[Event "AVRO"] [Site "Holland"] [Date "1938.11.22"] [Round "11"] [White "Botvinnik, Mikhail"] [Black "Capablanca, Jose Raul"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E40"] [Annotator "Kasparov"] [PlyCount "81"] [EventDate "1938.11.06"] [EventRounds "14"] [EventCountry "NED"] {[%evp 0,81,31,34,34,-13,-4,10,28,28,36,16,20,19,30,-4,5,11,11,2,0,-13,-18,-24, -15,-17,-10,-8,-11,-26,-25,-27,-28,-31,-21,-25,-40,0,0,0,1,-14,17,-12,26,34,65, 87,63,82,82,94,104,82,85,85,85,128,133,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,22,701,428,608,614,623, 625,894,931,967,980,995,1026,1128,1718,29987,29988] El torneo de ajedrez organizado por la compa??a de radio holandesa AVRO fue la m?s representativa reuni?n de los mejores ajedrecistas de esa ?poca. Incre?blemente Mihail Botvinnik obtuvo el tercer lugar en este magn?fico evento, pero sus dos espectaculares victorias sobre Alekhine y Capablanca le dieron serias bases para reclamar el t?tulo mundial, un sue?o que conseguir?a diez a?os mas tarde. La partida mostrada a continuaci?n pertenece a la selecci?n de joyas del ajedrez. La misma demuestra que la visi?n estrat?gica de Botvinnik ya era superior a la de los grandes genios de la vieja guardia.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. cxd5 exd5 {Diagram # Today we all know that due to Black's premature definition of the pawn structure in the centre White has the better opportunities to gain the initiative. But in those days both opponents were wandering in 'terra incognita' - the routes that were to develop in the Nimzo-Indian Defence were just being formed.} 8. Bd3 O-O 9. Ne2 b6 10. O-O Ba6 {[%eval -32767,0] By all chess standards that dominated the minds of the chess players in the 20s and 30s Black has absolutely nothing to complain about. Good pawn structure, easy development, no weaknesses. White isn't even threatening any immediate action. However, Botvinnik felt correctly that a possibility of a central advance e3-e4-e5 (after the preparatory f3) could lead to a violent attack on the kingside. Hard to believe? Well, at least you are thinking along the same lines as the great Cuban champion.} ({ In the game Kasparov-Ivanovich, 1983, after} 10... Re8 11. f3 Ba6 12. Ng3 Bxd3 13. Qxd3 Nc6 14. Bb2 c4 15. Qd2 Qd7 16. Rae1 {White has finished mobilizing quickly and effectively. That is how, step by step, through constant practical testing, we are improving old plans. But the most valuable contribution, of course, is to invent a sound long-term strategy!}) 11. Bxa6 ({Subsequent experience has shown that one should prefer} 11. f3 {immediately working on the critical break in the centre. The White queen has to go to d3 anyway, and the black knight doesn't get a new option.} Bxd3 12. Qxd3 Nc6 13. Ng3 Qd7 14. Bb2 Rad8 15. Rad1 cxd4 16. cxd4 Ne8 {1/2-1/2 Petrosian,T (2585)-Gheorghiu,F (2605)/Moscow 1981/MCL (19)}) 11... Nxa6 12. Bb2 $2 {Pioneers are doomed to making mistakes. The wrong move order always damages a deep strategical plan.} (12. Qd3 {was necessary.} Qc8 13. f3 (13. Bb2 cxd4 14. cxd4 Nc7 15. Rfc1 Qd7 16. f3 Rfe8 17. Ng3 Ne6 {1/2-1/2 Reshevsky, S-Fine,R/New York 1941/EXT 1999 (61)}) 13... Qb7 14. Bd2 Rfe8 15. g4 Nc7 16. Ng3 Qa6 17. Qxa6 Nxa6 {1-0 Chiburdanidze,M (2525)-Taimanov,M (2455)/Roquebrune 1998/CBM 067 (62)}) (12. Qa4 Nb8 13. c4 cxd4 14. Nxd4 Qd7 15. Qxd7 Nbxd7 16. cxd5 Nxd5 17. Bb2 Nc5 { 1/2-1/2 Schumacher,O (2255)-Adrian,A (1955)/ Ludwigshafen 1996/EXT 1998 (38)}) (12. f3 Re8 13. Ng3 Nc7 14. Qd3 Ne6 15. Bb2 Qc7 16. Rac1 Qb7 17. Rce1 Rad8 { 1-0 Kramnik,V (2809)-Alsina Leal,D (2101)/ Barcelona 2002/CBM 088 ext (32)}) ( 12. f3 Re8 13. Ng3 Nc7 14. Re1 Nb5 15. Qd3 Nd6 16. e4 c4 17. Qc2 dxe4 18. fxe4 Nd5 19. Rf1 Nc7 20. a4 f6 {Maksimenko,A (2540)-Luch,M (2387)/Legnica 2010/ CB00_2011/1/2-1/2 (41)}) 12... Qd7 13. a4 {Forced.} ({Nun war} 13. Qd3 { was not good because of} Qa4 $1 {sealing White's queenside.}) 13... Rfe8 $2 { Capablanca misses the moment to seize the initiative} (13... cxd4 14. cxd4 Rfc8 15. Z0 Rc4 16. Z0 Rac8 {and White has to forget about active plans in the centre and switch to defensive lines instead.}) 14. Qd3 c4 $2 {[%CAl Ya6b8, Yb8c6,Yc6a5] Diagram # This serious positional mistake has a clear historical background. The 50-year-old Capablanca in his long chess career never dealt with hidden dynamic factors. His unique intuition and rich experience didn't send any danger signals here. Instead he counted on using his opponent's light squares with the long manoeuvre Na6-b8-c6-a5-b3. Capablanca simply underestimated the explosive power of White's position.} 15. Qc2 Nb8 16. Rae1 Nc6 17. Ng3 Na5 (17... Ne4 18. Nh1 $1 {and White's plan works out anyway, e.g. , und der wei?e Plan funktioniert trotzdem, z.B.} f5 19. f3 Nd6 20. Ba3 g6 21. Ng3 {and after the inevitable e3-e4 the weakened position of the Black king is a source of permanent trouble.}) 18. f3 Nb3 {Both sides are quite persistent. The a4-pawn is lost, but the long-awaited central advance is also ready.} 19. e4 Qxa4 {This miserable pawn has played an important role as bait for the tiger!} 20. e5 Nd7 {[%CAl Yb3c5]} 21. Qf2 {Otherwise the isolated knight is able to come back into the game extremely effectively after Nb3-c5! Now Black has to take his opponent's threats more seriously - the white knight is heading for f5 and d6, and the advancing f-pawn could be a battering ram that will crack open the black castled position. But Capablanca cannot be frightened by these shadows on the horizon. The stubborn proponent of economy was famous for an astonishing ability to defend his king with a minimum of resources while his main army was gaining an advantage elsewhere.} g6 $146 { Diagram #} (21... a5 22. Nf5 Nf8 23. f4 Qd7 24. Nd6 Red8 25. f5 b5 26. f6 g6 27. Qf4 Ne6 28. Qh6 g5 29. Re3 g4 30. Rf4 {1-0 (30) Arlindo,O-Eriksson,A/ICCF email 1998/E-Mail 2000}) 22. f4 f5 {Forcing the opening of the e-file and an exchange of rooks.} 23. exf6 Nxf6 24. f5 {Getting closer to the black king.} Rxe1 25. Rxe1 Re8 {Using a tactical trick to protect the knight on f6:26.fxg6.. . (variation). Capablanca was reducing White's attacking potential, however, from now on he had no choice but to join the club of chess masterpieces. Unfortunately he was sitting on the wrong side of the board!} (25... Rf8 26. Qf4 {White's attack is also unstoppable, e.g.} Qa2 27. fxg6 $1 Qxb2 (27... hxg6 28. Qg5) 28. g7 $1 Kxg7 29. Nf5+ Kh8 30. Qd6 Rf7 (30... Kg8 31. Qg3+) 31. Qxf6+ {mating.}) 26. Re6 $1 (26. fxg6 hxg6 27. Rxe8+ Nxe8) 26... Rxe6 {Now instead of being consumed in the flame of the attack the modest f-pawn is making a dream career. The appearance of this powerful ally for the white queen was impossible to avoid} (26... Kg7 27. Rxf6 $1 Kxf6 28. fxg6+ Kxg6 (28... Ke7 29. Qf7+ Kd8 30. g7) 29. Qf5+ Kg7 30. Nh5+ Kh6 31. h4 $1 Rg8 32. g4 Qc6 33. Ba3 $1 {with mate to follow.}) 27. fxe6 Kg7 28. Qf4 Qe8 {Diagram # The queen must return} (28... Qa2 $2 29. Nf5+ {with mate in five.} gxf5 30. Qg5+ {etc.}) 29. Qe5 Qe7 {[%eval -32767,0] Attack and defence have reached a faltering parity, each side needs reserves to decide an epic battle in its favour. The question is whose minor piece from the forgotten flank is faster? Black's knight is going to use the same route Ncb3-a5-c6, but what about the sleeping white bishop?} ({Houdini sugiere} 29... Na5 30. Bc1 Qe7 31. Bg5 Nc6 32. Bxf6+ Qxf6 33. Qxd5 Ne7 34. Qd7 Qg5 35. Nf1 Kf6 36. Qxa7) 30. Ba3 $3 {If the first move of the bishop, 12.Bb2?, was just a bad joke, then the second little step from b2 to a3 has created a drama! The kamikaze act forces the black queen to leave her king again, this time not voluntarily, and to unblock the ambitious pawn which is running for the biggest prize.} Qxa3 31. Nh5+ $1 gxh5 32. Qg5+ Kf8 33. Qxf6+ Kg8 34. e7 ({Nach} 34. Qf7+ Kh8 35. g3 $1 {with the white king escaping to h3 was also enough, but hurrying e7 could spoil everything:} (35. e7 $2 Qc1+ 36. Kf2 Qd2+ 37. Kg3 Qg5+ 38. Kf3 Nxd4+ $1 39. cxd4 Qg4+ {with perpetual check. })) 34... Qc1+ 35. Kf2 Qc2+ {Diagram #} 36. Kg3 Qd3+ 37. Kh4 Qe4+ 38. Kxh5 Qe2+ {The exchange of queens doesn't help:} (38... Qg6+ 39. Qxg6+ hxg6+ 40. Kxg6 { and now the pawn promotes to queen (or rook!) with mate.}) 39. Kh4 Qe4+ 40. g4 {The sad knight on b3 is left as a silent reproach for Black's stragegical miscalculation in the early middlegame.} Qe1+ 41. Kh5 {and Capablanca's resignation, in my opinion, symbolized the end of an heroic era of chess titans, dominating the field with their natural genius. Since this historic moment the professional touch has played a more and more important role as an integral part of chess, the path to ultimate success.} 1-0