keypusher: So apparently this game was played the very day the Germans invaded France, May 10, 1940.An invasion that was to have terrible consequences for at least three of the four contestants (I include Alekhine in that count), and Budowski was fortunate to get to Venezuela, where he built a distinguished scientific career.
Thanks to Jean Defuse for his post.
The more I learn the more I think of May 10, 1940 as a particularly tragic day; up to the time the Germans overran France the war was a fairly limited conflict. The German victory ensured that either the Nazis would dominate Europe or there would be a prolonged, bloody war, with terrible consequences, to dislodge them.
Bernstein demonstrated this game to Edward Lasker, who included it in his <Chess Secrets I Learned from the Masters>. A few points about the opening.
9....Nc6 allows 10.exf6, of course.
FSTIMJP has pointed out the biggest find: the computer move 10.Bh6. After 10...Bxh6 11.ed, 0-0 12.Qh4 threatens both the bishop and dxe7.
11....Nf6 12.Qh4 is trickier, but basically Black can't leave the pawn on e7, but he can't remove it either.
None of the four opponents, nor Edward Lasker, nor these guys (L Gutman vs S Martinovic, 2001) saw 10.Bh6. But Martinovic found a critical improvement for Black over this game: 10....Bxf3 11.Bxf3 Nxe5 12.Qb5+ (not a refutation, as Bernstein and Lasker evidently believed) 12....Nbd7 13.Bxa8 Qxa8 and even after 14.Qd5 Qc8 15.f4 an engine thinks Black has full compensation.
Kibitzing
