Irving Chernev - The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy

J. R. Capablanca . S. Tartakover

New York 1924 , DUTCH DEFENSE

Jos Raoul Capablanca

Capablancas play in the game that follows provides us with a magic formula for conducting Rook and Pawn endings: seize the seventh rank with your Rook, and advance your King to the sixth!

Capablanca gives up a couple of valuable Pawns to get his King and Rook onto the key squares. Once there, they keep the adverse King busy warding off threats of mate, and leave him no time to defend his Pawns. Four of these pawns fall victims in half-a-dozen moves, after which resistance is of course hopeless.

Capas clear-cut, methodical play is so easy to understand that the whole ending is a marvellous piece of instruction, and a thing of beauty as well.

Black evidently intends to attack on the King side by ... QR4 and ... KtKt5customary strategy in the Dutch Defense.

QK2!

This move makes Tartakover change his mind, since 9... QR4 is met by PK4, and Whites center is imposing.

The exchanges have left White with a doubled Bishop Pawn. In compensation for this weakness, the Knight file has been opened and is available to his Rooks.

PQR4!

A clever preventive move! It stops an unwelcome intrusion by ... QR6, and also prepares to meet ... KtB3 with KR Kt1, and if then ... KtR4 PB5 undoubles the Pawns by force, since the continuation ... P P RKt5 is to Whites advantage.

Another preventive move. Black cannot free himself by ... PK4 as B P would follow. The Queens move also makes it possible for White to play PB4, giving him a grip on the square K5.

The Queen returns to B3, to dominate the long diagonal.

Having done its work on the Knight file, the Rook moves to the center, to support a break by PK4.

PK4!

White opens up the position to give his pieces more scope.

White stabilizes his position with this move and the next, before starting an attack on the King-side by PR4 and PR5.

This leads to an exchange of Queens, leaving White with a tiny advantagebut all Capablanca needs is a microscopic advantage!

All according to plan! If Black plays ... P P, there follows 28 RR1, KB1 R P, and White wins the Rook Pawn or the Queen Pawn.

Good players always seem to hold the high cards. Capablancas Rook controls an open file and will seize the seventh rank next move. Should Tartakovers Rook become ambitious and try to counter-attack by ... RB3. the reply BKt5 would come like a flash and pin the unfortunate piece.

Rook to the sevenththe magic move in Rook and Pawn endings. What is the secret in the strength of this move? It is this:

( a ) The Rook is in perfect position to attack any Pawns that have not yet movedthose still standing on the second rank.

( b ) The Rook is prepared to attack any Pawns that have moved, by getting behind them without loss of time. The Pawns would be under constant threat of capture, no matter how many squares they advanced on the file.

( c ) The Rooks domination of the seventh rank confines the opposing King to the last rank, preventing him from taking any part in the fighting.

The Knight hastens to get into active play. Black naturally avoids ... R P, as the reply B P allows his opponent to have two connected passed Pawns.

PKt5

Threatens to win by RR6, KKt2 PB5.

This is the position, with White to move:

Now comes a brilliant continuation, which Capablanca must have planned many moves before. In a simplified ending where Pawns are worth their weight in gold, he gives away two Pawns! Moreover he lets Black capture them with check!

KKt3!

The King is headed for B6, a square from which he can assist the Rook in mating threats, and also help the passed Pawn take those last three steps.

Instead of this, if Black tries to exchange Rooks, this follows: ... RB8 KR5, RR8ch KKt, R R K R, PB4 PKt6, and the Pawn crashes through.

Capturing the Queen Pawn would be fatal: 38 ... R P KB6, KKt1 (on ... KK1 RR8ch, KQ2 PKt7, and Black must give up his Rook for the Pawn) RQ7, and White mates next move.

KB6!

Excellent! The King is beautifully placed to support the passed Pawn, and incidentally to frighten Black with threats of mate.

Notice that White disdained capturing Blacks Pawn. Now it acts as a buffer against annoying checks by the Rook.

White goes after the Queen-side Pawns. Contrasting the activity of the two Kings, White is practically a piece ahead!

Black doesnt dare take the Pawn. If ... RxP RxR, K R K P, KB2 KQ6, KK1 KB7, KK2 PQ5, and the Pawn cannot be stopped.