Viewer

D41 Queen's Gambit (Semi-Tarrasch)

Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense

Alexander Alekhine vs Leon Kussman, 1924

1-0, 20 moves

[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Alexander Alekhine"]
[Black "Leon Kussman"]
[ECO "D41"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "40"]
1. d4 {Notes by Alekhine.} d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 exd5 {? Nowadays "theory" considers-and rightly so for once-5...Nxd5 as the only correct reply. But when this game was played, even masters did not realize the danger of the text move; for instance, Dr. Vidmar it against me in the London Tournament, 1922.} 6. Bg5 {! Much more effective here than 6.g3 which in the regular Tarrasch Defence (with the Black Queen's Knight at c3 and the King's Knight undeveloped) would be the most promising line.} Be6 7. Bxf6 Qxf6 8. e4 {!} dxe4 9. Bb5+ Bd7 {Or 9...Nd7 10.Nxe4 Qg6 11.Bxd7+ Bxd7 12.O-O, etc, with advantage.} 10. Nxe4 Qb6 11. Bxd7+ Nxd7 12. O-O cxd4 {Facilitating White's attack. A lesser evil would be to allow the unpleasant ...d5} 13. Nxd4 Rd8 {After White's next move Black's d6 will need further protection.} 14. Nf5 {!} Ne5 15. Qe2 g6 {Permitting an elegant finish; but the position, was of course, lost.} 16. Qb5+ {!} Nd7 {The Queen could not be taken because of 17.Nf6 mate.} 17. Rfe1 {Threatening mate again.} Bb4 18. Nf6+ Kf8 19. Nxd7+ Rxd7 20. Qe5 {! Threatening this time three different mates. That is too much!} 1-0

Game links and puns: www.chessgames.com