Aron Nimzowitsch vs Paul Leonhardt (1911)

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Aron Nimzowitsch vs Paul Leonhardt
San Sebastian (1911), San Sebastian ESP, rd 3, Feb-23
Four Knights Game: Nimzowitsch (Paulsen) (C49) · 1-0

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

a

1

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

White to move.

ANALYSIS [x]

Notes by NimzowitschWhite has now a solid position, since the the enemy Queen file "bites on granite" (the protected P at d3). This solidity, however, also finds expression in the fact that White’s e-Pawn can never be troubled by an advance of Black’s d-Pawn; in other words, the center cannot be opened.The pin.9.g4 would have been premature, because of 9...Nxg4 10.hxg4 Bxg4,; followed by ...f5.The "question" is here indicated, since the Biswhop will be driven into a desert, which, because of the impossibility of ...d5, can never be transformed into a "flowering garden". Observe how the h-Pawn and the g-Pawns slowly develop into storm troops.Else Kt-d1-e3-f5 would have followed.White now intends to bring his Kt to f5 via c4 and e3; on the other hand he proposes to prevent the embarrasing move ...c4 for as long as possible without the aid of c4, since this move would leave the output position in the Queen file (at d4) unguarded.In order at length to free the Bishop; this move, however, invites g5 when an opportune moment comes.Black has succeded in provoking c4; in the meantime, however, White has got the King’s wing beautifully arranged to suit himself. White quietly makes his last preparations for a worthy reception of the enemy Queen at d4, for which point she is striving. Observr how the first player has succeeded in combining the defence of the center with his plans for a King-side attack. Traps the Queen. This "trap" was everywhere applauded. That it was subordinate to the strategic ends which I had set myself in this game was taken into consideration by no one. The aim of my strategy was, however, to prevent a breakthrough or any manouvering in the center and to make possible the ultimate advance g5 with the attack.cxd5 was more precise.The student may see from the laborious and tedious defence which White adopted (see moves 21, 22, 25, 28) that he fully recognized the fact that the disposition of his King-side Pawns (h3,g4) demanded a closed center.1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

FEN COPIED

Given 27 times; par: 72 [what's this?]

Annotations by Aron Nimzowitsch. [48 more games annotated by A Nimzowitsch]

explore this opening	find similar games	12 more A Nimzowitsch/P Leonhardt games
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< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 1 OF 2 · Later Kibitzing>
Sep-01-04		Leviathan: 29.Nd5! and the queen is locked up!! A fantastic trap.

Sep-01-04		tomh72000: Yes, I remember seeing this in "My System" and I found it amazing. A very beautiful position.

Sep-01-04		Gypsy: Ludek Pachman uses this game to illustrate the concept of <trap>, especially <tactical trap>. "... Some psychological elements are not directly based on the style of our oponent or on the tournament circumstances under which the game is played. Into this more general category bellongs actually every <trap>, where we calculate with usual thinking of our oponent and bate him (her) by an apparent material or positional gain. <Trap> appears predominately in <chess tactics>, where it is based on some suprising turn which refutes the expected continuation of our oponent. For instance, in Nimzowich-Leonhardt (San Sebastian 1911), Black was trying to provoke c3-c4 for several moves in an apparent desire to place his queen on d4. <26...Qc6> Nimzowich caught on to that and prepared a nice trap <27.Rg1! Qd6 28.Qc1!>. Leonhardt did not see through his oponent plan and continued the mauever already in-progres <28...Qd4?>, just to see his queen ensnarled by <29.Nd5!> and in the mortal danger to perish after c2-c3. The game continued <29...Rxd5 30.c3! Qxd3 31.exd5 Qxc4 32.dxe6 Qxe6 33.Qc2> and White wan after a few additional moves. Of a diferent character is a <strategic trap> where, by masking our own strategic intentions, we entice our oponent to take measures that in fact help us with our task. B Thelen vs F Treybal, 1927."

Sep-02-04		tomh72000: Thanks for the post, and on the Treybal game too.

Sep-02-04		Gypsy: My pleasure.

Sep-23-04		BadTemper: Why did he not 31 g3xd3 ?

Sep-23-04		clocked: <BadTemper> that would only give white the Queen for a Rook and Bishop

Sep-23-04		BadTemper: Ya nevermind it's late i didnt look at position. taking rook & bishop is the easier win.

Sep-23-04		weary willy: this puzzle is worth publishing simply for the pleasure of learning Leonhardt's middle name. Interesting that a Lionheart should meet Saladin

Sep-23-04		acirce: Saladin and Lionheart in the same name, that IS interesting! Surely it can't be a coincidence.

Sep-23-04		artemis: <chessgames.com> excellent progression from simply winning the queen to using the threats of winning the queen to win other material. well done.

Sep-23-04		enigmaticcam: I like how on 44. Kg2 white prepares to trap his rook after it takes on f5.

Sep-23-04		kevin86: An unusual trap-as effective as it is simple.White did have to finesse to win the rook.With normal play,he would have "won" a queen for rook and knight-but instead of the queen,white picked off a rook!

Sep-23-04		Knight13: This puzzle is real hard. How can WE caculate over 20 moves? Hard one, <chessgames.com>

Sep-23-04		sanferrera: 34 .. Qxf5? just makes things easier for white.

Sep-23-04		beenthere240: After the queens were exchanged, black could have hung it up -- if not before. 3 pawns for a rook is not much of a deal.

Sep-23-04		Giancarlo: Rather long ending for a problem of the day I think.

Sep-24-04		Leviathan: <giancarlo> all the moves after 34.Qf5 the are unimportant since Black's position is absolutely hopeless. The tenacious Paul 'Lion Heart' Leonhardt puts up the Alamo flag and keeps on playing although the game is already over.

Sep-24-04		Giancarlo: <leviathan> I noticed that, but you dont usually see someone continue on like that.

Jan-07-16		andrewjsacks: Rather late resignation.

Jan-07-16		dfcx: The black queen lacks escapes, 29.Nd5 traps the queen A. 29...Rxd5 30. cxd5 (c3? Qxd3 31. Rxd3 Rxd3 =)Bf7 white is up an exchange. B. 29...Bxd5 30. c3 the queen is trapped

Jan-07-16		Penguincw: First Thursday puzzle of the year. Now I got this puzzle, but I didn't solve it. I remembered 29.Nd5 Rxd5 30.c3 Qxd3 31.exd5 Qxc4 32.dxe6 Qxe6. I wasn't sure what came next, but white is up a rook for 3 pawns now, should be a win, good enough. I saw this puzzle posted on <cg> FB a few minutes before midnight, and decided to check out the solution. So yes, I got a Thursday puzzle, but I didn't solve it. But remember, don't work harder, work smarter.

Jan-07-16		RookFile: Black was fully equal through move 28, but you wouldn't know it through Nimzo's notes. 28...Re8 keeps all of black's options open. A goal of black's can be to prepare ...c6 and ..b5, which would benefit his bishop. The kingside attack is nice, but reality is that black has at least the same firepower over there that white has. If I had to choose on move 28, I would take the black pieces.

Jan-07-16		sushijunkie: Nope. No way. Wow wow wow!

Jan-07-16		Robespierre: Wow -- I don't believe that I've ever seen such carefully crafted notes. Even from Capablanca.

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