[Event "GotM #88 Argentina"] [Site "?"] [Date "1929.09.08"] [Round "?"] [White "Capablanca, Jose Raul"] [Black "Becker, Albert"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D37"] [Annotator "Connaughton,Ken"] [PlyCount "35"] [GameId "272191615351"] [EventDate "1929.09.08"] [EventCountry "ARG"] {[%evp 0,35,19,34,32,-12,-11,0,39,51,42,18,14,18,18,29,29,30,28,36,39,34,28,13,19,-2,19,11,5,-26,10,41,192,203,210,224,342,340]} 1. d4 {Queen's Pawn Game} d5 {Closed Game} 2. c4 {Queen's Gambit} e6 {Queen's Gambit Declined} 3. Nf3 Nd7 4. Nc3 {[#] This is the starting position of the D37 classification.} Ngf6 5. Bf4 dxc4 6. e3 Nd5 7. Bxc4 {[#] Allowing Black to exchange Knight for Bishop and rupture his pawns. Seems like something the amateur would instinctively avoid but White knows he can retain the initiative by continuing to develop. He will also receive further compensation in the form of the semi-open e-file.} (7. Bg3 Bb4 8. Qc2 b5 9. Be2 O-O 10. O-O Nxc3 11. bxc3 $11) 7... Nxf4 8. exf4 {[%csl Gc3,Gc4,Rd4,Rf2,Gf3,Rf4] [#] And as discussed earlier, his pawns are compromized but he has a lead in development and the e-file to exploit.} Bd6 9. g3 {[%CAl Rb7g2] [#] This is another aspect of the concession that Capablanca was willing to allow when he played 7.Bxc4. Black has a weak long diagonal to attack and the next few moves will see him work towards utilizing that.} Nf6 10. O-O {White shows that he believes the Kingside will be defensible.} O-O 11. Qe2 b6 12. Rfd1 Bb7 13. Rac1 a6 14. Bd3 Bb4 15. Ne4 $5 {White prevents any potential exchange on c3. He wants to get his Knight into the game and this is further evidence that he doesn't fear the Bishop - Queen battery on the long diagonal. He's allowing the Queen to come to d5.} Qd5 {[%csl Gb7,Gd5][%CAl Gd5g2,Gd5h1,Gb7h1,Gb7g2] [#] Most people would be scared to allow this but it show's White's calculation powers that he could forsee all of this before 7.Bxc4 and feel secure that his attack would contain better resources.} 16. Nfg5 $1 {The attack begins. Don't feel bad if you can't see what's coming next. A strong master like Becker didn't.} Ne8 {[%CAl Yf7f5] Preparing ...f5 to block the b1-h7 diagonal, apparently dealing with the threat.} 17. Nxh7 $3 {[#] Amazing sacrifice from White. Accepting the sac loses quickly. Declining loses slowly.} f5 {Problem solved, White has two pieces under attack, one of them pinned to the mating squares g2 and h1. Black should be better now, right?} (17... Kxh7 $4 18. Nf6+ Kh6 (18... Kh8 19. Nxd5 $18) 19. Ng4+ Kh5 20. Be4 $1 f5 (20... Qxe4 21. Nf6+ Kg6 22. Qh5+ Kxf6 23. Qg5#) 21. Bxd5 Bxd5 22. Nf6+ Kg6 23. Nxd5 $18) 18. Nhg5 $1 {[#] Suddenly as Black looks at the position, he feels so discouraged he simply resigns.} ({After} 18. Nhg5 Qd7 {is best, to defend the second rank, however this loses to} (18... Nf6 {to stop the White Queen from coming in, is even worse} 19. Bc4 Qd8 20. Bxe6+ Kh8 21. Nxf6 Qxf6 (21... Rxf6 {would fail against} 22. Nf7+ Rxf7 23. Qh5+ Kg8 24. Qxf7+ Kh7 25. Qh5#) 22. Rxc7 Qg6 (22... Bc8 {would be swiftly and brutally refuted by} 23. Qh5+ Qh6 24. Qxh6+ gxh6 25. Rh7#) 23. Rxb7 b5 24. Rc1 Rab8 25. Nf7+ Kh7 26. Rxb8 Rxb8 27. Qe5 Re8 28. Bxf5 Rxe5 29. Bxg6+ Kxg6 30. Nxe5+ Kf5 31. Kg2 Ke4 32. a3 Bf8 $18) 19. Qh5 g6 20. Qxg6+ Qg7 21. Qxe6+ Kh8 22. Nd2 Nd6 $18) 1-0