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Jacques Mieses vs Jose Raul Capablanca
Exhibition game (1913) (exhibition), Berlin GER, rd 2, Nov-18
Center Game: Berger Variation (C22)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
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May-12-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: <Calli>
Good point, even after 28. h4 the g4 push is not very threatening, so White may not have enough time for the easy win down the e-file that I was looking for.

I still think it must be wrong for White to shut out his own queen and abandon the e-file as in the game's moves 28 to 32, but I don't immediately see a concrete improvement.

Jul-21-06  paladin at large: Capa commented on his errors:

12......Nd4 "This complicates the game unnecessarily. Re8 was simple, and perfectly safe."

13......Bg4 "This is a serious mistake.

14. ....Rxe3 "There was nothing better."

He also commented that the overall situation for Black was not as bad as it looked, and Capa played beautfiully the rest of the way, as if it had all been designed that way.

Unusual, to lose the exchange early in the middle game, and steadily turn the tables the rest of the way.

May-10-07  technical draw: Great game. Mieses was no chump. This is a really complicated game with lots of pieces en prise at the same time (at move 13 black has two pieces en prise and puts in a third!). Really extraordinary.
Sep-08-07  CapablancaFan: Capa gets outplayed in the middlegame, and in fact, loses the exchange. then they reach the endgame and well...LOL!
Feb-03-08  sombreronegro: The winning move is 28 Kh7 which relieved g7 from its defensive duties. I think Mieses was going to play h2 h4 and threaten g4 g5. The problem is after Kh7 his queen is hopelessly trapped after g4 g5. He was fooled into building a tomb for his queen. With that stalled the counter attack was in the making and the queen never made is back to defend.
Oct-07-09  ROADDOG: Nice vid on this great game. SeanGGodley shares Capablancas analysis on the game, his admitted mistakes, and how he overcame his errors with accurate play. These guys were good! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9wT...
Oct-07-09  darkjuva: Please stop this pressure :D
Apr-17-10  Sourav: Isn't 7.f3 a better move? Is it bad because black can then respond with 7...d5?
Apr-17-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: < Sourav: Isn't 7.f3 a better move? Is it bad because black can then respond with 7...d5?>


click for larger view

That's probably right. With White's K+Q lined up on the e-file and Black castled, bells should be going off in Black's head alerting him to open the e-file at any cost. That's one reason White played 7.0-0-0 instead, getting his king out of the way.

In <1.e4 e5> openings, the move f2-f3 should be viewed with suspicion. Sometimes it is necessary, but usually it's a wasted move contributing nothing to White's attack and doing nothing about Black's desired counterplay with ...d5. Also, the opening of the "Fool's Mate" diagonal often allows Black to sacrifice on e4 and start an attack. Finally, in this position it has the additional drawback of taking the best square from White's undeveloped g1-knight.

Apr-18-10  Sourav: Thank you Phony Benoni.
Apr-18-10  Sourav: Why didn’t white play 5.e5?
Apr-18-10  Sourav: Sorry. I worded my previous to previous question incorrectly. The question should be 'Isn't 8.f3 a better move? Is it bad because black can then respond with 8...d5?'. Note that I am referring to white's 8th move and not white's 7th move.
May-15-10  Sourav: What happens if white plays 14.f3?
Jun-06-10  Sourav: Why can't white play 36.Rd5?
Jun-10-15  TheFocus: This is match game two of a two-game match. It was played on November 18-19, 1913 in Berlin, Germany.

Capablanca won both games.

Aug-04-15  1971: One of the best games ever played! I love this game shows the power of a strong plan and the concept of if your at 90% accuracy and your opponent is at 89% just keep making moves and eventually you'll win!

*Of if isn't great writing but you get the point!

Feb-16-18  julillo: 13...Bg4? was a mistake that lost quality beeing a pawn up ...still playable, but 21...Qc6? is decisive after 22. Qxc6 White must win. 22. Rd4?! is doubious but still with big advantage, the real mistake is 23. f5?, after 23 Rd2! black can´t play 23..c6 24. b4 Bb6 25. Qe7 winning and after 23. Rb8 24. Qd5 Bb6 25. Rde2 White´s attack should win
Dec-22-20  Stolzenberg: <Sourav: Why didn't White play 5. e5?> 5. e5 Ng4 would lead to a tactically dominated game, for example:

6. Qe4 d5 7. ed+ e.p. Be6 8. dc Qd1+. The year before Mieses tried 8. Ba6 instead, see Mieses vs Teichmann and Mieses vs Burn, Breslau / Germany 1912. Both games can be found in this database.

Instead 6. Qe2 would be answered by 6. ... d6, for example 7. ed+ Be6 8. dc Qxc7 or 7. h3 Ngxe5 8. f4 Qh4+ 9. Kd1 Nd4 (Taubenhaus vs Gunsberg, Hamburg / Germany 1885, see this database) or 7. f3 Nh6 8. Bxh6 Qh4+.

Dec-22-20  Stolzenberg: <Sourav: Isn't 8. f3 a better move? Is it bad because black can then respond with 8. ... d5?>

After 8. f3 d5 9. Qf2 could follow for example:

9. ... de 10. Bg5 and Black must close the d-file.

or instead

9. ... d4 10. Nb5 Bc5 11. Bf4 Bb6 12. Nge2 d3 with a complicated game.

Dec-22-20  Stolzenberg: After 8. Qg3: Instead of 8. ... Nxe4 the masters nowadays try 8. ... Rxe4.
Dec-23-20  Stolzenberg: <Jul-21-06 paladin at large: Capa commented on his errors. 13. ... Bg4 "This is a serious mistake.">

Capablanca recommended 13. ... Rg4 instead. It could follow 14. Bxd4 Rxd4 15. c3 Bxc3 16. bc Rg4 17. Qe3 Qxc3+ 18. Bc2 Qxe3+ 19. fe Rxg2 20. Nf4 Rf2 and Black has 4 pawns against a knight.

Dec-23-20  Stolzenberg: <Sourav: What happens if white plays 14. f3?>

This weakens e3. For example Black could answer 14. ... Nf5 15. Qf2 Nxe3.

Dec-23-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  NM JRousselle: White's play defies logic. It's difficult to believe that a player as strong as Mieses did not play either 22. Qxc6 or 25 f6. These moves are not difficult to find.
Jun-29-23  Messiah: Very interesting game, although not beautiful.
Feb-14-24  kereru: 12...Nd4 is tactically correct, but Capa made a mistake next move with 13.Be3 Bg4? Capa normally preferred to avoid complicated tactical positions for this very reason, so for Capa 12...Re8 was "correct".
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