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Aron Nimzowitsch vs Siegbert Tarrasch
"Keene Analysis" (game of the day Jan-29-2005)
San Sebastian (1912), San Sebastian ESP, rd 7, Feb-27
French Defense: Advance Variation. Milner-Barry Gambit (C02)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Given 58 times; par: 64 [what's this?]

Annotations by Raymond Keene.      [405 more games annotated by Keene]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-29-05  Milo: aw: we're all keenly aware of it.
Mar-22-05  aw1988: Hooray!
Aug-10-05  SneechLatke: <aw> The pun is so funny, so subtle, I'm still laughing 8 months later. :)
Feb-14-06  ArturoRivera: whats the pun, i dont get it
Feb-14-06  CapablancaFan: <ArturoRivera> Raymond Keene annotates this game himself. Look at the commentary box after the first move 1.e4.
Dec-17-08  JG27Pyth: I feel compelled to mention that Nimzowitsch loathed Tarrasch and considered him a "total mediocrity"
Sep-10-09  WhiteRook48: I like to play 3. e5 as white
Jun-04-10  whiteshark: I'm not too keen on it.
Jun-05-10  whiteshark: <bishop55>

Your suggestion <29...e5> is indeed a great improvement of Black's position.


click for larger view

one possible continuation is <30.g5 Rf7 31.gxh6 gxh6 32.Rg1 e4 33.Bxh6 Rf3> where I'd prefer the black side.


click for larger view

My comment was meant as wordplay to GotD headline <Keene Analysis>. Sorry for the caused confusion.

Apr-02-12  bystander: In the annotation, 12)...a5 gets a question mark, without any further explanation. What about 12)...f6, 13)Nc3, 0-0? <mindlessone, GreenDayGuy, 12...a6> 12...a6, 13) Nc3 0-0, 14) Kg2. I prefer 12)...f6, because after 12..a6, Nc3/a4/c5 is possible and a black advance like a6/b5 does not look very harmfull to white.
Apr-03-12  bystander: 13 a4? Should the pawn on a5 really be stopped? I think white can develop it's kingside instead. So 13) ♔g2 a4 14) g4 ♘h4+ 15) ♘h4x ♗h4x 16) f4 0-0.
Apr-03-12  bystander: Why does white play 17 ♗e2? It is possible for black to castle now, for example 17) 0-0 ♘a6 18) ♘b5 ♘b4 19) ♕d2 ♖c6 and I think black has better play. Maybe 17) ♗d7x ♔d7x 18) Tc1.
Apr-03-12  bystander: 25)...♖f8 with the intention 26...f6 is a very agressive move but the black king is stuck in the middle. After this move, I tink that white has an advantage. Why not a more defensive approach like 25)...♘bc6 and 26)...♗d7?
Apr-03-12  bystander: I do not like to move 35)..♖h4 so much, because the rook gets nowhere. But I do not see a good alternative for black either. Any thoughts?
Apr-03-12  bystander: <whiteshark, bisshop 55; 29)..e5 is an improvement of blacks position> Agreed. And even on move 32, 32..e5 seems to be better than 32)..♕e7.

But the defence looks very complicated and in many variantions black has to sacrifice a pawn. It looks more or less even to me after 32) ..e5 33)♕h5+ ♔d7 34)♕g4 + ♔c7 but a little more complicated after 32)...e5, 33)de5x ♗e6 34) f4 g5. My sillicon monster prefers black, but I do not really see a good continuation for black after this line.

Nov-10-18  sallyx: According to book by Edward Lasker "Chess Strategy" (1915) the game began 1. e4 c5 2. c3 e6 3. d4 d5 4. e5 Jc6
Nov-10-18  The Kingfish: This is such great analysis. Thanks GM Keene!
Nov-12-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Pawn and Two: <sallyx> The tournament book, <II. Internationales Schachturnier zu San Sebastian 1912>, by Mieses & Lewitt, Leipzig 1920, also shows the opening move order for this game as: 1.e4 c5 2.c3 e6 3.d4 d5 4.e5 Nc6.
Sep-27-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  nizmo11: as discussed, the predecessor
Paulsen vs Tarrasch, 1888 features both in My System and Tarrasch's 300 Chess Games (game 116).

Interestingly it seems Tarrasch and Nimzo both agree on move 12 and 15:
Tarrasch on move 12:"It is better not to play this because it weakens b5."
[but he played it here, 24 years later.]
(this and next comment are from English translation 1999, by Sol Schwarz)

move 15 (Bxd7):
"Better is 15...Nc3 and after 15...Bxb5 Nxb5 16 Nc2 would be an error after 17.Rc1 Ne3, but eventually White gets three pieces for the Queen."

This is bit unclear, but I take this means he had also found that 16...Nc2 <is not> good. This does not quite agree with Ray Keene's comment. I am wondering how the original reads.

Sep-27-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  nizmo11: One of the critical positions of game is here:


click for larger view

Nimzo praises move 29. Bc1! ["[...] White obtains a direct attack. Look at the bishops which have suddenly awakened to fresh activity" (My System, Quality Chess Edition 2007)
but it seems that he should have first applied prophylaxis against freeing pawn-moves. (the <next> chapter in My System after pawn chains ;) with 29 Re1, as after 29...e5! Black would be better.


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for example, if 30.g5 (30. dxe5 30...Bxg4 wins) Rf7 31. gxh6 gxh6 32. Bxh6 e4! and it is White who will be under a direct attack.

Sep-27-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  nizmo11: missed that 29...e5 was already suggested here.
May-08-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  louispaulsen88888888: You’re right, nimzo11. It didn’t look correct to me. Your 29.Re1! Is good.Anytime I see an unforced backwards move by a minor piece, I tend to question whether there might be a better move. Same for Ne1 earlier. That’s probably not best.
May-08-24  FM David H. Levin: <louispaulsen88888888: You’re right, nimzo11. It didn’t look correct to me. Your 29.Re1! Is good.>

On 29.Re1, Black has 29...Rf4,


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intending 30...Nc6. If 30.Kg3, then 30...g5.


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Black's pressure against b3, d4, and g4 seems to make it hard for White to make progress.

May-08-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  nizmo11: after 29...Rf4 Stockfish recommends 30.h3 Nc6
31. Bd3
The point is that 31...Nxd4? fails to 32.Qc1! (a typical computer trick!) Nc6 32.Be5!, and if 31...g5 to maintain rook's active position then 32.Bb5 with the idea after Bd7 to sac the b3 pawn with 33.Qc1 Qxb3 34. Re3 Qb4 35. Qc2 (no hanging Rook on e1) followed by Bc3
May-08-24  FM David H. Levin: <nizmo11: after 29...Rf4 Stockfish recommends [...snip...]>

I quite like what Stockfish found. Thanks for posting it.

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