ALOR LEGAL
1.3 DE LA COORDINACIÓN GENERAL DE PLANEACIÓN Y EVALUACIÓN EDUCATIVA
Ruy Lopez
This game was perhaps the beginning of what would become an old grudge, much the way die-hard Beatles fans view Yoko. Long before the two giants became enemies and bitter rivals, they were for a brief few days, friends. It was said Alekhine and Capa were inseparable at the St Petersburg tournament ... until the party. A young baroness invited the two GMs to a party at her home in their honour. Both were hoping to make a splash with high-born Russian ladies in attendance. Unfortunately for Alekhine, Capa’s charm rating was somewhere in the 2850 range. The tragic result: Capablanca 1 Alekhine 0. Capa charmed the living daylights out of the young ladies and had them all clapping their hands in delight with his wit, his easy elegance, and also his Rudolph Valentino-style good looks. Sergei Shishko described the power of Capa’s charisma in almost worshipful tones: “Capablanca arrived in a tuxedo with a shiny ivory chrysanthemum in his lapel. The spirited Cuban had a golden tan and expressive velvety eyes which seemed to sparkle.” It was whispered that the shy and socially inept Alekhine sat in a corner mumbling to himself, thinking dark thoughts about Cubans, as Capa danced the night away. Perhaps it is possible to simultaneously love and hate another, since Capa and Alekhine mutually admired and despised each other for the rest of their lives.
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 d6
Question: A bit passive?
Answer: Ruy Lopez theory was still in its infancy at the time and most players, even very strong ones,
automatically played the solid/passive Steinitz line. Of course, there were exceptions: Please see Frank Marshall’s psychotic Marshall Gambit against Capa next chapter!
4 d4
White’s best chance at an edge. 4 ... exd4 5 Nxd4 Bd7 6 Nc3
6 ... Nf6
Question: Since Black is cramped, wouldn’t it be in his best interest
to swap off a pair of pieces with 6 ... Nxd4 7 Bxd7+ Qxd7 8 Qxd4?
advantage due to superior development and control over the centre. Watch how quickly Black got into trouble in the following game: 8 ... Nf6 (8 ... Ne7 looks safer since it doesn’t allow White any contact) 9 Bg5 Be7 10 0-0-0 0-0 11 e5 Ne8 (11 ... Nd5! is better but still not good for Black) 12 Bxe7 Qxe7 13 exd6 Nxd6 14 Nd5 left Black fighting for his life, S.Rublevsky-B.Ferrandi, Ajaccio (rapid) 2004.
7 0-0 Be7 8 Nf5!?
White gambles that his bishop pair and increased control over the light squares are more meaningful than the damage done to his pawn structure.
Question: Is that a good gamble?
Answer: I don’t think so. Black should be dynamically equal. The best strategy is to take on c6 and
then play for e5, when equality is not so easy to come by for Black: 8 Bxc6 bxc6 9 Bf4 0-0 10 e5! with an edge to White, E.Najer-V.Bologan, Poikovsky 2006.
8 ... Bxf5 9 exf5 0-0 10 Re1 Nd7!
A subtle positional idea, frowned upon by Houdini, but better appreciated by humans. Capa’s refined strategic intuition tells him to abandon control over d5 temporarily in order to use f6 for bishop or queen. The d7-knight is rerouted to b6. In this way he relieves his cramped position.
Question: But won’t White bag both black bishops after Nd5 next move.
Answer: He will, but Capa’s spider senses tell him this is okay. And I think he is correct.
11 Nd5 Bf6 12 c3 Nb6 13 Nxf6+ Qxf6 14 Bxc6!? White was probably better off avoiding this swap.
Question: Why don’t you like the move?
Answer: I think, in a way, White did his opponent a favour since he gave away one of his bishops and
altered more than harmed Black’s structure. 14 ... bxc6 15 Qf3 Rfe8 16 Be3 c5 17 Re2
White has an interesting disruptive idea with 17 b4!? Qxc3 18 bxc5 dxc5 19 Rac1 Qa3 20 f6 Nd7! 21 fxg7 Ne5, but oddly enough I think Black stands better. His king is surprisingly safe despite the enemy pawn in his gullet on g7; his knight radiates strength on e5, and he owns a few passed pawns.
An intuitive pawn sac.
Question: What pawn sac?
Answer: Black essentially abandoned his queenside to Qb7. Question: What does Black get for it then?
Answer: Capa, like Fischer, had an almost religious faith in the power of centralization of his pieces.
In this case Capa gambles that his kingside build-up leads to a direct attack on White’s king. 19 Qb7?!
Here we go! Alekhine the optimist swoops in for the spoils.
Question: I take it from your dubious mark that you think
Alekhine’s last move was incorrect?
Answer: Alekhine underestimated the power of Black’s coming attack. He should go for 19 Bf4 Rxe2
20 Rxe2 Rxe2 21 Qxe2 h6 22 Qe8+ Kh7 23 Qe4, when he should be able to hold the position.
Question: How is one to know when to go
pawn hunting or when to avoid it?
Answer: To take the plunge or to hold back? Such questions provoke heated outcry and debate among
annotators. There is no formulaic answer to your question. Simply listen to your intuition, but when in doubt decline!
19 ... Qxf5 20 Qxc7 Qe6 21 Qxa7 Nd5 22 Kf1?
After 22 Qb7 f5! Black’s attack begins in earnest. The same holds true for 22 g3 f5!. White is under pressure in both lines, but both are superior to Alekhine’s choice.
This game was played in the early stages of Alekhine’s career, when Alekhine was not yet Alekhine. And even when he became Alekhine, defence was never his strong suit. Black’s attack gets out of control after White’s panicked last move.
Exercise (combination alert): How would you begin the assault as Black? Answer: Target e2 and g2. The knight is immune.
22 ... Nf4!
White’s bishop stares aghast at how easily the knight manoeuvred around him. 23 Rd2 Nxg2!
White’s kingside pawns prove not to be the impenetrable geological barrier Alekhine had imagined. Capa’s move is the right idea, and still very strong, yet the third best move. A strong move is not necessarily the best move.
Here Capa missed the killing sequence 23 ... Qc4+!! (tossing in this innocuous check alters things radically; the simple 23 ... Qg4! 24 f3 Qe6 also wins easily) 24 Kg1 and now the sac obliterates White: 24 ... Nxg2! 25 Kxg2 Rg5+! 26 Bxg5 Qg4+ 27 Kf1 Qh3+ 28 Kg1 Rxe1 mate!
24 Kxg2 Qg4+ 25 Kf1 Qh3+ 26 Ke2
Exercise (combination alert): How can
Black indulge in a bit of war profiteering?
Answer: Of course, just crash through on e3.
26 ... Rxe3+! 27 fxe3 Qxe3+
White drops pawns the way a snake sheds old skin, as he barters away his kingside for an empty purse. 28 Kd1 Qxe1+ 29 Kc2
White’s safety valve: Run away! 29 ... Qe4+ 30 Kb3?
30 Kc1 Qf4 31 Qd7 Re1+ 32 Kc2 h5! was better, when White is losing but still able to put up some resistance.
Exercise (combination alert): The shell-shocked Alekhine
blunders again. Black has an immediate knockout. Can you find what two world champions missed?
30 ... Qc6?!
Okay. It’s official. The thrill is gone. Capa misses.
... h6! 32 Qd7 (guarding against ... Qa4 mate) 32 ... Rb8+! 33 Ka3 Qc2! and White is completely helpless against the multiple threats on b2 and a rook check on a8.
31 a4!
Alekhine desperately hopes to offer his king some degree of sanctuary on a2 or a3, the way a sparrow builds its nest, twig by twig. But it is not enough to keep the hawk at bay.
31 ... d5 32 a5
Question: Doesn’t this open White up to a queen check on b5?
Answer: It does, but everything loses at this point. For example, after 32 Qa5 Black flushes the king
out with 32 ... Rb8+ 33 Kc2 Qg6+ 34 Kc1 Qg1+ and if 35 Kc2? Qa1 36 Kd3 Qb1+. 32 ... Qb5+ 33 Ka3 Rb8 34 Ka2 h6!
No rush. Black covers his back rank before proceeding with the distasteful business of murder. 35 a6
35 Rc2 Re8! 36 Rc1 Re2 37 Qb6 Rxb2+ 38 Ka1 Qxb6 39 axb6 Rxb6 is equally hopeless. It is generally a bad idea to enter a rook and pawn ending three pawns down against Capa!
35 ... Qb3+ 0-1
Alekhine had no wish to hang around for 36 Kb1 Re8 37 Rc2 Re1+ 38 Rc1 Re2.