Annotated chess game: Karlsbad tournament, 1923

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ANNOTATED GAME

Karlsbad tournament, 1923
Aron Niemzowitsch vs. Ossip Bernstein
Annotated by: last_archimedean

(1564)
Chess opening: QGD Slav (D30)

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All annotations below are by Ludek Pachman.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. a3 a6 7. c5	Such an advance in the Queen's Gambit is generally two-edged. In this case, however, White is in a position to make it because Black, with his last move, has wasted a tempo in the fight for the center.
	3 comments darknite13 (1200) on 10-Sep-14: Instead of just posting what other people have to say, try adding your own observations. It does help to see what others have to say but how do we know that you truly understand what is going on in the game? last_archimedean (1564) on 10-Sep-14: Don't pretend to be stupid. For grandmaster games one obviously needs the annotations of a master, not a 1300-level player. For my own games I post my own thoughts. I can read, so I understand well enough what Master Pachman says about the game. archduke_piccolo (2332) on 11-Sep-14: 'Even' a 1300 level player will have insights to impart. Here's a thing. GM Pachman's notes will be geared more for a fairly advanced player, and will often pass over points that he would expect most of this readership to figure out for themselves. But what about the less experienced player? By their very nature, master games are going to be way ahead of where they are at. So a little bit of extra guidance won't have gone amiss.


7... c6	We now have a familiar blocked Pawn chain.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 11-Sep-14: What the pawn advance to c5 will have done, is make d5 into a very strong point for Black, at the same time exposing d4 to a ...e5 strike by Black. Its upside for White is that it places Black's Q-side under considerable restraint. Hence Pachman's comment about the 'two-edged' nature of White's choice at move 7.


8. b4 Nbd7 9. Bb2 Qc7 10. Qc2 e5 11. O-O-O	The King will be safer here than on the opposite wing.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 11-Sep-14: After 11.Be2 e4 12.Nd2, White's K-side looks as bleak and lonely as King Lear's storm-blasted heath. So he might as well castle long right away.


11... e4	Black plans ...P-KB4-5, undermining White's Pawn chain.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 11-Sep-14: This looks as though it is shaping into a very unusual 'opposite sides' castling game, in which both sides attack where the enemy king isn't.


12. Nh4 Nb8 13. g3 Ne8 14. Ng2 f5 15. h4	Now that ...P-B5 has been stopped forever, White will be able to devote his whole attention to the Queen-side.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 11-Sep-14: But how easy will it be for White to effect his thematic P-QN5 break?


15... Bd8 16. a4 b6 17. b5	Threatening 18 PxBP QxBP 19 NxQP! winning a Pawn (19.... QxN?? 20 B-B4!)



17... Nf6 18. Nf4 axb5 19. axb5 Qf7 20. Be2	White will now benefit if Black exchanges either of the pawns.



20... Bc7	Black wants to exchange off the White Knight on KB4, to reduce the pressure on his QP.



21. cxb6 Bxf4 22. gxf4 Bd7 23. Kd2	The QB file is no longer safe for White's King.



23... cxb5 24. Rda1 Nc6 25. Bxb5 Na5 26. Be2 Rfb8	White proceeds to maintain the initiative with a surprising maneuver.



27. Na4 Bxa4	Stronger is 27... N-B5 ch 28 BxN PxB.



28. Rxa4 Rxb6 29. Bc3	Better than 29 R/1-R1 N-N6 ch 30 QxN RxQ 31 RxR ch N-K1 32 K-B2 R-N2 and Black can survive the pressure.



29... Nb3+ 30. Qxb3 Rxb3 31. Rxa8+ Ne8 32. Bd1	If 32... R-N3 33 B-R4 R-K3 34 R-QN1 with the irresistible threat of R/1-N8.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 11-Sep-14: The material deficit is only transitory.


32... Rxc3 33. Kxc3	The two Rooks will overpower Black's Q.



33... Qc7+ 34. Kd2 Kf7 35. Bh5+ g6 36. Rha1 Qb6	Avoiding 36... PxB??? 37 R/1-N7 pinning and winning the Q.



37. Be2 Kg7 38. Ke1 Nc7 39. Ra8a5 Kh6 40. Kf1 Qb3 41. h5 Ne8	On 41... PxP, 42 R-B1 Q-N2 43 R/5-B5 is decisive.



42. Ra5a6 Qb2 43. hxg6 hxg6 44. Ra6a2 Qb7 45. Ra2a7 Qb2 46. Kg2 Nf6 47. Rh1+ Nh5 48. Bxh5 gxh5 49. Rha1	White's attack against the exposed Black King is overwhelming. Black resigns.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2332) on 11-Sep-14: At move 46, White just about forces Black's reply by the threat to mate in one, or win the Queen by 46...Qxe2 47.Rh1ch Qh5 48.Rxh5ch and now [A] 48...gxh5 49.Rh6ch Kg7 50.Kh3 with Kh4 and Kg5 or Kxh5 in mind; or [B] 48...Kxh5 49.Rh7ch Kg4 50.Re7 Nf6 51.Re6 etc. At the final position, Black can avert immediate mate (in 4) only by giving up the Queen.