Sep-09-22
 | | offramp: At move 40...
click for larger view
....the position is a well-known draw. I don't know why Janowsky played another 17 moves. |
|
Jun-08-25
 | | KEG: Janowski had lost the first four games in this projected 14-game match. He obviously needed to score wins in his--at most--5 remaining games as White. As <offramp> has pointed out, Janowski played on in the endgame here long after the game was a clear draw. But if the result here was a disappointment for Janowski, he at last had stopped the bleeding. 1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
Schechter had won Game #1 of this match with a Petroff's Defense (when Janowski blundered early) and Game #3 with a French Defense (after being clearly lost). Now, with a healthy lead, he reverted to the Ruy Lopez for the balance of the match, drawing here and in Game #9 and losing only Game #7. By this stage, a draw was nearly as good as a win for Schlechter. 3. Bb5 a6
In Game #9, Schlechter employed the Berlin Defense. 4. Ba4 d6
The "Modern Steinitz Defense." Schlechter played another version of this variation (i.e., 4...Nf6 5. 0-0 Be7 6. Re1 d6) in Game #7. 5. Nc3
5. c3; 5. 0-0; and 5. BxN+ are more normal. But after losing the first four games running in this match, Janowski perhaps wanted something sound ad safe. 5... Bd7
5...Nf6 is most usual here. The text was famously employed in Yates--Alekhine San Remo 1930. 6. 0-0
Yates tried the ultra-cautious 6. d3 against Alekhine, but was nonetheless defeated ( as was nearly everybody else against Alekhine at San Remo 1930). 6... Nf6
7. d3
An uncharacteristically cautious move by Janowski, perhaps chastened by the prior games in the match. 7... Be7
8. Ne2
An off-beat idea from Janowski, probably looking to create action on the King's side" 
click for larger view8... 0-0
9. Ng3
Still not deigning to play c3.
9... Re8
With a four-game lead in the match, Schechter decided to avoid 9...b5 which looks best but might lead to complications/ 10. c3
Better late than never.
10... Bf8
Seemingly looking to live up to his reputation as "the drawing master." 
click for larger view11. Bb3
Still playing hyper-cautious chess after the catastrophes in Games 1 through 4. 11... h6
11...Na5 looks indicated, but Schlechter apparently saw no reason (as least yet) to take the slightest chance in this game. 12. Re1 Be6
Again declining to play Na5 (followed by ...c5). 13. d4
13. BxB seems to give White a small edge.
13... BxB
Removing one of Janowski's beloved Bishops was often a good way to play against this tactical wizard. 14. QxB
click for larger viewThus far nothing very exciting had happened in this game. Here, however, Schlechter--of all people--decided to mix things up. As will be seen, he soon lost a pawn and then spent the rest of the game fighting for a draw. He would seem to be in decent shape with either 14...Na5 or 14...b5. Perhaps sensing that Schlechter was ripe for the taking once again in this match, Schlechter declined to play either of these seemingly normal moves. |
|
Jun-10-25
| | KEG: Post II
14... d5?!
Schlechter was perhaps the last player of the time I would expect to try this. In my last post, I ended with a bad typo. I meant to say, in explaining Schlechter's venture: "Perhaps sensing that JANOWSKI was ripe for the taking" (after having lost the first four games of the match). The move, while hardly sound, did have the virtue of setting problems for Janowski, the position now being: 
click for larger viewJanowski had to choose here between three plausible options: A) 15. Nxe5
B) 15. dxe5
C) 15. exd5
Janowski chose option C. Stockfish agrees. It would have been my last choice of the three, though in practice it worked out well for Janowski, It left: 
click for larger view15... Qxd5
Not bad if Black is willing to enter an unfavorable ending probably down a pawn but with decent drawing chances. Perhaps best would have been: 15...Na5 16. Qa4 e4 17. QxN b6 [17...exN was another reasonable line] 18. Qa4 b5 19. Qc2 exN 20. RxR QxR 21. gxf3 Rd8 22. a4 Nxd5 where White has an extra pawn but a busted King-side pawn formation. The text left:
click for larger view16. QxQ
Heading for a pawn up ending rather than pressing Black with 16. c4. Objectively, this was probably best. Had Janowski been playing all out to win, however, he might have sought complications rather than a technically advantageous endgame. 16... NxQ
This left:
click for larger view17. Nxe5
Again declining the more complicated option: 17. dxe5 Nb6 18. Bf4 Na4 19. Re2. Arguably the best line. White is up a pawn (as in the game) but Black has serious counter-play. Once again, Janowski--perhaps chastened by his four-game losing streak, decided to play sound chess and to try to win a technically superior ending with fewer uncertainties. 17... NxN
18. dxN
The position was now:
click for larger viewDespite White's extra pawn, Black is probably OK with 18...f6. But, once again, Schlechter decided to press for more with: 18... a5?!
19. Bd2
click for larger viewDespite his pawn minus, Black still has good drawing chances with 19...Nb6 or 19...Rad8. But yet again, Schlechter decided to try to play for a win. This led to serious tension in which both players seem to have erred, as I will discuss in my next post on this game. |
|
Jun-10-25
 | | perfidious: <KEG>, you obviously meant <the other> Schlechter. |
|
Jun-11-25
| | KEG: <perfidious> What I clumsily tried to say was that Schlechter may have surmised that Janowski was so dejected at losing the first four games of the match that complicating the game might cause Janowski--in his fragile emotional state--to crash and burn again. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused. Serves me right for trying to read the mind of someone who has been dead for over a hundred years! |
|
Jun-11-25
| | KEG: Post III
19... Ra6?!
A most un-Schlechter like move, looking to attack and create a wild tactical scramble rather than focusing on moves to try to get a draw. As will be seen, Janowski did get knocked off kilter. Schlechter's move left:
click for larger view20. f4
This was one way to try to secure his pawn plus edge. 20. Rab1 was another good move. Meanwhile, Schlechter--still not playing like Schlechter--continued on his wild venture with: 20... a4?!
Given his 19th move, 20...Rb6 looks most sensible (though Stockfish likes Schlechter's actual move here. 21. Rad1 Rb6
click for larger view22. Bc1?!
Huh? With 22. Ne4 or 22. Kf1 (or may even 22. h3), Janowski should have good prospects to capitalize on what was probably a winning position for him. The text mangled his own position: 
click for larger viewNow Schlechter--displaying his fine positional and tactical prowess--ignored the fact that his Knight was en pris and unleashed a tactical gem that, absent a later slip by Schechter, should have been sufficient to save the game for him. 22... a3!
This move deserves yet another diagram. It was the high point of this otherwise strange game: 
click for larger viewThe sequel is fun to play over:
23. RxN axb2
The point of Schlechter's 22nd move.
24. Bxb2 RxB
25. Re2 RxR
26. NxR
click for larger viewSchlechter was still a pawn down, but he had the superior pawn structure and excellent chances to save the game. 26... f6
27. Nd4 c6
28. Rd7
click for larger viewWhatever the theoretical status of the position, Schlechter still had plenty of work to do in order to be able to secure the draw. 28... fxe5
Forced.
29. fxe5 Rxe5
30. Rxb7
click for larger viewSchlechter now faced a crucial decision on whether to keep the minor pieces on the board. I will discuss his choice and its consequences in my next post on this game. |
|
Jun-12-25
| | KEG: Post IV
Schlechter now had three choices: (A) reduce to a Rook and pawn ending down a pawn with 30...Bc5; or (B) counter-attack and go after the White c-pawn with 30...Re3; or (c) target the White a-pawn with 30...Ra5. To make matters tougher for him, this was his last move before the move-30 time control. This may all sound exciting, but Stockfish is bored silly, having calculated that all of this move--with best play--lead to a draw. In fact, Stockfish finds nothing interesting in the balance of this game. With apologies to the computer gods, I prefer to consider the game from a human perspective, and I will ignore our silicon friends for the balance or my analysis of this Game #5. 30... Bc5
I prefer active play and probably would have tried 30...Re3. Schlechter, however, put his trust in his ability to draw the Rook and Pawn ending his move forces. 31. Kf2 BxN+
31...Rd5; 31,,,Rf5+; and 31...Rh5 were all alternative possibilities. But Schlechter had decided how he would try to hold the game...without minor pieces. 32. cxR Ra5
click for larger view33. Rb2
The only chance to play for a win.
33... Ra3
Confining White's King, at least for now, to the first and second ranks. 
click for larger view34. Rc2 Kf7
35. Ke2
click for larger view35... Ke7
More enterprising and perhaps a better practical way to try to draw lay in 35...Ke6! This allows White to take the c-pawn with check, but Black then gets better counter-play with his king after 36. Rxc6+ Kd5. 36. Rxc6 Rxa2+
37. Kf3 Rd2
click for larger view38. Rg6
Tantamount to offering a draw. Once the White d-pawn bites the dust, the game--as has been pointed out by <offramp> on this site nearly three years ago--is a clear draw. 38... Rxd4
39. Rxg7+ Kf6
click for larger viewAs Muller and Konoval have pointed out in their book on Rook Endgames, Rook plus g and h pawns against Rook and h-pawn all on the same side of the board can in some instances yield a win for the superior side, but not where the Rook and King of the defending side have active play and are not cut off. The diagrammed position, however, is indeed a "well-known draw" (quoting <offramp>). Janowski, perhaps out of frustration, played on through move 57, but this was a waste of time. The final position after 57...Ra4 was:
click for larger viewDrawn |
|
|
|
|
Kibitzing
