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Paul Keres vs Jose Raul Capablanca
Buenos Aires Olympiad qual-4 (1939), Buenos Aires ARG, rd 3, Aug-27
Spanish Game: Morphy Defense. Modern Steinitz Defense (C71)  ·  1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jul-14-07  Karpova: <In the highly instructive game we played in the Team Tournament which finished in this beautiful city a month ago, I offered him a draw because there was no way at all that it could be won, either by him or by me. Keres did not accept my offer then, and only did so six moves later. How was it that, six moves before, he had not seen with the same clarity as I that it was impossible to force the game? It cannot be believed that Keres would attempt to win against me in an absolutely drawn position, so the only explanation is that his reasoning had not yet crystallized into concrete judgment; to use the same word as before, he was hesitating.>

Jose Raul Capablanca
http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

Feb-22-08  notyetagm: Game Collection: X-Ray

Keres vs Capablanca, 1939

Black to play: 21 ... ?


click for larger view

Black has problems with both his d5- and e8-rooks. But Capablanca had long ago seen the solution to this problem: 21 ... ♖d5-e5!.

Position after 21 ... ♖d5-e5!


click for larger view

The Black e5-rook <DEFENDS> the Black e8-rook via <X-RAY> through the White e6-rook.

Very nice.

Aug-07-09  birthtimes: Six moves before the end of the game would have been move 28. g3. Maybe Keres thought there was still some play left since the rooks were still on the board...
Jul-24-17  Whitehat1963: Would today's silicon beasts conclude that the final position is a dead draw?
Dec-02-17  RookFile: Well, it is a drawn position. Capa's quote sounds a little arrogant, but he's essentially correct that there was no escaping a draw in this one with accurate play.
Dec-03-17  NBZ: I agree. Keres is the only one with any chances in that position, and he was fully entitled to play on there.
Jul-06-22  CapaJR: There is no shame in playing on - that is how I lose some drawn positions, ha ha. But to be fair, whether Keres did not see it yet or wanted to try something, it was a drawn position.

Also, Capa may have simply spoken his mind on what he believed to be the case instead of needlessly engaging in false modesty. Fischer mentioned something similar about him.

May-31-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  plang: 11 Nd5 had been played in Yudovich-Belavenets 1937 Moscow Championship; 11 h3 was new. The break 18..f5 would not have been possible without Black's clever 21st move. The final finesse was Black's regrouping from moves 23-28 keeping his pieces active and allowing the king to protect the weakened d6 pawn.

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