chessgames.com
Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing
Jose Raul Capablanca vs David Janowski
American National (1913), New York, NY USA, rd 3, Jan-22
Four Knights Game: Ranken Variation (C48)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Click Here to play Guess-the-Move
Given 40 times; par: 124 [what's this?]

explore this opening
find similar games 10 more Capablanca/Janowski games
PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

TIP: Premium members can suggest a game for Guess-the-Move with the Guess-the-Move Suggestion Queue.

PGN Viewer:  What is this?
For help with this chess viewer, please see the Olga Chess Viewer Quickstart Guide.
PREMIUM MEMBERS CAN REQUEST COMPUTER ANALYSIS [more info]

A COMPUTER ANNOTATED SCORE OF THIS GAME IS AVAILABLE.  [CLICK HERE]

Kibitzer's Corner
Apr-13-04  Phoenix: Minority attack on the kingside!
Feb-09-05  yunis: its the middle not king side
Jul-23-05  davewv: Page 68 "Chess Fundamentals" by Jose Capablanca.

Nice double rook/pawn endgame.

Dec-30-05  FENfiend: <42. Rf8+> is like saying "Stay in your cage!" <53. bxc5> reminds me of Alexander the Great's mousetrap idea to use phalanxes against chariots. There might be better examples around, but the result is still pretty (and) graphic.
Dec-30-05  setebos: this guy Capa was rather good at endgames:-)
Jan-02-06  FENfiend: You could say he had a fairly decent flair for the game...
Jan-02-06  FENfiend: <setebos> I read a pertinent description of Capablanca from Reuben Fine's "The World's Great Chess Games", but I'll check the player profile kibitz first to see if it isn't best quoted there.
Apr-13-11  General Akpufni: Impressive
Apr-13-11  Mozart72: Capablanca's 43.75% win probability in move 54 and Janowski's 31.25% win probability in move 53 shows the correctness of 1-0.
Feb-20-12  ventricule: 28. b4 and 30. a4 are real gems in this game in my opinion. Capablanca meticulously destroys any counterplay on the queenside before going on pushing his g and h pawns.

The critical test of this line is 31.... a5 32. a4xb5 Rd4xb4 33. Rb1xb4 a5xb4 34. Rf5-c5 !, winning one pawn because of the check if 34. ... c6xb5

Then 34 ... Re8-e6 35. Kf2-e3 Rb7-b6 36. Rc5xc6+ Re6xc6 37. b5xc6 Rb6xc6 38 Ke3-d4, and now Kc6-b5 puts the black king in a very passive position, but 38. ... Kc6-d6 runs into 39. Kd4-c4 c5 40. Kc4-b5 ! and black is zugzwanged, after running out of pawn moves he will lose the c5 pawn. (Analysis by Silman)

Feb-21-12  RookFile: I think 11... Bxf3 wasn't bad. After 12. Qxf3:


click for larger view

The first thing you wonder about is whether Nf5 and Nxg7 is even a threat on white's part. It may not necessarily be a good idea to open the g file against white's king.

Or suppose black played the rather aggressive 13..... Rdg8. The plan is to advance the kingside pawns.

I suspect that Capa would choose a simplyfing course, and avoid the mayhem of opposite site pawn storms. For example, Nf5, Bg5, with an idea of Nxd6+ and Bxf6.

May-16-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  LoveThatJoker: Guess-the-Move Final Score:

Capablanca vs Janowski, 1913.
YOU ARE PLAYING THE ROLE OF CAPABLANCA.
Your score: 128 (par = 119)

LTJ

May-10-18  Howard: This game was given in Point Count Chess I believe albeit with no notes.
Apr-16-19  WDenayer: The position after 27.b6 is given as a puzzle in a book by Bent Larsen (Du maste ha en plan, 1975 - You need to have a plan). Larsen gives 28.b4 a '!'. I do not see why. Black has absolutely no time to engineer anything on the Q-side. It will take 4 moves, just to exchange some pawns. I thought that 28.g5 is much stronger. According to Stockfish, 28.b4 is not even in the top 5 of best moves. It gives 28.h4 as best, Kf2 is also fine. The point of 28,g5 is that Black will end up with an isolated pawn which he will subsequently lose. There is no defense. So I think that 28.b4 was unnecessary, although Larsen (in 1975- no computers) writes that 'any modern master would play it.'
May-03-20  pepechuy: Did Janowski play 41... Kb8? (it is a question, I am not implying it is a bad move). In the Encyclopedia of Chess Endings, volume 3, the move played is 41... Kc8
May-03-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Had never seen this ancestor in the great Cuban's praxis of Kan vs Capablanca, 1936, featuring the minority attack on the kingside in the double rook ending.
Dec-21-20  raf7chess: The description of the game is wrong. Capablanca (in "Chess Fundamentals") and Chernev (in "Capablanca's best chess endings"), both, give 41. ... Kc8 and not 41. .. Kb8 as the actual move played.
Jan-22-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  Hasurami: Bent Larsen uses this game as example nr 2 in his book "Find the Plan".
Dec-28-21  ColdSong: One can be impressed by Capablanca' s talent in these games, and definitely not without reasons, but here Stockfish 9 sees 23 mistakes.Young and ambitious players have to think about it...
Apr-11-22  BentOuttaSmyslov: 24...Nxf5 and the following exchange of queens brings Janowski into an endgame where White is clearly better. But it's hard to find a good plan for Black in the position. What should Black have aimed for instead of exchanging knights? I'd probably play something quiet like 24...h6? Any suggestions for Black here?
May-29-25
Premium Chessgames Member
  mifralu: <In the Encyclopedia of Chess Endings, volume 3, the move played is 41... Kc8>

Also <41. ...Kc8> in < "Diario de la Marina, 02 February 1913, p. 8";> Capablanca was the editor.

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
  3. No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
  5. No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
  6. No trolling.
  7. The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
  8. Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

Blow the Whistle

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.


NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific game only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

This game is type: CLASSICAL. Please report incorrect or missing information by submitting a correction slip to help us improve the quality of our content.

Home | About | Login | Logout | F.A.Q. | Profile | Preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | New Kibitzing | Chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | Notable Games | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Store | Privacy Notice | Contact Us

Copyright 2001-2025, Chessgames Services LLC