Annotated chess game: 2nd Brilliancy Prize Game, Karlsbad 1907

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ANNOTATED GAME

2nd Brilliancy Prize Game, Karlsbad 1907
Erich Cohn vs. Mikhail Tchigorin
Annotated by: last_archimedean

(1564)
Chess opening: Old Indian (A53), Janowski variation

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Cohn admitted after the game that he blundered away a Pawn on move 10, which forced him to attack most vigourously to compensate for the material deficit. His attack was so intense it won him not only the game but a brilliancy prize in a tournament filled with beautiful games!

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3	Book play in the Old Indian Defense.



3... Nbd7 4. e4 e5 5. Nge2	All routine.



5... Be7 6. g3 O-O 7. Bg2	Both players hasten to complete their development.



7... Re8 8. O-O Bf8 9. h3	Guarding against a potential ...N-KN5.



9... exd4 10. Qxd4 Ne5 11. f4	Since White is compelled to lose a Pawn, he seeks compensation with a strong Pawn center and a K-side attack.



11... c5 12. Qf2 Nxc4 13. b3	Forcing the Knight away from the K-side.



13... Na5 14. Bb2 Nc6 15. Rad1	Centralizing his Rook and pressuring Black's backward QP. The move also strengthens his grip on Q5, which would make a superb outpost for a Knight.



15... Qa5 16. g4 Nd4 17. Nxd4	Squelching Tchigorin's attempt at counterplay immediately.
	3 comments black_cat_hamlet (1531) on 19-Feb-11: doesn't this give back the pawn though? last_archimedean (1564) on 19-Feb-11: Cohn is behind a Pawn, not ahead a Pawn, and in any case the answer is no. Cohn remains exactly one Pawn behind after the exchanges. nuntar (1702) on 22-Feb-11: x-machine meant, I think, that Black's 16th returns the pawn, since White had the option of playing 18. QxP instead of sacrificing the QNP.


17... cxd4 18. b4 Qxb4 19. Rxd4	Opening more lines for attack. Black's isolated QP and lagging development are crimping his game.



19... Qa5 20. g5 Nd7 21. Nd5	Seizing this powerful outpost at once. Depending on your taste in metaphors, this Knight is a rusty nail in Tchigorin's knee or a bone in his throat.



21... Qd8 22. h4 Nb6 23. f5	Forcing Tchigorin to remove the Knight, but this opens the diagonal of Cohn's QB, which aims ominously at Tchigorin's King.



23... Nxd5 24. Rxd5 Bd7 25. e5	A very powerful move. If Tchigorin now plays 25... PxP?? Cohn has 26 P-B6!! P-KN3 27 B-KR3!! and Tchigorin can resign.



25... Bc6 26. e6	26... BxR? now falls to 27 BxB PxP 28 PxP Q-K2 29 Q-Q4!!! and Tchigorin has no defense against 30 R-B7.



26... fxe6 27. fxe6	Now 27... BxR? fails to 28 Q-B7 ch K-R1 29 BxB R-K2 30 Q-B5 K-N1 31 B-K4!! and Black is defenseless.



27... Qe7 28. Qf7+ Kh8 29. Rdf5	White's powerful battery on the KB file threatens to break into Black's position decisively.



29... Qxf7 30. exf7 Re2 31. Rf1f2	Now Cohn has a promotion threat as well as mating threats.



31... Rxf2 32. Rxf2 d5 33. Bd4	Preventing Black from gaining counterplay with ...B-B4.



33... h5 34. g6 Bd7 35. Re2	THreatening 36 R-K5 followed by 37 RxP mate.



35... Bd6 36. Bh3 Bb5 37. Re6	Tchigorin resigns. If 37... B-B2, Cohn has 38 B-QB5! B-N3 39 BxB PxB 40 R-K5 forcing mate.