KKt5 Kt-B3 11. KtxB PxKt 12. B-R3 Q-K2 13. B-Kt5
P-K4 is stronger here, in order to play B-Kt5 after PxP. l3. … P-Q5 would then be refuted by Kt-Q5.
13. … Castles 14. BxKt QxB
After this White gains a pawn by a complicated and well-timed combination. Capablanca did not consider the subtle reply on Rubinstein’s seventeenth move. Otherwise he would have recaptured with the pawn. However, in that case too, White’s chances are good in the end-game which ensues after: 15. KtxP, PxKt; 16. QxPch, K-R1; 17. BxR. The Rooks would soon become effective in view of the open K side.
15. KtxP Q-R3
BxPch fails because of 16. K-Kt2, Q-B2; 17. Kt-B4!
16. K-Kt2 QR-Q1 17. Q-B1
17. … PxKt
If RxKt, White exchanges Queens and plays BxPch.
18. QxB Q-Q7 19. Q-Kt5 Kt-Q5 20. Q-Q3
With an extra pawn White forces the exchange of Queens. Black cannot prevent it, as 20. … QxKtP loses the Knight on account of 21. KR-Kt1, and 20. … Q-Kt5 loses the QP by 21. KR-Q1 and B- K6ch.
20. … QxQ 21. PxQ KR-K1 22. B-Kt4
KR-K1 would not prevent the entry of the Black Rook: Kt-B7; 23. RxRch, RxR; 24. R-QB1, R-K7; 25. B-Kt4, R-Q7. Black would win the pawn back and might even succeed in the end-game with a Knight against a Bishop.
22. … R-Q3 23. KR-K1 RxR 24. RxR R-QKt3
Black should first play his King to KB3, and keep the Rook away from his K5. Not that the QP is of paramount importance; the QKtP fully makes up for its loss. But as played the Knight is driven from his dominating position, and the badly placed Bishop gets into play. No doubt even after the text move the ending is most difficult, and it requires Rubinstein’s full powers to bring it to a successful issue.
25. R-K5 RxP 26. RxP Kt-B3 27. B-K6ch K-B1 28. R-B5ch K-K1 29. B-B7ch K-Q2 30. B-B4 P-QR3
Black’s only chance is his extra pawn on the Q side. To exchange the Kt for the B by 30. … K-Q3; 31. R-B 7, Kt-K4; 32. RxKKtP, KtxB would take too much time where time is all-important. White would clear the K side in the meantime, push on his KRP, and ultimately give up his R for Black’s remaining P, as soon as the latter runs into Queen, after which the three passed pawns win easily against the Rook. Generally speaking it is wise, in R endings like the present one, to advance pawns on the side where there is an extra pawn, in order to get a passed pawn as soon as possible. Then the hostile Rook has to look after that pawn lest it should queen, and the greater mobility of one’s own Rook often saves the game even when opposed by a preponderance of pawns.
31. R-B7ch K-Q3 32. RxKKtP P-Kt4 33. B-Kt8 P-QR4 34. RxP P-R5 35. P-R4 P-Kt5 36. R-R6ch K-B4 37. R-R5ch K-Kt3 38. B-Q5 P-Kt6
RxP is tempting but unavailing, as White plays B-B4 followed by R-Kt5ch and P-R5-6, etc. After the text move White has a problem- like continuation, which he has worked out with great accuracy.
39. PxP P-R6 40. BxKt
If now P-R7, White simply plays 41. R-Kt5ch, K-R3; 42. R-Kt8-R8.
40. … RxKtP 41. B-Q5 P-R7 42. R-R6ch Resigns.
As the R holds the RP, e.g. K-R4; 43. B-B4 followed by R-R6ch or 42. … K-R2; 43. R-R8, etc.