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Jose Raul Capablanca vs Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander
Nottingham (1936), Nottingham ENG, rd 13, Aug-25
English Opening: King's English Variation. Closed System (A25)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Sep-03-05  paladin at large: The quiet but resolute white pawn on h6 is a giant in the decisive phase. Pretty bishop sac with 39. Bxg5 leads to capture of Black's queen.
Oct-27-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Mateo: Until black's 31th move, it looks like a balanced game. Instead of 31... Qd3?!, better seems 31... Qd7!? or 31... g4!? with only a small advantage for white.
Oct-27-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Mateo: Instead of 33. Bf3?, 33. Bb4! Bb4 34. Rc7 with an overwhelming position for white should be stronger. For instance, 34... Bc8 35. Bd5 Qe3 36. Be4 Qd4 37. Qc1 .
Oct-27-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Mateo: 34... Qg6 was not bad, but Alexander could also have played the nice 34... Ba6 35. Be2 Qf1!! 36. Rf1 37. Qh3 Bd3 38. Qc8 Bf8 =. For instance, 39. Bc1 Nb5 40. Qe6 =.
Oct-27-05  Karpova: @Mateo
what's white reply to 35...bb4: ?
Oct-27-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Mateo: 36... Qg8?, a very bad move, is a turning point, giving a big advantage to Capablanca. Now 37. Qh2 would have won the d5 pawn.
Oct-27-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Mateo: 38... Qf2? was the fatal error. But after 38... de white is much better.
Oct-28-05  Karpova: I guess deleting the post concerning 35.rg1 was the answer to my question...
Mar-14-10  Ulhumbrus: An alternative to 13...b6?! is 13...d6 and Black may end up with the advantage.

31 Qh1 begins to get ready for the advance e4. If Black replies to the advance e4 by exchanging twice on e4, White's Queen will occupy the central square e4 at the end of the double exchange.

Mar-14-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: Interesting how black, not Capa, seems to have the better pawn structure throughout the game. White has the backward e3 pawn, and the queer, isolated pawn on the h file.

I've never seen this line played by GMs of today. Is the opening advance of the h pawn too often a loss for white?

Jan-03-15  Ulhumbrus: Perhaps what can be said of the move 11 h4 in the game Steinitz vs Chigorin, 1892 can be said as well of the move 7 h4 in this game. If it commits White to castling on the queen side this suggests that as in the game Steinitz vs Chigorin, 1892 the right course for Black may be a pawn counter-attack on the queen side by ...b5 and ...b4
Nov-17-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: 6 Nd5 was already a new move. 26..Qe8!? allowing the g4 break seemed to work in White's favor. Still, until 36..Qg8? Black was holding his own.

This game from the latter part of Capablanca's career is not as clean strategically as the best of games he played earlier.

Nov-17-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <plang...Still, until 36..Qg8? Black was holding his own....>

The often fatal last move of the time check (the control at Nottingham was 36 moves in the first two hours), and one which had proven so to Capablanca in his loss to Flohr early in the event.

Nov-17-18  sudoplatov: Golembek mentions Capablanca's predilection for playing h4 in the English. Supposedly it loses a tempo. I don't know Capablanca discussed the move anywhere. Keres commented that in general, "Capablanca had a fine feeling for the opening," in discussing one of his (Capa) innovations.
Nov-17-18  sudoplatov: I noticed that 6.Nd5 is only represented by this game in the Chess365 opening database.

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