[Event "GotM #46"] [Site "Zandvoort"] [Date "1935.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Euwe, Max"] [Black "Alekhine, Alexander"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A90"] [Annotator "Connaughton, Ken"] [PlyCount "93"] [EventDate "1935.??.??"] [EventCountry "NED"] {[%evp 0,93,28,28,32,0,38,33,54,54,59,55,66,56,78,56,68,68,115,38,61,53,34,39, 39,33,59,51,67,35,35,19,4,-13,6,18,12,12,32,32,49,32,11,36,36,36,36,36,38,47, 44,44,13,13,64,38,71,75,93,56,34,13,1,1,79,48,48,48,86,59,63,48,146,19,0,0,61, 62,82,140,140,50,191,219,222,47,213,190,194,194,372,388,373,385,409,398] This game became known as 'The Pearl of Zandvoort' after some astonishing play.} 1. d4 {Queen's Pawn Game} e6 2. c4 f5 {Transposing to the Dutch Defense} 3. g3 Bb4+ 4. Bd2 Be7 {This maneuver seems to lose a tempo but Alekhine liked 3... Bb4+ 4.Bd2 Be7 because he believed d2 to be a bad square for the White Bishop.} 5. Bg2 Nf6 6. Nc3 O-O 7. Nf3 Ne4 8. O-O b6 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Ne5 Nxc3 $5 {[%CAl Yg2b7] [#]} 11. Bxc3 {White does not accept the offer and keeps his position solid.} ({if} 11. Bxb7 {then after} Nxe2+ 12. Kh1 Nxd4 13. Qd3 Nbc6 $17 { Black has two pawns and is still better after the exchange sac.}) 11... Bxg2 12. Kxg2 Qc8 {To defend e6.} 13. d5 d6 14. Nd3 e5 15. Kh1 {[%CAl Rf1g1,Rg3g4, Rg4g5]} c6 16. Qb3 Kh8 17. f4 e4 18. Nb4 c5 19. Nc2 {The terrain created by these interlocking pawn chains make a closed position which is unpleasant for Bishops but ideal for a Knight.} Nd7 20. Ne3 Bf6 {[%csl Gc3,Yd6,Ye4,Yf5] [#] Alekhine offers Euwe three central pawns for a minor piece.} (20... Nf6 $14 { [%CAl Gc8f5] would have been the more low key option.}) 21. Nxf5 {White goes for it.} (21. Bxf6 $11 {would have been a way to keep the piece but White likes the deal offered in the game.}) 21... Bxc3 22. Nxd6 Qb8 23. Nxe4 Bf6 24. Nd2 {[#] White likes his Knight better than the Black Bishop and will employ this piece again in the near future.} g5 {Black feels like he got the worst of the recent exchanges and decides he needs to play energetically to gain some counterplay. He wants to open a file on the Kingside, this will mean danger for both Kings.} 25. e4 gxf4 26. gxf4 Bd4 {[%csl Gd5,Ge4,Gf4][%CAl Rd4g1,Rf8g8] The position is getting sharper as the moves go by. Both Kings are vulnerable. Black has an extra piece but White's center looks very dangerous. Which will prove the more valuable.} 27. e5 Qe8 28. e6 Rg8 {Both players are keen to utilize their respective edges.} 29. Nf3 {The Knight that starred earlier stirs himself again.} Qg6 {[#] Black moves his heavy pieces over to the g-file. } 30. Rg1 {White is happy to give up an exchange sacrifice in order to blunt Black's attacking power. The Bishop on d4 is worth at least a Rook.} Bxg1 31. Rxg1 Qf6 32. Ng5 {[%CAl Rg5f7] [#] Black now has a Rook for the three pawns but these three pawns are offering bases of operations deep in Black's territory. White is threatening Nf7+ now with horrible consequences for Black.} Rg7 33. exd7 {He blunts the power of his pawns a little but takes back a minor piece.} Rxd7 34. Qe3 Re7 35. Ne6 {[#] e6 is not quite f7 but it's still a great outpost for the White Knight.} Rf8 36. Qe5 Qxe5 37. fxe5 {The exchange pulls the loose pawn back into contact with his comrades and the Knight is worth at least a Rook and maybe more.} Rf5 38. Re1 {[#] The center should neutralize the power of the Black Rooks but good play is still required to demonstrate the superiority of White's position.} h6 {Giving h7 to the King.} 39. Nd8 $1 Rf2 ({Of course} 39... Rfxe5 40. Rxe5 Rxe5 41. Nf7+ $18 {wins for White.}) 40. e6 Rd2 {To stop d6 as the two passed pawns threaten to run the Rook over.} 41. Nc6 {This wonderful Knight continues to torment Black, now evicting the Blockader from e7.} Re8 42. e7 b5 43. Nd8 Kg7 44. Nb7 {[%CAl Rb7d6,Rd6e8]} Kf6 45. Re6+ $1 {Pushing the King away.} Kg5 (45... Kf7 $2 46. Nd6+ $17) 46. Nd6 Rxe7 {Black finally accepts it's time to give up the Rook for the pawn.} 47. Ne4+ {[#] This is too much and Black resigns.} 1-0