| Dec-26-04 | | Whitehat1963: An underrated game. Capa trounces his boyhood island rival and his consultants with poisoned piece offers all over the board. |
|
| Dec-26-04 | | fgh: Wow, cool game. |
|
| Jul-04-05 | | THE pawn: Corzo must have been scratching his head for the next 24 hours. Beeing beaten so easily by his old rival. |
|
Nov-04-05
 | | Mateo: 20... Kd8 21. Ba5 Qa5 22. Ra5 Bb4-a5 looks winning for Black. |
|
Nov-06-05
| | Mateo: This is really not a good game. I must confess that I am amazed about the comments I read about Capablanca. Most of the people thinks that, because it is Capablanca, it should always be perfect, without errors. The fact is that, sometimes, Capablanca just wins, not becaue he played fantastic chess but because his opponent played very badly. I think people should forget this is Capablanca and just look to every single game with a critical spirit. 23... ab? gives White the advantage. Better 23... Rd8. 24... Ne8 loses (better 24... Rd8).
27. Qd6?! is not the best. 27. fe! wins. 27... Be6 28. Ra8!. 27... Bf6 28. Rf7 Kg8 29. Qd6 Nd6 30. R7f6 Kg7 31. e7. 29. de?! is not good as now Black could have played 29... Bd4 and Kg7. Better 29. Rc7!. 29... Ke8? loses. Better 29... Bd4 with advantage to Black. |
|
Nov-06-05
 | | offramp: I can imagine the scene. Havana 1910, Capablanca returning to his home island after having trounced the mighty Marshall. He takes on three of his old friends and sparring partners. Does he give the full weight of his intellect to this game, as he would in a proper tournament game against a single opponent over 5 hours? Or does he talk to acquaintances in the club as he walks around. Does he talk to his opponents? Someone keeps a score of the offhand game and it is published. Later, it appears at <chessgames.com>... |
|
| Nov-06-05 | | paladin at large: <offramp> I think you have made a good point. I saw a Lasker game a while ago in the database where Lasker was fooling around in the opening against someone with whom he normally never had any trouble, and he lost in a hurry - it was an offhand game. |
|
| Nov-06-05 | | Calli: I think the game is excellent, particularly since Capablanca played this one blindfold. Source: The Unknown Capablanca |
|
Nov-07-05
 | | beatgiant: <Mateo: 20... Kd8 21. Ba5 Qa5 22. Ra5 Bb4-a5 looks winning for Black.> What did you find after the above line if White continues <Qe5> threatening Qd6+ and also setting up a veiled attack on the rook on h8? For example, 20... Kd8 21. Ba5 Qa5 22. Ra5 Bb4+ 23. c3 Bxa5 24. Qe5 Ke7 25. Nd5+ cxd5 26. Qxh8 and it looks like White is on top. |
|
Nov-07-05
| | Mateo: <beatgiant> <What did you find after the above line if White continues <Qe5> threatening Qd6+ and also setting up a veiled attack on the rook on h8? For example, 20... Kd8 21. Ba5 Qa5 22. Ra5 Bb4+ 23. c3 Bxa5 24. Qe5 Ke7 25. Nd5+ cxd5 26. Qxh8 and it looks like White is on top.> Try this: 24... Bc7. I think Black wins. <Calli> I did not know it was a blindfold game. Maybe this is the reason why Capablanca did not play at his best. I cannot agree with you to say Capablanca played an excellent game. I gave some variations. To convince me, you have to prove me I am wrong, looking to the position objectively. |
|
Nov-07-05
| | beatgiant: <Mateo>
<Try this: 24... Bc7. I think Black wins.>
In that case, 20... Kd8 21. Ba5 Qa5 22. Ra5 Bb4+ 23. c3 Bxa5 24. Qe5 <Bc7>, White has 25. Qd4+ Ke7 26. Nd5+ followed by 27. Qxh8 with the outcome similar to the line I posted above. |
|
Nov-07-05
| | Mateo: <beatgiant>: <Mateo>
<Try this: 24... Bc7. I think Black wins.> <In that case, 20... Kd8 21. Ba5 Qa5 22. Ra5 Bb4+ 23. c3 Bxa5 24. Qe5 <Bc7>, White has 25. Qd4+ Ke7 26. Nd5+ followed by 27. Qxh8 with the outcome similar to the line I posted above.> After 25. Qd4, what about 25... Nd4? Black wins the queen. |
|
Nov-07-05
| | beatgiant: <Mateo>
<what about 25... Nd4? Black wins the queen>Yes, that was a bad blind spot by me. You are right Black will come out with a material advantage (rook and two bishops for queen and pawn), so Capa's attack looks like overreaching a little. |
|
| Nov-07-05 | | Calli: <. To convince me, you have to prove me I am wrong, looking to the position objectively> Okay! 19.Nxf6+?! Capablanca entertains the crowd. 19...Ke7 20.Bb4+ Nd6 and now 20...Kd8 21.Ba5 Qxa5+ 22.Rxa5 Bb4+ 23.c3 Bxa5 is better but White is not lost after 24.Qh5 Ke7 25.Nxh7 Bb7 26.g6 23.f5 and if 23...Rd8 not 24.Ba5? but just 24.Bc5 with a continuing bind on a Black's position. Not sure what Black's best play at that point. 27.Qxd6? is a classic blindfold error. Capablanca thinks he sees a winning endgame but misses 29...Bd4 as pointed out. Fortunately for him the consultants did also. |
|
Nov-08-05
| | Mateo: <Calli> <19...Ke7 20.Bb4+ Nd6 and now 20...Kd8 21.Ba5 Qxa5+ 22.Rxa5 Bb4+ 23.c3 Bxa5 is better but White is not lost after 24.Qh5 Ke7 25.Nxh7 Bb7 26.g6> Interesting suggestion but 25... Bb7 is not the only move. Have a look to 25... Bd7 26. g6 fg 27. Qg6 Rag8 28. Qf6 Ke8 29. Ng5 Rg7. Maybe White is not lost, but no more. |
|
| Nov-08-05 | | Calli: I now wish that the consultants had played 23...Rd8 24.Bc5! just to see the game continue. White is a whole piece down, yet black has great difficulty finding a move. An amazing conception by the blindfolded Capablanca!
|
|
| Dec-30-05 | | FENfiend: Perhaps all your points reinforce each other. If this is a blindfold game against 3 old rivals, after a triumphant return from a taxing tournament, and Capablanca isn't playing at his best (arguably), then perhaps they are just fooling around; playing (at) chess, if you will. |
|
| May-26-08 | | mate2900s: i think this is a blindfold game
|
|
| Apr-07-09 | | Dredge Rivers: No fair! It was three on one! |
|
| Jun-10-15 | | TheFocus: Here Capablanca plays blindfold against three strong Cuban players. This game was played in Havana, Cuba on December 23, 1910. |
|
| Jun-10-15 | | unferth: why 39 e5 rather than Rxd4+? |
|
| Dec-17-19 | | Ninja702: There are many blunders here on both sides. |
|
Jul-03-21
 | | Chessmaletaja: 11...♘bd7 is risky. Safer is 11...♗e7.
15...♘xb3 is rushing. Why not 15...a5.
18 ♘hf6+ is fun. But 18 ♗c3 seems safe and good. 28...♘xf5 was playable. 29 ♖c7 ♗a6 30 ♘c5 ♗xb2 31 ♘xa6 ♔g7 Black has a position for the exchange. |
|
| Mar-17-22 | | BentOuttaSmyslov: I went through this game a year ago and am reviewing all the games from Chernev's book again because I'm going through them with my students. I was surprised there is no comment on 18.Nhf6+ by Chernev (and only one comment on this move here). Of course, it's easy to criticize moves that a blindfolded player makes when the engine tells you it's a blunder but I remember being very suspicious of this sacrifice when I first saw this game. The engine says this brings White from around +3 to 0.0, but practically speaking White is clearly better because of Black's vulnerable king in the center that now can't castle and Black's pieces have development problems and are very passive and tied down to defending weaknesses. Still, as has been pointed out, 18.Bc3 is preferable...a simple move that continues to tie down Black's pieces and clearly White is much better. Black's dark squares are very weak and there are some obvious holes. |
|
Kibitzing
sac: 18.Nhf6+