Capablanca-Alekhine, Nottingham 1936

Capablanca - Alekhine
Nottingham, 8/11/1936, Round 2
Dutch Defense [A81]

This was the first meeting between the two players since their world championship match in 1927; they had studiously avoided playing in the same tournaments since relations between them had soured in the aftermath of failed negotiations for a return match for the crown.

1. PQ4 PK3 2. NKB3 PKB4 3. PKN3 NKB3 4. BN2 BK2 5. O-O O-O 6. PB4 NK5 [Alekhine's signature continuation] 7. QN3 [Besides this move, Alekhine's opponents also tried 7. QNQ2 (Saemisch-Alekhine, Dresden 1936), 7. NK1 (Flohr-Alehkine, Podebrady 1936) and 7. QB2 (Fine-Alekhine, Amsterdam 1936). However, the correct continuation turns out to be 7. PQ5!, which was found by Reshevsky.] BB3 8. RQ1 QK1 9. NB3 NB3! 10. NQN5 [10. QB2 - Alekhine] BQ1 11. QB2 PQ3 12. PQ5 [12. PQR3 - Alekhine] NN5 13. QN3 NR3 14. PxP N(R3)B4 15. QB2 NxKP 16. KNQ4 [16. BK3 - Alekhine] NxN 17. NxN BB3 18. NN5 [18. BK3 - Alekhine] QK2 19. BK3 QK2 20. NQ4 BQ2 21. QRB1 QRK1 22. PQN4 PQN3 23. NB3? [23. QN3 - Alekhine] NB6 24. RQ3 PB5?

Here Alekhine thought he was winning both exchanges but in fact was trading three minor pieces for two rooks. I must admit the position is quite hypnotic; when analyzing this game, I thought black was up two exchanges in the final position until I actually counted the pieces on the board. This position and its associated error are featured in The Inner Game of Chess by Soltis (a book about accurate calculation in chess). The simple 24. ... BQR5 would have left Black with a superior (but not yet won) position after White's final inaccuracy on the 23rd move. The game continued ...

25. PxP BB4 26. QQ2 BxR 27 PxB PB4? [Still not realizing his error. Black could have abandoned his combinaton with 27. ... NR5 with an inferior (but not yet lost) position.] 28. RxN BxR 29. QxB QB3 [Also the middle game would be hopeless. - Alekhine] 30 QxQ PxQ 31. NQ2! PB4 32. PN5 PQR4 33. NB1 KB2 34. NN3 KN3 35. BB3 RK2 36. KB1 KB3 37. BQ2 KN3

There was a minor incident in this game at adjournment. Alekhine was so absorbed in the position that he made at the board this last move, which should have been sealed since it was 6:15 (adjournment was scheduled for 6:00 for a two-hour dinner break). The tournament director asked Capablanca to seal a move, which he did, 38. PQR4. However, when the game was due to resume, Alekhine resigned without even asking what the sealed move was; his position was clearly lost.

Alekhine was definitely off his game at this tournament. He didn't even finish among the prizewinners, although his score of 9, only 1 point behind the winners, must still be considered a moderate success.

Capa was likewise off to a bad start; besides the slight incident in this game (caused in some part because he was not at the board for the adjournment, as required by the rules), there was a more serious incident in the next round when he lost to Flohr (his only loss of the tourney) and got into an argument with Euwe regarding Euwe's talking as the time control in that game approached. However, he did manage to catch his stride and eventually tied for 1st with Botvinnik at 10 points (his second major tournament win in 1936, after Moscow).