Capablanca in Modern Day Endgame Play

zenpawn — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:03:08 +0000

First off, big congratulations are due our new US Champion, Hikaru Nakamura. Steady play throughout the recently completed tournament netted him clear first. And thanks to Jen Shahade and all involved in pulling off such great live coverage. A most enjoyable event from the spectator’s point of view, with lots of fighting chess.

One game from close second, Robert Hess, particularly impressed and made me happy to see the great World Chess Champion Capablanca had clearly left his mark on our youth.

And earlier this month, there was this one from Kramnik:

Any guesses as to which endgame of Capablanca’s both reminded me? This brilliant masterpiece, of course!

[Event "New York"] [Site "New York"] [Date "1924.??.??"] [Round "06"] [Result "1-0"] [White "Jose Raul Capablanca"] [Black "Savielly Tartakower"] [ECO "A80"] 1. d4 e6 2. Nf3 f5 3. c4 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Nc3 O-O 6. e3 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. O-O Qe8 9. Qe2 Ne4 10. Bxe7 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Qxe7 12. a4 Bxf3 13. Qxf3 Nc6 14. Rfb1 Rae8 15. Qh3 Rf6 16. f4 Na5 17. Qf3 d6 18. Re1 Qd7 19. e4 fxe4 20. Qxe4 g6 21. g3 Kf8 22. Kg2 Rf7 23. h4 d5 24. cxd5 exd5 25. Qxe8+ Qxe8 26. Rxe8+ Kxe8 27. h5! {This is the calamity–the Rook now enters the hostile camp. — Alekhine} Rf6 28. hxg6 hxg6 29. Rh1 {White plays logically to utilize his advantage on the K-side and very properly does not concern himself with the weakness of the Q-side. Black, on the other hand, makes a defensive move which he could perhaps have omitted. — Reti} Kf8 30. Rh7 Rc6 31. g4 {Anxious nature might have moved the King towards the queenside, but Capablanca adheres to the principle of aggression that governs rook endings. — Reti} Nc4 32. g5 {He gives his opponent the opportunity of winning a pawn. But Capablanca has confidence in the passed pawn which he obtains. — Reti} Ne3+ 33. Kf3 Nf5 34. Bxf5 {Simple and compelling. — Alekhine} gxf5 35. Kg3! {Decisive! White sacrifices material in order to obtain the classical position with King on f6, pawn on g6, and Rook on h7, whereupon the black pawns tumble like ripe apples. — Alekhine} Rxc3+ {It is extremely instructive to see how Capablanca is no longer in the least concerned about material equality, but thinks only of supporting his passed pawn. — Reti} 36. Kh4 Rf3 37. g6 Rxf4+ 38. Kg5 Re4 39. Kf6 {It is a frequently available finesse in such positions not to capture hostile pawns, but to pass them by in order to be protected in the rear against checks by the rook. — Reti} Kg8 40. Rg7+ Kh8 41. Rxc7 Re8 42. Kxf5 {Again the simplest. Kf7 would not yet have been disastrous because of Rd8, etc. — Alekhine} Re4 43. Kf6 Rf4+ 44. Ke5 Rg4 45. g7+ Kg8 {After exchanging rooks, White would win still more easily. — Alekhine} 46. Rxa7 Rg1 47. Kxd5 Rc1 48. Kd6 Rc2 49. d5 Rc1 50. Rc7 Ra1 51. Kc6 Rxa4 52. d6 {Capablanca’s management of the endgame gives the impression of being so natural that one easily forgets the difficulty of such precise play. The difficulty is chiefly psychological. In chess, as in life, one is so accustomed to place value on the material factors that it is not easy to conceive the idea of indulging in pawn sacrifices when there is so little available material. –Reti} 1-0

I first encountered this game in the excellent book Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings: 60 Complete Game by Irving Chernev, which I highly recommend. I’ve read it a couple times now, and it’s due for another.

What do these games have in common? In all three, the victor allowed his opponent to capture pawns WITH CHECK in order to advance his king into attacking position.

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Capablanca in Modern Day Endgame Play