| Jun-23-04 | | zb2cr: For a game between one of the greatest grandmasters of all time and an amateur, this is unusually interesting. Alekhine baits a trap by offering his Queen with his 20th move, since if 20 ... Bxd1; 21 Nxf7#. His opponent doesn't fall for it, but Alekhine regains his Pawn and now he has begun the process of opening up the game. If 46 ... Bxd6; 47 Bxd6, and Black's Rook is completely stuck! Although it's now unpinned, its only move is to h7...and then White plays Be5+ and forces Black to interpose the Rook again. We finally see the lack of endgame technique by the amateur in not being able to draw a Bishops of opposite colors endgame. |
 |
| Jun-23-04 | | hollowone: Being an amateur lacking in endgame technique, what's black's right strategy here in the endgame? Defend the pack pawns with his bishop to negate the white king's relative mobility? (i.e. keep the bishop at d8) |
|
Jun-24-04
 | | matey: The combination of White passed pawn and strong king position leaves Black with no chance to save the endgame. Black will not be able to maintain his bishop on d8, if 52...Kf8 53.Kc6 Ke8 54.Bf5 and black must give way. |
|
| Jun-24-04 | | zb2cr: <matey>, Maybe it's not quite that hopeless. I agree with you that if Black just passively tries to hold White out, there's no chance at all. I think Black has to pin his hopes on a "King counterattack": 52 Kd5, Kf6; 53 Kc6, Ke5; 54 Kd7, Bf6; 55 Kc7, Kf4 (hoping for Bh3?, g4!); 56 Bc8!, Ke5; 57 d7, Kd4; 58 d8=Q+, Bxd8+; 59 Kxd8, Kc3; 60 Bd7, Kxb3; 61 Kc7 (if 61 Bb5 to hold both Queenside Pawns, 61... g4 forces the Bishop back to d7 anyway), 61 ... Kxc4; 62 Kxb6, Kb4; 63 Kc7, c4; 64 Kd6, c3; 65 Bf5, g4! and now White has trouble stopping both Black's Pawns. All of which is to say that Black isn't quite out of resources, maybe sufficient for a draw. I realize that I'm not the endgame player that Alekhine was, so maybe my analysis is flawed in some way. Can you perhaps suggest some improvements for either White or Black or both in the line I give, beginning with Black's
52nd move? |
|
Jun-24-04
| | matey: 57. I would play 57.Kxb6 instead of your suggested 57.d7, if 57...Kxd6 then 58.Kxa5 looks like a win. |
|
| Jun-25-04 | | zb2cr: <matey>, Looks like you're right. |
|
| May-23-07 | | Raginmund: wow... I can't believe my eyes saw... a simple unknown player fighting against the great Alekhine, Alekhine was saved by his great attacking abilities confusing the NN |
|
| Dec-07-11 | | master of defence: What happens after 53...Bd8? |
|
Dec-07-11
 | | Sastre: 53...Bd8 54.Kd7 Bf6 55.Kc8 Kf8 56.d7  . |
|
Sep-16-12
 | | Memethecat: Does NN always denote amateur? I thought NN was sometimes used in non tournament games to save the blushes of the loser, either way, to last this long in the ring with Alekhine when he's playing such beautiful chess is an accomplishment in itself. I had the feeling that Alekhine was toying with his opponent at times, he passed up the opportunity to win material a few times & withdrew from a KS attack that looked fruitful, also, his moves were very difficult to predict, there's a playful nature to his play, like he could easily win whenever he felt like it, maybe this is why black is down as NN. |
|
|
 |
|
sac: 43.Rxe5