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Alexander Alekhine vs Aron Nimzowitsch
"AA Battery" (game of the day Apr-29-2017)
San Remo (1930), San Remo ITA, rd 3, Jan-18
French Defense: Winawer. Bogoljubow Variation (C17)  ·  1-0

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 8 OF 8 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Apr-29-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <Poulsen> is pretty obviously correct about the idea behind the "AA Battery" pun, especially because the featured two R + Q battery is known as "Alekhine's Gun."
Apr-29-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: From 2005:

<micartouse: I hereby propose to all chess fans that the term "Alehine's Gun" be replaced by "AAA Battery," (spoken as "Triple-A Battery") which simultaneously combines the initials of his name, the tactic in question, the word "triple" which is how many pieces dominate the file, and the fact that such batteries are often of the 'alkaline' variety. How has this obvious pun been overlooked? Try it yourself and you'll agree "Alekhine's Gun" doesn't have the same magic at all ...>

May-02-17  Howard: Regarding keypusher's inquiry from about ten postings back, the other three vastly "overrated" games according to Soltis, were Lasker-Napier 1904, Lasker-Capablanca 1914, and Reti-Bogolovov 1924.

Yes, I know Reti's opponent's name is grossly misspelled but I'm too tired right now to look up the exact spelling.

May-03-17  Howard: Actually, the correct spelling is Bogoljubov---now that I've had my customary two cups of coffee, I'm now awake enough to look it up.

Yesterday, I hadn't had much coffee so I was too tired to check the spelling.

May-03-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <Howard: Regarding keypusher's inquiry from about ten postings back, the other three vastly "overrated" games according to Soltis, were Lasker-Napier 1904, Lasker-Capablanca 1914, and Reti-Bogolovov 1924.>

Thanks. I agree about Lasker vs W Napier, 1904, though I suspect it stood out more back when it was played than now.

I don't agree about the other two.

Lasker vs Capablanca, 1914

Capablanca played really badly (for him). No argument. But there is a grandeur to the finale that you see very seldom.

Here is Reti vs Bogoljubov, 1924.

Marshall vs Bogoljubov, 1924 is often suggested as a better candidate for the tournament brilliancy prize. No doubt the final combination was a lot deeper. But ultimately, what happens? An underdefended king gets chased into the middle of the board and succumbs. A familiar story.

But the final move from Reti-Bogoljubov? That's unforgettable.


click for larger view

Jul-09-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  drollere: playing through this game is like eating cold porridge.
Sep-09-17  A.T PhoneHome: Pretty good pun actually. The styling of it brings to mind some war apparatus such as M46 Patton, which is only fitting since strategically chess game can be likened to a war.

But I also feel that "Under the Gun" was a better pun. It was more ominous. Naming the battery "the Gun" shrouds it in mystery.

Oct-08-17  Mats G: It seems inappropriate to say "the" San Remo tournament book, because there are many. In Das Erste Italienische Grossturnier San Remo 1930 by Chaluretzky and Tóth (Adolf Kramer, Breslau 1931) the game ends by black resigning after 30. -, Qe8 31. b5. Ståhlberg in his Schack och schackmästare (Norstedt & Söner, Stockholm 1952) says that black played 30. -, Qe8 but resigned before white made his move. Alekhine himself is notoriously unreliable in recording his own games.
Nov-20-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  Jonathan Sarfati: I presume Alekhine was aware of Reti vs Spielmann, 1928
May-02-19  N.O.F. NAJDORF: Looks like Alekhine giving Nimzo a lesson in how to put an opponent in Zugzwang.
May-02-19  JimNorCal: Alekhine was incredibly dominating during this tournament and also Bled 1931 and a couple others.

What a beast!

Apr-21-20  Marcelo Bruno: The blockade and zugzwang master became victim of his own game style!
Feb-14-21  Chesgambit: Nc8??
Feb-14-21  carpovius: In San Remo Alekhine scored 14/15 in such field of players. What kind performance in Elo numbers is it?
Feb-14-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: <carpo> according to Chessmetrics:

<2865 in San Remo, 1930, scoring 13/14 (93%) vs 2626-rated>

Feb-14-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: http://www.chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/...
Feb-14-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: Strange that a 2821 projected to 10/14. AA beat that by 3 points and the performance rating was only 40 points higher. Hard to believe the numbers are correct.
Feb-15-21  carpovius: <OCF> numbers of chess metrics look incorrect (cf. the crosstable above e.g.). Is there more reliable source to count the numbers?

Intuitively AA's San Remo performance should be higher than 3000.

Feb-15-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: <OhioChessFan>,<carpovius> Chessmetrics ratings are not the same as elo ratings. The author (Sonas) created his own formula which is explained on his site here: http://www.chessmetrics.com/cm/CM2/...

From the 1970s to the early 2000s, both chessmetrics ratings and elo ratings are available and you can check how they differ.

May-13-21  SymphonicKnight: Most (e.g. Alekhine, Kasparov) consider the major mistake to be 14...f5?! ~+1.1 (14...a5! 15.b5! Nb4 16.g4 when white only has about ~+0.7) Stockfish, but the primary mistake is actually
15...Nc8? ~+3.1 (15...a6! 16.axb6 Nc8 17.Nxb7 Qxb7 18.Qc3 ~+1.1)
May-14-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: <SymphonicKnight> It's a good improvement, but maybe Alekhine would reply 15...a6 16. axb6 Nc8 <17. Nxc8> Rfxc8 18. Rb1 a5 19. bxa5 Nxa5. The advanced pawn on b6 will be an annoyance to Black.
May-14-21
Premium Chessgames Member
  fredthebear: This well-known game can be found in numerous books. Here are a few Spanish books/collections that include this game:

- Game Collection: Mil y Una Partidas 1914-1931

- Game Collection: Los 100 patrones q hay q saber Club Capablanca

- Game Collection: Ajedrez de entrenamiento

Jun-18-21  Ulhumbrus: After 11 a4 the capture ...Nxb5 can be answered by axb5 fixing Black's a pawn.

This suggests not waiting for 11 a4 by 10...Bxb5 11 Bxb5 Nb8-c6 and now 12 b4 may gain White little.

Aug-16-21  erimiro1: "His system"
Aug-17-21  SChesshevsky: Nimzo couldn't be happy with this one. Doesn't look the way to play the Winawer. Tricky, as his play looks logical enough but gets into a terrible bind.

Maybe early days of theory as farther along ideas that black might even give up a pawn for open lines, piece play, at least something against the center, and hopefully white targets somewhere.

Nimzo appears to change course a bit later with a nice finish in:

Stoltz vs Nimzowitsch, 1934

Also interesting that Nimzo student Petrosian also goes with the more dynamic play:

V Liublinsky vs Petrosian, 1950

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