chessgames.com

Jose Raul Capablanca vs Aron Nimzowitsch
Bad Kissingen (1928)  ·  Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical. Noa Variation (E34)  ·  1/2-1/2
To move:
Last move:

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

TIP: If you register a free account you will be able to create game collections and add games and notes to them. For more information on game collections, see our Help Page.

PGN Viewer:  What is this?
For help with this chess viewer, please see the Pgn4web Quickstart Guide.

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-26-03
Premium Chessgames Member
  Calli: Nimzowitsch evidently did not like 29.axb5 axb5 30.d5 My guess is that he didn't see 30...Rh6! which is difficult to meet.

He can play 35...Qxd6 36.Nxd6 Rxf4 37.d8Q+ Rf8 38.Qc7 Rxd6 39.Qxc2, but I am not sure that he has winning chances with the king so exposed.

Jun-27-03  sanath: hi how to use the fischerandom
and, i have played a descent game which involves a trap will u take it or is there any formalities
i m ready to give the game
Aug-02-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  Benzol: 21...Nd5; 22.Qh3 Nf4; 23.Qe3 Qg5; 24.Qxe4 Bxf4 and it's game over 0-1. - Analysis by Alyekhin.
Aug-02-04
Premium Chessgames Member
  Calli: <Benzol> True. The real story for me is Capablanca's 20.g4? which should lose to 21...Nd5. Previously this type of error was almost never seen in Capa's play. Sometimes he overlooked something or even blundered, but here he calculates a little combo completely wrong.
Apr-09-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  Hesam7: So clock saves Capablanca, as far as I know this is the only game in which Nimzowitsch got a winning position againt Capablanca.
Apr-09-05  RookFile: We tend to look at guys like Nimzovich as being on the same level as Capablanca. They weren't: Capablanca was head and shoulders above Nimzo, he owned him throughout his career. This is the one game where Nimzo might have won, but Capablanca shows why, even more so than Karpov and Petrosian, he was the toughest man ever to beat.
Apr-09-05  THE pawn: I doubt capa was the strongest player to have ever existed, but he surely was stronger than Nimzo, though I prefer Nimzo's games.
Apr-09-05  RookFile: As far as that g4 move goes, yes,
it was a mistake, but let's not
be too hard on Capa. Petrosian would
very often make this g4 move, successfully. The idea is to take away the support of e4.
Jun-28-06  Maynard5: There is a rather interesting trap in this game, after 13. Qh6. If Black responds with 13. .. Kh8, intending Rg8 and Rg6, White has the following winning line: 14. Ne4, Be7, 15. Nfg5! fxg5 16. Nf6 Bxf6 17. Be4. Of course, Nimzovich avoided this with 13. ... Bxc3.
Apr-12-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Ulhumbrus: 13...Bxc3? increases White's compensation for the pawn, by parting with the bishop pair and strengthening White's centre into the bargain. Instead of 15 Nd2, 15 g4! at once may give White enough for the pawn. It's easy to forget that White's positional compensation for the pawn is considerable.
Apr-12-07  BobbyBishop: As Kasparov said "AN's methods were deadly against weaker opposition, but they did not work against world champions".
Jun-18-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  notyetagm: <Benzol: 21...d5; 22.h3 f4; 23.e3 g5; 24.xe4 xf4 and it's game over 0-1. - Analysis by Alyekhin.>

Yes, Alekhine points out that Nimzowitsch would have won a miniature(!) over Capablanca(!) with the Black pieces(!) if he had found 21 ... Nf6-d5!.

(VAR) Position after 21 ... Nf6-d5!


click for larger view

Instead Nimzowitsch played the inferior 21 ... Bf8xc5?! and only drew.

Dec-01-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  notyetagm: Capablanca vs Nimzowitsch, 1928

<Benzol: 21...Nd5; 22.Qh3 Nf4; 23.Qe3 Qg5; 24.Qxe4 Bxf4 and it's game over 0-1. - Analysis by Alyekhin.>

(VAR) Position after 21 ... Nf6-d5! 22 Qe3-h3 Nd5-f4:


click for larger view

Weteschnik in his outstanding "Understanding Chess Tactics", page 48, in the chapter on <PINS> says:

<
*) Every attacked piece of yours (White g2-bishop) standing in front of another of your pieces (White g1-king) should be considered as pinned.

*) Two pieces of the same colour on a diagonal or file (White g2-bishop, White g1-king) should already be regarded as a precondition for a pin.

*) A piece (White g2-bishop) pinned against the king (White g1-king) is extremely vulnerable and often totally immobile. >

I have modified Weteschnik's writing with the parentheticals.

Keeping these three tactical points in mind, we see the winning idea that both Nimzowitsch and Capablanca missed.

22 ... Nd5-f4 <GAINS TIME> on the White h3-queen to bring the Black f4-knight into contact with the White g2-bishop. As the White g2-bishop now satisfies the first two of the three <PINNING> conditions mentioned above, this position absolutely screams <PIN! PIN! PIN!>.

After the further 22 Qh3-e3 Qd8-g5 23 Qe3xe4 Bc8xf5, the <PIN> on the White g2-bishop with its concurrent mate threat against the g2-square, looks fatal.

(VAR) Position after 22 Qh3-e3 Qd8-g5 23 Qe3xe4 Bc8xf5:


click for larger view

Fritz 6 Light evaluates this position as -4.87, Nimzowitsch ahead by almost a full rook(!).

Simply amazing: Capablanca(!) almost loses a miniature(!) with the White(!) pieces because of a simple <PIN> against his king!!!

The power of <PINS> never ceases to amaze me.

Dec-01-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  notyetagm: Capablanca vs Nimzowitsch, 1928

<Benzol: 21...Nd5; 22.Qh3 Nf4; 23.Qe3 Qg5; 24.Qxe4 Bxf4 and it's game over 0-1. - Analysis by Alyekhin.>


click for larger view

Fritz 6 Light evaluates this position as -5.16 with principal variation 25 h2-h4 Qg5-g4 26 Qe4-f3 Rf8-g8 27 Qf3xg4 Rg8xg4 28 Kg1-f1 Rg4xg2 29 e2-e4, shown below:

Principal variation of Fritz 6 Light from previous diagram:


click for larger view

Black (Nimzowitsch) has harvested the <PINNED> White g2-bishop. Like Alekhine said, Capablanca would have been completely busted and could have resigned at move 25.

Dec-02-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gypsy: <BobbyBishop: As Kasparov said "AN's methods were deadly against weaker opposition, but they did not work against world champions".>

Well, Nimzo had positive scores against Lasker and Euwe.

And Nimzo also drew a minimatch with Alekhine in 1914 (all-Russian championship playoff) and kept a respectable score against Alekhine till the 1930s (+2 -2 =5 during the 1920's).

Dec-02-07  HOTDOG: strangely enough,the 5 Capablanca wins against Nimzo are obtained all with black pieces
Dec-02-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  notyetagm: <HOTDOG: strangely enough,the 5 Capablanca wins against Nimzo are obtained all with black pieces>

Capablanca was a -terror- with Black, not just against Nimzowitsch.

Capablanca's most famous game is possibly that 1914 game against Bernstein that ends with ... Qb2!!, yet another Black Capablanca win.

If you combined White Kramnik with Black Capablanca you would probably have a 2900-rated player. :-)

Jan-09-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Ulhumbrus: Instead of 20 g4 which could have lost after 20...Nf6 21 gf Nd5! 20 f3 may be better eg 20 f3 ef 21 Nxf3 and Black's King side pawn structure is a wreck.
Oct-21-08  JoergWalter: <BobbyBishop: As Kasparov said "AN's methods were deadly against weaker opposition, but they did not work against world champions".> Another Kasparov comment I don't like and don't agree with. These "weapons" were laid out in "My System" a book even later champions learned from (in particular Petrosjan said so - and have you looked up Kasparovs score against Petrosjan???). And did not Alekhine (Kasparov's hero) avoid meeting Nimzowitsch? (See Spielmann's famous open letter to Alekhine). To me, besides being a fantastic teacher Nimzowitsch is definitely the most underrated chess player. Definitely he is a favourite of mine together with Morphy, Steinitz, Pillsbury, Capablanca,Tal, Spassky, Fischer and Karpov. Anand and Shirov are the new links in that chain.
Dec-24-08  WhiteRook48: Wow. Two cool masters holding each other into a draw. Amazing Capa could get a draw when he was a Rook down.
Sep-10-09  WhiteRook48: although Nimzo could have beat him!!!
Sep-19-09  WhiteRook48: no, rather a White Kasparov with a Black Capablanca
Nov-10-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Ulhumbrus: <JoergWalter: ...See Spielmann's famous open letter to Alekhine...> Can you provide a link to a website where one may read this letter?
Dec-24-09  Whitehat1963: The game is probably too well-known, but I think the position after 34...c2 would make for an excellent puzzle. Of course, you have to see all the way to the perpetual check. So, white to play and draw in five. I would rack my mind over the course of a weekend and never see it if it were my first time seeing the game.
Dec-24-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: Probably the best shot Nimzo had against Capa. 30 in 2.5 - should have seen a couple of the moves mentioned above.

Capa perhaps 1-2 years past his very prime; Nimzo 1-2 years before his.

< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
NOTE: You need to pick a username and password to post a reply. Getting your account takes less than a minute, totally anonymous, and 100% free--plus, it entitles you to features otherwise unavailable. Pick your username now and join the chessgames community!
If you already have an account, you should login now.
Please observe our posting guidelines:
  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, or duplicating posts.
  3. No personal attacks against other users.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
Blow the Whistle See something which violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform an administrator.


NOTE: Keep all discussion on the topic of this page. This forum is for this specific game and nothing else. If you want to discuss chess in general, or this site, you might try the Kibitzer's Café.
Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
Spot an error? Please submit a correction slip and help us eliminate database mistakes!
This game is type: CLASSICAL (Disagree? Please submit a correction slip.)

Featured in the Following Game Collections [what is this?]
Bad Kissingen 1928
by Resignation Trap
22 ... Nd5-f4 leads to fatal pin on g2-bishop, Capa mini loss
from Pins! Exploit every pin!!! by notyetagm
37
from Karpov Right Plan by cgrob
71. "Capablanca was lucky to extract a half-point"
from "The Immortal Games of Capablanca" by Reinfeld by mjk
Bad Kissingen 1928
from Favorite Games from (1917-1943) by wanabe2000
estrategias 2 de suetin
by LESTRADAR
rookbj's favorite games
by rookbj
Capa-Nimzo draw... Nimzo missed a few wins
from theidiot117's favorite games by theidiot117
#52. score 82
from 100 Best Chess Games of the 20th Century,Ranked! by SirChrislov
22 ... Nd5-f4 gains time on h3-queen to set up pin on g2-bishop
from FORCING MOVES are MOVE-YOUR-PIECE-FOR-FREE card by notyetagm
22 ... Nd5-f4 attacks White g2-bishop setting up pin to g1-king
from Every attacked piece of yours standing in front by notyetagm
outplayer's favorite games II
by outplayer
No. 52
from 100 Best Games of the 20th Century by LPeristy


home | about | login | logout | F.A.Q. | your profile | preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | new kibitzing | chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Little ChessPartner | privacy notice | contact us
Copyright 2001-2013, Chessgames Services LLC
Web design & database development by 20/20 Technologies