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Richard Reti vs Aron Nimzowitsch
"Reti's Knightmare" (game of the day Mar-02-2011)
Marienbad (1925), Marianske Lazne CSR, rd 14, Jun-06
English Opening: King's English. Nimzowitsch-Flohr Variation (A20)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Given 25 times; par: 98 [what's this?]

Annotations by Aron Nimzowitsch.      [48 more games annotated by Nimzowitsch]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Nov-18-05
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: Wow. a6 just knocks my socks off. Amazing how Nimzo could make such unassuming moves so powerful. Round about move 25, I bet Reti was having a knightmare.
Sep-09-07  Maynard5: Although Nimzovich in his notes argues that he has the edge after move 17, it seems that White has better options here than 18. Nb4, which leaves the pawn on c5 poorly protected. Instead, 18. b4, securing the critical c5 square, should hold. White still faces problems, inasmuch as Black has a variety of possible knight moves, ... Nd7 or ... Nh5 threatening ... Bf6. Still, White can reply with Qd2, followed by Nd4.
Sep-23-07  gambitfan: Endgame ♗♙♙♙♙//♘♙♙

an easy win!

Mar-02-11  Oceanlake: 10 Bd3

Pawns on d4 and c5 versus pawns of d5 and c6? White should preserve the white-square bishop or at lest trade it in for something of value. Getting the Queen to d3 is insufficient.

Mar-02-11  hstevens129: Interesting point Nimzo makes about the superiority of 10.Bb5 in order to maintain the blockade.
Mar-02-11  Dr. J: Nimzowitsch's note says <Bad would be 22 b4 Qa3 23 Rb1 Ne6 24 Qe5 Nd7 25 Qe1 Nfxc5 (sic) 26 bxc5 Bf6.>


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But White can continue 27 Rb3 Qxb3 28 axb3 Rxe1 29 Rxe1 Bxc3 30 Re7 Nf6 31 Rxa7, which looks perfectly acceptable to me. Does Black have any improvement on this?

Mar-02-11  mpl: 22. b4 ♕a3 23. ♖b1 ♘e6 24. ♕e5 ♘d7 25. ♕e1 ♘d4! (Δ ♕xc3 and ♘e2+) 26. ♘f4 ♗xc5
Mar-02-11  Nilsson: I think that 27.Kf1 could have save the game for white. Black has an advantage, but is it enough?! /JN
Mar-02-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  kevin86: The two passed pawns are far too much for blwhite's king and knight to stop. "If the right one won't get you,then the left one will"-SIXTEEN TONS.
Mar-02-11  TheTamale: What's with White's last move? Is this just Reti's way of throwing in the towel?
Mar-02-11  Dr. J: <mpl: 22. b4 Qa3 23. Rb1 Ne6 24. Qe5 Nd7 25. Qe1 Nd4! (with the idea Qxc3 and Ne2+) 26. Nf4 Bxc5 >

Yes, that looks good. (Please note, that improves on Nimzo, not on me.) That still leaves open the question why he thought 23 Rb1 is best.

Mar-02-11  WhiteRook48: 51 g3 was just a last resort before resigning
Mar-03-11  mpl: <Dr. J> After 22. b4 ♕a3 the white queen is in trouble, facing ♘e6 and the need to keep ♘c3 protected. One try is the "active" 23. ♖b1, which is of course not forced. A little better might be to give up a pawn immediately, by 23. ♘b1 ♕xa2, but I can't see much compensation.

Even so, Nimzovitch thinks that 22. ♕a4 is almost forced, there was an alternative. After 22. a3! ♘e6 23. ♕b4! ♕xb4 24. axb4 black might be a little better, but the knight on d3 holds everything together.

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