Alekhine vs.

Nimzowitsch 1930

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5

5. Bd2 Ne7 Comfortable position for Nimzowitch. He expected 6. a3 Bxc3 7. bxc3, which he planned to
answer with Nbc6!

6. Nb5 Bxd2+ 7. Qxd2 O-O

8. c3 b6 Also solid is nbc6, along with Qb6 and Bd7

(Black tries to solve the problems of his "bad" Bishop at once, but better was 8...Nf5, preventing Nd6+
and exerting pressure on the d4 pawn.)

[(As I think 8...a6 would be better. It will bring some satisfactory with 9.Na3 Nc6 or 9.Nd6 b6 10.Nf3 Nf5
where White has to decide about his knight on d6, or to lose a pawn!!)]

9. f4 Ba6 10. Nf3 Qd7 11. a4 Trying to induce 11… Nd6, exchanging light squared bishops, and getting a
good game with Nec8

11. …Nbc6 12. b4 cxb4 Black must choose between open c-file

13. cxb4 Bb7

14. Nd6 f5 After this strategic error, Black's game becomes critical. The immediate danger lay on the
Queenside, and after 14...a5 15.Bb5 axb4 16.O-O White's initiative would be far less than in the game.

(Can you feel a better response than 14...f5? According to me, again, 14...Nf5 would be better
where White has to decide about his knight, and it even exerts some more pressure on the d4
pawn.)
15. a5 Nc8 The alternative 15...bxa5 16.b5 and 17.Rxa5 is obviously very good for White.
16. Nxb7 Qxb7 17. a6 Qf7 Not 17...Qe7 18.Bb5 Nxb4? 19.Rb1, trapping the Knight.
18. Bb5 N8e7 19. O-O h6 20. Rfc1 Rfc8 21. Rc2 Qe8 22. Rac1 Rab8 23. Qe3 Rc7

24. Rc3 Qd7 A desperate attempt to hold his position together on the c-file - Black will bring his King to
d8 to give traditional support to the Rc7.

25. R1c2 Kf8 26. Qc1 Rbc8

27. Ba4 Threatening to win a piece with 28.b5. Black must surrender the b6 pawn to gain time to bring
his King to the defense, but he will soon find himself with no good move.

27... b5 28. Bxb5 Ke8 29. Ba4 Kd8

30. h4 Black resigns. For after a few irrelevant pawn moves, Black will have to make a move, say ...Qe8,
which removes a defender of c7, and b4-b5 will win at once.