Alexander Alekhine, 1892-1946 was one of the greatest attacking players who ever lived. Born to a wealthy aristocratic family in Moscow, he became a strong master by his late teens.
In 1914, young Alekhine captured first place in a strong international tournament in Moscow and then played in the famous St Petersburg 1914 "Grandmasters of Chess" tournament and finished 3rd, behind World Champion Emmanuel Lasker and Cuban genius and Jose Raoul Capablanca.
Alekhine was interned briefly by the Germans while playing in a tournament in Mannheim, Germany just as World War 1 started. He managed to return to Russia and served in the ambulance corp on the Russian-Austrian front.
Wounded, he developed his skills as a simultaneous blindfold chess expert while recovering in the hospital. He later accomplished the incredible feat of playing 32 opponents blindfolded, winning 19, losing 4 and drawing 9.
In 1927, Alekhine, now a French citizen, defeated Jose Capablanca in an epic match played in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He held his title until defeated by the Dutch Math Professor Max Euwe in 1935. He won back his crown in 1937 and held the title of World Champion until his death in 1946.
As a youngster, I was fascinated by the brilliance and deep conceptions of Alekhine. His ideas almost seemed too big for the chessboard. Attack was his forte and he was a very dedicated student of the game, working harder than most of his peers.
Alekhine’s opponent in the game we are about to analyze, Emmanuel Lasker, (1868-1941) holds the record for the longest reign as World Champion. Lasker held the title from 1894, when he defeated Wilhelm Steinitz until 1921, when he lost to Capablanca.
Where Alekhine was a chess artist, Lasker was the practical businessman. He cared about results not beauty. Extremely tenacious and resourceful, Lasker was the master of refuting unsound attacks. Brilliant attackers like Marshall, Janowsky, Speelman and others wore themselves out trying to overwhelm the sensible Lasker. Not surprisingly, Lasker wrote a book called "Common Sense in Chess".
In the game we are about to examine, we see Alekhine at the top of his game. Lasker was getting on in years but was still a very tough customer. It is striking how Alekhine powerfully builds up his attack until a final combinative finale settles matters.
1.d4 ...
1.... d5
2.c4 e6
3.Nc3 Nf6
4.Nf3 Be7
5.Bg5 Nbd7
6.e3 0-0
7.Rc1 c6
Lasker has selected the Queen’s Gambit Declined against Alekhine’s 1 d4 opening. The Q.G.D. is a very solid, classical defense that aims at achieving a stable, weakness-free position out of the opening.
The Q.G.D. is a little stodgy but hard to beat. Usually white comes away from the opening with greater control of territory but not much else.
The Q.G.D. is a little stodgy but hard to beat. Usually white comes away from the opening with greater control of territory but not much else.
8.Bd3 dxc4
9.Bxc4 Nd5
10.Bxe7 Qxe7
11.Ne4
Alekhine avoids the trade of pieces which is a standard theme when you have greater control of space.
11. ... N5f6
Lasker continues to offer a trade of pieces but Alekhine again refuses and settles his knight on a good square within proximity to Black’s king.
12.Ng3 e5
Lasker plays the standard freeing break and the center is aired out. The center will remain the main battlefield, but by piece control, not pawns.
13.0-0 exd4
14.Nf5
This knight becomes a true thorn in Black’s side. It is extremely well place, but efforts to expel the knight might prove more harmful than if the knight stands in place. I.e. "the cure is worse than the disease".
14. ... Qd8
15.N3xd4 Ne5
16.Bb3 Bxf5
17.Nxf5 Qb6?
A very weak move by Lasker!!! The queen is not well placed on b6 and basically just becomes part of the scenery ... Her absence from the center and kingside will be quickly and painfully felt.
18 Qd6! ...
This powerful move by Alekhine begins a kingside attack that cannot be parried. The queen will work in unison with the minor pieces to create fatal weaknesses in the enemy camp.
18. ... Ned7
Lasker, no doubt regretting his weak 17th move, tries some damage control ...
19 Rfd1 Rad8
20 Qg3 g6
The first breach in Black’s king position is achieved. Alekhine steps up the pressure by bringing fresh forces to bear on the kingside.
21.Qg5! Kh8
22.Nd6
As we saw in that Steinitz - Bardeleben game, knights planted deep into the opponent’s position can be an awesome attacking tool. Alekhine attacks the f7 square now and forces the Black king to again expose itself.
22. ... Kg7
23.e4! ...
The pawn stands ready to support the knight on d6 with e5 and also gets out of the way for a rook lift along the 3rd rank.
23. ... Ng8?
A weak defense by Lasker ... The only way to prolongue the struggle was with the exchange sacrifice 23…Rde8!, which leads after 24 Nxe8+ Rxe8 25 Rc2 Rxe4 26 h3 to a better position for White, but one that's not easy to convert to victory.
24.Rd3!
Alekhine makes full use of all his assets. The introduction of the rook to join the hunting party is decisive.
24. ... f6
24...Ndf6 was the only hope, but White’s attack is decisive after 25 Re1! Then, 25…h6 26 Nf5+ Kh7 27 Rh3! threats all over the place, Gxf5 - forced, 28 e5 - look at that Black kingside, it's a total mess, Qd4, only chance, 29 Qxf5+ Kg7 30 Rg3+ Kh8 Black's kingside looks bullet-riddled 31 exf6 Nxf6 and now the safety move 32 h3 should give White a decisive advantage.
25 Nf5+ Kh8
26.Qxg6!!
This beautiful sacrifice is the culmination of Alekhine’s well executed attack. White threatens 27 Qg7 mate and of course capture of the queen leads to 27 Rh3+ Nh6 28 Rxh6 mate. So, of course, Emanuel Lasker resigned.
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