Jose Raul Capablanca vs Erich Eliskases (1936)

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Jose Raul Capablanca vs Erich Eliskases
Moscow (1936), Moscow URS, rd 18, Jun-08
Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo. Canal Variation (C50) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 27 times; par: 82 [what's this?]

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May-19-05		Mating Net: Thanks to all <wmking40> <TedBundy> <paladin at large> for pointing out this fantastic endgame. This game is going into my endgame collection. The Endgame Bible, "Fundamental Chess Endings" by Muller and Lamprecht states: "Play actively! It might even be justified to sacrifice a pawn in order to activate the Rook or King." 48.f5 definitely follows that advice. White creates a passed pawn supported by an active King. White's King is truly a fighting piece in this endgame. As was pointed out above, Capablanca's technique in this game bears a remarkable resemblance to the famous Capablanca vs Tartakower, 1924.

Jul-06-05		beatgiant: <wmking40> <I wonder if white has an decided advantage at this point or if Capablanca's stellar technique wins a drawn game.> White obviously has a big advantage in space. Also, the maneuver in the game (trade rook and queen at h5 followed by pawn breakthrough at f5) leaves White in a clearly winning ending. To avoid that, Black can try 39...Rh6. But even then, White always seems to be able to break through eventually. For example, 39...Rh6 40. Qg4 Qf7 41. Rg3 Kh7 42. Kh2 a6 43. Rh3 threatens the h5 break, and I don't see a way for Black to avoid a fate similar to the actual game. In this game, Black neither restrained White's kingside play nor set up any counterplay on the queenside. That's why he lost. I suspect the last chance to save it was a long time ago, maybe somewhere around moves 25 to 30.

Oct-30-05		Mateo: "A trap into which Black must take care of not to fall is 9... Be6 10. d4 ed 11. cd Bb4 12. Kf1 Bd7 13. Nb4 Nb4 14. Qb3 and wins" (Golombey). 9... Be6 is not bad on account of 12. Kf1?, because 12... Bd7? is not forced. It is bad because of 12. Nb4 Bc4 13. Nc6 bc 14. Qc2, winning the c6 pawn.

Oct-30-05		Mateo: According to Golombek, Eliskases should have played 28... g5 (the fact is that this is good). He thinks white's best chance would be 29. hg fg 30. Qg4 Qg7 31. Tcf3 gf 32. Rf4 Rf4 33. Qg7 Kg7 34. gf "and black has to play with great care to secure the draw, e.g. 34... Kg6 35. Kf3 Rf7 and not 35... Rh8 36. Rg1 Kf7 37. f5! gf 38. Kf4 Rh4 39. Kf5 (...) and wins." I cannot agree with this. Black must not play 38... Rh4? but 38... Rh2. For instance, 39. Kf5 Rf2! (that is the point) at least equal for black. In Golombek variation, best for white would be 33. Rf4.

Oct-30-05		Mateo: <beatgiant Black can try 39...Rh6. But even then, White always seems to be able to break through eventually. For example, 39...Rh6 40. Qg4 Qf7 41. Rg3 Kh7 42. Kh2 a6 43. Rh3 threatens the h5 break, and I don't see a way for Black to avoid a fate similar to the actual game.> An improvement for black in your variation is 42... Rf8. 43. Rf3 is forced and the position is equal. In this variation, White cannot use the Rf3 to go to h3 to prepare the h5 break.

Oct-30-05		Mateo: 45... Kg7? is a blunder. Better for instance 45... Qg7-f7, with only a small advantage for White in my opinion.

Oct-31-05		beatgiant: <Mateo> <An improvement for black in your variation is 42... Rf8> Good point, but White also has improvements. For example, 39...Rh6 40. Qg4 Qf7 41. Rg3 Kh7 <42. Rf3>, with the idea of Kg3 and Rf1-Rh1 leading to situations similar to the actual game. <45... Kg7? is a blunder. Better for instance 45... Qg7-f7> In that case, White is still dominant in lines like 45...Qg7 46. Kh2 Qf7 47. Rxh5 gxh5 48. Qg5 Re8 49. Rg3 Rf8 50. f5!, etc.

Oct-31-05		Mateo: <beatgiant> In your variation what is the purpose of 41. Rf3-g3 if on the next move you come back to f3 with 42. Rf3? Anyway, let's see your idea: 42... Rf8 43. Kg3 Kh8 44. Rf1 a5! with counterplay. I do not see more than a small advantage for White here.

Oct-31-05		Mateo: <beatgiant In that case, White is still dominant in lines like 45...Qg7 46. Kh2 Qf7 47. Rxh5 gxh5 48. Qg5 Re8 49. Rg3 Rf8 50. f5!, etc.> I see an improvement for Black in your variation. Black has at least a draw. 49... Rg8 50. Qg8 Qg8 51. Rg8 Kg8 52. Kg3 Kf7 53. f5 ef 54. Kf4 Ke6 55. a4 (55. Kg5? b6 56. Kh5 c5 57. bc bc 58. dc d4 59. c6 d3 60. Kg6 d2 61. c7 Kd7 62. e6 Kc7 63. e7 d1Q 64. e8Q Qg4 65. Kf6 Qh4 66. Kf5 Qh3-a3) b6 56. b5 c5 57. dc bc 58. a5 c4 59. Ke3 Ke5 60. b6 ab 61. a6 f4 62. Ke2 c3 63.a7 f3 64. Kf3 c2 65. a8Q c1Q 63. Qh8 Kd6 64. Qd8, draw.

Nov-01-05		beatgiant: <Mateo> You are quite right, I had been always assuming the pawn ending is won for White, underestimating Black's counterplay via the ...c5 break. After 45...Qg7 46. Kh2 Qf7 47. Rxh5 gxh5 48. Qg5 Re8 49. Rg3 <Rg8!> 50. Qxg8 Qxg8 51. Rxg8 Kxg8 52. f5 exf5 53. Kg3 Kf7, if White tries 54. a4 b6 55. b5 c5 56. dxc5 bxc5 57. a5 c4 58. Kf2 c3 59. Ke1 f4 60. b6 c2 61. Kd2 axb6 62. axb6 f3, etc. and both sides queen. But another interesting try for White is 45...Qg7 46. f5!? which might lead to 46...exf5 47. Rxh5+ gxh5 48. Qxg7+ Rxg7+ 49. Kf4 Rg4+ 50. Kxf5 Rxd4 51. e6, which at a glance still looks very strong for White.

Nov-01-05		Mateo: <beatgiant After 45...Qg7 46. Kh2 Qf7 47. Rxh5 gxh5 48. Qg5 Re8 49. Rg3 <Rg8!> 50. Qxg8 Qxg8 51. Rxg8 Kxg8 52. f5 exf5 53. Kg3 Kf7, if White tries 54. a4 b6 55. b5 c5 56. dxc5 bxc5 57. a5 c4 58. Kf2 c3 59. Ke1 f4 60. b6 c2 61. Kd2 axb6 62. axb6 f3, etc. and both sides queen.> Black could play also 54... Ke6 and after 55. Kf4 it is the same variation I analyzed, leading to a draw with perpetual check. In your variation, 58. b6 is better (58... ab 59. a6! c3 60. a7 c2 61. a8Q f4 62. Kg2 c1Q 63. Qd5 =). But <58. Kf2>? is not the best because at the end of your variation you have 63. Kc2 (63. b7 c1Q! 64. Kc1 f2 65. b8Q f1Q 66. Kc2 Qc4-h4)f2 64. b7 f1Q 65. b8Q Qc4-h4.

Nov-01-05		Mateo: <beatgiant> <another interesting try for White is 45...Qg7 46. f5!? which might lead to 46...exf5 47. Rxh5+ gxh5 48. Qxg7+ Rxg7+ 49. Kf4 Rg4+ 50. Kxf5 Rxd4 51. e6, which at a glance still looks very strong for White.> Congratulations! 46. f5 is an interesting suggestion. I would even add a ! to your move rather than the modest !?. Black could try in the rook ending, instead of 49... Rg4, 49... Kg8 50. Kf5 Kf7 but 51. b5! looks dangerous, with good winning chances for White.

Jun-19-06		notyetagm: After 41 ... ♔h7: click for larger view

Jun-03-07		willyfly: that's the most amazing position I've yet to see arise in a game

Jun-03-07		notyetagm: <willyfly: that's the most amazing position I've yet to see arise in a game> Well then, feast your eyes on the incredible position from Capablanca vs K Treybal, 1929 after 55 ♗d3-a6!: click for larger view This is Capablanca's famous "V-For-Victory" pawn structure game. Capablanca was Da Man!

Mar-16-08		beatgiant: From the earlier discussion, it's still open whether Black could hold with 39...Rh6. I took another look at this. I still think White has, at the least, very strong winning chances. But he has to be careful to prevent the ...a5 counterplay suggested by <Mateo> above. I give the following example. 39...Rh6 40. Rf1 Qf7 41. Rg1 Kh7 42. Qe1 Rf8 43. R1g4 Now White's well placed to respond to ...a5. After 43...a5 44. bxa5 Rc8 45. Qb1 c5 46. h5 Kh8 47. Rxg6 Rxh5+ 48. Kg2 cxd4 <49. Rg7!> looks like a good breakthrough for White. Or if Black remains passive, then it's hard to prevent the h5 break. 43...Kh8 44. Qb1 Qh7 45. Rxg6 Rxf4 46. Rxf4 Rxg6 47. Qf1 looks to me like a solid advantage for White.

Aug-05-08		whiteshark: 10 squares on g+h file seems to be enough here: click for larger view Has there ever been a bigger accumulation of heavy pieces?

May-22-11		estrick: In Chess Openings Theory & Practice, I. A. Horowitz gives 36 ...h5 a "?" and it's the only one he gave for the whole game.

May-22-11		perfidious: Even nearing the end of his extraordinary career, Capablanca could make it look easy. In the opening, 6....Na5 eventually put this line out of business for a while, as in the following game: Korchnoi vs Bronstein, 1952.

Jun-01-12		LoveThatJoker: Guess-the-Move FInal Score: Capablanca vs E Eliskases, 1936. YOU ARE PLAYING THE ROLE OF CAPABLANCA. Your score: 107 (par = 90) LTJ

Feb-14-14		RookFile: Capa was one of the few who could win this sort of a game.

Feb-14-14		john barleycorn: Similar aggressively played P+R ending as in this game Capablanca vs Tartakower, 1924

May-08-15		Tabanus: Picture from this game: http://sah.hr/forum/index.php?actio...

Jan-17-21		Phony Benoni: Of all the ways to die on a chessboard, surely the most terrifying is to have your avenues of breath shut down until you suffocate from mere existence.

Apr-26-24		MarianoFreyreX: Beautifu example of space advantage

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