Alexander Alekhine vs Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander (1936)

Alexander Alekhine vs Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander
Nottingham (1936) · Bogo-Indian Defense: Grünfeld Variation (E11) · 1-0

[Event "Nottingham"]
[Site "Nottingham ENG"]
[Date "1936.08.22"]
[EventDate "1936.08.10"]
[Round "11"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Alexander Alekhine"]
[Black "C H Alexander"]
[ECO "E11"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "54"]

1. d4 {Notes by Alekhine} Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Bb4+ 4. Nbd2
{The usual move nowadays is 4 Bd2, in order to develop the
knight on the more natural square c3. But, on the other hand,
if Black wants to avoid the exchange of his king's bishop, he
will now be forced to lose time by retreating it to e7. The
text move therefore cannot be condemned. It has the advantage
anyhow of leading to more complicated lines than the usual
move.} b6 5. g3 Bb7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Bxd2 {? Instead of this
exchange, which yiels White the advantage of the pair of
bishops without necessity, Black could play either d5
(Rubinstein-Alekhine, Semmering, 1926) or even Be7, followed
by d6, Nbd7, etc. In both cases he would have better
equalising prospects than in the actual game.} 8. Qxd2 {The
correct recapture, as the queen bishoop is wanted on the long
diagonal.} d6 9. b3 Nbd7 10. Bb2 Rb8 {Black shows his hand
decidedly to early. The obvious object of the text move is to
play Ne4 followed by f5, for which purpose the bishop must be
protected, to avoid the possible answer Ng5. But the same idea
could have been combined with a mobilisation by 10...Qe7,
11...Rad8, and eventually Ba8.} 11. Rad1 {! An interesting and
effective method of meeting Black's plan. The White queen
bishop is to play in the following development a most
important and practically decisive part.} Ne4 {If Qe7 then 12
Qe3 (Ne4 13 d5).} 12. Qe3 f5 13. d5 {This pawn will only
apparently be weak, as White can always protect it by
counter-attack.} exd5 {e5 instead would lose a pawn by 14
Nh4!} 14. cxd5 Ndf6 15. Nh4 Qd7 {If Nxd5 then 16 Rxd5 Bxd5 17
Qd4 winning a piece.} 16. Bh3 {Again preventing Nxd5 , this
time because of 17 Qxe4.} g6 17. f3 Nc5 18. Qg5 {Threatening
not only 19 Bxf6 but also 19 B or Nxf5; and if 18...Nxd5 then
19 Nxg6 wins. Black's reply is therefore forced.} Qg7 19. b4
Ncd7 {Equally hopeless would be Na4 20 Ba1, etc.} 20. e4 {!
The initial move of the decisive sacrificial combination.}
Nxe4 {Black clearly based his last hopes on this ingenious
stroke. If now 21 Bxg7 Nxg5 22 Bxf8 then Nxf3+ 23 Kg2 Rxf8 24
Kxf3 Nf6 followed by Nxd5 with good fighting chances.} 21. Qc1
{! Much more effective than 21 fxe4 Qxb2 22 exf5 Qf6 yielding
White only a possible win after a laborious end-game.} Nef6
22. Bxf5 {! The surprising sequal to 20 e4. After gxf5 23 Nxf5
Black would either lose his queen or be mated (23...Qh8 24
Nh6+ Kg7 25 Qg5 mate).} Kh8 23. Be6 {At last the d-pawn is
definitely safe.} Ba6 24. Rfe1 Ne5 25. f4 {Far the simplest
way to force resignation.} Nd3 26. Rxd3 Bxd3 27. g4 {There is
no remedy against g5. This game won the special prize for the
most brilliant king side attack at Nottingham.} 1-0

To move:

Last move:

Given 13 times; par: 38 [what's this?]

Annotations by Alexander Alekhine. [76 more games annotated by Alekhine]

explore this opening	find similar games	3 more Alekhine/C H Alexander games
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Oct-05-05		posoo: I have the good fortunte of being the first kibitzer on this excellent game. Alekhine's annotations are very instructive!

Jun-17-06		LivBlockade: The tournament book, with notes by Alekhine to all of the games, is interesting. This game would make a nice game of the day or puzzle of the day. I think 22. xf5 would be a Wednesday puzzle (just to see that the Bishop cannot be captured), while 20. c1 would be a Sunday.

Aug-08-08		jessicafischerqueen: Alekhine was given a <Special Brilliancy Award> for this game Source: "Great Brilliance Prize Games of the Chess Masters" by Jerry Seinfeld. Ok by Fred Reinfeld actually. You better not say he's no good at annotating again, <DomDaniel>@!@

Jun-16-09		WhiteRook48: sort of pun here, only it would be too lame

Sep-20-09		WhiteRook48: how about Black's 20th

Sep-21-09		DrCurmudgeon: <WhiteRook48>: WIll you kindly shut up? Nobody cares if you make 30,000 or 30,000,000 kibitzes when they are nothing but meaningless, vapid drivel, and are not totally idiotic only when they are totally stupid.

Sep-02-10		anjyplayer: Alekhine annotations are very very good. Rb8 explanation is something, I cant understand till now. :PJ

Oct-29-10		The Rocket: All of alekhines moves in this game were fritz 11 first choices starting with 15 nh4... Everybody says Capablanca was the talented one of the two but this is not really true, Alekhine was outstanding tactically to a level which you cant train yourself to reach.

Oct-24-12		jessicafischerqueen: More information on the nature of the prize awarded <Alekhine> for this game. It was in fact a "special prize" awarded for the <most brilliant king's side attack>. -Alexander Alekhine's Chess Games 1902-1946 Skinner and Verhoeven McFarland 1998, p.568

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