chessgames.com
Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing
Rudolf Spielmann vs Aron Nimzowitsch
San Sebastian (1911), San Sebastian ESP, rd 9, Mar-06
Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch. Closed Variation (B29)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Click Here to play Guess-the-Move
Given 11 times; par: 98 [what's this?]

explore this opening
find similar games 38 more Spielmann/Nimzowitsch games
PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

TIP: You can display posts in reverse order, by registering a free account then visiting your preferences page and checking the option "Display newest kibitzes on top."

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
Jul-03-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  nasmichael: 20.Ba3! Black dares white to take the bishop, and leave the light-squared diagonal to do so. It takes white, who becomes occupied with other things, 8 moves to return to the attack, and then cannot return to that attack line.
Jul-03-04  Calli: Very interesting game. Thanks for pointing it out. Just to start, its an early 2...Nf3 sicilian at the grandmaster level.

Spielmann's 16.c4 hangs the center pawns, seems pretty questionable

20...Ba3! is sweet. I don't understand Spielmann's 22.Re4. Loses time, no? Why not 22.Rc2 followed by Rec1.

Finally, the tactical wizard misses a point with 28.Qc3? 28...Bxa2! and the possibility of Qb1 wins the pawn. So 28.Rd2 or Rf2 and the position is still pretty even.

Jul-03-04  meloncio: In "My System", Nimzovitch just writes about 28.Qc3: "White must not to leave the 'c' column. If 28.Rc3 then 28. ... h5 29.h4 Rxf4".

He call this game, in his typical bombastic style, "The core game about my thesis of the relatively inoffensive nature of the pawns avalanche". Great Nimzo!

Jul-03-04  Calli: <Meloncio> Lol, yes I think it should be known as the "immortal relatively inoffensive pawn avalanche" game. :-)
Nov-26-04  kostich in time: In the tournament book, Mieses gave Nf6, a ?. His comment was "nicht gut"!
Apr-20-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Domdaniel: <"immortal relatively inoffensive pawn avalanche"> Heh. Super, <Calli> ... 'fragilistic' might be another translation of 'relatively inoffensive'. Even six years on.
Sep-14-11  Ulhumbrus: 18...f6! overcomes the hanging pawns by attacking the N on e5 which defends the c4 pawn a third time
Oct-20-11  64rutor: "Herr Nimzowitsch goes his own way" (Siegbert Tarrasch)
Mar-17-16  ICCM Bart Gibbons: This game is well-annotated by several grandmasters. The consensus is that White could have equalized with 19 c5, instead of Qa4.
Sep-18-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Domdaniel: Why did Speelman let his light-square bishop be chopped off after ...Nb4? I've played this Nimzo Sicilian as well as similar French lines, and I'd have been worried about either 14.Be4, preserving the LSB, or the speculative sac 14.Bxh7+.
Sep-19-17  Retireborn: <Domdaniel> 14.Be4 could be met with 14...f5 15.Bf3 Qxc2, although Houdini then gives 16.d5 with equality, presumably White will get a rook to the 7th with adequate compensation.

Or 14.Bb5 a6 15.Ba4 f6! and Black is doing well.

14.Bxh7+ is indeed interesting; after 14...Kxh7 15.Re3 Rh8 16.Nxf7 Qxf7 17.Bxd6 Nd5 18.Rg3 Kg8 19.Be5 White does seem to have some attacking chances for the piece.

Sep-19-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Domdaniel: <Retireborn> Interesting. I didn't look too closely at 14.Be4 f5 -- I thought (wrongly) that ...f5 was just positionally weak. But clearly the tactical advantages make up for that, though White still has play.

As for 14.Bxh7+, the line you give is much the same as what I could see. I don't really trust the sac, though some strong players would certainly try it.

The ...f6 resource you give is also useful for Black. It probably contributed to White's decision to play 14.Bg3.

Sep-19-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Domdaniel: Interesting also is the fact that Nimzowitsch gets the Bishop pair.

Ray Keene wrote somewhere (maybe 'Nimzowitsch: a Reappraisal', his best book) that Nimzo - in My System and elsewhere - wrote of the two bishops as something the opponent had, which needed to be defended against.

"We" blockade, "we" occupy the 7th rank ... but it is the enemy who has the bishop pair in his oily grasp.

Sep-19-17  Retireborn: <Domdaniel> Yes, I remember reading that. Indeed it's not easy to recall many games where Nimzowitsch uses the bishop pair rather than opposing it. Maybe this game:-

Nimzowitsch vs Salwe, 1911

Nov-05-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  zenwabi: Another game where Nimzowitsch extolls and uses THE BISHOP PAIR is Gregory v. Nimzowitsch, Game 47 in MY SYSTEM (21st Century Edition, Hays Publishing).
Nov-05-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  NM JRousselle: From a strategic perspective, White's 25 f4 is perplexing. Why did Spielmann reject f3, blunting the opposing bishop?
Nov-05-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: Perhaps the mature, more cunning model of Spielmann might have played thus.
Nov-05-20  SChesshevsky: <...Why did Spielmann reject 25. f3, blunting the opposing bishop? >

Maybe he was still thinking offense. Looks like the plan was that his advanced e-pawn would be a force. First, over protect the e-pawn. Then undermine blacks e6 with an eventual f5. With pieces down there for support.

Apparently he thought enough of this idea to allow the not very advanced queen side protected passed pawns.

Nimzo never did let an effective f5 happen. Then seems by the time Spielmann decided to deal with the passed pawns, king was fatally weak.

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.

Featured in the Following Game Collections[what is this?]
illustrative games of Nimzowitsch
by nasmichael
b29
from favorite games according to opening b00-b99 by mirage
Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch. Advance Variation
from MKD's Sicilian Defense Black by MKD
Sicilian: Various
by radu stancu
20... Ba3!
from Sneaky Bishop Moves by MorphyMatt
Choosing an Endgame
from Positional Chess Handbook I by monopole2313
San Sebastian 1911
by suenteus po 147
Game 39 in 'My System' by Aron Nimzowitsch
from Pubs by Year & Unconfirmed Source 19 Great Ts by fredthebear
G309
from 500MGC2 by morwa
mi sistema de nimzovich
by LESTRADAR
rich187113's favorite games
by rich187113
Game 309
from 500 Master Games of Chess by smarticecream
Important
by oao2102
Legend Nimzowitt
by Gottschalk
leslieldridz's favorite games
by leslieldridz
Preston Schools U11 Chess Ch
from The Clockwork Man by offramp
This deserves a selfie
by offramp
Game 23
from Greatest Opening Ideas (Scheerer) by Qindarka
Game 309
from Master Games - Chess (Tartakower/du Mont) by Qindarka
uhialfil's favorite games
by uhialfil
plus 46 more collections (not shown)

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 2001-2023, Chessgames Services LLC