[Event "Podebrady"]
[Site "Podebrady CZE"]
[Date "1936.07.06"]
[EventDate "1936.07.05"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Alexander Alekhine"]
[Black "Erich Eliskases"]
[ECO "C84"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "49"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5
7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 Na5 9. Bc2 c5 10. d3
{More usual is 10.d4, which enables White, if he wants, to blockade the position in the center by
d4-d5 in order to start a not-very-promising attack on the kingside. The text move aims to finish
development on the queenside first and to play d3-d4 only afterwards, when, or if, it appears
opportune.} Nc6 11. Nbd2 O-O 12. Nf1 Re8
{A quite acceptable plan, if it had been conceived for defensive purposes only. Another plausible
way to finish development without much inconvenience was 12...Be6 13.Ne3 h6, followed by Qd8-c7
and Ra8-d8.}
13. Ne3 d5
{A typical mistake: Black is in a hurry to “punish” White for having delayed d2-d4, and himself
starts an operation in the center. But, as will be promptly shown, at a very unfortunate moment.
Logical was 13...Bf8, especially as 14.Nd5 was not then to be feared: 14...N×d5 15.e×d5 Ne7 16.d4
e×d4 17.c×d4 c4! etc. The chances in that case would be about even.}
14. exd5 Nxd5 15. Nxd5 Qxd5 16. d4
{The refutation: White opens the position in the center at a moment when the opponent has not yet
finished his development and thus succeeds in taking full advantage of the various insufficiently
protected points (knight at c6 the first) in Black’s camp.}
exd4 17. Be4
Qd7 18. cxd4 Bf6
{Otherwise, the further advance of the center pawn would prove overwhelming. For instance,
18...Bb7 19.d5 Nd8 20.Ne5 Qd6 21.Bf4 etc., with all the positional trumps in hand.}
19. Bg5
{The main idea of this move is shown by the following short variation: 19...B×d4 20.Bf5! R×e1+
21.Q×e1 Qd6 22.Qe8+ Qf8 23.B×h7+ and wins the queen; and, since 19...B×g5 20.N×g5 g6 21.d×c5
etc., would have led to a hopelessly lost endgame, Black, nolens volens, must try the following
sacrifice of the exchange.} Rxe4 20. Rxe4 Bxd4 21. Nxd4 Nxd4
{If Black could have found time to finish the development of his queenside, White’s slight
material gain would have been very difficult to exploit. White, therefore, must act with extreme
energy.}
22. Qh5
{The point of this rather difficult attacking move may be seen from the continuation 22...Bb7
23.Rh4! h6 24.B×h6 Nf5 25.B×g7!, and Black would be mated in two if 25...K×g7.} Bb7
{Also, 22...Qc6 23.Rae1 Be6 24.Rh4 Bf5 25.Be7! would not prove sufficient.} 23. Rh4 Qf5
{Since 23...h6 loses at once (cf. above note), Black has no choice.}
24. Be3
{Another surprising point of the attacking maneuver: White forces the exchange of queens and
simultaneously dislodges the knight from its strong central post. After the “normal” moves 24...Q×h5
25.R×h5 Nc2 26.Rd1! N×e3 27.f×e3 c4 28.Rc5, followed by 29.Rd7, the endgame would be quite
easily won. Black’s next mistake, therefore, only shortens the agony.}
Rd8 25. Rxd4 1-0