Study Material

What might I gain from some focused study of the works of Aron Nimzowitsch? I’ve had My System and Chess Praxis in the old English descriptive versions since the 1990s and have dipped into them often enough to have a grasp of his central concepts. Of course, prophylaxis, blockade, pawn chains, the isolated queen pawn, and other ideas that he articulated before anyone else are found in many books today. One cannot read chess books and fail to encounter the work of Nimzowitsch.

John Watson, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy has been in my possession close to twenty years and I’ve read chunks. In fact, it was much on my mind during yesterday’s round four game, as was Neil McDonald, Break the Rules! Both Watson and McDonald present a Caro-Kann line in which White begins the game with eight pawn moves. Concrete calculation trumps general principles, Watson notes. In my game yesterday, prior to 17…Qb6, I had made 11 pawn moves and 5 knight moves. Also, I had trapped my opponent’s bishop.

Last summer, I purchased both the original edition of Raymond Keene, Aron Nimzowitsch: A Reappraisal and the somewhat newer algebraic edition. I’ve read only the first chapter. Yesterday, at the chess tournament, the new translation of Nimzowitsch’s classics was added to my book collection thanks to the generosity of IM John Donaldson attending and playing in our local tournament. He has been doing so for a quarter century and has made a habit of bringing books that he sells at bargain prices.

Perhaps the new book will end up on the shelf gathering dust. Perhaps I will make some time to study it. 

Lasker -- Capablanca, Game 10 (continued)

Thirty moves of the tenth game in the World Championship match between José Raúl Capablanca and Emanuel Lasker had been played on 8 April 1921. One hundred years ago today, 9 April 1921, they resumed the game at 9:00 pm. This late playing time was intended to mitigate the difficulties that Lasker faced in the warm Cuban climate (see "Refuge from Havana's Sun").

The first thirty moves left Capablanca with a clear advantage, but converting the position to a win would require precision. Of course, we know that Capablanca pulled it off and this game is often cited as a model of patience and accuracy. Capablanca's play in this second session deserves extended study.

This post is number 17 in a series that is following this historic match on the anniversary of each game or related event. See "Lasker -- Capablanca, Game 10" for the first thirty moves, as well as general discussion concerning the significance of the game.

As noted in the first segment on this game, Capablanca's annotations to this game in A Chess Primer (1935) are exceptional. Earlier this year, I expanded my collection of books by and about Capablanca. They are not gathering dust. Rather, I am reading all of them with diligent attention.

Lasker,Emanuel -- Capablanca,José Raúl [D61]
World Championship 12th Havana (10), 08.04.1921
[Capablanca/Lasker/others]

White to move

31.Kg1

"This was White's sealed move. It was not the best move, but it is doubtful if White has any good system of defense" (Capablanca 1921, 22).

31...a5

"That takes care of the game. Black now wins in a pretty way. From now until the end Black plays with straightforward consistency. The logic of the following maneuvers is appealing. They speak for themselves, clarification is unnecessary" (Lasker, 22).

"This game has to be one of the earliest and most clear examples of how to conduct a minority attack successfully" (Lakdawala, Capablanca: Move by Move).

32.Qb2 a4

"Now Black exchanges the pawn and leaves White with a weak, isolated b-Pawn, which will fall sooner or later"  (Capablanca 1921, 22).

In A Primer, the annotation mentions the same ideas, adding that there is a threat to bring the rook to the third rank and win the b-pawn (213).

33.Qd2

Capablanca indicates in A Primer that Lasker seeks a queen exchange to increase hope of a draw (214).

33...Qxd2 34.Rxd2 axb3 35.axb3

Black to move

This position is the starting point in the last illustrative game in Mikhail Shereshevsky's, Endgame Strategy (1985), chapter 5, "Do Not Hurry." Because White's two isolated pawns are near each other, they are more difficult to exploit, he points out. But if the kings were on d3 and d6, the position would be drawn. "Therefore, Black must all the time maintain the initiate, attacking White's weaknesses and trying not to allow the White king to come to their defense" (53).

35...Rb6

"In order to force Rd3 and thus prevent the White rook from supporting his b-pawn by Rb2 later on. It means practically tying up the White rook to the defense of his two weak pawns" (Capablanca 1921, 22).

This move was far from obvious to me. Once I understood its dual purpose, however--making White's rook passive while maintaining a clear initiative through penetration by the rook--I sensed that I was making progress understanding the logic and clarity of Capablanca's play that was noted so often by Lasker. Daniel King's explication was helpful.

36.Rd3

"If Rb2, Rb4 would win a pawn" (A Primer, 214).

36...Ra6 37.g4

"Without queens on the board the disrupting of the kingside is not so dangerous. Besides White had to give his king some breathing space" (A Primer, 214).

37...hxg3 38.fxg3 Ra2 39.Nc3 Rc2

White to move

40.Nd1

"The alternative Na4, was not any better. White's game is doomed" (Capablanca 1921, 22).

40...Ne7

"Now the knight comes to the other side to win one of the two weak isolated pawns. White cannot advance his pawn to b4 because of Rc1 followed by Rb1" (A Primer, 214).

41.Ne3 Rc1+ 42.Kf2 Nc6 43.Nd1

Black to move

43...Rb1

"Not Nb4 because of 44.Rd2 Rb1 45.Nb2 Rxb2 46.Rxb2 Nd3+ 47.Ke2 Nxb2 48.Kd2, and Black could not win" (Capablanca 1921, 22). He repeats this notation in A Primer (214).

Lasker, in his annotations offers: "Avoid the trap", the same moves, and "the knight cannot be saved" (23).

Annotations in the ChessBase DVDs offer Hugh Myers: "Burgess call this a trap, but it leads directly to White's defeat, since Black now wins even if he falls for the 'trap'. Better was patient defense with 43 Ke2."

Myers offers the line 43...Nb4 44.44. Rd2 Rb1 45.Nb2 Nc6 (deviating from Capablanca's analysis) 46.Ke3 Kg7 47.Rc2 Re1+ 48.Kd2 Nxd4 49.Kxe1 Nxc2+ 50.Kd2 Nd4.

The resulting knight ending appears easier for Black than the one Capablanca shows in his annotation to the next move.

Prior to 43.Nd1, evaluations in the ChessBase DVDs show that Black has the upper hand; after that move, these shift to decisive advantage.

44.Ke2

"Not a mistake, but played deliberately. White had no way to protect his b-pawn" (Capablanca 1921, 22). He notes in A Primer, White could have tried 44.Ke1 Na5 45.Kd2 Rxb3 46.Rxb3 Nxb3 "and there would have resulted a rather difficult knight ending, which should nevertheless be won for Black" (215). Graham Burgess carries the analysis out to move 50.

Commentators split on whether they agree that 44.Ke2 was not a mistake. The disagreement hinges on whether an ending without rooks increases White's drawing chances. King points out in his YouTube video, "Majestic," that there are no weak points among Black's pawns.

44...Rxb3 45.Ke3

Of course not 45.Rxb3 Nxd4+

45...Rb4

"Having his choice, Black prefers this ending to the more simple knight ending" (A Primer, 215).

Wait a minute! You just told us the knight ending was "difficult", and now it is "simple". What changed?

White to move

46.Nc3 Ne7 47.Ne2 Nf5+ 48.Kf2 g5 49.g4 Nd6 50.Ng1 Ne4+

White to move

51.Kf1 Rb1+ 52.Kg2 Rb2+ 53.Kf1 Rf2+ 54.Ke1 Ra2

"All these moves have a meaning. The student should carefully study them" (Capablanca 1921, 22).

This phrase importuning the student to study occurs with some frequency in Capablanca's writing. I trust that move sequences so noted are worth the effort.

"All these moves with the rook have had for object to obtain this particular position"  (A Primer, 216). I am reminded of another Capablanca ending in the next chapter of Shereshevsky's, Endgame Strategy: "schematic thinking". He begins that chapter with Janowski -- Capablanca, New York 1916.

"Capa messes with his opponent's head a while before taking action, allowing Lasker to stew in the memory of errors and regrets" (Lakdawala). King employs a similar phrase. I would add that he is making moves that get closer to the next time control, potentially buying more time on the clock.

55.Kf1 Kg7

"The White pieces are practically tied up as a result of the last few moves. Black can now take his time in arriving with his king at the place where he may want to go"  (A Primer, 216). Shereshevsky makes this point after 45...Rb4. Up to that point, the initiative was vital to Black. After that point, "the rhythm of the play changes sharply, and the principle of 'do not hurry' comes into force" (54).

56.Re3 Kg6 57.Rd3 f6

Only now does Capablanca begin to bring his pawns forward. The technique is marvelous to observe.

White to move

58.Re3 Kf7 59.Rd3 Ke7 60.Re3 Kd6 61.Rd3 Rf2+

"Again the rook moves have a definite object, and that is to have the same position as before but with the White rook at e3, so as to facilitate the advance of the pawns. Black could, of course, have won without these moves, but it would have taken longer" (A Primer, 216).

62.Ke1 Rg2 63.Kf1 Ra2 64.Re3

Black to move

Comparing the last two diagrams, it appears that over the past seven moves, only Black's king has moved.

Here, the game was adjourned for a second time. Because the final moves were played on a third evening of play, I present the conclusion of the game in "Lasker -- Capablanca, Game 10 (concluded)" (will be posted tomorrow).

Works Cited

Yesterday's post has a longer list of resources consulted. Here, I list only those quoted in today's post.

Burgess, Graham, John Nunn, and John Emms. The World's Greatest Chess Games. New York: Carroll and Graf, 1998, pp. 96-103.

Capablanca, José Raúl. World's Championship Matches, 1921 and 1927. New York: Dover, 1977, pp. 20-23.

_______. A Primer of Chess. New York: Harcourt, 1977, pp. 208-216.

Chess Base. José Raúl Capablanca: Master Class, vol. 04 (2015). DVD.

_______. Emanuel Lasker: Master Class, vol. 05 (2015). DVD.

King, Daniel. "Majestic" YouTube (7 April 2021), https://youtu.be/rZwtcJ8mpSs.

Lakdawala, Cyrus. Capablanca: Move by Move. London: Gloucester, 2012, Everyman ebook.

Lasker, Emanuel. Mein Wettkampf mit Capablanca. Berlin and Leipzig: Walter de Gruyter, and Co., 1922.

Shereshevsky, Mikhail. Endgame Strategy, trans. Ken Neat. London: Cadogan, 1985, pp. 53-54.

Lasker -- Capablanca, Game 10

The tenth game of the match between José Raúl Capablanca and Emanuel Lasker was played at Casino de la Playa over three nights 8-10 April 1921 (for details concerning the playing conditions, see "Refuge from Havana's Sun"). The tenth game was a historic achievement for Capablanca that many commentators have suggested was the critical game of the match.

Graham Burgess wrote that we see Capablanca, "remorselessly grinding down Lasker in a game that effectively sealed Capablanca's victory in the match" (96).

This post is part 16 in a series commemorating the centennial of this World Chess Championship. This series follows the games on the anniversary of each one.

On the first page of the April 1921 issue of American Chess Bulletin, which went to press before game eleven, a writer attempted to express the historic significance of Capablanca's win in game ten.

Capablanca has accomplished what no chess master before him has been able to do in all the twenty-seven years that Dr. Lasker has held the championship--play ten games with him in succession and not lose one. The late Carl Schechter lived through nine such games without losing, having won one and drawn eight, and then lost the tenth. Capablanca not alone did not lose the tenth, but actually won it, thereby increasing his score to 2-0 with 8 drawn. (65)

Few games in chess history have been subjected to a greater number of annotators. This attention should not come as a surprise. Capablanca considered his play from move 24 on as "one of [his] best efforts in his whole career, and that against one of the strongest players the world has ever seen" (A Primer of Chess, 211-212). Lasker also praised Capablanca's logic and consistency (Lasker, 22). The game offers instructive value for understanding play against an isolated queen pawn, serves as an example of a minority attack to create weaknesses for the opponent, and contains several critical moments for understanding long-term strategic planning. At the bottom of this post, I list the sources consulted while writing about the game.

For the strategic ideas, the two YouTube videos by kingscrusher and Danny King were especially valuable, as was Cyrus Lakdawala's comments in Capablanca: Move by Move. The most lengthy analysis of variations appear in Burgess and in Kasparov. Although initially overwhelmed by the abundant annotations, I became captivated by the differences between Capablanca's annotations in 1921 in his book on the match and those created fourteen years in A Primer of Chess. Indeed, I think the detailed annotations of both this game and game eleven in A Primer make the book a worthy addition to any library. There are nine additional games--all among Capablanca's best--included in the back of that book.

Tartakower and Du Mont call this game "a triumph of logic" and an "object lesson in skill and patience, culminating in an end game of rare precision and beauty" (476).

Lasker,Emanuel -- Capablanca,José Raúl [D61]
World Championship 12th Havana (10), 08.04.1921
[Capablanca/Lasker/others]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.Qc2

In games one, five, and seven, Capablanca played 7.Rc1. Lasker's 7.Qc2 appeared previously in this match in game four.

In A Primer of Chess, Capablanca wrote, "The text move is considered inferior to Rc1. White was probably trying to deviate from the better-known paths" (208).

7...c5

"Considered the best answer to Qc2" (A Primer, 208).

8.Rd1

The aggressive 8.O-O-O would be met with the same move as in the game. Kasparov notes that castling queenside "has lost its popularity due to 8...Qa5" (268), offering four paragraphs of analysis with reference games.

8...Qa5

White to move

9.Bd3 h6

"To remove the P from the line of the B and thus gain time for development. White threatened Bxh7+" (A Primer, 208).

10.Bh4 cxd4 11.exd4 dxc4 12.Bxc4 Nb6 13.Bb3 Bd7 14.0-0

"The development is now complete. White has a lone QP, but, on the other hand, Black is somewhat hampered in the maneuvering of his pieces" (Capablanca 1921, 22).

Kingscrusher has fun with Capablanca's term, "lone QP", instead of the term IQP used today. In A Primer, Capablanca used the term "isolated QP" (see below).

Burgess notes that White's "freer game" is offset by the "long-term liability of the isolated queen pawn" (97).

14...Rac8 15.Ne5

Black to move

"Black has obtained an excellent development. He must now find the way either to exchange the White bishop at h4 for his bishop at e7, or to post a piece at d5 so as to bring about some exchanges that will simplify the position to some extent. All this must be done while keeping immobile the White pawn at d4. White's central weakness is his isolated QP. On the other hand the central position of the pawn at d4 as compared with the less central position of Black's pawn at e6 gives White more space and in consequence more freedom of maneuver" (A Primer, 209).

15...Bb5

"With this move and the following, Black brings about an exchange of pieces, which leaves him with a free game" (Capablanca 1921, 22).

Capablanca's view of this move changed in the light of annotations mentioned in reference to White's move 17 below.

"This is a weak move which might have given Black a great deal of trouble. Black wanted to gain time in order to play Nbd5, the pivot square of the whole position for Black. It was the wrong idea, however, as will soon be seen. The simple and logical Bc6, threatening Bd5, would have given Black an excellent game" (A Primer, 210).

16.Rfe1 Nbd5

White to move

In this position, Lasker missed a more dynamic possibility that some commentators have seen as offering White good prospects for advantage. Gyula Breyer was the first to point it out in two columns in Bécsi Magyar Újság (11 May and 18 June 1921). Later in 1926 Efim Bogoljubow anaylyzed it in detail, finding equality for Black (see Winter).

"At first glance Black seems to have the better position. Such, however, is not the case." And Capablanca gives part of the variation presented below (A Primer, 210).

17.Bxd5

Edward Winter discusses the annotations by Breyer and Bogoljubow in the context of Capablanca's claim in British Chess Magazine that Lasker, "is unable to show a single instance where he could have won a game" (October 1922, 376). Assessment of the merits of Capablanca's claim may depend on the thoroughness of Breyer's annotations (see also "Lasker -- Capablanca, Game 8" where Basil Soldatenkov suggests Lasker could have pressed an advantage). Kasparov and others have compiled the annotations, only part of which I present here.

Breyer suggested 17.Bxf6 when 17...Nxf6 would lose to 18.Ng6 Rfe8 19.Rxe6 (I plan to use the position before 19.Rxe6 as a training exercise--if Black captures the rook, it is mate in four). Hence 17...Bxf6 18.Bxd5 exd5

a) 19.Ng4

Burgess carries this line out to move 36, when Black can force a draw by repetition, crediting the analysis as far as move 30 to Breyer.

b) 19.Qf5

Kasparov favors this line, and King also suggests it is probably best.

Black to move

Analysis Diagram

19...Bc6 is Bogoljubow's suggestion, according to Kasparov However, the two Chess Base DVDs have Breyer's analysis extending to move 23 in this line, although he favors 19.Ng4

17...Nxd5 18.Bxe7 Nxe7 19.Qb3

Black to move

19...Bc6

"Not Ba6 because of Nd7, followed by Nc5" (Capablanca 1921, 22).

"The B pawn has to go back to his natural square. This in itself is a condemnation of Black's 15th move" (A Primer, 211).

Kingscrusher finds 19...Ba6 quite playable, and perhaps better than Capablanca's move.

20.Nxc6 bxc6

"After the smoke of battle has cleared away, the position is slightly in favor of Black. It is true that Black has two isolated pawns, but owing to the position of the pieces the Black pawns are less easily attacked that the one isolated QP of White" (A Primer, 211).

21.Re5 Qb6 22.Qc2 Rfd8

White to move

23.Ne2

"Probably White's first mistake. He wants to take a good defensive position, but he should instead have counter-attacked with Na4 and Rc5" (Capablanca 1921, 22).

"I start to play mediocre chess. The rook went to e5 in order to go to c5. So Na4 was the required move" (Lasker).

This was Lasker's first comment in his De Telegraaf commentary on the game. In Mein Wettkampf mit Capablanca, he added a note referencing Breyer's suggested improvement at move 17. The tone of his comments highlight his own errors as the game moves past the midnight hour.

"The alternative would be Na4. But White does not wish to endanger the safety of his QP. He therefore adopts the text move, which places the knight in the best defensive position as regards the QP" (A Primer, 211).

23...Rd5 24.Rxd5

"Even worse that the previous move. Correct was 24.Re3. If then, 24...Nf5 25.Rb3 Qd8 26.Rb4. White gains time to counterattack Rb4-c4 or a4, or g2-g4" (Lasker).

Lakdawala points out the engine move 24...c5 with a clear advantage for Black.

24...cxd5

"Black has now the open file and his left side pawn position is very solid, while White has a weak d-pawn. The apparently weak Black a-pawn is not actually weak because White has no way to attack it" (Capablanca 1921, 22).

"Now Black has united his pawns and dominates the queen's side" (Lasker).

"Black has consolidated his position. He holds the open file, his pieces are very well placed, and the only weak point--the isolated a-pawn--cannot be attacked because of the general situation of the pieces. The question is, how can Black get the full benefit of all this? From now on the student will do well to study carefully every move up to the end" (A Primer, 211).

This annotation concludes with Capablanca's "best effort" remark quoted near the top of this post.

White to move

25.Qd2 Nf5

"This keeps two of White's pieces tied up to the defense of the QP and prevents Rc1" (A Primer, 212).

26.b3

"In order to free the queen from the defense of the b-pawn and also to prevent Rc4 at any stage" (Capablanca 1921, 22).

"Mediocre chess! There was time for this advance. Better 26.g3" (Lasker).

26...h5

"In order to prevent g4 at a later stage. Also to make a demonstration on the king's side, preparatory to further operations on the other side" (Capablanca 1921, 22). A Chess Primer repeats this annotation.

27.h3

"Weak, but White wants to be ready to play g4" (Capablanca 1921, 22).

"This is unquestionably bad, since it allows Black to paralyze the White pawns with h5-h4" (Lasker).

27...h4

"To tie up White's kingside. Later on it will be seen that White is compelled to play g4 and thus further weaken his game" (Capablanca 1921, 22). Capablanca rephrases this for A Chess Primer, but the idea remains the same.

28.Qd3 Rc6

"In order to guard the a6 square, thus permitting the queen to go to b4 without letting the White queen penetrate into Black's position" (A Primer, 213).

29.Kf1 g6

"Since White cannot do anything but mark time, Black, having all the time at his disposal, prepares his position before advancing" (A Primer, 213).

30.Qb1 Qb4

White to move

The game was adjourned at this point. Commentary will continue tomorrow with Lasker's sealed move in "Lasker -- Capablanca, Game 10 (continued)".

Does Capablanca have a technical win? He certainly has an easier game, and he has the waking parts of the next twenty hours to formulate a plan.

Sources

Burgess, Graham, John Nunn, and John Emms. The World's Greatest Chess Games. New York: Carroll and Graf, 1998, pp. 96-103.

Capablanca, José Raúl. World's Championship Matches, 1921 and 1927. New York: Dover, 1977, pp. 20-23.

_______. A Primer of Chess. New York: Harcourt, 1977, pp. 208-216.

Chernev, Irving. Capablanca's Best Chess Endings. New York: Dover, 1978, pp. 124-130.

Chess Base. José Raúl Capablanca: Master Class, vol. 04 (2015). DVD.

_______. Emanuel Lasker: Master Class, vol. 05 (2015). DVD.

Gavriel, Tryfon (Kingscrusher). "Chess Strategy: Evolution of Chess Style #65" YouTube (23 February 2011), https://youtu.be/J9A0tFJZk-s.

Kasparov, Garry. My Great Predecessors, Part 1, trans. Ken Neat. London: Everyman Chess, 2003, pp. 268-271.

King, Daniel. "Majestic" YouTube (7 April 2021), https://youtu.be/rZwtcJ8mpSs.

Lakdawala, Cyrus. Capablanca: Move by Move. London: Gloucester, 2012, Everyman ebook.

Lasker, Emanuel. Mein Wettkampf mit Capablanca. Berlin and Leipzig: Walter de Gruyter, and Co., 1922.

Linder, Isaak, and Vladimir Linder. Jose Raul Capablanca: 3rd World Chess Champion, trans. Boris Belitsky. Milford, CT: Russell Enterprises, 2010, pp. 83-85.

Members of the I.L. Rice Progressive Chess Club. "Tenth Game." American Chess Bulletin, vol. 18, no. 4 (April 1921), pp.75-77.

Radić, Antonio (Agadmator). "Havana Knights" YouTube (8 August 2019), https://youtu.be/1xJ9H0iGECM.

Sánchez, Miguel A. José Raúl Capablanca: A Chess Biography. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2015, p. 247.

Shereshevsky, Mikhail. Endgame Strategy, trans. Ken Neat. London: Cadogan, 1985, pp. 53-54.

Smith, Bryan. "Clash of Champions: Capablanca vs. Lasker." Chess.com (31 July 2014), https://www.chess.com/article/view/clash-of-champions-capablanca-vs-lasker.

Tartakower, Savielly, and Julius Du Mont. 500 Master Games of Chess. New York: Dover, 1975, pp. 476-478.

Thomas, George A. "Game No. 4,852." British Chess Magazine, vol 41, no. 8 (August 1921), pp. 300-303.

Winter, Edward. "Lasker v Capablanca tenth match-game." Chess Notes 6153 (1 June 2009), https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/winter59.html#CN_6153.

Pawn Structure Chess

McDonnell -- La Bourdonnais 1834

Readers may find a note of irony in my reasons for the gap of time between this post and the previous one concerning the first match between Alexander McDonnell (1798-1835) and Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais (1795-1840). At the end of June, I started posting analysis of the games in this historic match between the top British player and the champion of France (see "Three Fighting Draws"). I kept up these posts with some regularity through game 22, but then abrubtly stopped in mid-September with three games remaining (see "La Bourdonnais's Infantry").

Teaching history cuts into my time for chess.

This neglect relates to McDonnell's career. At the time of the match McDonnell was secretary to the Committee of West Indian Merchants. This business group was involved in lucrative trans-Atlantic business ventures. I have been studying some of the broader contexts of these ventures.

I teach occasional college history classes for adult students. These classes are brief (six weeks) and quite intense in their focus. The past few weeks, I have been occupied with a new course--relatively new in the worlds of academia and my university and wholly new to me. It is called Atlantic World and covers history of four continents through three centuries. My academic training was focused on North America so I had much to learn preparing for this class.

A central facet of the Atlantic world was the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the production of sugar in the New World. Britain ended its participation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade in 1807 and abolished slavery in 1833. The time of McDonnell's work in West Indian business was a time of dramatic change.

Now that the end of my class draws near, I have more time for study of chess.

McDonnell prevailed in game 23, which was a battle centered on isolated pawns.

De Labourdonnais,Louis Charles Mahe -- McDonnell,Alexander [D00]
London m1 London (23), 1834

1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Be2 

In 2007, Vladimir Kramnik would play  5.c3.

5...Bxf3

Black creates a minor piece imbalance.

5...e6 was an alternative worth considering.

6.Bxf3 e6

White to move

7.c4

7.0–0 Nf6 8.c3 Be7 9.Nd2 0–0 10.Qb3 Qb6 11.Qxb6 axb6  and White won in 60 moves in Stoletov,G (2246) -- Kovalev,A (1955), Konakovo 2011.

7...Nf6 

From this pawn structure, an isolated queen pawn is common.

8.Nc3 cxd4 9.exd4 dxc4

White has an IQP; Black is a pawn ahead. Black's minor piece exchange deflected White's light-squared bishop from the f1–a6 diagonal.

10.0–0 Be7 11.Bxc6+

White eliminates the minor piece imbalance in order to win back the pawn.

11...bxc6 12.Qa4 0–0 13.Qxc4 

13.Qxc6 does not seem as good. 13...Rc8 14.Qa4 Qb6.

13...Rc8

It seems to me that White's IQP and Black's two isolated pawns should tip the balance slightly in White's favor.

14.a3 Bd6 15.Bg3

15.Bxd6 seems better 15...Qxd6 16.Qc5.
15.Bg5? is worse. 15...Bxh2+ 16.Kxh2 Ng4+ 17.Kg1 Qxg5.

15...Bxg3

White to move

16.fxg3?!

This move increases the mobility of the rook, but also places a burden upon the isolated d-pawn. This move also weakens the e3 square. Looking back from the conclusion of the game makes this move seem the first significant error.

I prefer 16.hxg3. But, even this move offers Black some opportunities. Perhaps White's troubles began on the previous move.

16...Nd5 17.Rae1

Guarding e3

17...Qg5

Increasing pressure on e3.

18.Ne4

Driving the queen back.

18...Qe7 19.b4?!

Another plan might have been 19.Nc5 blockading the isolated c-pawn. White could then place his queenside pawns on b3 and a4. However, Black might then build up pressure on d4. 19...Nb6 20.Qa6 Rfd8 21.Rd1 Rd5 22.Rd2 Rcd8 23.Rfd1 e5! 24.Qe2.

19...a5

Any advantage that White might have realized with fewer isolated pawns will be gone soon.

20.Nc5 axb4 21.axb4 Rb8

White's queen may be compelled to defend White's two isolated pawns, although only one is attacked at present.

White to move

22.Na6?

This move seems to fail tactically.

22.Rb1 Rb5 23.Nd3 Qb7.

22...Rb6 23.b5 Qa3

Black again puts pressure on e3

24.Qc5

24.Ra1 Qe3+ 25.Kh1 cxb5 26.Qc5 b4 and White will need to give up a piece to stop Black's b-pawn.

24...Qxc5 25.Nxc5 Rxb5 

White to move

26.Nd7

26.Rc1 Rd8 27.Rfd1 Ne3 28.Rd3 Nf5 29.Nb3 Rbd5 30.Rxc6 Kf8 31.Rc4 e5 and Black should win.

26...Rc8 27.Ne5 Rb7 28.Rc1 Rbc7 29.Rc5

29.Nd3 c5 30.dxc5.

29...f6 30.Nc4 Kf8

White to move

31.Ra1

La Bourdonnais aims to collect Black's c-pawn. This plan is doomed.

31.Nd6 Rb8 32.Ne4.

31...Ke7 32.Ra6 Nb4 33.Ra4 Rb8! 34.Na5

Black to move

This position is useful for instructing elementary chess students.

34...Nd3

White is losing material due to the checkmate threat. The tactic combines fork and discovery. A line is opened for the rook while the knight forks rook and the king's escape square.

35.Kf1

35.Rc3 Rb1+ and checkmate next move.

35...Nxc5 36.dxc5 Rb5 0–1

McDonnell's play against pawn weaknesses gave him the win. In the next game, McDonnell's experiement with the Evan's Gambit produced "An Opening Disaster".

That Pin of f7

McDonnell -- La Bourdonnais 1834
Match 1, Game 15

Alexander McDonnell (1798-1835) lost a long string of games to Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais (1795-1840) during their first match. After fourteen games, La Bourdonnais led 8-2 (draws did not count).

After going through all of McDonnell's games against other opponents that are available in the ChessBase database, I have been working through his games with La Bourdonnais. As I work through these games, blogging them, I am keeping my research light and avoiding analysis engines. I intend to work through all 85 games of their six matches, and then to spend more time comparing my comments to published comments by stronger chess players.

I posted my comments on game 14 in "McDonnell -- La Bourdonnais 1834". My series on this match begins with "Three Fighting Draws". Each post in the series contains links fore and aft.

De Labourdonnais,Louis Charles Mahe -- McDonnell,Alexander [D20]
London m1 London (15), 1834

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 Be7

For 6...Bd6 see "Weakened King" (game 12).

7.Nf3 0–0 8.h3

Black to move

8...c6

I would be inclined to try 8...Nbd7 with the idea of Nd7-b6 then to d5. Blackade the IQP. Posting a knight on d5 also reduces the vulnerability of f7. It was not surprising to find that my idea is given as one of the main lines in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings.

Of course, there was no well-developed theory concerning isolated queen pawns (IQP) in 1834. Rather, as Colin Crouch noted last week, "to far greater an extent than anyone else in modern chess history, they had to think everything by themselves" ("The Extraordinary Summer of 1834"). When McDonnell and La Bourdonnais contested their matches, opening theory was primitive, endgame theory limited, and chess writing concerned with middlegame play almost non-existent. No other matches between masters had been recorded for the edification of those who followed.

The beginnings of modern chess theory are built upon a foundation of the study of the games of these 1834 matches by Paul Morphy, Howard Staunton, and those who followed in their wake.

9.Be3 Bf5

This move invites trouble, as White's pawns come forward with tempo

10.g4

First hit on the bishop.

10...Bg6 11.Ne5

Second hit on the bishop, taking advantage of the pin on f7. This pin seemed to be the decisive strategic element: continuous tactical pressure on Black's vulnerable king.

11...Nbd7 12.Nxg6

Wrecking Black's kingside pawns.

12...hxg6 13.h4

Another pawn comes forward. White's king sits on an open file, and cannot castle behind an intact pawn shield. Yet, Black's king is the one under attack.

13...Nb6 14.Bb3

Black to move

14...Nfd5

Black does manage to blockade the d-pawn, but perhaps too late. White seems to have the makings of a strong attack upon Black's castled position.

14...Nbd5 15.g5 Nh5 16.Qf3 and the d5 knight has only two defenders.

15.h5 Nxe3

McDonnell removes an attacker.

16.fxe3 Bh4+

Perhaps Black might have secured the kingside with 16...g5 17.Qf3 (17.h6 g6 18.h7+ Kh8) 17...Re8 (17...Nd5 18.Nxd5 cxd5 19.Bxd5) 18.Ne4.

17.Kd2

It is interesting to compare the vulnerability of McDonnell's king on g3 and h3 when he has White, to the vulnerability of La Bourdonnais's king in this position. The difference seems to be better piece coordination for the French player.

17...gxh5 18.Qf3 Bg5 19.Raf1 Qxd4+

White to move

McDonnell recovered a pawn with a pin.

20.Kc2

I am reminded of a recent tournament game--a Ponziani--in which my king might have found security here on c2 had I played better.

20...Qf6 21.Rxh5 Qg6+

21...Qxf3 appears to be the major alternative 22.Rxf3

Black to move

Analysis diagram

22...Bf6 (22...Be7 23.Rfh3) 23.g5 g6 24.Rh1 Bg7 (24...Bxg5 25.Rg3) 25.Ne4 and White should win.

22.e4 Nd5 23.Rfh1 Bh6 24.g5

Black to move

24...f5 25.Nxd5 cxd5 26.Bxd5+ Kh7

The pin of the f7 pawn is no longer a factor, but it contributed to White's decisive penetration along the h-file.

27.Rxh6+ gxh6 28.Rxh6+ Qxh6 29.gxh6 1–0

My comments on the next game can be found in "Strong Knights".