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Jose Raul Capablanca vs Alexander Alekhine
AVRO (1938), The Netherlands, rd 2, Nov-08
Queen's Indian Defense: Classical Variation (E17)  ·  1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-07-05  Calli: Dutchbase at the Max Euwe site also gives Qc3 in their file. http://www.maxeuwe.nl/dutchbase/pag...

<Benzol> Have you spotted any errors in Skinner and Verhoeven? I suspect that the Britsh reprint just copies the original tournament book.

Jan-07-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: You're going to laugh, but here's a quick sample of the ending of four pawns versus rook.

41. h4 Kg6 42. g4 Kf6!? 43. Nxg7 Ke5 44. Nf5 Kd5 45. Nxh6 Kc4 46. g5 Kb3 47. h5 a2 48. Rxa2 Rxa2 49. Nf5 Kc4 50. g6 Ra7 51. h6 Kd5 52. g7 Ra8 53. h7 Bxg7 54. Nxg7 Rh8 followed by 55...Rxh7, and I believe the resulting ending should be drawn.

Obviously, there's a strong suspicion that White must have improvements over this line at various points by making more preparations before trying to cash in on the passed pawns. But White will always have to be careful to avoid Black's plan of trading his bishop for two pawns to reach a drawn ♔♘♙♙ versus ♔♖ ending, as happens in the sample line above.

Jan-07-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  tamar: I hadn't even thought of 41. h4 Kg6 42. g4 Kf6!? 43 Nxg7, giving up too early on the variation because White is gaining material, but of course it makes sense for Black to get an active King with his own pawn so close to queening.
Jan-07-05  Calli: You have convinced me that 41.h4 was worth a shot. Perhaps Capablanca thought the 41.Nf4 was better, but didn't see the saving 48.Bxf2 in his calculations.

BTW- the "New In Chess" database also gives 8.Qc3.

Jan-07-05  Benzol: <Calli> <<Benzol> Have you spotted any errors in Skinner and Verhoeven?>

No I haven't yet but I seem to remember some reference that <ray keene> made to a game that was corrected here at <chessgames.com> that wasn't in or wasn't correct in Skinner & Verhoeven.

And while we're talking about 4 pawns versus a Rook in the ending, have a look at Euwe vs Capablanca, 1929

Jan-07-05  acirce: <No I haven't yet but I seem to remember some reference that <ray keene> made to a game that was corrected here at <chessgames.com> that wasn't in or wasn't correct in Skinner & Verhoeven.>

Keres vs Alekhine, 1943

Jan-07-05  Calli: Yes, its true that Keres-Alekhine was incorrect. This however, was explanable by the fact that the Keres book was published after Skinner/Verhoeven. They certainly saw seen this game (Capa/AA) had been published both ways because the tournament book is in the bibliography. So how did they choose?
Jan-08-05  Benzol: <acirce> Thanks mate. :) I couldn't remember what game it was.
Sep-08-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: A magnificent struggle, the ending after 48...Bxf2!; 49.Kxf2, Rb2; 50.Rxa3, (Necessary - sooner or later.) 50...RxN/c2+; 51.Kg1, Ke6; is probably nothing more than a draw.
May-14-08  RookFile: This was a really nice game, I enjoyed playing over it.
Oct-17-08  Whitehat1963: So, what happens if white continues with 49. Nxa3?
Oct-18-08  CapablancaFan: <Whitehat1963: So, what happens if white continues with 49. Nxa3?> You're joking right? If Capa was stupid enough to play something like that. 49...Ra1! (pinning the knight) would come like a shot.
Oct-18-08  Benzol: <CapablancaFan> What happans after 49.♘xa3 ♖a1 50.♔xf2?
Oct-18-08  CapablancaFan: <Benzol> Oh, snap, I wasn't paying attention, I feel so embarrassed. :-)
Oct-19-08  Benzol: 49.♘xa3 ♖b2 50.♘c4 is probably drawn.
Oct-28-08  Whitehat1963: <Benzol: 49. Nxa3 Rb2 50. Nc4 is probably drawn>

With the aid of the chesslab.com computer, I think I found a lot more life left in this position. As you say, it's probably drawn, but white definitely holds the advantage, and black would have to be very careful. I'm surprised Capa didn't press on, superb endgame master that he was:

49. Nxa3 Rb2 50. Nc4 Rc2 51. Nd6+ Ke6 52 Nf5 Bc5+ (a move I don't understand) 53. Kh3 Bg1 54. Nxh6 Rxh2+ 55. Kg4 Bc5 56. Re8+! Kd7 57. Re5 Bd6 58. Nf5 Be5 59. Kxg5 Rg2 60. g4 Rg1 61. Nd4+ Bxd4 62. Rxd4 Ke5 63. Ra4 Rg2. And white has a pair of disconnected passed pawns that might prove too difficult to promote.

It would be interesting to see what something like Rybka 3 makes of the final position.

Oct-28-08  Whitehat1963: Yes, I just tested it on Jester, and 49. Nxa3 Rb2 50. Nc4 Rc2 51. Nd6+ Ke6 52. Nf5 Bc5+ leads not to a draw, but to a win for white every time!

Here's the sequence we played:

1.Nc2xa3 Rb1-b2
2.Na3-c4 Rb2-c2
3.Nc4-d6+ Kf7-e6
4.Nd6-f5 Bf2-c5+
5.Kg2-h3 Bc5-g1
6.Nf5xh6 Rc2xh2+
7.Kh3-g4 Bg1-c5
8.Ra8-e8+ Ke6-d7
9.Re8-e5 Bc5-d6
10.Re5-d5 Rh2xh6
11.e4-e5 Kd7-c6
12.Rd5xd6+ Rh6xd6
13.e5xd6 Kc6xd6

Can someone with Rybka please analyze 49. Nxa3 and slide the analysis forward a bit as well? I think this is a clear-cut win for white!

Oct-28-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Pawn and Two: <Whitehat1963> After 49.Nxa3 Rb2 50.Nc4 Rc2 51.Nd6+ Ke6 52.Nf5 g4!, the position will be a draw. Fritz found this line very quickly.
Oct-28-08  Whitehat1963: 52...g4!, huh? I'll have to take a look. Thanks.
Aug-24-09  WhiteRook48: someone analyze 52....Be1+
Jun-09-18  Granny O Doul: 8. Qb3 looks more likely to me. White's next few moves all make perfect sense then: 9. Be3 defends the threatened d-pawn, 10. Nbd2 meets Black's threat of ...Na5. Certainly seems far likelier than that Capa would have passed up 11. Nxe4 with his Q on c3.

Or, let me add, that Alekhine would play so weak a move as 10...dxc4.

Jun-09-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Stonehenge: All Dutch contemporary sources (e.g. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=...) give 8. Qb3.
Jan-01-19  edubueno: 1) +1.20 (20 ply) 41.h4 a2 42.h5 Be5 43.g4 Bb8 44.Ra8 Bd6 45.Kf3 Be7 46.e3 Bf6 47.Ra7 Kg8 48.Ke4 Bb2 49.Nf4 Bf6 50.Nd5 Bh4 51.f3 Be1 52.f4 Kf8 53.g5
Jul-11-25  Misirius: capablanca was lucky on this one. Alekhine was the better player; hands down!
Jul-11-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: I think the site is right to stick with 8.Qb3, but it's weird that the 8.Qc3 version is out there. It's not like Capablanca and Alekhine played so often, you'd think people would get the moves right!

<Stonehenge: All Dutch contemporary sources (e.g. https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=...) give 8. Qb3.>

<De schitterende point van zwarts verdediging. Capablanca stelde nu remise voor. Terecht, want na 49.Kf2:, Tb2 enz. of 49.Ta3:, Rb6 heeft de witte pluspion geen waarde.>

I think the Dutch are pulling our legs with that "language" of theirs. Highly suspicious that every Dutch person I meet speaks better English than I do.

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