[Event "Barmen Meisterturnier A"]
[Site "Barmen DEU"]
[Date "1905.08.15"]
[EventDate "1905.08.14"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Geza Maroczy"]
[Black "Hugo Suechting"]
[ECO "D61"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "95"]

1. d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7
5. e3 Nbd7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. Qc2 c6 8. a3 Nh5 {Hardly in place;
better was ...Re8 or ...h6.} 9. h4 f5 {...f6 would be answered
by Bd3!} 10. Be2 Ndf6 11. Ne5 {!} Bd7 12. Qd1 Be8 13. c5
{Weaving the chain.} Qc7 14. b4 a5 15. g3 {! No one knows
better than Maroczy how to prevent freeing moves (here
...f4).} axb4 16. axb4 Rxa1 17. Qxa1 Ne4 18. g4 {!} Nxc3
19. Qxc3 Nf6 20. Bf4 {! Threatens Ng6 and thus gains time for
g5.} Qc8 21. g5 Nd7 22. Nd3 {! The exchange would make it more
difficult to breakthrough.} Bf7 23. Kd2 Bd8 24. Ra1 {Only now
does play begin in the real theater. The idea is naturally
attack on the base (P at c6) by b5.} Bc7 25. Ra7 Re8 26. Bxc7
Qxc7 27. f4 {Stops all attempts to break through by ...e5.}
Rb8 28. b5 {At last!} Qc8 {Or 28...cxb5 29.Nb4 etc.} 29. b6 {!
With this White transfers the attack to the new base, the P at
b7. Play against the base P at c6 would have been pursued by
29 Nb4 followed by, say, Qa3-a4; but the transference of the
attack to Black's b7 is still stronger, and above all
safer. Suechting is now helpless.} Be8 30. Nc1 Nf8 31. Nb3 e5
{The only way of saving the b-Pawn, otherwise there would have
come 32 Na5 33 Nxb7 and if 33...Rxb7 34 Ba6.} 32. dxe5 Ne6
33. Bd3 {!} g6 34. h5 Bf7 35. Na5 Nd8 36. e6 {Our sacrificing
advance of the unblockaded passed Pawn. The pieces to the rear
come to life.} Qxe6 37. h6 d4 38. Qxd4 Qa2+ 39. Ke1 Ne6
40. Qe5 Re8 41. Nxb7 Qb3 42. Be2 Qb1+ 43. Kf2 Qh1 44. Nd6 Qh4+
45. Kg2 Nxf4+ 46. Qxf4 Bd5+ 47. Bf3 Bxf3+ 48. Kxf3 1-0

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "Karlsbad CZE"]
[Date "1907.08.22"]
[EventDate "1907.??.??"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Akiba Rubinstein"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "D32"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "88"]

1. d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 c5 4. cxd5
exd5 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bf4 {In those days the refutation - 6 g3 -
was not yet known.} cxd4 7. Nxd4 Bb4 8. e3 Nf6 9. Nxc6 bxc6
10. Bd3 O-O 11. O-O Bd6 {Black does not intend to allow
himself to be encircled; he prepares ...c5.} 12. Bg3 {the
reply Bg5 would have been rendered purposeless by a
centralizing action as follows : 12 Bg5 Rb8 13 b3 (Qc2
...Bxh2+) Be5 14 Rc1 Qd6.} Bxg3 13. hxg3 c5 14. Rc1 Be6
15. Qa4 {An attempt to disclocate Black's game by 15 e4 would
at most lead to eualisation ...dxe4 16 Nxe4 c4 17 Nxf6+ Qxf6
18 Bxc4 Qxb2.} Qb6 {Black saw clearly that ...c4 and not ...d4
was the correct plan, for ...d4 craving to break through would
be overstraining the "dynamics" and therefore
uncommendable. Less dynamic is here ...c4 which provides a
certain amount of security (our "blocked security") and gives
ocassion to a limited but sensible offensive. Compare
preliminary note.} 16. Qa3 {He "compels" ...c4 which at the
time was still thought to be compromising.} c4 17. Be2 a5
18. Rfd1 Qb4 {The initiative on a small scale.} 19. Rd4 {White
need not apprehend the doubling of the a-pawn.} Rfd8 {If
19...Qxa3 20 bxa3 Rab8 (otherwise 21 Rb1) 21 Bf3 Rfd8 22
Rcd1.} 20. Rcd1 Rd7 21. Bf3 Rad8 {This well-knit position with
its extraordinary economy and ideally posted forces is akin to
a Greek work of art. Nothing should have been changed in this
position seeped in perfection. 22 Kf1 Kf8 23 Kg1 Kg8; etc.,
with a draw would have been a fit conclusion to the game.}
22. Nb1 {This upsetes the balance and leads to the disruption
of White's game.} Rb8 23. R1d2 Qxa3 {Stronger than 23...Rd7b7
24 Qc3 Qxc3 25 Nxc3 Rxb2 26 Rxb2 Rxb2 27 Bxd5 Nxd5 28 Nxd5
Rxa2 29 Rxc4 with equalisation.} 24. Nxa3 Kf8 {Not 24...Rdb7
because of Nxc4.} 25. e4 dxe4 26. Rxd7 Nxd7 27. Bxe4 Nc5
28. Rd4 {the weakness of White's b-pawn would have been
apparent even in the best continuation, e.g. : 28 Bc6 Rb4 29
Bd5 Na4. After the text-move the win is easy.} Nxe4 29. Rxe4
Rxb2 30. Nxc4 Rb4 31. Nd6 Rxe4 32. Nxe4 Bxa2 33. Nc3 Bc4
34. f4 Ke7 35. Kf2 Kd6 36. Ke3 Kc5 37. g4 Kb4 38. Kd4 Bb3
39. g5 a4 40. Nb1 Be6 41. g3 Kb3 42. Nc3 a3 43. Kd3 g6 44. Kd4
Kc2 0-1

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "Karlsbad CZE"]
[Date "1907.09.12"]
[EventDate "1907.??.??"]
[Round "17"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Carl Schlechter"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "C77"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "64"]

1. e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4
Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Nd5 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Re1 d6 9. Nxf6+ Bxf6
10. c3 h6 {Black decides on a waiting policy.} 11. h3 Ne7
12. d4 Ng6 13. Be3 Kh7 {Black still marks time.} 14. Qd2 Be6
15. Bc2 Qe7 16. d5 {White had done better to mark time also;
the text move would have a meaning only if it were introducing
an attack against the Q side, (c4, and b4). But he intends to
operate on the K wing, and for this d5, is a bad preparation.}
Bd7 17. Kh2 Nh8 {A preventive move directed against White's
plan of Ng1, and f4.} 18. Ng1 g5 19. g3 Ng6 20. Qd1 Bg7
21. Qf3 a5 {Again preventive play. This time the possibility
of c4, and b4, is to be anticipated.} 22. Ne2 Bb5 23. a4 Bd7
{It is achieved; the White Q side has lost all momentum and
the action just mentioned, to be initiated by c4, and b4, is a
thing of the past.} 24. Rh1 {With this move White plans to
break through eventually with h4, e.g. : 24...b6 25 h4 gxh4 26
gxh4 Nxh4 27 Qh5 f5 28 Kg1, etc. But Black discovers a move,
which not only has a high preventive value, but which also has
the attribute of driving the opponent into quick action.} Qe8
{! The threat is ...Qc8; e.g. ...Qc8, h4 ...Bg4, winning a
knight. White, therefore, has no further time for preparations
and opens the battle for a breakthrough.} 25. h4 Qc8
{Threatening ...Bg4.} 26. Bd3 Bg4 27. Qg2 gxh4 28. f3 h3
29. Qf1 {The breakthrough looks like it is succeeding, for if
now ...Bd7, then g4 followed by Qxh3 with a winning attack.}
f5 {The counter-stroke, long since prepared, which decides the
battle for Black.} 30. fxg4 fxe4 31. Qxh3 exd3 {Only now can
the full effect of 28...h3 be discerned. By this move the
white queen was forced from g2 to f1 into the range of the
Black rook.} 32. Bxh6 Rh8 {This game is noteworthy on account
of the comprehensive prophylaxis employed; preventive measures
were taken against c4 and b4 as well as against f4 and later
on h4. A few words about the charachteristics of the
preventive moves selected ; the waiting policy by 10...h6 is
typical of this style of play, for waiting moves form the
beginning of all prophylactic manouvers. The fact that the
preventive move 24 ...Qe8 contains a threat at the same time
by no means detracts from its purity in a prophylaxis, in
which part of the plan is to drive the opponent to acceerated
action.} 0-1

[Event "Ostende-B"]
[Site "Ostende-B"]
[Date "1907.05.27"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "9"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Erich Cohn"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "A46"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "58"]

1. d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} Nf6 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bf4 Nh5 {Already
in 1907 I went my own way.} 4. Bd2 Nf6 5. c4 Nbd7 6. Bc3 {Or 6
Nc3 e5 7 e4 Be7 and the lost tempo is shown to be a "quantite
negligeable."} e6 7. e3 d5 {Better would be ...b6 with
...Bb7.} 8. c5 {This is playable.} Ne4 9. Bd3 f5 10. b4 g6
11. Bb2 Bg7 12. Nc3 {The positional requirements would be met
by 12 O-O with Ne5 and f3.} O-O 13. Qc2 c6 14. Ne2 Qe7 15. O-O
{Ne5 would please us better.} e5 16. dxe5 Nxe5 17. Nxe5 Bxe5
18. Nd4 Bd7 19. f3 Nf6 20. Rae1 Rae8 21. e4 {The decisive
mistake, correct was 21 f4 Bc7 (...Bxd4 Bxd4) 22 Nf3 with Bd4
and the White position is consolidated; the move in the text
leads to ruin at express speed.} fxe4 22. fxe4 Qg7 23. exd5
Ng4 24. Qc4 Bxh2+ 25. Kh1 Rxe1 26. dxc6+ {If 29 Rxe1 Nf2+ and
mate in 4.} Be6 27. Qxe6+ Rxe6 28. Rxf8+ Qxf8 29. Nxe6 Qf2 0-1

[Event "Ostende-B"]
[Site "Ostende-B"]
[Date "1907.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "22"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Francis Joseph Lee"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "A46"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "108"]

1. d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} Nf6 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nbd2 Nbd7 4. e4
e5 5. c3 Be7 6. Bc4 O-O 7. O-O exd4 8. cxd4 d5 {! At a blow
the proud e-Pawn, despite his freedom and mobility, vanishes,
is pulverized!} 9. Bd3 {If exd5 then 9...Nb6 followed by
...Nxd5} dxe4 10. Nxe4 Nxe4 11. Bxe4 Nf6 {Here is our exchange
with consequent gain of tempo.} 12. Bd3 Nd5 13. a3 Bf6 {And
now Black stands better because of White's rather weak
d-Pawn.} 14. Qc2 h6 15. Bd2 Be6 16. Rae1 c6 17. Be3 Qb6 18. h3
Rad8 19. Rc1 Rd7 {Quietly building up the position; the d-Pawn
cannot move, so why get excited?} 20. Rfe1 Rfd8 21. Qe2 Qc7
22. Bb1 Ne7 {His work done (for the Knight has been working, a
change of air is good. The Knight aims to get to f5.} 23. Ne5
Bxe5 24. dxe5 Qxe5 25. Bxa7 Qxe2 26. Rxe2 Rd1+ {Black now
invades the enemy position via the d-file.} 27. Re1 Rxc1
28. Rxc1 Rd2 {Now play in the 7th rank begins.} 29. b4 Nd5
30. Be4 Nf6 31. Bc2 Nd5 32. Be4 Ra2 {! Allowing Bishops of
opposite color.} 33. Bxd5 Bxd5 34. Rc3 f5 {! All according to
my system. Black seeks an object of attack in the 7th rank;
against the a-Pawn nothing further can be done, so the second
player intends to lay bare White's g-Pawn. This will be
brought about by a compact advance of the King's wings
forces.} 35. Kh2 Kf7 36. Bc5 g5 37. Rd3 b5 38. Bd4 Be4 39. Rc3
Bd5 40. Bc5 Kg6 41. Rd3 h5 42. Bb6 f4 43. Bd4 Kf5 44. f3
{White stood very badly, the threat was ...g4 followed by
...g3+; fxg Rxg2+.} g4 45. hxg4+ hxg4 46. Kg1 Re2 {The 8th
rank (White's first rank) is also weak (...g3 is threatened
when opportunity arises) and White has not a plethora of moves
at his command either.} 47. fxg4+ Ke4 48. Rd1 Bb3 49. Rf1 Kxd4
50. Rxf4+ Re4 51. Rf6 Bd5 52. Rg6 Re2 53. Kh2 Rxg2+ 54. Kh3
Ra2 0-1

[Event "Ostend it B"]
[Site "BEL"]
[Date "1907.05.21"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "5"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Louis Van Vliet"]
[Black "Znosko-Borovsky"]
[ECO "D00"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "72"]

1.d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} d5 2.e3 c5 3.c3 e6 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.f4
{The stonewall, a very close opening.} Nf6 6.Nd2 Qc7 7.Ngf3
{Overlooks the threat involved in...Qc7; 7.Nh3 followed by Qf3
would have been the better course.} cxd4 {!} 8.cxd4
{Positionally the right move here would usually be exd4 (White
then has the King file with an outpost station at e5, while
the Pawn at c3 closes the opponents c-file), but here this
move would lose a Pawn: 8.exd4 Qxf4. Nevetherless it was
preferable to the text move; for 8.exd4 Qxf4 9.Nc4 Qc7 (...Qg4
10.Ne3!); 10.Nce5 Bd6 11.Qe2 and White has a fairly well
protected outpost in the King file, which Black cannot disturb
even by 11...Bxd6 12.fxe5 Nd7 13.Bf4 f6?; for then 14.exf6
Qxf4 15.fxg7 Rg8 16.Qxe6+ would win for White. So long as the
King file with the outpost Knight at e5, or its full
equivalent, a Pawn at e5 (after Pawn recaptures), remains in
White's possession he stands excellently, despite the Pawn
minus.} Nb4 9.Bb1 Bd7 10.a3 Rc8 {! It is only by this subtle
Rook move that the somewhat beginner-like Knight maneuver gets
a meaning.} 11.O-O Bb5 12.Re1 Nc2 13.Bxc2 Qxc2 14.Qxc2 Rxc2
{The 7th rank, seconded by the Bishop's diagonal b5 to f1 and
the point e4 for the Knight.} 15.h3 Bd6 16.Nb1 Ne4 {No outpost
in our sense (the open file behind is wanting); but a good
sustitute.} 17.Nfd2 Bd3 18.Nxe4 Bxe4 {18...dxe4 with the
Bishop established at d3 would also have been good.} 19.Nd2
Kd7 20.Nxe4 dxe4 21. Rb1 Rhc8 22.b4 R8c3 23.Kf1 Kc6 {!} 24.Bb2
Rb3 25.Re2 Rxe2 26.Kxe2 Kb5 27.Kd2 Ka4 28.Ke2 a5 {The decisive
breakthrough. The position of Black's Rook, holding the White
e-Pawn under a continual threat, was also too strong to be
withstood. The rest is readily understandable.} 29.Kf2 axb4
30.axb4 Kxb4 31.Ke2 Kb5 32.Kd2 Ba3 33.Kc2 Rxb2+ 34.Rxb2+ Bxb2
35.Kxb2 Kc4 36.Kc2 b5 0-1

[Event "Ostende, Belgium"]
[Site "Ostende, Belgium"]
[Date "1907.05.25"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "8"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Paul Saladin Leonhardt"]
[ECO "C47"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "42"]

1.e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 Bb4
5.Nxe5 {An innovation first tried on this ocassion.} Qe7
{Best; unfavorable would be 5...Nxe5 6 dxe5 Ne4 on account of
7 Qg4.} 6.Nxc6 {If the sacrifice of a pawn does not appeal,
the following line of play, recommended by Dr. Krause, will
serve : 6 Qd3 Nxe5 7 dxe5 Qxe5 8 Bd2.} Qxe4 7.Be2 Qxc6 8.O-O
Bxc3 9.bxc3 Qxc3 10.Rb1 O-O 11.d5 {With this move the White
bishops become jointly active.} Qe5 12.c4 {At this stage the
following continuation is also playable : 12 d6 Qxd6 13 Qxd6
cxd6 14 Ba3, etc.} Re8 13.Bd3 d6 14.Bb2 Qh5 15.Qd2 Ne4 {It is
clear that black under-estimates the hostile bishops or he
would have played 15...Ng4; if then 16 h3 Ne5 and Black
threatens to benefit materially (Nxd3) and theoretacally (f6),
closing the long diagonal) The bishops are made innocuous. But
then the prophylactic style appears only to the few.} 16.Rbe1
Bf5 17.Qf4 Qg6 18.Re3 {the violent move 18 g4 would be refuted
by 18...Bxg4 etc.} Kf8 {In order to hold the rook more
securely covered.} 19.h3 {Not 19 Rfe1 because of ...Ng3
etc. The move in the text is preliminary to the decisive
attack by Rf3 which now would fail on account of ...Bg4.} h5
20.Rf3 Bd7 21.Re1 {The impression is gained that two bishops
have to be taken seriously. But prophylactic measures based on
the elimination - in fact or in effect - of one of the bishops
(see note to move 15) do appear to present a notable
specific.} 1-0

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "Karlsbad"]
[Date "1911.08.22"]
[EventDate "1911.08.21"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Akiba Rubinstein"]
[Black "Oldrich Duras"]
[ECO "A22"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "103"]

1.c4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.g3 Bb4 4.Bg2 O-O
5.Nf3 Re8 6.O-O Nc6 {The exchange ...Bxc3 was to be
considered.} 7.Nd5 Bf8 8.d3 h6 9.b3 d6 10.Bb2 Nxd5 11.cxd5 Ne7
12.e4 c5 {In the long run something must be done for the
c-Pawn.} 13.dxc6 Nxc6 14.d4 Bg4 15.d5 Ne7 {We have now got our
Pawn chain, and the Black base, the pawn at d6, already seems
exposed (from the side), just as if the typical attack had
been made on it by c4-c5-cxd ...cxd.} 16.Qd3 Qd7 17.Nd2 {The
Knight is already being sent forward to the attack on the
exposed base.} Bh3 18.a4 {To safeguard the Knight position on
c4.} Bxg2 19.Kxg2 Reb8 20.Nc4 b5 21.axb5 Qxb5 22.Ra3 {In this
and similar positions the question arises, which Pawn is the
weaker, White's b-Pawn or Black's a-Pawn? In the present case
this problem could be solved by logical deduction. Since
Black's Pawn at d6 is weaker than White's Pawn at d5, a like
relation must exist throughout what remains of the Queen's
wing. Were this not the case then White's a4 must have been
wrong, and that is unlikely. Was he in fact not justified in
supporting2 his own important Knight at c4? But that would be
absurd. No, Nc4 was indicated, similarly a4; hence ... b5 must
have led to a less favorable position for Black. And the
course of the game proves the correctness of this judgement.}
Ng6 {...Nc8 would perhaps have been better.} 23.Rfa1 a6 24.Bc1
Rb7 25.Be3 f6 26.f3 {If Black could manage to play ...f5, his
position would not be so bad. But this is out of the question,
and Black is besieged.} Ne7 27.Qf1 {Threatening Nxd6.} Nc8
28.Nd2 Qb4 29.Qc4 Qxc4 30.Nxc4 Rab8 31.Nd2 Rc7 32.Rxa6 {The
masterly and varied uses made of the points d2 and c4 should
be noted.} Rc2 33.R6a2 Rxa2 34.Rxa2 {The rest of the game
which consists of bringing the King to the center followed by
an advance in close order of the fighting unit Bishop, Knight
and King is easily intelligible.} Be7 35.Kf2 Kf7 36.Ke2 Ke8
37.Kd3 Kd7 38.Kc3 Bd8 39.Nc4 {c3 is our shelter.} Bc7 40.g4
Bd8 41.Ra6 Bc7 42.h4 Bd8 43.h5 Bc7 44.b4 Rb7 45.Ra8 Kd8 46.Kb3
Rb8 47.Rxb8 Bxb8 48.b5 Ne7 49.b6 f5 {There is nothing left to
hope for.} 50.gxf5 Ng8 51.Bf2 Kc8 52.Bh4 1-0

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "Karlsbad"]
[Date "1911.09.09"]
[EventDate "1911.08.21"]
[Round "15"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Georg Salwe"]
[ECO "C02"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "77"]

1.e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3
Qb6 6.Bd3 {More natural would have been 6 Be2, for the pawn at
d4 is the "base", and as such should be protected as
thoroughly as possible. Be2 "protects" more thoroughly than
Bd3.} Bd7 {A very plausible move. Since White still delays
...dxc5, Black intends his hand with ...Rc8. the right course
was 6...csd4 7 cxd4 and thus to pass into quite other
channels. See Paulsen-Tarrash, 1888 and Nimzowitsch-Tarrasch,
1912.} 7.dxc5 {!!} Bxc5 8.O-O f6 {Black swells in triumph and
throws himself hungrily on the last remaining menber of the
once so proud chain-family, top destroy him. His war cry is
"Room for the e-pawn!" But it happens quite otherwise.} 9.b4
{In order to be able to provide his e5 with an enduring
defence. 9 Qe2 would also have been a defence, but no enduring
one, for there would follow 9...fxe5 10 Nxe5 Nxe5 11 Qxe5 Nf6
and the blockading queen at e5 will be easily driven away.}
Be7 10.Bf4 fxe5 {Again we have the exchange operation which we
have so often discussed; this time however, it is not really
justified, for the new blockader, the bishop at e5, proves to
be a stout fellow.} 11.Nxe5 Nxe5 12.Bxe5 Nf6 {For the
otherwise desirable ...Bf6 would fail against 13 Qh5+ g6 14
Bxg6+ hxg6 15 Qxg6+ Ke7 16 Bxf6+ Nxf6 17 Qg7+.} 13.Nd2 {If 13
Qc2? O-O 14 Bxf6 Rxf6 15 Bxh7+ Kh8 16 Bg6 (or Bd3) e5!, White
it is true has won a pawn, but black has overcome the
blockade, and now stands ready to march in the center. White
should lose.} O-O 14.Nf3 {! The blockading forces are to be
reinforced by the knight.} Bd6 {14...Bb5 would yield little
profit, for 15 Bd4 Qa6 16 Bxb5 Qxb5 17 Ng5 would win a pawn.}
15.Qe2 {The manouver 15 Bd4 Qc7 16 Qe2 might be considered
with the intention of following with 17 Ne5. However, this
plan to widen the blockading ring is impracticable, for, after
16 Qe2 Ng4!! 17 h3 e5!, the Black pawns assert themselves
whatever counterchances be taken.} Rac8 16.Bd4 Qc7 17.Ne5 {The
immobility of the e-pawn is now greater than ever. White has
utilized his resources very economically. The possibility of a
successful occupation of the points d4, e5, hung on a hair, on
taking advantage of the terrain (the points d4, e5, c2 and
e2.} Be8 18.Rae1 Bxe5 19.Bxe5 Qc6 20.Bd4 {In order to force
Black's queen bishop, who also has his eye on h5, to come to a
decision.} Bd7 21.Qc2 {the decisive re-grouping.} Rf7 22.Re3
b6 23.Rg3 Kh8 24.Bxh7 {!} e5 {24...Nxh7 loses because of Qg6.}
25.Bg6 Re7 26.Re1 Qd6 27.Be3 d4 28.Bg5 Rxc3 29.Rxc3 dxc3
30.Qxc3 Kg8 31.a3 Kf8 32.Bh4 Be8 33.Bf5 Qd4 34.Qxd4 exd4
35.Rxe7 Kxe7 36.Bd3 Kd6 37.Bxf6 gxf6 38.Kf1 Bc6 39.h4 1-0

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "Karlsbad"]
[Date "1911.09.11"]
[EventDate "1911.08.21"]
[Round "16"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Semion Alapin"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "B10"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "86"]

1.e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch.} c6 2.c4 d6 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Nbd7
5.f4 e5 6.Nf3 exd4 7.Qxd4 Nc5 {In order to tame the tiger;
'vulgo' the center, ready to spring. If 8 e5 dxe5 and White
has nothing.} 8.Bd3 Qb6 {Here ...Nxd3 came into consideration
(the "Two Bishops.")} 9.Bc2 Be7 10.O-O O-O 11.Kh1 {The taming
continues.} Rd8 12.Rb1 Be6 {This is the counter-chance; a
rolling up process sets in against c4; the reason why this
must be so lies deep : why should the White c-pawn imagine
that it could paralyse the elastic and strong Black center
(p-d6)! For this presumption it will be severely punished.}
13.f5 {A heavy surrender, for now the White center loses
considerably in mobility. Against other moves the rolling-up
process mentioned above would set in, e.g. : 13 Be3 Qa6 14 b3
b5, (or 14...d5 15 cxd5 cxd5 16 e5 Nfe4); or else 13 b4 Na6 14
Qd3 Nxb4 15 Qe2 Qc5.} Bc8 14.Bg5 Ncd7 15.Qd2 a6 16.b3 Qc7
17.Rbd1 b5 {The storm breaks.} 18.Rfe1 Ne5 19.cxb5 axb5 {That
pompous White c-pawn, has passed away, unwept, unhonoured and
unsung.} 20.Bb1 Bb7 21.Qc1 Qb6 22.h3 {Sounder would be 22 Be3
Qa5 23 Bb1.} Nxf3 {The beginning of a deep-laid combination.}
23.gxf3 Qf2 24.Qe3 Qg3 25.f4 Qxe3 26.Rxe3 h6 27.Bh4 b4 {The
last two pawn moves are the key to the combination. the White
center will now be conquered in a surprising manner.} 28.Na4
Nxe4 29.Rxe4 Bxh4 30.Rxb4 Ra7 {And with his two bishops - the
White pawn position being torn up - Black has a won game.}
31.Be4 Be7 32.Bf3 d5 33.Rbd4 Rd6 34.Kh2 Rf6 35.Bg4 Bd6 36.Rc1
h5 37.Kg3 {If 37 Bxh5, Black wins a piece by ...Rxf5 38 Bg4
Rxf4.} hxg4 38.hxg4 g5 39.fxg6 fxg6 40.g5 Rf5 41.Kf3 Ra8
42.Nc5 Bxc5 43.Rxc5 Rxa2 0-1

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "Karlsbad"]
[Date "1911.09.12"]
[EventDate "1911.08.21"]
[Round "17"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Akiba Rubinstein"]
[Black "Grigory Levenfish"]
[ECO "C14"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "57"]

1.d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e6 2.e4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7
5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.Qd2 O-O 8.f4 c5 9.Nf3 f6 {It would be
more in the spirit of a corrct attack on a pawn-chain first to
play 9...cxd4 10 Nxd4, and not till then 10...f6. But after
10...f6 11 exf6 Qxf6, the position arrived at is after all
similar to that of the text.} 10.exf6 Qxf6 11.g3 Nc6 12.O-O-O
a6 13.Bg2 Nb6 {The diagonal attacking range g2 to d5 is a
necessary element in White's plan of operations; for this,
after exf6, hols up the freeing thrust ...e5 better than any
other possible disposition could.} 14.Rhe1 Nc4 15.Qf2 b5
16.dxc5 {! Bravo! the flank attack ...Nxb2 has no terrors for
him, since a flank attack by itself can never ruin a strongly
centralized game. And White's game is centralized, for he
holds the center files and pressure in them is already making
itself felt, and further he has the prospect of occupying the
central points d4 and e5. Observe now how Black's attack is
thrown back by action in the center.} Nxb2 17.Kxb2 b4 18.Nd4
{!} bxc3 19.Ka1 {The c-pawn will be gobbled up presently by a
rook.} Nxd4 {If 19...Bd7 then 20 Nxe6 Bxe6 21 Rxe6 followed by
Bxd5.} 20.Qxd4 Rb8 21.Re3 g5 {Now he has a go on the other
wing.} 22.Rxc3 gxf4 23.gxf4 Bd7 24.c6 Qxd4 25.Rxd4 Be8 26.Bh3
Rf6 27.c7 {It would have pleased me even better if the
decision had been brought about in a bishop ending instead of
through the somewhat "tacked on" action of the passed pawn at
c7; for instance from such a position as White: King at e5,
bishop at h3, pawns at a2, c3, f4, h2. Black: King at e7,
Bishop atf7, pawns at a6, d5, e6, h7; with the continuation
f5, ...exf5, Bxf5 and white wins the d-pawn and the game. We
should then have the general idea more markedly broughtout,
namely first to keep the e-pawn and the d-pawn under
restraint, then to blockade them and only at the end to
destroy them. But as played the game was instructive enough!
(e.g., moves 13, 16, and 18). } Rc8 28.Rxd5 Rxc7 29.Bxe6+ 1-0

[Event "San Sebastian"]
[Site "San Sebastian ESP"]
[Date "1911.02.23"]
[EventDate "1911.02.20"]
[Round "3"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Paul Saladin Leonhardt"]
[ECO "C49"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "96"]

1. e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5
Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. d3 {White has now a solid
position, since the the enemy Queen file "bites on granite"
(the protected P at d3). This solidity, however, also finds
expression in the fact that White's e-Pawn can never be
troubled by an advance of Black's d-Pawn; in other words, the
center cannot be opened.} Bg4 {The pin.} 8. h3 Bh5 9. Bg5
{9.g4 would have been premature, because of 9...Nxg4 10.hxg4
Bxg4,; followed by ...f5.} Qd6 10. Bxf6 Qxf6 11. g4 {The
"question" is here indicated, since the Biswhop will be driven
into a desert, which, because of the impossibility of ...d5,
can never be transformed into a "flowering garden". Observe
how the h-Pawn and the g-Pawns slowly develop into storm
troops.} Bg6 12. Kg2 Rad8 13. Qe2 Bxc3 {Else Kt-d1-e3-f5 would
have followed.} 14. bxc3 c5 15. Nd2 {White now intends to
bring his Kt to f5 via c4 and e3; on the other hand he
proposes to prevent the embarrasing move ...c4 for as long as
possible without the aid of c4, since this move would leave
the output position in the Queen file (at d4) unguarded.} Qe7
16. Nc4 b6 17. Ne3 f6 {In order at length to free the Bishop;
this move, however, invites g5 when an opportune moment
comes.} 18. Rg1 Qd7 19. Kh2 Kh8 20. Rg3 Qb5 21. Qe1 Qa4
22. Qc1 Rd7 23. h4 Bf7 24. c4 {Black has succeded in provoking
c4; in the meantime, however, White has got the King's wing
beautifully arranged to suit himself.} Be6 25. Qb2 a5 26. Rag1
Qc6 27. R1g2 {!! White quietly makes his last preparations for
a worthy reception of the enemy Queen at d4, for which point
she is striving. Observr how the first player has succeeded in
combining the defence of the center with his plans for a
King-side attack.} Qd6 28. Qc1 Qd4 {?} 29. Nd5 {! Traps the
Queen. This "trap" was everywhere applauded. That it was
subordinate to the strategic ends which I had set myself in
this game was taken into consideration by no one. The aim of
my strategy was, however, to prevent a breakthrough or any
manouvering in the center and to make possible the ultimate
advance g5 with the attack.} Rxd5 30. c3 Qxd3 31. exd5 {cxd5
was more precise.} Qxc4 32. dxe6 Qxe6 33. Qc2 c4 34. Qf5 Qxf5
35. gxf5 Rf7 36. Rg4 b5 37. a4 c6 38. Rg1 h5 39. Re4 Rd7
40. Ra1 Rd3 41. axb5 cxb5 42. Rxa5 Rxc3 43. Rxb5 Rf3 44. Kg2
Rxf5 45. Rxc4 Kh7 46. f4 Kg6 47. fxe5 fxe5 48. Rcc5 {The
student may see from the laborious and tedious defence which
White adopted (see moves 21, 22, 25, 28) that he fully
recognized the fact that the disposition of his King-side
Pawns (h3,g4) demanded a closed center.} 1-0

[Event "Vilnius, 1912 (All-Russian Masters)"]
[Site "Vilna LTU"]
[Date "1912.08.31"]
[EventDate "1912.08.19"]
[Round "9"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "S Von Freymann"]
[ECO "C02"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "100"]

1.e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Nf3 cxd4
{4...Qb6 seems to be better.} 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 Qc7
8.Bf4 g5 {Not quite sound but leading to interesting play.}
9.Bg3 Bg7 10.Qe2 Ne7 11.O-O h5 12.h3 Nf5 13.Bh2 {13 Bxf5 exf5
14 e6 would be obviously bad because of 14...f4 15 exf7+
Kxf7.} g4 {The pretty point of the attack started by ...g5.}
14.Re1 {the answer to 14 hxg4 hxg4 15 Qxg4 would have been
15...Rxh2 16 Kxh2 Bxe5+ followed by ...Bxb2.} Kf8 15.Nc3 {The
knight proposes to make his way to f4 (after the black knight
at f5 is exchanged off.} Qe7 16.Bxf5 exf5 17.Qe3 Rh6 18.Ne2 c5
19.Nf4 {! this knight is to be regarde as primarily the
blockader of Black's pawn at f5 and its adherent mass of
pawns; but in addition he acts as an "antiblockader" for his
own aspiring pawn at e5.} d4 20.Qd3 Qd7 21.Qc4 Qc6 22.hxg4 {!
The necessary prelude to Nd3. If at once 22 Nd3 there would
have followed 22...gxh3 23 Qxc5+ Qxc5 24 Nxc5 Rg6 25 g3 and
White stands badly.} Ba6 23.Qd5 {!!} Qxd5 {Most interesting
would have been 23...hxg4; the result would have been a
triumphant march of the e-pawn to e8. For instance 24 e6 (with
an attack on the queen) 24...Qxd5 25 e7+ Ke8 26 Nxd5 followed
by check at c7. (the 'unexpected advance of the unstopped
pawn.")} 24.Nxd5 Bc4 {If 24...hxg4, then again e6 winning the
exchange.} 25.Nf6 hxg4 26.Bf4 Rg6 27.Nd7+ Ke7 28.Nxc5 Rc8
29.b4 Bh6 30.Rad1 Bxf4 31.Rxd4 Rh6 32.Rxc4 Rch8 33.Kf1 Rh1+
34.Ke2 Rxe1+ 35.Kxe1 Bxe5 36.Nd3 Bd6 37.a4 a5 38.b5 Rh1+
39.Ke2 Rh2 40.Nf4 Bxf4 41.Rxf4 Rxg2 42.c4 Rg1 43.Rxf5 Ke6
44.Rd5 Rb1 45.Rd8 Ke7 46.Ra8 Rb4 47.c5 Rxa4 48.b6 Rb4 49.c6
Rxb6 50.c7 {What interests in this game is above all the role
which the knight at f4 has played. As a blockader he was
strongly posted and excellently supported (by the bishop at
h2). Again he had a crippling affect on Black's bishop at g7
and rook at h6, etc. Further, his "threat effect" was
considerable, particularly on the points d5 and e6. (The
mobility of White's e-pawn affords a piquant antithesis to the
immobility of Black's pawn at f5.) And lastly, his elasticity
was striking, for he could composedly go on his travels,
leaving the bishop to take his place.} 1-0

[Event "American National"]
[Site "New York USA"]
[Date "1913.01.28"]
[EventDate "1913.01.19"]
[Round "7"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Harry P Kline"]
[Black "Jose Raul Capablanca"]
[ECO "A46"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "102"]

1. d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch. This game illustrates the plan of
action "center file v. flank attack".} Nf6 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3
Nbd7 4. Bf4 c6 5. Qc2 Qc7 6. e4 e5 7. Bg3 Be7 {White has now
the attacking position in the center. This is unquestionably
an advantage. But here the weakness of his pawn at e4 (we
shall quickly see why e4 is weak) will soon force White to
surrender his advantage; that is to say he will find himself
obliged to equalize with dxe5.} 8. Bd3 O-O 9. Nbd2 Re8 {!}
10. O-O Nh5 {In order to exchange the bishop.} 11. Nc4 Bf6
12. Ne3 Nf8 13. dxe5 {Since the Bishop is needed at d3 for the
protection of the e-pawn, the d-pawn can only be protected
against a Knight at e6 by exchanging him. The student should
consider carefully the motif here used, aiming at forcing the
opponent to declare himself (whether for dxe5 or for d5).}
dxe5 14. Bh4 Qe7 15. Bxf6 Qxf6 16. Ne1 Nf4 {? With this move a
diversion is put 'en train' which may be said to run counter
to the spirit of the opening. The right line of play consisted
in ...Be6 and doubling the rooks on the d-file. By this means
advantage could have been taken of the rather uncomfortable
position of White's bishop at d3. Black's simplest course
would have been to play ...Be6 on his 14th move.} 17. g3 Nh3+
18. Kh1 h5 19. N3g2 g5 20. f3 Ng6 21. Ne3 {!} h4 22. g4 {??
The entry of the knight at f5 would, according to my analysis,
have decided the game in White's favor. The retreat of the
Black knight at h3 is cut off. The attempt at a rescue
undertaken by means of a wreckless advance of the k side pawns
gives the opportunity, often ocurring in such a position, for
a decisive counter stroke, by an invasion in the center, in
the present case by ...Nf4. For instance 22 Nf5 hxg3 23 hxg3
Bxf5 24 exf5 Ne7 25 Kg2 Kg7 (is the pawn sacrifice 25...g4 26
fxg4 Ng5 any better?) 26 Kxh3 Rh8+ (or 26...Nd5 27 Qe2) 27 Kg2
Qh6 28 Kf2 Qh2+ 29 Ng2 Rh3 30 Ke1 Rxg3 31 Ne3, etc. Moreover
as a superabundance 26 Rh1 is also playable, which I showed to
be a win for White in an analysis I published in the 'Rigaer
Rundschau'.} Nhf4 {Now the knight rejoices in his rediscovered
freedom, and black, after this doubtful excursion, which could
easily have ended fatally for him, takes up the right line,
play in the queen file, and pursues it with complete masterly
to victory. What remains needs but few remarks.} 23. Rf2 Nxd3
24. Nxd3 Be6 25. Rd1 Red8 26. b3 Nf4 27. Ng2 Nxd3 28. Rxd3
Rxd3 29. Qxd3 Rd8 {Why not ...Bxg4.} 30. Qe2 h3 31. Ne3 a5
32. Rf1 a4 33. c4 Rd4 {!} 34. Nc2 Rd7 35. Ne3 Qd8 36. Rd1
Rxd1+ 37. Nxd1 Qd4 {Queen file and centralization.} 38. Nf2 b5
{!} 39. cxb5 axb3 40. axb3 Bxb3 {Threatening ...Qa1+.}
41. Nxh3 Bd1 42. Qf1 cxb5 43. Kg2 b4 44. Qb5 b3 45. Qe8+ Kg7
46. Qe7 b2 47. Nxg5 Bb3 48. Nxf7 Bxf7 49. Qg5+ Kf8 50. Qh6+
Ke7 51. Qg5+ Ke8 0-1

[Event "Riga"]
[Site "Riga"]
[Date "1913.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Von Haken"]
[Black "Giese"]
[ECO "C01"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "68"]

1. e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3
Bd6 5. Bd3 Nf6 6. h3 O-O 7. O-O h6 {In the Exchange Variation
of the French Defence with the king knight's developed at f3
and f6 the pinning move Bg5 and ...Bg4 furnish one of the
leading motives for both sides. Here, however, this motif is
ruled out by the moves of the h-pawns, and, except for a
moment we see and here nothing but the e-file.} 8. Nc3 c6
9. Ne2 Re8 10. Ng3 Ne4 {The outpost.} 11. Nh5 Nd7 12. c3 Ndf6
13. Nh2 Qc7 14. Nxf6+ Nxf6 15. Nf3 Ne4 16. Bc2 Bf5 {!
Allpieces are directed to the strategical point; this is also
called emphasizing one's strength (here the knight at e4).}
17. Nh4 Bh7 18. Be3 g5 19. Nf3 f5 20. Re1 Re7 {The pressure in
the file grows more acute move by move.} 21. Nd2 f4 22. Nxe4
dxe4 {The place of the outpost knight is now worthiliy taken
by a "half-passed" pawn.} 23. Bd2 Rae8 24. c4 c5 25. Bc3 Bg6
{! In order to be able to play ...Kh7 and ...e3; a timely
advance against the pawn at h3 is also threatened by ...h5,
...g4, an echo of the pin motif!} 26. Qg4 cxd4 27. Bxd4 Be5
28. Bxe5 Rxe5 29. Qd1 {If 29 Rad1 then 29...e3 30 Bxg6 exf2+
31 Kxf2 Qc5+ 32 Kf1 Qxc4+ 33 Kf2 Qc5+ 34 Kf1 Qb5+ 35 Kf2 Qxb2+
36 Kf1 Qb5+ 37 Kf2 Qb6+ 38 Kf1 Qa6+ 39 Kf2 Qxa2+ 40 Kf1 Qa6+
41 Kf2 Qb6+ 42 Kf1 followed by the double exchange at e1 and
...Qxg6. A fine illustration of the theme: the win of a pawn
with check.} Rd8 30. Qb1 Rd2 31. Bxe4 Qc5 32. Bd5+ Kg7 33. Qc1
Qxf2+ 34. Kh1 Rexd5 {This game provides a trasparent,
therefore, a good, illustration to the outpost theme.} 0-1

[Event "casual game"]
[Site "St. Petersburg"]
[Date "1914.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Semion Alapin"]
[ECO "C11"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "35"]

1. e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch except where noted.} e6 2. d4 d5
3. Nc3 Nf6 4. exd5 Nxd5 {Surrender of the center} 5. Nf3 c5
{To "kill" the Pawn. "Restraint" might have been effected by,
say ...Be7, ...O-O, ...b6, ...Bb7.} 6. Nxd5 Qxd5 7. Be3 {It
was to be able to make this move, which combines development
and attack (the threat is dxc5 winning a Pawn), that White
exchanged Knights.} cxd4 {Disappearance of tempo spells loss
of time.} 8. Nxd4 a6 9. Be2 Qxg2 {Stealing a Pawn. The
consequences are grievous.} 10. Bf3 Qg6 11. Qd2 e5 {The
crisis. Black means to be rid of the unpleasant Knight, so
that he may in some measure catch up in development. [White
must have paid him a fee to play this. -- C H O'D Alexander] }
12. O-O-O {!} exd4 13. Bxd4 {White's advantage in development
is now too great.} Nc6 14. Bf6 {! Travels by express. Any
other Bishop move could have been answered by a development
move, whereas now there is no time for this; Black must take.}
Qxf6 15. Rhe1+ {Play in the King and Queen files at the same
time. The danger of a breakthrough is great.} Be7 {or 15...Be6
16.Qd7 mate!} 16. Bxc6+ Kf8 {or 16...bxc6 17.Qd8 mate.}
17. Qd8+ {!} Bxd8 18. Re8# 1-0

[Event "St. Petersburg (Russia)"]
[Site "It"]
[Date "1914.01.23"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "13"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Jean Taubenhaus"]
[ECO "D02"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "69"]

1. d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. e3 c5
5. Bd3 Nc6 6. O-O dxc4 7. Bxc4 cxd4 8. exd4 Be7 9. Nc3 O-O
10. Be3 {10 d5 would be bad because of ...Na5 11 b3 Bb4; nor
would 10 Bg5 be good 10...b6, etc.} b6 {10...a6 and ...b5
would unneccessarily weaken the point c5.} 11. Qe2 Bb7
12. Rfd1 Nb4 13. Ne5 Rc8 14. Rac1 Nbd5 15. Nb5 {A
strategically noteworthy conception. White says to himself: in
the center I am strong, therefore a strategical diversion is
justified; moreover, I have no particular wish after say 15
Ba6 or Bd3 to be saddled with hanging Pawns. The right move
was, nevertheless, Ba6. For example 15 Ba6 Nxc3 16bxc3 Qc7 17
Bxb7 Qxb7 18 c4 with eventually a4-a5.} a6 16. Na7 {!} Ra8 {If
...Rc7 then Bxa6.} 17. Nac6 Qd6 18. Nxe7+ Qxe7 19. Bd3 {!}
Nxe3 {There was no occasion for this. Other lines of play to
be considered were (i) 19...a5 and ...Rfc8 (ii) 19...Rfd8
followed by ...Ktd7-f8} 20. fxe3 b5 {Weakens the point
c5. After 20...a5 (instead of the text move) and ...Rfc8,
there would not be much wrong with him.} 21. Rc5 {By occupying
this outpost station White gets play in the c-file.} Rfc8
22. Rdc1 g6 23. a3 {What now follows could serve as a textbook
example for play in an open file. The slowness with which
White step by step gains in terrain is also of significance
from the point of view of position play.} Ne8 24. b4 Nd6 {If
...Qg5 then Nxf7.} 25. Qf2 {!} f5 {In order to relieve the
f-Pawn and to make ...Qg5 possible.} 26. Qf4 Ne8 {Black can
undertake nothing.} 27. Be2 {!} Nd6 28. Bf3 {Breaks down the
opposition in the c-file.} Rxc5 29. dxc5 Ne8 {If 29...Ne4 then
30 c6 g5 31 cxb7 Rf8 32.Rc8 and wins.} 30. Rd1 Nf6 31. c6 {The
c-Pawn, the fruit of the operations on the c-file, now brings
the decision.} Bc8 32. c7 Ra7 33. Rd8+ Kg7 34. Rxc8 Rxc7
35. Nxg6 1-0

[Event "Berlin (Germany)"]
[Site "Berlin (Germany)"]
[Date "1916.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Siegbert Tarrasch"]
[Black "Jacques Mieses"]
[ECO "C10"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "38"]

1.e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 {Giving up
the center, but opens the d-file and the long diagonal b7 to
h1 for pressure on White's center.} 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6
6.Bd3 Nxe4 {Better would be ...b6, but the text move is
playable.} 7.Bxe4 Nf6 8.Bd3 {If 8.Bg5 Be7 9.Bxf6, then best
9...gxf6.} b6 9.Bg5 Bb7 10.O-O Be7 11.Qe2 O-O 12.Rad1 h6 {?
The tenacity of purpose so necessary to tournament play fails
him here. Why not ...Qd5? If then 13.c4 Qa5 followed presently
by ...Rad8 and the pressure is already sensible. If, however,
13.c4 Qa5 14.d5, then 14...Rae8! with strong
counter-threats. For instance 15.dxe6 Bxf3 followed by
...Qxg5. Why the mere contact with the point d5 must bring a
blessing is evident. This point in the first place is the
outpost station in the Queen file, and in the second the same
thing in the diagonal b7 to h1, while lastly, d5 is a
blockading point. The enormous strategical importance to Black
of the point d5 makes it clear that any, even the most
passing, contact with it must work wonders.} 13.Bf4 Qd5 {Now
this move is unfavorable since the c-Pawn is in the air. The
inclined plane makes its appearance.} 14.c4 Qa5 15.Bxc7 Bxf3
{15...Rac8 was to be considered here, and after 16.Be5 Rfd8,
the advance of White's Pawn majority is very much hindered.}
16.gxf3 {!} Qxa2 {? Black will not resign himself to the loss
of a Pawn, runs risks in seeking compensation, and thus loses
the Queen. With 16...Rfc8 17.Be5 Nd7! (with a view to the
threatened Kh1 and Rg1), he couls still have put up
resistance. For if then 18.Bxe4, then 18...Nxe5 19.Bxa8 Ng6,
and Black threatens ...Nf4 leading to mate or win of the
Queen.} 17.Ra1 Qb3 18.Bc2 Qb4 19.Ra4 {The Queen is prettily
trapped.} 1-0

[Event "Goteborg"]
[Site "05"]
[Date "1920.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Savielly Tartakower"]
[ECO "A80"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "82"]

1.d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} f5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Be2 g6 5.c4
Bg7 6.O-O O-O 7.b4 {In order to transfer the main field of
battle to the queen side.} d6 8.Nbd2 Nbd7 9.Bb2 Qe7 10.c5
{White has a clear advantage in position for now 10...e5 would
fail on account of the sequence of moves 11 cxd6 cxd6 12 dxe5
dxe5 13 Nc4 with Qb3, Rac1, and Rfd1.} a5 11.cxd6 cxd6 12.b5
Nb6 13.Nc4 Nxc4 14.Bxc4 d5 15.Bd3 Bd7 16.a4 Rfc8 17.Ne5 Be8
18.Qd2 {This leads to bishops of opposite colors.} Ne4 19.Bxe4
Bxe5 20.dxe5 dxe4 21.Rac1 Rd8 {Black must avoid further
exchanges because of his queen side pawns, which otherwise
could not be held.} 22.Bd4 g5 {How can the liberating advance
...f4 be prevented?} 23.Rc4 {Quite simply, because now the
answer would be exf4 and Qxf4.} Qf7 24.Qe2 {Here ...f4 should
still have been prevented; a suitable move would be 24 Qc2 for
after 25 Rc1 White could exploit the open c-file. after the
text-move, the nimble witted Tartakower escapes his fate.} f4
25.exf4 Qxf4 26.Qe3 Rac8 {White labours under a temporary
weakness in his first rank and on this seemingly unimportant
circumstance Tartakower builds up a plan which saves the
situation.} 27.Rfc1 Rxc4 28.Rxc4 Qxe5 29.h4 Qf4 30.hxg5 e5
{Now the game must end in a draw.} 31.Qxf4 exf4 32.Bb6 Rd1+
33.Kh2 Bg6 34.Bxa5 e3 35.Rc8+ Kf7 36.Rc7+ Ke6 37.fxe3 fxe3
38.Bb4 Rd4 39.Bc5 Rxa4 40.Re7+ Kd5 41.Bxe3 Re4 1/2-1/2

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "Stockholm"]
[Date "1920.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Rudolf Spielmann"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "B00"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "56"]

1. e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 {Simpler
than 3...f6.} 4. Ne2 {More natural would be 4 Nf3.} e6 5. Ng3
Bg6 6. h4 h5 7. Be2 Be7 {Thus White's manouver is
justified. But black could have played better, namely :
7...Nb4 8 Na3 c5 9 c3 Nc6 and White's efforts against Black's
h-pawn appear to be excessive in view of the serious situation
in the center.} 8. Bxh5 Bxh5 9. Nxh5 g6 10. Nf4 Rxh4 11. Rxh4
Bxh4 12. Qd3 {Preventing 12...Bg5 as then 13 Nxe6 would win.}
Nge7 13. g3 Nf5 14. gxh4 Nfxd4 {There is now a double threat,
namely 14...Nb4 15 Qxb4 Nxc2+ and 14...Nxe5 15 Qxd4 Nf3+ a
neat two-fold turn.} 15. Na3 Qxh4 {Simpler would be 15...Nxe5
16 Qh3 Ndf3+ 17 Kf1 Qxh4 with a promising endgame, but black
wished to avoid the exchange of queens.} 16. Qh3 {In order to
force the exchange.} Qg5 {With the idea of Qh8+ Kd7 18 Qxa8
Qg1+ 19 Kd2 Qxf2+ 20 Kc3 Nb3!! (after the game was over, they
found the dual 20...Nf3). Nevertheless 16...Qxh3 was
necessary.} 17. Be3 {For now 17 Nd3 could have been played to
White's advantage, e.g. : 17...Qg1+ 18 Kd2 Nxe5 19 Nxe5 Qxf2+
which would be insufficient (as would also be the other
possible continuation 17 Nd3 Qg1+ 18 Kd2 Kd7 19 Nc5+ (not 19
c3 because of ...Rh8 20 Qxh8 Qg5+ with perpetual check)
19...Ke7 20 Qh4+ Ke8 (or 20...g5 21 Qg3) 21 Qh8+ Ke7 22 Qf6+
and 23 c3.} Qg1+ 18. Qf1 Nf3+ 19. Ke2 Nfd4+ 20. Kd2 Nf3+
21. Ke2 Ncd4+ 22. Kd3 {Fatal. For better or for worse, White
should have embarked upon 22 Bxd4 Nxd4+ 23 Kd3 Qg5 although
his position then would scarcely have been enviable.} Qg5
23. Qh3 Qxe5 24. Rf1 O-O-O 25. b3 b5 26. Nxb5 Qe4+ 27. Kc3
Qxc2+ 28. Kb4 c5+ 0-1

[Event "Oslo, Norway"]
[Site "Oslo, Norway"]
[Date "1921.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Jacob E Brekke"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "D04"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "154"]

1.d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch. The hanging pawns appear only as a
latent threat, as ghosts, in this game, which is as protracted
as it is interesting; the ending is particularly racy.} d5
2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 g6 4.Be2 Bg7 5.O-O O-O 6.b3 c5 7.Bb2 cxd4
8.exd4 {Now Black has in mind to create hanging pawns with
...dxc4 should White play c4.} Bg4 9.Ne5 Bxe2 10.Qxe2 Nbd7
11.f4 Rc8 12.Na3 {Original and by no means bad.} Nb6 13.Rac1
a6 14.f5 {If 14 c4 dxc4 15 bxc4 and c5, without delay. after
which Nac4 would have brought about the situation we have
pronounced desirable, namely : security by Blockade combined
with some measure of initiative. 14 f5 must therefore be held
to be a departure from the straight path, albeit a pardonable
one.} gxf5 15.Rxf5 Ne4 16.Rcf1 f6 17.Ng4 e6 18.Rh5 {A rook
astray! Its absence will soon be felt. Rf5f3 looks better.} f5
19.Ne5 Rc7 20.Qe3 Nd7 21.c4 {At lat White, a player of
undoubted master-strength, decides on this advance. But now
different pawn formations result from it and hanging pawns do
not occur.} Nxe5 22.dxe5 Rd7 {Note this rook's freedom on its
own 2nd rank.} 23.cxd5 Rxd5 {The d-file is now tremendously
effective, see note to move 18.} 24.Nc4 b5 25.Nd6
{Comparatively best.} Rxd6 26.exd6 Bxb2 27.Qh6 Bd4 28.Kh1 Rf7
29.Qxe6 Qxd6 30.Rg5 Bg7 31.Qxd6 Nxd6 32.Rd1 {The ending is
clearly not an easy one to win.} Rf6 33.Kg1 Kf7 34.a4 b4
35.Rd5 Re6 36.Ra5 Re3 37.Rxa6 Bd4 38.Kf1 Be5 39.a5 Rxb3 40.Rh5
Rb1 41.Ke2 b3 {He could quite well have played ...Kg6.}
42.Rxh7 Ke6 43.Rh3 b2 44.Rb3 Ra1 45.R6b6 Rxa5 46.Rxb2 {There
was no urgency for this.} Bxb2 47.Rxb2 Nc4 48.Rc2 Kd5 49.Kf3
Ra4 50.Re2 Ne5 51.Kf2 f4 52.h3 Ra3 53.Rd2 Ke4 54.Rc2 Re3
55.Ra2 Nd3 56.Kg1 Re1 57.Kh2 Ke3 58.Ra3 Re2 59.Kg1 Rb2 60.Ra1
Rc2 61.Ra3 Ke2 62.Ra4 Rc1 63.Kh2 Ke3 64.Ra3 Rb1 65.Rc3 Rb2
66.Kg1 Kd4 67.Ra3 Ne1 68.Ra4+ {There follows an interesting
duel between king and rook.} Ke5 69.Ra5+ Kf6 70.Ra6+ Kg5
{Simpler would be to escape via g7, h6, h5, to h4, but Black
sees a captivating turn which he does not wish to miss.}
71.Ra8 Kh6 72.Rg8 Kh7 73.Rg4 f3 74.Kf1 {Obviously if 74 gxf3
Nxf3+ with mate or winning the rook.} fxg2 {More elegant as
well as quicker was 74...Nxg2 75 Re4, etc.} 75.Kxe1 Kh6 {And
Black wins by Zugzwang.} 76.h4 Kh5 77.Rg5 Kxh4 0-1

[Event "Kristianstad"]
[Site "Kristianstad"]
[Date "1922.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Arthur Hakansson"]
[ECO "C02"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "55"]

1. e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch. From a match; the first game in
which appears my idea of a pawn sacrifice in the opening, not
to obtain an attack, but merely, with gain of a tempo, to
overprotect a strategical point with a view to cramping the
enemy forces.} e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. Qg4 {My innovation.}
cxd4 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bd3 f5 7. Qg3 Nge7 8. O-O Ng6 9. h4 Qc7
10. Re1 {White's plan is now clear. He has given up a pawn,
careless when, if ever, he recovers it provided his pawn at e5
is maintained as an instrument to cramp Black's game. There is
no idea of attack in 9 h4, its object is solely to pave the
way to the removal of some of the pressure on the p at e5. The
pawn sacrifice comes with the category of sacrifice for the
sake of blockade.} Bd7 {...Bc5 was essaential here so as to
leave the f8 square free for the knight to retreat after h5.}
11. a3 O-O-O 12. b4 {White could, of course, have won the
exchange here by 12 h5 Ne7 13 Ng5 Re8 14 Nf7 Rg8 15 Nd6+; but
with his undeveloped queenside and his unprotected p at h5 he
would have had some difficulties to contend with. The text
move is the logical continuation.} a6 {Rather better was
12...Kb8 13 c3! dxc3 14 Nxc3 Nxb4 15 axb4 Qxc3 16 Be3 Qxd3 17
Bxa7+ Kc8 18 Re1c1+ Bc6 19 b5 Qxb5 20 Nd4 with complications,
which, of course, White, had he been so minded, could have
avoided by simply playing 13 Bb2.} 13. h5 Nge7 14. Bd2 h6
15. a4 g5 16. b5 f4 17. Qg4 {The queen is well placed here.}
Nb8 18. c3 Re8 {His only move. It will be noted that the
over-protector, the rook at e1, now has the c-file opened for
him without any trouble to himself. In order to avoid loss of
material Black has to submit to curious regrouping of his
forces.} 19. cxd4 Kd8 20. Rc1 Qb6 21. a5 Qa7 22. b6 Qa8 {The
queen finds herself in a position to which, as a rule, she
would only be consigned in a problem.} 23. Rc7 Nf5 24. Nc3 Be7
25. Nxd5 Nxd4 26. Nxd4 exd5 27. Qxd7+ Nxd7 28. Ne6# 1-0

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "Karlsbad CZE"]
[Date "1923.05.05"]
[EventDate "1923.04.28"]
[Round "6"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Savielly Tartakower"]
[ECO "A04"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "95"]

1. Nf3 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} f5 2. b3 b6 3. Bb2 Bb7 4. g3
Bxf3 {This exchange appears to be unfavorable, for as will
soon be seen, the Black pawn-formation will lack mobility.}
5. exf3 e6 6. f4 Nf6 7. Bg2 c6 8. O-O Be7 9. Qe2 O-O {The
White bishops are strongly posted but have, as yet, little
effect.} 10. Na3 {This knight is placed into the service of
the bishops. In the sequel it will not only reconnoitre the
ground but lure on thre Black pawns. Its most important
function, however, will reveal itself only on the 13th move.}
a5 {The only way to develop the knight, ...b5 fails against
Nxb5.} 11. Nc4 a4 12. Bd4 b5 13. Ne5 {If, in the course of
play, I had looked upon this knight as an outpost on the K
file, there would have been no reason why I should publish
this game here; but I saw in this Kt nothing but a diagonal
outpost : a vague, up to now undefined diagonal effect
acquires, through posting the knight on e5, a definite aspect
with clear-cut objects of attack, in other words : the
diagonal action now obtains.} Nd5 {After 13...Na6 the
continuation would be, not sacrifices at c6, but simple
development by 14.Rfe1 followed by c4.} c4 bxc4 15. bxc4 Nb4
{With the understandable desire to take advantage of the
knights short stay in the central position (d5) according to
the motto "via the center into enemy land". The scheme,
however, proves disastrous. But with passive play (...Nc7) an
ultimate break-through by d4-d5 would have been decisive.}
16. Bc3 a3 17. d4 N8a6 18. Rab1 Rb8 19. c5 {Normally d5 is the
proper course, but the knights unfortunate position is more
easily exploited by the text-move.} Bf6 20. Rb3 Bxe5 21. fxe5
Qa5 {The only way to cover the a-pawn.} 22. Rfb1 Rb7 23. Qd2
Rfb8 24. Bf1 Qc7 {There is no saving clause.} 25. Bxb4 Nxb4
26. Rxb4 Qa5 27. Rxb7 Qxd2 28. Rxb8+ Kf7 29. Bc4 Qxd4 30. Bb3
Qxc5 31. Rb7 Qxe5 32. Rxd7+ Kf6 33. Rbd1 c5 34. R7d6 Qc3
35. Rxe6+ Kg5 36. Re3 Qb4 37. Rc1 f4 38. Re5+ Kh6 39. Rexc5
fxg3 40. hxg3 g6 41. R1c4 Qe1+ 42. Kg2 g5 43. Rc6+ Kg7
44. Rc7+ Kf6 45. R4c6+ Kf5 46. Rf7+ Kg4 47. f3+ Kh5 48. Rxh7#
1-0

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "Karlsbad CZE"]
[Date "1923.05.11"]
[EventDate "1923.04.28"]
[Round "11"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Rudolf Spielmann"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "B13"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "52"]

1. e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c3
Nc6 5. Bf4 {An innovation.} Bf5 6. Nf3 e6 7. Qb3 Qd7 8. Nbd2
f6 {Secures the e5 square and prepares for a general advance
on the K wing. A strategic diversion here is justified, as his
own center pawns appear reasonably secure, for e6 is well
covered and the diagonal from f5 to b1 makes a pretty
picture. That a flank attack, when your own center is
insecure, is inadmissible, we have emphasized already more
than once.} 9. Be2 {Here 9 c4 was indicated, e.g. : 9 c4 Bb4
10 cxd5 exd5 11 Bb5 with an even game; or 9...Nb4 10 Rc1 and
White has nothing to fear.} g5 10. Bg3 h5 11. h3 Nge7 12. O-O
{c4 would no longer improve matters, e.g. : 12 c4 dxc4 13 Bxc4
Nd5 with a strong knight in center; nevertheless this line was
preferable to the text.} Bh6 13. Ne1 g4 14. Qd1 Bxd2 {This
wins a pawn.} 15. Qxd2 gxh3 16. Nd3 b6 17. Rfe1 h4 18. Bh2 Kf7
{Not ...O-O-O because of Nc5!} 19. g4 {Other moves also lose.}
hxg3 20. Bxg3 h2+ 21. Kg2 Be4+ {the win was more clearly
demonstrated as follows 21...e5 22 dxe5 Be4+ 23 f3 Rag8 24 e6+
Qxe6 25 Nf4 Qg4!; or 24 Qf4 (instead of e6+) Nf5 25 fxe4 Ng3
26 Qxf6+ Ke8 27 e6 hiQ+ 28 Rxh1 Nxa1+ and wins.} 22. Bf3 {With
f3 White would have held out a little longer.} Nf5 23. Bxe4
dxe4 24. Nf4 {If Rxe4 ...Qd5, etc.} e5 25. Ne2 Nh4+ 26. Bxh4
Qg4+ 0-1

[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "Karlsbad CZE"]
[Date "1923.05.12"]
[EventDate "1923.04.28"]
[Round "12"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Richard Reti"]
[ECO "A15"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "100"]

1. Nf3 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. b4 {One of the
author's innovations which Reti himself adopted upon occasion
as in Reti-Capablanca (New York, 1924)} a5 {Of doubtful
value.} 4. b5 Bg7 5. Bb2 O-O 6. e3 d6 7. d4 Nbd7 8. Be2 e5
{This move would only be sound if Black were in a position to
enforce d5, or at least dxe5, for he would then gain the
excellent blockade square c5, e.g., 9 dxe5? Ng4; etc.} 9. O-O
exd4 {And as soon as started the blockading manoeuver is
already demolished. Theoretically and strategically the only
course was 9...Re8 and if 10 Nbd2 then ...c6 and according to
circumstances ...Qc7 or ...e4 and ...d5 establishing a chain
of pawns.} 10. exd4 Re8 11. Nbd2 {It is not easy for White to
take advantage of his superior pawn position. This move takes
too little account of Black's advance ...d5 and with 11 Nc3 he
would have drawn considerably nearer to his goal.} Nf8 12. Re1
Ne6 13. g3 h6 14. Bf1 Ng5 15. Nxg5 hxg5 16. Bg2 {With the
knight on c3 instead of d2 the pressure brought to bear by
White's forces would give winning chances. As it is Black can
equalise approximately.} d5 17. Rxe8+ {The only chance to
maintain the fleeting advantage lay in 17 c5. With this move
White would have obtained a clearly superior position at least
on the Q side; it is, however, very doubtful whether anything
could be made of the position : 17...Bf5 18 Qa4 b6, etc. It
seems that move 11 Nd2 which must be deprecated from the point
of view of centralised development, can no longer be
remedied.} Qxe8 18. cxd5 Qxb5 19. Qb3 Bd7 20. Qxb5 {Or 20 Rc1
Ne8 21 Qxb5 Bxb5 22 Ne4 g4 and eventually ...Rd8.} Bxb5
21. Rc1 Re8 {Playable would also be the simple 21...Ne8, e.g.,
22 Ne4 g4 23 h3 gxh3 24 Bxh3 Rd8, etc.} 22. Rxc7 Re1+ 23. Nf1
Bxf1 24. Bxf1 Nxd5 25. Rxb7 Rb1 26. Rb8+ Kh7 27. Rb5 Nc7
28. Rb7 Ne6 29. Kg2 Bxd4 30. Rxf7+ Kg8 31. Re7 Rxb2 32. Bc4
Rxf2+ 33. Kh3 Rf6 34. Bxe6+ Kf8 35. Rd7 Rxe6 36. Rxd4 {After
the interesting skirmishing of the last fourteen moves, a rook
ending is reached in which White has some advantage without
being able to force the win, though the game went on to the
90th move before being drawn.} Re5 37. Rd6 Kf7 38. Ra6 Rc5
39. Kg4 Rd5 40. Kh3 Kg7 41. a4 g4+ 42. Kxg4 Rd4+ 43. Kg5 Rd5+
44. Kh4 Rc5 45. Kh3 Kh6 46. Rf6 Rc4 47. Rf4 Rb4 48. Kg4 g5
49. Rxb4 axb4 50. a5 b3 1/2-1/2

[Event "Copenhagen"]
[Site "Copenhagen, DEN"]
[Date "1923.03.09"]
[EventDate "1923.03.03"]
[Round "6"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Friedrich Saemisch"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "E18"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "50"]

1. d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7
5. Bg2 Be7 6. Nc3 O-O 7. O-O d5 8. Ne5 c6 {Safeguards the
position} 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. Bf4 a6 {Protects the oupost station
c4, i.e., by ...a6 and ...b5.} 11. Rc1 b5 12. Qb3 Nc6 {The
ghost! With noiseless steps he presses on towards c4.}
13. Nxc6 {Samisch sacrifices two tempi (exchange of the
tempo-eating Knight on e5 for the Knight which is almost
undeveloped) merely to be rid of the ghost.} Bxc6 14. h3 Qd7
15. Kh2 Nh5 {I could have supplied him with as yet a second
ghost by ...Qb7 and ...Knight-d7-b6-c4, but I wished to turn
my attention to the King's side.} 16. Bd2 f5 {!} 17. Qd1 b4
{!} 18. Nb1 Bb5 19. Rg1 Bd6 20. e4 fxe4 {! This sacrifice,
which has a quite surprising affect, is based upon the
following sober calculation: two Pawns and the 7th rank and an
enemy Queen's wing which cannot be disentangled - all this for
only one piece!} 21. Qxh5 Rxf2 22. Qg5 Raf8 23. Kh1 R8f5
24. Qe3 Bd3 25. Rce1 h6 {!! A brilliant move which announces
the Zugzwang. White has not a move left. If, e.g., Kh2 or g4,
then R5f3. Black can now make waiting moves with his King, and
White must, willy-nilly, eventually throw himself upon the
sword.} 0-1

[Event "Match"]
[Site "Kolding, Denmark"]
[Date "1923.01.05"]
[EventDate "1923.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Alfred Brinckmann"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "E20"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "60"]

1.d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e6 2.c4 {Here is illustrated the
stratagem "sacrifice of blockade"} Nf6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2 O-O
{Also good is 4...b6} 5.Nf3 d6 6.e3 b6 7.Bd3 Bb7 8.Qc2 Bxf3
{Very risky.} 9.gxf3 Nbd7 10.a3 Bxc3 11.Bxc3 c6 {The
Black-side avoids the premature opening of the game, while
explores the debility of the double-complex and intends the
blockade. If 11... d5 12.cxd5 exd5 13.Rc1 and White has
freedom in the c and d-columns, and the only
counterchance... c5, activate white´s bishops.} 12.O-O-O d5
13.e4 {This advance, although produces chances of attack,
debilitates the double-complex in great extension.} 13...g6
{Forced move, but a good one. The knight is an excellent guard
of the enemy advance h4-h5.} 14.cxd5 {Better was 14.h4 or
14.Kb1, but the White-side wishes to advance the e-pawn, which
now would be bad, for example: 14.e5 dxc4 15.Bxc4 15.Bxc4 Nd5,
etc.} 14...cxd5 15.e5 Nh5 {Now the Black-side contemplates
very satisfied the completely paralyzed enemy double-complex.}
16.h4 a5 {Played in order to restrict the action of the white
Queen´s Bishop and regroup the forces with Qe7, Rfc8 and Nf8.}
17.Rdg1 Qe7 18.Qd2 Rfc8 19.f4 b5! {The sacrifice of
blockade. The pawn is given in order to exchange the King´s
Bishop, and consequently debilitate the white squares.}
20.Bxb5 Rab8 21.Be2 Nb6 {The sacrifice of the piece is deep,
but the correct and elegant response was 21... Ng7 22.h5 Nf5
followed by Nb6 and Nc4.} 22.Kd1 {The White-side should have
accepted the sacrifice: 22.Bxh5 Nc4 23.Qc2 Nxa3 24.Qd2 Nc4 and
draw.} 22...Nc4 23.Bxc4 Rxc4 24.Rg5 Ng7 25.h5 Nf5 26.hxg6 fxg6
27.Rxf5 {A desperate attempt. Black refutes it energically.}
27...exf5 28.Bxa5 Rb3 29.Ke2 Qb7 30.Bb4 Qa6 0-1

[Event "Correspondence Game 1924-1925"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Orla Hermann Krause"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "B14"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "66"]

1.e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6
5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bg4 {Worthy of consideration was ...g6.}
7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Bb5 Rc8 9.h3 Bxf3 10.Qxf3 e6 11.O-O Be7 12.Nxd5
{Very strong at this point, and Black has to find the finest
counter-play even only to hold the balance. And yet, from the
point of view of strategy and theory, there can only be one
interpretation to this move: it is a confession that all this
talk about the dynamic strength which is alleged to be vested
in the isolated pawn is -- just talk. No, the sombre reality
discloses a different picture; the player with the isolated
pawn must be satisfied if he succeeds in concealing its
weakness.} Qxd5 13.Qxd5 exd5 14.Be3 a6 15.Ba4 Bd6 {After this
move, Black's difficulties become acute; ...O-O (but who
thinks of O-O in an endgame?) would definitely have led to an
easier game, e.g. : 15...O-O 16 Bb3 Rcd8 17 Rac1 Na5 18 Rc2
Nxb3 19 axb3 Bd6 20 Rfc1 and Black can view the White c-file
with equanimity.} 16.Bb3 Ne7 17.Bd2 {Now the doubling of rooks
on the e-file is threatened. The necessity to keep the d-pawn
covered has a paralysing effect on Black's game, and White,
with two bishops has a nice easy game.} b6 {The beginning of a
deep-laid defensive manouver.} 18.Rae1 Kd7 19.Re2 h6 20.R1e1
Rhd8 21.a3 {Now Bb4 is already threatened.} Rc7 {Black's plan
of defence has become clear; he wishes to have his rooks on d8
and c7 and 17...b6 was essential in order to prevent Ba5. But
...h6 also was necessary as otherwise White's Bg5 would force
...f6 disarranging Black's K side; he could not have stood the
hole at e6.} 22.g4 {22 Bb4 Bxb4 with ...Kd6.} Kc8 {With the
defensive threat ...Nc6, Be3, ...Bf8 and Black's game is
freed.} 23.Be3 Ng6 {Black must not delay the liberating
process; the strengthening of White's play by f4-f5 must be
avoided by prophylactic means.} 24.Bxd5 Nf4 {Compelling
equalisation.} 25.Bxf4 Bxf4 26.Re8 Rc1 27.Rxd8 Kxd8 28.Kf1
Rxe1 29.Kxe1 Bc1 30.b3 Bxa3 31.Bxf7 Bb2 32.d5 Ke7 33.Be6 Kd6
{The isolated pawn scored a partial success in this game but
only in the generally accepted sense. Theoretically speaking,
the course of this game is tantamount to a declaration of
insolvency on the part of the isolated pawn: instead of the
alleged dynamic strength, we see a timid concealment of its
static weakness. Dr. Krause, it must be admitted, has planned
and conducted the game excellently; that no advantage can be
obtained from an isolated pawn is clearly not his fault.}
1/2-1/2

[Event "Baden Baden"]
[Site "Baden Baden DEU"]
[Date "1925.05.05"]
[EventDate "1925.04.16"]
[Round "15"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "S Rosselli del Turco"]
[ECO "A06"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "50"]

1.Nf3 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} d5 2.b3 c5 3.e3 Nc6 4.Bb2 Bg4
5.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 e5 7.Bb5 Qd6 8.e4 {We have here to do with
the remarkable situation which we have already had occasion to
notice, namely the one in which we do not at once cause the
doubled Pawns by Bxc6+, bxc6, but rather bring this about by a
roundabout way. As a matter of fact after 8 Bxc6+?, bxc6, we
should never be able to force our obstinate opponent to
accomodate us by playing ...d4, e.g., 8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9 e4 Nf6
etc.} d4 9.Na3 {Threatening 10 Nc4 Qc7 11 Bxc6+ bxc6 and the
weakness of the doubled Pawns is evident.} f6 10.Nc4 Qd7
11.Qh5+ {The manouver of the Queen is intended to help prevent
Black's castling on the Q side; not on the K side as one might
at first site think.} g6 12.Qf3 Qc7 {Not ...O-O-O because of
Na5 and the covering move ...Nge7 is ruled out because of
Qxf6.} 13.Qg4 {! Now she rejoices in the observation post she
has won for herself. This Q manouver has quite a hyper-modern
air to it.} Kf7 {White threatened 14 Qe6+ Kd8 (or ...Be7 15
Na5) 15 Bxc6 and the unpleasant doubled Pawn is a fact.} 14.f4
h5 15.Qf3 exf4 16.Bxc6 {At the right moment, for the Q dare
not retake. For instance 16...Qxc6 17 Qxf4 Re8 18 O-O!! Qxe4
(...Rxe4 Ne5+) 19 Qc7+!! and wins (19...Qe7 20 Nd6+ followed
by 21 Nxe8)} bxc6 {At last White has achieved his end, at the
cost it is true of a Pawn, but here this plays but a
subordinate role.} 17.O-O g5 {For (see the previous note)
Black's position can be broken up. (Obviously White must not
allow Black to safeguard his position by Kt...e7-g6-e5.) To
break up Black's game three Pawn moves are necessary, (i) c3
(ii) e5 (iii) h4. If White contented himself with only two of
these his work were but half done. In the game all three are
brought about.} 18.c3 {!} Rd8 {Now this Rook is happily
tethered! (to his Pawn at d4).} 19.Rae1 {!} Ne7 20.e5 Nf5
21.cxd4 {!} Nxd4 {If 21...cxd4 then 22 exf6 Kxf6 23 Qe4 and
...Ng3 is impracticable on account of Bxd4+} 22.Qe4 Be7 {The
reply to ...f5 would have been Qb1, an attacking move in the
best modern spirit. For example, 22...f5 23 Qe4 Ke6 (to
protect the f-Pawn) 24 Qd3! and 25 Nd6! with a decisive
attack.} 23.h4 {! Now the undermined Black position tumbles
like a house of cards.} Qd7 24.exf6 Bxf6 25.hxg5 {For after
25...Bg7 26 Ne5+ Bxe5 27 Qxe5 Black's King is a pathetic
figure in his helplessness.} 1-0

[Event "Marienbad"]
[Site "Marienbad CZE"]
[Date "1925.??.??"]
[EventDate "1925.??.??"]
[Round "14"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Richard Reti"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "A20"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "102"]

1.c4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e5 2.Nf3 e4 3.Nd4 Nc6 4.Nc2 Bc5
5.Nc3 Nf6 6.d4 exd3 7.exd3 d5 8.d4 Be7 9.c5 {Played in
enterprising blockade style.} Bf5 {Brreaking-up attempts
beginning with ...b6 would have been premature, e.g., 9...b6
10 b4 a5 11 b5 and c6.} 10.Bd3 {Here the natural continuation
would have been 10 Bb5 followed by Bxc6+.} Bxd3 11.Qxd3 b6
{Here this move is in order.} 12.O-O {12 b4 a5 13 b5 fails on
account of 13...Nb4 with the gain of a tempo.} O-O 13.Bg5 h6
14.Bh4 bxc5 15.dxc5 Ne5 16.Qd4 Ng6 17.Bg3 c6 {Black has a good
d-pawn (poorly blockaded) and the possibility of attacking the
White c-pawn. Against this White's control of the diagonal
from g3 to b8 does not seem to afford an equivalent. White
should clearly have played 10 Bb5.} 18.Nb4 Rc8 19.h3 Re8
{Making room for the knight and at the same time preparing for
the occupation of the central file, which white cannot dispute
because of the difficulties at c5.} 20.Rad1 Nf8 21.Nd3 Qa5
{White saw that 22 Qa4 is now forced, and had prepared a
highly original centralization maneuver in reply.} 22.Qa4 {Bad
would be 22 b4 Qa3 23 Rb1 Ne6 24 Qe5 Nd7 25 Qe1 Nfxc5 26 bxc5
Bf6.} Qxa4 23.Nxa4 Ne4 {Now the knight occupies the center,
which has become free after the deflection of the defending
forces.} 24.Bh2 Ne6 {What can the knight want? The c-pawn is
easy to defend.} 25.b4 Nd4 {A quite extraordinary
cO-Operation! Two knights, of which one can easily be driven
away (f3) and the other is undefended, and yet they control
the board.} 26.Rfe1 {If 26 f3 Ne2+ followed by ...Ng3+.} Bh4
{The third ally.} 27.Be5 {White was in difficulties. This move
loses a pawn.} Rxe5 28.Nxe5 Bxf2+ 29.Kf1 Bxe1 30.Rxd4 Bg3
31.Nf3 Re8 32.Rd1 Re6 33.Rc1 Kf8 {The king goes to the
threatened wing.} 34.Nc3 Nxc3 35.Rxc3 Re4 36.a3 Ke8 37.Rd3 {A
fine move. If now ...Kd7; b5.} a6 38.Rd4 f5 39.a4 Kd7 40.b5
{This fails now on account of a finesse worthy of an End-Game
study.} axb5 41.axb5 cxb5 42.Rxd5+ Kc6 {The extra material is
returned with thanks.} 43.Rd4 {If 43 Rxf5, b4; etc.} Kxc5
44.Rxe4 fxe4 45.Nd2 Kd4 46.Ke2 Bf4 47.Nb3+ Kc4 48.Na5+ Kc3
49.Nb7 b4 50.Nc5 Kc2 51.g3 Bxg3 0-1

[Event "1925 Breslau"]
[Site "Breslau, GER"]
[Date "1925.07.23"]
[EventDate "1925.07.19"]
[Round "5"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Hermann Von Gottschall"]
[ECO "D05"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "93"]

1.Nf3 {Notes by Nimzowitsch An instructive example of the
method of dealing with the supports of a blockader. In the
endgame they are usually driven away, in the middlegame on the
other hand - kept busy.} e6 2.d4 d5 3.e3 Nf6 4.b3 Nbd7 {He
should have played ...c5 and ...Nc6.} 5.Bd3 c6 6.O-O Bd6 7.Bb2
Qc7 {In order to play ...e5 and thus open up the game. To
prevent this, White undertakes a counter attack.} 8.c4 b6 {If
now 8...e5, the continuation would be 9 c5 Be7 (9...e4 10 exd6
Qxd6 11 Ba3 etc.) 10 dxe5 Ng4 11 b4 Ngxe5 12 Nxe5 Nxe5 13 f4
Nxd3 14 Qxd3 and White commands the diagonal b2 to g7.} 9.Nc3
Bb7 10.Rc1 Rc8 11.cxd5 exd5 12.e4 {White opens all the lines.}
dxe4 13.Nxe4 Nxe4 14.Bxe4 O-O 15. d5 c5 {The two bishops have
now a clear line of fire to the enemy king's wing. Impressed
by this the second player is inclined to underestimate the
fact that the d-pawn is now passed; in fact to overlook it
altogether. And indeed what possible road could this most
carefully blockaded passed pawn play? Why, a reserve blockader
is already atationed at d7! But things turn out quite
otherwise.} 16.Re1 Qd8 17.Bb1 {This attack leads to the
instructive results that the blockading pieces, the bishop at
d6 and knight at d7 are either cut off or killed off.} Re8
18.Qd3 {First Rxe8+ would have been more precise.} Nf8
{...Rxe1+ would have been better.} 19.Rxe8 Qxe8 20.Nh4 {!} f6
21.Nf5 Rd8 {Black is about to try to show up the weakness of
White's d-pawn, when he is wakened from his dream by the flash
of a sacrifice.} 22.Bxf6 {!} Bxh2+ {! In order not to lose a
pawn Black must submit to this indirect exchange of his
bishop. If 22...gxf6 then 23 Nxd6 Rxd6 24 Qg3+} 23.Kxh2 gxf6
{What a change! the bishop at d6 has disappeared and the
reserve blockader the land at d7 will soon land at g6. The
d-pawn is therefore free!} 24.Qg3+ Ng6 25.f4 {To allow Re1;
the passed pawn is indirectly protected.} Kh8 {Not 25...B or
Rxd5 because of 26 Re1 and 27 Ne7+ etc.} 26.Re1 Qf8 {! If
26...Qg8, the passed pawn would have come into his own in a
most interesting manner; namely as follows : 27 Ne7 Nxe7 28
Rxe7 (7th rank) Qxg3+ 29 Kxg3 Rg8+ 30 Kf2 Rg7. Apparently the
7th rank is now neutralized, but the passed pawn has something
to say to that. 32 d6 Rxe7 32 dxe7 Bc6 33 Be4 Be8 34 f5! Kg7
35 Bd5 and now the pawn at e7 is unassailable. 35... Kh6 36
Kf3 Kg5 37 Ke4 and Black is powerless against the threat Bb7,
Kd5, and Bc6, and the blockader must die.} 27.d6 {!} Rd7 {Why
not ...Bc8, would not this have led to the winning of the
passed pawn? The answer is no, for the continuation would be
28 Ne7 (By his p-d6 White has provided an outpost atation at
e7) 28...Qh6+ (best) 29 Kg1 Nxf4 and now 30 Nxc8 Rxc8 31 d7
and wins.} 28. Qc3 {Threatening 29 Re8! Qxe8 30 Qxf6+ Kg8 31
Nh6 mate. Accordingly the 8th rank must be safeguarded by the
retreat ...Rd8. But in this case the 7th rank will be left
without protection and White wins by Re7. Note that the
winning moves Re7 or Ne7 (as in the last note), must be
regarded as a direct consequence of the passed pawn's
advance.} Rxd6 {A desperate expedient. If 28...Rf7 then 29 d7
Rxd7 30 Re8! would have been immediately decisive.} 29.Nxd6
Qxd6 30.Bxg6 hxg6 31.Re8+ Kg7 32.Qg3 Bc6 33.Re3 Bd7 34.f5 {!}
Qxg3+ 35.Kxg3 Bxf5 36.Re7+ Kh6 37.Rxa7 Bb1 38.Ra6 b5 39.a4
bxa4 40.bxa4 Kg5 41.Rb6 Be4 42.a5 f5 43.a6 c4 44.a7 c3 45.Rb3
f4+ 46.Kf2 c2 47.Rc3 1-0

[Event "Dresden"]
[Site "Dresden DEU"]
[Date "1926.04.10"]
[EventDate "1926.04.04"]
[Round "6"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Lajos Steiner"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "B30"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "48"]

1. e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 {A move
of this type requires courage - and faith in the inner meaning
of the blockade. The move gives up a tempo (non-development of
a piece) and crates a hole on d5, all this to prevent White's
d4, and so to obstruct his opponent.} 4. Bc4 d6 5. h3 Be6
6. d3 Be7 7. O-O h6 {Black is taking his time. His opponent is
short of effective moves.} 8. Nd5 {With the object of
emphasizing the strenght of d5; but as soon becomes clear,
this can be achieved only with the help of sacrifices in
material or position.} Nf6 {Mow d5 is under fire.} 9. Nh4
{White seeks to maintain it by combinative means.} Nxd5 {Bad
would be 9...Nxe4 10 dxe4 Bxh4 because of 11 f4.} 10. exd5
Bxd5 11. Nf5 {The sacrificial operation mentioned in the note
to move 8. White wins back his pawn but remains with doubled
pawns; the sacrifice therefore turns out to be positional. He
had the option of sacrifice in material by 11 Bxd5 Bxh4 12 f4
with attacking chances. All things being equal, either
sacrifice should suffice to secure a draw.} Bxc4 12. dxc4 g6
{If 12...O-O 13 Qg4 Bg5 14 h4, etc.} 13. Nxh6 Qd7 14. Qd5 Nd8
15. Be3 {If 15 Ng4 f5 16 Ne3 Ne6 followed by ...O-O-O and the
position would be summed up as follows : Black has
opportunities in the h-file, whilst any attack attempted by
White would break down against Black's compact
pawn-formation.} f5 16. Ng8 Bh4 17. g3 Qe6 18. Rad1 {The
losing move 18 gxh4 Rxg8 (not 18...Qxd5 because of Nf6+) 19
Bg5 should be enough for a draw, e.g. : 19...Qxd5 20 cxd5 Rh8
21 f4 e4 22 Rae1 followed by Re3.} Rxg8 19. gxh4 f4 {Now the
bishop cannot get to g5.} 20. Bxf4 {Or 20 Bc1 Qxd5 21 Rxd5 Nf7
with ...O-O-O and ...Rh8 and an easy win for Black.} Qxd5
21. Rxd5 exf4 22. Rxd6 Ke7 23. Rfd1 b6 24. Rd7+ Kf6 {One gets
the impression that the line of play ...c5 in connection with
...e5 which weakens d5 still is sound, for white could
maintain himself at d5 with difficulty and should, at the
most, have attained a draw.} 0-1

[Event "Dresden"]
[Site "Dresden DEU"]
[Date "1926.04.14"]
[EventDate "1926.04.04"]
[Round "9"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Friedrich Saemisch"]
[ECO "A28"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "61"]

1. c4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch In this game Black does not
succeed in getting the adverse double complex to advance
(White stays "put") and therefore the symptons of the malady
are not clearly distinguishable. there is compensation,
however, in the observation of atypical secondary sympton, the
helplessness of the White pieces. These pieces would, in the
ordinary way, be quite ready to attack, but the enthusiasm for
an attack is damped by the consciousness that the cO-Operation
of the "pawn-party" cannot altogether be depended upon. As the
incriminated body of pawns is unreliable also in a defensive
sense, (for there always is a danger of its being rolled up by
...c6 and ...d5) the undecided attitude of the pieces (10 Qc2
11 Qd2) is sufficiently explained. And so the hidden weakness
of the pawns is projected to a plane where it is clearly
noticeable by the learner, and the study of the game is made
highly valuable.} e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e4 Bb4 5. d3 d6
6. g3 Bg4 7. Be2 {This is not as inconsistent as it may
appear, for g3 was primarily intended to cover a knight move
to h4 and on the other hand Bg2 would permit ...Nd4.} h6
8. Be3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 Qd7 10. Qc2 {White realizes that the
mobility of his center pawns is small as d4 and still more so
d5, would paralyse him on account of the weakness of
c5. Therefore he seeks to adapt the movement of his pieces to
his modest circumstances in space. In this sense he could also
have played 10 Nd2 (to effect a strategic retreat with f3)
e.g., 10 Nd2 Bxe2 11 Qxe2 Ng4 12 f3 Nxe3 13 Qxe3 O-O 14 O-O
with an approximately even position. But 10 Qd2 must be looked
upon as a misuse of the modest space available, for that
square should remain open and the queen, in any event, would
be better placed at c2 with an eye on a4 and the eventual
threat of ...d5 in view. After 10 Qd2 we recommend 10...Na5 11
Qc2 O-O followed by ...Rfe8, ...c6, and ...d5, and Black has
the better position.} O-O {Here too we should prefer ...Na5
(d4? ...Nxc4)} 11. Qd2 {Now in order as Black's castled
positionis in jeopardy.} Nh7 {In order to play ...f5, but this
proves impractical, and the only result is a decentralised
knight on h7.}12. h3 {Nh4 would also have been sufficient.}
Bxh3 {This loses a piece. black had only reckoned with 13 Bxh6
which by the way would also have been strong, e.g., 13 Bxh6
Bg2 14 Rh2 Bxf3 15 Bxf3 gxh6 16 Qxh6 f6 17 Bg4.} 13. Ng1 Bg4
14. f3 Be6 15. d4 {Black cannot save the piece.} exd4 16. cxd4
d5 17. cxd5 Bxd5 18. exd5 Qxd5 19. Rd1 Rfe8 20. Kf2 Nf6 {The
decentralised knight returns in sackcloth and ashes.} 21. Rh4
Ne7 22. Bd3 Nf5 23. Bxf5 Qxf5 24. Kg2 Re7 25. Bf2 Rae8 26. Rf4
Qg6 27. d5 Re5 {If 27...Rd7 28 Qa5.} 28. Rd4 Rd8 29. Qa5 Nh5
30. Qxc7 Rde8 31. d6 1-0

[Event "Semmering"]
[Site "Semmering (AUT)"]
[Date "1926.03.17"]
[EventDate "1926.03.07"]
[Round "8"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Ernst Gruenfeld"]
[Black "Savielly Tartakower"]
[ECO "D21"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "82"]

1. d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. Ne5
Bh5 5. Nxc4 {The best answer to 5 Nc3 would be 5...Nd7 and the
proud knight at e5 will be forced to declare his intentions.}
e6 6. Qb3 {Threatening both Qxb7 and Qb5+.} Nc6 7. e3 Rb8 {!
He does not hesitate in employing the rook to protect the
modest pawn!} 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. Be2 Bxe2 10. Nxe2 Bb4+ 11. Nc3 O-O
{Both sides have now completed their development, and the game
is about equal. But White's center, which is otherwise well
protected, betrays a striking measure of immobility. 'My
System', however, teaches that every immobile complex tends to
become a weakness. The truth of the proposition will here be
shortly manifested.} 12. O-O Nd5 {! He feels himself here as
if at home, for e4 is not possible because of ...Nxd4.}
13. Nxd5 {If 13 Ne4, the result would be the mobilization of
Black's queen side by 13...b5 14 Ne5 Nxe5 15 dxe5 c5 16 a3 c4,
etc.; or 14 Ncd2 e5, etc. and White's game is disorganized.}
Qxd5 {!} 14. Qc2 e5 {White's center is already demolished.}
15. Nxe5 Nxe5 16. dxe5 Qxe5 17. Bd2 Bxd2 18. Qxd2 Rfd8 19. Qc2
Rd5 {! He makes use of the point d5 in excellent fashion.}
20. Rad1 Rbd8 21. Rxd5 Rxd5 22. Rd1 g6 23. Rxd5 Qxd5 24. a3 c5
{Black has a decided advantage for the endgame. Pawn majority
on the queen side, the queen file. and last but not least the
central position of his queen. This advantage is, however,
still only a small one.} 25. h3 b5 {Centralization proceeds
apace! White's pawn majority is much less easily realizable
than Black's (if, for instance 26 f3, then 26...f5, and
White's e4 is in bondage), and this is sufficient to explain
the loss of the game.} 26. Qc3 c4 27. f4 Qe4 {!} 28. Kf2 a5
{The whole thing is played by Tartakower with wonderful
precision and truly artistic elegence. Tartakower is, in my
opinion, without question the third best endgame artist of all
living masters.} 29. g4 h6 30. h4 Qh1 {! Only now, and this
tardiness is to his credit, does he give up the central
position in favor of a diversion.} 31. Kg3 Qg1+ 32. Kf3 Qh2
{!} 33. g5 h5 34. Ke4 Qxh4 35. Qxa5 Qh1+ 36. Ke5 Qc6 {! In
order on 37 Qe1 to put in operation the following maneuver:
37...Qc5+ Ke4 Qf5+ followed by ...Qc2 and wins.} 37. Qa7 h4
38. f5 {White is already at his last gasp.} gxf5 39. Kxf5 Qf3+
40. Ke5 h3 41. Kd4 Qg4+ 0-1

[Event "Simultaneous Exhibition"]
[Site "Arnstadt, Germany"]
[Date "1926.??.??"]
[EventDate "1926.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "H Hage"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "A80"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "84"]

1.d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} f5 2.e3 d6 3.Bd3 e5 4.dxe5 dxe5
5.Bb5 c6 6.Qxd8 Kxd8 7.Bc4 Bd6 8.Nf3 Nf6 9.Nc3 {A better line
of play would be a4 with b3 and Bb2 or Ba3.} Ke7 10.a3 Rd8
11.Bd2 b5 12.Ba2 a5 13.O-O b4 14.Nb1 c5 15.Bc4 e4 16.Ng5 Ba6
17.Bxa6 Rxa6 18.axb4 axb4 19.Rxa6 Nxa6 {Black's blockade shows
the same component parts as in the preceeding game, namely the
d-file, the central square e5 and the qualatative majority on
the K side. Added to this there is the Q side, which is
threatening in a blockading sense.} 20.c3 h6 21.Nh3 Ng4 22.g3
Ne5 23.Kg2 g5 24.Bc1 b3 25.Nd2 c4 26.Ng1 Nc5 27.Ne2 Rg8 28.Nd4
f4 {If now 29 exf4 gxf4 30 Re1 then e3 31 fxe3 fxg3.} 29.Nf5
Ke6 30.Nxd6 f3 31.Kg1 Kxd6 {The White position now looks
hopeless.} 32.Rd1 Ke6 33.Nb1 Ncd3 34.Na3 Kd5 35.Nb5 Rb8 36.Na3
Ra8 37.h3 Kc5 38.Kf1 Nxc1 {This leads to an immediate win.}
39.Rxc1 Nd3 40.Rb1 Nxb2 41.Rxb2 Rxa3 42.Rb1 b2 {A geniune
blockade-game with a blockading net covering both wings as
well as the center. Without belittling the operations on the
wings, we feel inclined to attach greater importance to the
central manouvers around e5 and d3 : the blockade no doubt
originated in the center.} 0-1

[Event "Hannover"]
[Site "Hannover DEU"]
[Date "1926.08.09"]
[EventDate "1926.08.09"]
[Round "1"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Hans Duhm"]
[ECO "A13"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "61"]

1.c4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} 1...e6 2.e4 c5 {Better was 2...d5
3.cxd5 exd5 4.exd5 Nf6} 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.f4 d6 {It is better
4...Nf6} 5.Nf3 g6 6.d4 Bg7 7.dxc5 dxc5 {If 7...Bxc3 8.bxc3
dxc5 9.Qxd8 Kxd8 10.Ne5 with white advantage. And if 9...Nxd8
10.a4 and 11.Be3, comfortably putting pressure on the enemy
queenside.} 8.Qxd8 Kxd8 9.e5 h5 {Black should have played
9...f6, to eliminate the blocking e-pawn. Black´s plan to put
a knight in f5 and to establish on the other hand a blockade
is impraticable because a fast white attack does not leave him
time for maneuvers.} 10.Be3 b6 11.O-O-O Ke7 12.Bf2 {All the
diagonal will be occupied with decisive effects.} 12...Nh6
13.Bh4 Kf8 14.Bd3 Bb7 15.Be4 {the decisive effect of this
bishop in the great diagonal is due to the fact that black is
private to oppose a rook in the d-column} 15...Na5 16.Bxb7
Nxb7 17.Rd7 Rb8 18.Rhd1 Kg8 19.Be7 {In order to play Ng5
without blocking the Bishop.} 19...Nf5 20.Ng5 Re8 21.Bf6 Bxf6
22.exf6 Na5 23.Rd8 {Initiating a mating attack} 23...Kf8
24.R1d7 Nh6 25.Nce4 Nc6 26.Rxf7 Nxf7 27.Nxe6 Kg8 28.Rxe8 Kh7
29.N4g5 Nxg5 30.Nxg5 Kh6 31.Rxh8# 1-0

[Event "Kecskemet"]
[Site "Kecskemet, HUN"]
[Date "1927.06.27"]
[EventDate "1927.06.26"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "David Przepiorka"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "E12"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "54"]

1. d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7
5. Qc2 Bb4 6. a3 {This move looks very much like the loss of a
tempo. Why not 6 g3.} Bxc3+ 7. Qxc3 d6 {Better than 7...Ne4 at
once, e.g. : 8 Qc2 d6 9 g3 Nd7 10 Bg2 and in view of the
threatened Ng5 Black would be forced to play the defensive and
uninviting 10...Rb8; the transition to the second phase of the
opening must not be too sudden.} 8. g3 Nbd7 9. Bg2 Qe7 10. O-O
O-O 11. b4 {Only now ids the proper time!} Ne4 12. Qc2 f5
13. Ng5 Ndf6 14. Nxe4 {Preferable would be 14 f3 Nxg5 15 Bxg5
e5 16 e3 with drawing chances.} Bxe4 15. Bxe4 Nxe4 16. f3 Nf6
17. Bb2 Rf7 {But not 17...a5 18 Bc3 and Black would only have
committed himself needlessly.} 18. Rac1 {Correct was Rf2.}
Raf8 19. Qd3 h5 20. e4 {If this were feasible, Black's
preventive scheme (Rf7 and Raf8 would have been useless. But
the move is not playable, and the f-file which he opens so
lightheartedly makes short work of his chances. A little
better would be 20 e3 though White would still be at a
disadvantage after 20...h4 21 Kg2 Nh5.} fxe4 21. fxe4 Ng4 {The
execution so kindly predicted in the preceding note now
begins.} 22. h3 Nf2 23. Qe2 Nxh3+ 24. Kh1 Qg5 25. Rxf7 Rxf7
26. Qg2 Nf2+ 27. Kg1 Qe3 {In order to understand this game as
a whole, it is necessary to grasp the connection between
Black's waiting moves (7, 17, and 18) were made, so to speak,
only so that the powerful 19...h4 should gain in
effect. Viewed in this light, the enormous power of this move
becomes clear. A victory of alternating strategy applied to
the opening.} 0-1

[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York City, NY USA"]
[Date "1927.02.19"]
[EventDate "1927.02.19"]
[Round "1"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Frank James Marshall"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "C01"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "120"]

1. e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. exd5
exd5 5. Nf3 Ne7 6. Bd3 Nbc6 7. h3 Be6 8. O-O Qd7 9. Bf4 Bxc3
10. bxc3 f6 {In order to safeguard the B against a possible
Ng5 - the prophylactic meaning of 7...Be6 is thus clear. White
now tried an attack on the open b-file, but it is not
surprising that it failed, on account of the dynamic weakness
of the double complex.} 11. Rb1 g5 12. Bg3 O-O-O {Looks risky,
but is part of the plan initiated on the 9th move.} 13. Qe2
Rde8 {Not ...Rdg8 because a flank attack is best undermined by
a concentration in the center and not by a counter-attack on
the wing.} 14. Rfe1 Nf5 15. Bxf5 {The move 15 Ba6 proves
insufficient after ...bxa6.} Bxf5 16. Qb5 Nd8 17. Qc5 b6
18. Qa3 Kb7 19. Qb3 Nc6 {Already a blockader makes for c4
where it will demonstrate the weakness of the doubled pawn.}
20. Nd2 Na5 21. Qb2 Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1 Re8 23. Rxe8 Qxe8 24. Qb1
Kc8 {Here ...Qe2 was also good.} 25. Qd1 Qe6 26. Nb3 Nc4
27. Nd2 Na3 28. Nf1 Nxc2 {Now Black has an ending with a pawn
plus but bishops of opposite colors, and many of the onlookers
prognasticated a draw.} 29. Qh5 Bd3 30. Qd1 {Not ...Qe2 at
once because of Qxe2 and Ne3.} Qe4 31. Nd2 {If 31 f3 then
...Qe2 is sound.} Qe2 32. Qxe2 Bxe2 33. f4 Na3 34. fxg5 fxg5
35. Kf2 Bh5 36. Be5 g4 37. hxg4 Bxg4 38. Ke3 Bf5 39. Bg7 Be6
40. Bf8 Nb5 41. Nb1 a5 {Here 41...Bf5 was also playable: 42 a4
Bxb1 43 axb5 Ba2 44 Kf4 Bc4 45 Ke5 Kd7 46 Bb4 c6 47 bxc6+ Kxc6
and the king migrates to b3.} 42. Kd2 {A winning line, not
unlike that shown in the preceeding note would be : 42 Kf4 Bf7
43 a4 Bg6 44 axb5 Bxb1 45 Kxe5 Ba2 46 Ke6 Bc4 with ...Kg7 and
...c6, etc.} Bf5 43. Na3 Nxa3 44. Bxa3 Bb1 45. Bf8 Bxa2
46. Bg7 Bb1 47. Ke3 Kb7 48. Bf6 Ka6 49. Kd2 {If 49 Bd8 Black
has a win the K penetrating to b3, e.g. : 49 Bd8 Kb5 50 Bxc7
Kc4 51 Bxb6 a4 with ...Kb3 and wins as the a-pawn cannot be
stopped. This variation shows the enduring weakness of the
dead and gone double complex. For in the passed a-pawn is
mirrored the weakness of the defunct White a-pawn, and in the
blocked long diagonal a1-f6 is manifested , in memorium, the
obstructive effect of the pawn formation c3 and d4. White
might have resigned here.} Be4 50. g3 Kb5 51. Kc1 Kc4 52. Kb2
c5 53. Be5 cxd4 54. Bxd4 b5 55. Bb6 a4 56. Ba5 d4 57. cxd4 b4
58. Bb6 a3+ 59. Ka2 Kb5 60. Bc5 Ka4 0-1

[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York City, NY USA"]
[Date "1927.02.24"]
[EventDate "1927.02.19"]
[Round "5"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Milan Vidmar"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "E11"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "58"]

1. d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 Bb4+ 4. Bd2
Qe7 {This innovation, introduced by the author, does not in
any way indicate an early commitment to a particular line of
opening: the queen is well placed at e7 in any case- Indian or
Dutch.} 5. Nc3 {Slightly better would be 5 g3} O-O 6. e3 d6
{Black is still at the crossroads between Dutch (b6 and Bb7)
and Indian (c5 or e5 with Nc6) the decision is taken on the
next move.} 7. Be2 {He foregoes 7 Bd3 which must come as a
success for Black's alternating policy. If 7 Bd3 e5.} b6
8. O-O Bb7 9. Qc2 Nbd7 10. Rad1 Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Ne4 12. Be1 f5
{He turns completely Dutch.} 13. Qb3 {The idea of this
slightly puzzling move is to keep his e-pawn covered, e.g.,
after Nd2, ...Nxd2, Rxd2, ...Qg5, f3 and the e-pawn is
covered.} c5 {With this move the dutch formation is completed
: point e4, and the pawn at c5 for attack or defence,
(stopping White's c5.)} 14. Nd2 Nxd2 15. Rxd2 e5 16. dxe5 dxe5
17. f3 g5 {Black's task is now to manage his wing attack in
such a way that his opponent cannot in the meantime break
through on the d-file.} 18. Bf2 Nf6 19. Rfd1 Rae8 20. Qa4 Ba8
21. Rd6 {Insufficient would be the sacrifice of the exchange
by 21 Rd7 Nxd7 22 Rxd7 because of ...Qf6 23 Qxa7 and now
simply ...h6.} Qg7 22. Bf1 {A better defence is available by
22 Be1, e.g. : 22...e4 23 Bc3 or if 22...g4 23 fxg4 Nxg4 24
Rd7 Qg5 25 Bxg4 Qxg4 26 Qc2.} e4 23. Be1 exf3 24. Bc3 {Now
this digression comes too late as the pretty play
demonstrates.} Qe7 {Now 25. Bxf6 would lead to mate;
25...Qxe3+ 26 Kh1 fxg2+ with ...Qe1+.} 25. R6d3 fxg2 26. Bxg2
Bxg2 27. Bxf6 {If 27 Kxg2 Qe4+ with a short and decisive
attack.} Qe4 28. R1d2 Bh3 29. Bc3 Qg4+ {And mate in two.} 0-1

[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York City, NY USA"]
[Date "1927.03.01"]
[EventDate "1927.02.19"]
[Round "8"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Jose Raul Capablanca"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "A46"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "62"]

1. d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch. A game illustrating the small
(restricted) center .} Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 h6 {Of
questionable value : on balance the increae in possible
resources resulting from this move is less than the danger of
the loosening it ocacasions. Generally speaking, of the
restricted center should be avoided. A wide and active center
could more easily absorb some weakness on the wings. The
restricted center is too passive in this respect.} 4. Bh4 b6
5. Nbd2 Bb7 6. e3 Be7 7. Bd3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 {In order to
be able to play Bg3, without being exposed to an exchange by
...Na5; but 9 Qe2 and O-O-O with a K side attack looks much
more natural. The following opening is instructive on this
point : Black, Dr. Vidmar. 1 e3 d5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 b3 Bg4 4 Bb2
Nbd7 5 h3 (the present game, with colours reversed, has now
come about) 5...Bh5 6 Be2 e6 7 Ne5 Bxe2 8 Qxe2 Bd6 9 Nxd7 Qxd7
10 c4 c6 11 O-O O-O-O 12 Nc3 Bc7 13 d4 h5 14 c5 g5 15 b4 h4 16
b5 Rdg8 and Vidmar won by a direct K side attack.} c5 10. O-O
Nc6 11. Qe2 Nh5 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Ba6 Nf6 14. Rfd1 Rfd8 15. e4
Bxa6 {Because he has at his disposal a manouver which is to
prove the weakness of the White squares to be illusory. Much
weaker would be 15...e5, because of 16 d5 with possibilities
on either flank.} 16. Qxa6 Qc7 17. Rac1 Rd7 18. b4 Rad8
19. Qe2 {The queen retires voluntarily.} Ne7 20. Re1 Ng6
21. g3 Rc8 22. bxc5 dxc5 23. Nb3 cxd4 24. cxd4 Qb7 {White has
achieved nothing at all.} 25. Rxc8+ Qxc8 26. Rc1 Rc7 27. Rxc7
Qxc7 28. Nfd2 Qc3 29. Qa6 Qc7 30. Qe2 Qc3 31. Qa6 Qc7 {Typical
of the restricted center were the slow evolutions of the major
pieces on inner lines (moves 16, 17, 18, 21 and 26 by Black.}
1/2-1/2

[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York City, NY USA"]
[Date "1927.03.17"]
[EventDate "1927.02.19"]
[Round "17"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Frank James Marshall"]
[ECO "A61"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "59"]

1. c4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} Nf6 2. d4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 d6
5. Nc3 exd5 6. cxd5 g6 7. Nd2 {To establish at c4.} Nbd7
8. Nc4 Nb6 9. e4 Bg7 10. Ne3 {Planning a4-a5 and to post the
knight anew at c4. Black would have done better to exchange
knights on his ninth move. White now gets the advantage.} O-O
11. Bd3 Nh5 12. O-O Be5 13. a4 Nf4 14. a5 Nd7 15. Nc4 Nxd3
16. Qxd3 f5 17. exf5 Rxf5 18. f4 {The prelude to a complicated
attacking operation which was the more unexpected since Ne4
gave a good game without any effort. But for once I wanted to
go in for a combination.} Bd4+ 19. Be3 Bxc3 20. Qxc3 Nf6
21. Qb3 {! White gets compensation for the d-pawn. Note,
'inter alia' that Black's queen-side is difficult to develop.}
Rxd5 {The answer to ...Nxd5 would have been Rae1!! for ...Be6
would have been prevented because of Bxc5. Black would then
have been quite helpless, and White could have won by, e.g.,
Bd2 followed by the doubling of the rooks on the e-file.}
22. f5 {!} gxf5 23. Bg5 {There is a peculiar point to this
move. If that is to say, 23...Be6, and it is with this parry
that White has above all things to reckon, then 24 Qxb7
(threatening Bxf6 and the win of a piece) Rc8 25 Rae1! and the
bishop must give up the defence of either of the rooks on
which Bxf6 would lead to the win of whichever is left
defenceless.} Rd4 24. Nb6+ c4 25. Qc3 axb6 26. Qxd4 Kg7
27. Rae1 {The quickest road to the win.} bxa5 28. Re8 {!
Violent but intelligible.} Qxe8 29. Qxf6+ Kg8 30. Bh6 1-0

[Event "New York"]
[Site "New York City, NY USA"]
[Date "1927.03.23"]
[EventDate "1927.02.19"]
[Round "20"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Milan Vidmar"]
[ECO "B22"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "66"]

1. e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 {A draw was
sufficient for White, whilst Black had to play for a win.} Nf6
4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 Be7 {Here 6...b6 would please us
more.} 7. Nc3 Nxc3 8. bxc3 d5 {Here also we should have
preferred ...b6.} 9. exd6 {A possible continuation was 9 Bd3
O-O 10 Qc2 g6 11 h4.} Qxd6 10. Be2 {With hanging pawns the
bishop must be played to Be2 and not to d3.} O-O 11. O-O Nd7
12. a4 {The "limited" initiative directed against the pawn,
which will presently be posted at b6.} Qc7 13. Qb3 b6 14. c4
Bb7 15. a5 Bf6 {On 15...bxa5 the sequel would have been, 16
Bf4 Qb6 17 Qa4 with a double attack on a5 and d7.} 16. axb6
axb6 17. Be3 h6 18. h3 Rfc8 19. Rfc1 {This move, in effect,
gains a whole tempo. Black cannot accept the pawn sacrifice
which this move involves without foregoing all his chances,
e.g. : 19...Rxa1 20 Rxa1 Bxf3 21 Bxf3 Qxc4 22 Qxc4 Rxc4 23
Ra8+ Nf8 24 d5 and White has full command of the game.} Rcb8
20. Rxa8 Rxa8 {The two moves by the rook (...Rcb8 and ...Rxa1)
gave white the tempo mentioned above.} 21. Nd2 Be7 22. Bf3 Ra3
23. Qb2 Bxf3 24. Nxf3 Ra5 25. Qd2 Ba3 26. Rc2 Bd6 27. Rc1 Ba3
28. Rc2 Bd6 29. Rc1 Qa7 30. Qd3 Ra3 31. Qe4 {The central
hegemony established herewith is in full logical agreement
with the course of the game. It will not have escaped the
thoughtful reader that the wing attack initiated by White (a4,
a5, axb6) has only resulted in Black assuming the offensive
himself in that quarter. The attack thus passing over to the
enemy could be explained only by mistakes on the part of
White, or else by the fact that White's attack had no
justification. But in reality neither is the case and White
played the attack correctly and had good reasons for
attacking. Only in this way could the stability of the White
hanging pawns be preserved. Therefore Black -'sit venia verbo'
- must have usurped the attack on the extreme wing, which
would only be done by giving up other important territory,
namely, the center. On this basis, White's hegemony in the
center can be understood. The conclusion is logically
convincing.} Nf6 32. Qc6 Rxe3 33. Qxd6 {Black's operation on
the Q wing were conducted with the outmost energy but were
parried by cool-headed play in the center : wing operations
and central manouvers kept the balance. Concerning the
acceptance of the sacrifice, the following variation is
informative : 33fxe3 Qa3 34 Re1 Bg3 35 Rf1 Qxe3+ 36 Kh1 Ne4
with the main threat of ...Bf4. A game very soundly played by
both sides.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "London"]
[Site "London ENG"]
[Date "1927.10.18"]
[EventDate "1927.10.10"]
[Round "7"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Efim Bogoljubov"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "A19"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "60"]

1.c4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.e4 c5 {Since e5 did
not seem to be dangerous.} 4.g3 {There was also to be
considered 4 Nf3 Nc6 5 d4 csd4 6 Nxd4 Bb4 7 Qd3 {Bogolyubov's
suggestion).} d5 5.e5 d4 6.exf6 dxc3 7.dxc3 {An interesting
idea. He, so to speak, sacrifices a pawn, in that he makes his
pawn majority on the queen side of no value; but he hopes, by
occupying certain central points, to be able to bring
counter-pressure to bear. Cf. the next note.} Qxf6 8.Nf3 h6
9.Bg2 Bd7 {!} 10.Nd2 {White's command of the diagonal g2 to b7
coupled with that of the point e4 is no small embarrasment to
Black. If now 10...Qe5+? then 11 Ne4 and 12 Bf4.} Bc6 11.Ne4
Qg6 12.Qe2 Be7 {Not 12...f5 because of the reply 13 Bf3
followed by Nd2 and Black's e5 will remain a weak point.}
13.O-O O-O 14.h4 {An ingenious move, which, however, brings
about a disturbance of the equilibrium which up to now may be
said to have existed. Better was 14 f4! Nd7 15 Bd2 Kh8! 16
Rae1 Nf6 17 Bc1. After the text move the balance weoghs in
Black's favor.} f5 15.Nd2 Bxg2 {Not 15...Bxh4 because of 16
Nf3!} 16.Kxg2 Nc6 17.Nf3 f4 {Otherwise Bf4 and the balance is
readjusted.} 18.Re1 Rf6 19.Qe4 {the game is already lost for
White, for the occupation of the point e4 which seems to
consolidate the position proves to be deceptive. White's g3 is
in fact sick unto death.} fxg3 20.fxg3 Bd6 21.g4 Qxe4 22.Rxe4
Raf8 23.Re3 Rf4 24.g5 {24 Rxe6 Rxg4+ 25 Kf2 Ne5 would lead to
a debacle.} Rg4+ 25.Kh1 {Or 25 Kf2 Ne5 26 Ke2 Rg2+ 27 Kf1 Rg3
winning a piece.} hxg5 26.hxg5 Kf7 27.Ng1 {If 27 g6+ Kf6 (not
...Ke7 because of 28 Nh2 Rh8 29 Re2 Rgh4?? 30 Bg5+.} Rh8+
28.Nh3 Ke7 29.b3 Bf4 30.Rf3 Ne5 0-1

[Event "London"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "1927.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "G Morrison"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "C00"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "56"]

1. e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch. This game is an example of
overprotection.} e6 2. g3 {Tartakower's interesting
suggestion.} d5 3. Nc3 {More obvious was Bg2 with d3. At c3
the knight is subject to molestation.} Nc6 4. exd5 {d3 and Bg2
would still have been better.} exd5 5. d4 Bf5 6. a3 Qd7 7. Bg2
O-O-O {The d-pawn is covered indirectly, e.g. : 8 Nxd5 Qe6+ 9
Ne3 Nxd4; or 8 Bxd5 Nf6 9 Bxc6 Qxc6 with a superior attacking
game.} 8. Nge2 Nce7 {The following are the component parts of
the strange-looking line of play : (1) e4 clearly must be
looked upon as a strategically important point (= an outpost
on the e-file), (2) consequently the d-pawn which supports
this point is valuable. Over-protection of this valuable pawn
is therefore in keeping with our stratagem of
over-protection. The question arises (3) will the Kt which is
to occupy e4 be able to maintain itself there? It must be
recognized already that such is the case (compare Black's 12th
move). Much weaker at this stage would be 8...Nf6 because of 9
Bg5.} 9. Nf4 Nf6 {Now Bg5 can no longer be played.} 10. h3 h5
11. Nd3 Ne4 12. Be3 {Now White threatens exchanges followed by
Nc5. The prospects of the knight on outpost duty appear to
have shrunk alarmingly, in fact, the whole system 8...Nce7
appears to be practically refuted. But No, it is not so.} Nxc3
{The knight inflicts a gaping wound, namely, the doubled pawns
at c2 and c3; White's open file is more or less of no value
and he will be slowly crushed to death. The knight on e4 has
succeeded in maintaining his position, though not in a literal
sense (compare note to move 8).} 13. bxc3 Nc6 14. Nb4 Be6
15. Qe2 Na5 16. h4 c6 17. O-O Bd6 18. Nd3 Bg4 {In control of a
tremendously powerful point at c4 and with an excellent
development, Black now opes the attack on his opponent's
weakened K side.} 19. Bf3 {There is scarcely anything better.}
Rde8 20. Bxg4 hxg4 21. Qd1 Nc4 {Avoiding the trap 21...Bxg3 22
Nc5 and wins.} 22. Bf4 Bxf4 23. Nxf4 g5 24. hxg5 Qf5 25. Ng2
Qxg5 26. f4 {If 26 Nh4 Rxh4 27 gxh4 Qxh4 28 Re1 Rh8 29 Kf1
Qh1+ 30 Ke2 Qf3+ etc. Note the effect of the Kt at c4.} Qh5
27. Kf2 {Black had expected 27 Re1 and had prepared the pretty
reply 27...Re3 e.g. 28 Nxe3 Qh1+ and Rh2+.} Nd6 {Abandons his
output for an even stronger one at e4.} 28. Nh4 Ne4+ {If Kg2
...Nxg3 is immediately decisive.} 0-1

[Event "Niendorf, Germany"]
[Site "Niendorf, Germany"]
[Date "1927.08.08"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "3"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Lajos Steiner"]
[ECO "C62"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "42"]

1.e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 d6
5.d4 Bd7 6.Bxc6 Bxc6 7.Qd3 Nd7 8.Be3 exd4 9.Bxd4 {Black's
difficulty is not so much the problem of the pawn-center as
the fact that White's centralized bishop keeps the g-pawn
under fire.} f6 {? The move appears to us to be the decisive
mistake. The correct continuation was 9...Nc5 at once, e.g.,
10 Qe2 Ne6 11 O-O-O Be7 12 Nd5 O-O 13 Bc3 Re8 followed by
...Bf8 with entirely sufficient central effect. Or else
12...Bxd5 (instead of O-O) 13 exd5 Nxd4 14 Nxd4 O-O with
...Bf6 and Black has a good game.} 10.Nh4 {A diversion in no
way premature.} Nc5 11.Qe2 Ne6 12.Nf5 {Now Black can longer
obtain a satisfactory development; e.g., 12...Be7? 13 Nd5 Bxd5
14 exd5 Nxd4 15 Nxd4 with decisive control of e6.} Qd7 {Futile
would be 12...g6 because of 13 O-O-O Kf7 14 Qc4.} 13.O-O {Not
merely a developing but also a waiting move. for Black is in
all circumstances compelled to create a new weakness if he
wishes to arrive at a reasonable development, and White van
afford to wait until Black decides to play ...a6 or
...b6. Therefore 13 O-O, which looks like a developing move,
was in a reality a tentative waiting move} b6 {The alternative
13...a6 also had its drawbacks. Entirely bad, however, would
be : 13...O-O-O, e.g. : 14 Bxa7 b6 15 a4 Kb7 16 a5 Kxb7 17
axb6+ Kb8 18 Ra7 Bb7 (the only move) 19 Rxb7+ Kxb7 20 Ra1 cxb6
21 Qa6+ Kc6 22 Qb5+ Kb7 23 Qd5+ Qc6 24 Ra7+ and wins. Instead
of creating a weakness by ...a6 or ...b6 a Steinitz would no
doubt have tried 13...Be7, e.g. : 14 Nd5 Bd8 15 c4 O-O 16 Bc3
Re8 and the black position is terribly constricted, yet not
easy to undermine.} 14.a4 {Now everything is set.} a5 15.Nd5
Nxd4 {If 15...O-O-O 16 Bxb6.} 16.Nxd4 Bb7 17.Ne6 Rc8 18.Qh5+
g6 19.Nxf6+ Kf7 20.Nxd7 gxh5 21.Ndxf8 {It is clear that
Black's game could have been held, as shown by 9...Nc5 and
perhaps later even with 13...Be7 and 14...Bd8 (though this
required the defensive powers of a Steinitz). Also 10...Ne5
possessed strength. Giving up the center is not necessarily a
catastrophe.} 1-0

[Event "Berlin"]
[Site "Berlin"]
[Date "1928.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Paul F Johner"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "E16"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "94"]

1. d4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7
5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Bxd2+ 7. Nbxd2 c5 {Black looks upon his
position in the center after 8 dxc5 ...Bxc5 is entirely
sound.} 8. O-O {In our game, Berlin, 1927, Bogoljubow
continued : 8 dxc5 bxc5 9 O-O Qc7 10 Qc2 O-O 11 Rad1 h6 (to
prevent the re-grouping Ng5 and later Nge4) (to prevent the
re-grouping Ng5 and later Nge4) 12 a3 Nc6 13 Rfe1 Rab8 14 Rb1
a5; but he already had to attend with 15 b3 to the weakness in
his Q side.} O-O 9. Qb3 Qc7 10. Rfd1 h6 {He is in no hurry.}
11. Qe3 d6 12. dxc5 bxc5 {In spite being backward, the d-pawn
is obviously as sound as a bell.} 13. Ne1 Bxg2 14. Nxg2 Qc6
15. Qf3 {He contests the beautiful long diagonal, but after
the exchange of queens, the Black king canparticipate in the
defence.} Qxf3 16. Nxf3 Rd8 17. Rd3 Nc6 18. Rad1 {This knight
will soon be relieved by the king.} Ne8 19. Ra3 {He only
pretends to attack; there is already threatened ...Rab8 and if
b3, ...a5, etc. Therefore the text move represents a fine
preventive manouver against the threat indicated.} a6 {To
preclude Ra6 once and for all.} 20. Nf4 Rdb8 21. Rd2 Rb4
22. Rc2 Kf8 23. e3 Ke7 24. h4 Nc7 25. Nd3 Rb7 26. Nd2 a5
27. f3 Nb4 28. Nxb4 Rxb4 {It is difficult to shape the course
of the attack as White consistently refused to play the
weakening b3. On the other hand, in course of times certain
weaknesses have developed on the other wing.} 29. Kf2 a4
30. Ke2 Kd7 31. Kd1 Kc6 32. Ne4 f5 33. Nf2 e5 34. Rd3 Rab8
35. Kc1 {White has defended himself skillfully.} Ne6 36. a3
Rb3 37. Rcd2 Rxd3 38. Rxd3 Nc7 39. Kc2 Na8 {Intending ...Nb6
and ...d5.} 40. e4 Nb6 41. b3 axb3+ 42. Rxb3 Rf8 43. Rc3 Na4
44. Rd3 Nb6 45. Rc3 Na4 46. Rd3 Nb6 47. Rc3 {It was far from
the second players intention to play for a draw; but he
overlooked that the position had recurred three times. He
should have played ...g6 on the 45th move with a threat of
...h5 and ...f4. If White replies 46 Kb3 Rb8 47 Rd3 there
would follow ...fxe4 48 nxe4 d5 49 cxd5+ Nxd5+ 50 Kc4 (or 50
Kc2 c4) Nb6+ 51 Kc3 Na4+, but probably there is not more than
a draw in it. Throughout the game Black had the attack and the
more compact pawn formation : our stratagem has proved its
worth.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Kopenhagen, 1928"]
[Site "PC6"]
[Date "1928.??.??"]
[EventDate "1928.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Eigil Hansen"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "A30"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "54"]

1. c4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch} c5 2. f4 {This move may give a
bad impression, but as we will see soon the wrong thing isn't
the move but the impression!} Nf6 3. d3 d5 { Otherwise 4.e4
would have followed, giving Hansen a solid position} 4. cxd5
Nxd5 5. e4 {You may compare this position to my Dresden
variation: 1.c4 c5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 The
two positions have in common the d3 pawn and the opened d
column, but in the game the Black's best resource ...Nxc3
followed by ...g6 isn't playable. Consequently, Mr. Hansen
opening is ingenious and praiseworthy.} Nf6 6. Be3 {!} e6
7. Nc3 Nc6 8. Nf3 Bd7 { To...provoke 9.d4 !} 9. d4 {? 9.h3,
follwed by Be2 was much more solid. For instance: 9. ... Nh5?
10.Kf2 and then 11.g4. With this move, White demonstrates not
to have a good intuition for solid positions (a player like
F. Saemisch wouldn't even think about a move like d4!)} cxd4
10. Nxd4 Bb4 { White's position is already trembling} 11. Nxc6
Bxc6 12. Qxd8+ Rxd8 13. e5 { White has lost most of his
powerful center and has to face his weakness on white squares}
Ne4 14. a3 {An ingenious idea: White is trying to provoke a
final with opposite colours Bishops} Bxc3+ 15. bxc3 Nxc3
16. Bc4 {Now 16.Bxa7 is impossible due to 16. ... Nd5 and f4
is undefendable. (Obviously not 17.g3? Nxf4 18.gxf4 Bxh1)} Rc8
{The most suitable strategy against a an expanded formation!
Leaving everything "hanging" and increase the pressure}
17. Rc1 Bxg2 18. Rg1 Rxc4 19. Rxg2 b5 20. Rgc2 { Or 20.Rg7 Ke7
followed by 21.Rhc8 with serious threats} Nd5 { What a solid
Knight!} 21. Rxc4 bxc4 22. Rxc4 Kd7 23. Bxa7 Rc8 {The triumph
of the solid position! The smart White player has earned back
all he could (his opponent's material advantage), but now he
has got a "fluttering butterfly" in f4, an "unleashed dog" in
a7, and two "lost sheep" in a3 an h2, while the King is
sitting at proper distance on his throne... The end is
terryfing!} 24. Re4 { After 24.Rxc8 Kxc8 the "butterfly'"
would have stopped fluttering} Rc1+ 25. Kf2 {If 25.Kd2 then
25. ... Rh1 26.Re2 Ra1! (not the immediate 26. ... N:f4 due to
27.Rf2 g5 28.Be3) 27.Bc5 Nxf4} Rc2+ 26. Kg3 {Or 26.Kg1 Rg3
27.a4 Rf3} Rc3+ 27. Kg4 {? A blunder due to the approaching
zeitnot, but there was no issue anyway} f5+ {Naturally 28.exf6
Nxf6+ and the Rook is lost. This game illustrates clearly the
weakness of an "expanded center" advanced too early.} 0-1

[Event "Berlin, Germany"]
[Site "Berlin, Germany"]
[Date "1928.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Willi Schlage"]
[Black "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[ECO "B29"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "170"]

1.e4 {Notes by Nimzowitsch.} c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 d5 4.exd5 Nxd5
5.Bb5 Bd7 6.Bc4 Nb6 7.Be2 Nc6 8.O-O {Varying the continuation
8.d4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Nxd4 10.Qxd4 Bc6.} 8...Bf5 {Played in order
to control the central squares; nevertheless, the classical
move 8...e5 is also quite playable.} 9.Re1 a6 10.d3 e6 11.Ne4
Qc7 12.c3 Rd8 13.Qc2 Nd5 {Each player has a knight in the
center and the positions are balanced.} 14.Bg5 Be7 15.Bxe7
Qxe7 16.h3 O-O 17.Rad1 Rd7 18.Bf1 R8d8 19.Qc1 h6 20.Kh2 g5
{Due to his strong center, Black can allow this move, but a
deeper continuation was 20...Bh7 21.d4 Bxe4 followed by Nf6.}
21.Ng3 {After 21.h4 g4 22.Qxh6 gxf3 23.c4 the complications
would be favorable to Black because of the continuation
23...Ne5 24.gxf3 Nxf3 and Nxe1. With the text move the
equality stays.} 21...Bg6 22.d4 Nb6 {Threatening an excursion
with Na4.} 23.dxc5 Qxc5 24.Rxd7 Rxd7 25.Kg1 Qe7 {This
retrocession is based in the fact that the Queen does has
nothing to do in that position and is exposed to a possible
attack with b4, a3 and c4.} 26.Rd1 Rxd1 27.Qxd1 Qd8 28.Qc1 Kg7
29.Qe3 Nd5 30.Qd2 Nf4 31.Qxd8 {The Black side is better
prepared for the endgame due to the mobility of his king.}
31...Nxd8 32.Ne5 Bb1 33.a3 f6 34.Nd7 Kf7 35.Nc5 Ke7 36.Bc4 f5
37.Ne2 {Giving an opportunity to Black eliminate the powerful
Bishop, but 37.Nf1 Kd6 38.b4 b5 39.Bb3 Ne2+ 40.Kh2 a5 was
worse.} 37...Kd6 38.b4 Ba2 39.Nxf4 Bxc4 40.Nh5 b6 41.Na4 Bb3
42.Nb2 {If 42.Nxb6 Kc7 43.Na8 Kb7.} 42...Nf7 43.Ng3 Ne5 44.Nf1
b5 {Is difficult, however, for to Black find a way to
penetrate, because the knights are good guardians of the White
side.} 45.Nd2 Bd5 46.a4 h5 47.axb5 axb5 48.f3 Kc6 {Beginning a
complicated alternative game. In the King-side, g4 is
threatened (or e5-e4), and in the Queen-side, the threat is to
penetrate with the King via c4. The main-square will be in
first place d5 and the surrouding territory. The King move to
c6 allows the black knight to move.} 49.Kf1 {If 49.Kf2 g4
50.hxg4 hxg4 51.fxg4 Nxg4 52.Kg1 Ne3 with awkward
consequences.} h4 50.Nd1 Bc4 51.Kg1 {If 51.Nxc4 Nxc4 52.Ke2
Kd5 53.Kd3 e5 with black advantage.} 51...Nd3 52.Ne3 {Would be
debatable 52.Nxc4 bxc4 53.Ne3 Kb5 54.Nc2 Ka4 55.Nd4 e5 56.Nxf5
Kb3 57.b5 Kxc3.} 52...Bd5 53.Nc2 Nb2 54.Nd4 Kb6 55.Kh2 Nd1
56.Ne2 e5 57.Kg1 {If 57.g3, simply 57...f4.} 57...Kc6 58.Kf1
Ba2 59.Kg1 Ne3 60.Kf2 Nd5 61.g4 {If 61.Kf1 Nf4 62.Nxf4 gxf4
63.Ke2 Kd5 followed by the advance of the e-pawn, winning. It
is instructive the ample use of the main-square d5 by the
knight and bishop.} 61...hxg3+ 62.Kxg3 Nf6 63.Kf2 {63.h4 would
fail due to 63...f4 64.Kh3 Be6. Now the weakness of the
White´s King-side has been made concrete, and the h-pawn soon
will be the sickly boy of the family.} 63...Kd6 64.Ng3 Ke6
65.Ne2 Nd5 66.Kg3 Nf6 67.Nc1 Bd5 68.Nd3 Nh5 69.Kh2 e4 {The
Black-side has started the march of his pawn-majority, and as
the White King is prisoner of the weak point h3, cannot help
to stop Black´s rupture, that will be catastrophic.} 70.fxe4
fxe4 71.Ne1 Nf4 72.Nc2 Ne2 {Second excursion of the knight to
the enemy's camp.} 73.Nb1 {If 73.Nd4 Nxd4 74.cxd4 e3 with
immediate victory.} 73...Bc4 74.Kg2 Bd3 75.N2a3 Nf4+ 76.Kf2
{!} Nd5 {Black says "no" to White's offer; now both enemy
knights are prisoners.} 77.Kg3 {If 77.Nd2 e3.} 77...e3 78.Kf3
Ke5 79.c4 {Forced. If 79.Kg3 Nf4 80.Kf3 e2 81.Kf2 Ng2 and
"consumattum".} 79...bxc4 80.b5 Kd6 81.b6 Kc6 82.b7 Kxb7
{Zugzwang! White has no moves.} 83.Nb5 Bxb1 84.Nd6 Kc7 85.Nxc4
Bf5 {One of my best endgames. The game lasted twelve hours and
Schlage made an extraordinary defense.} 0-1

[Event "Kopenhagen 1928"]
[Site "Kopenhagen"]
[Date "1928.??.??"]
[EventDate "1928.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Jacob Gemzoe"]
[ECO "A00"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "70"]

1. e3 {From Nimzowitsch's book "Die Praxis Meines Systems."}
g6 2. c3 Nf6 3. d4 Bg7 4. Bc4 {To provoke 4. ... d5, even if
4. ... d6 (that White seems to fear) would have been
tolerable: 4.Bd3! d6 5. Ne2 etc} d5 5. Be2 Nbd7 {Black should
have considered playing 5. ... Nc6} 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O Re8
8. b4 {! White is feeling safe regarding both ...e5 and ...Ne4
(he doesn't do anything to prevent 8. ... e5), therefore he
starts to attack on queenside.} Ne4 9. a4 {!} f5 10. a5 {
...b6 is prevented, but the b5 square is lost} a6 11. Bb2 c6
12. Ne1 Nd6 { If 12. ... e5, then 13.Nd3 and 14.f4 followed by
Ne5 with better position} 13. c4 {!} Nxc4 14. Bxc4 dxc4
15. Qc2 Nf6 {A bad idea, as we will see soon (see note on
Black's 17th move). The correct move was 15. ... e5 to give
breath to the Bishops. Also 15. ... b5 was playable: 16.axb6
Nxb6 17.Na3 Be6 18.Nf3 Kh8 19.Nd2 Rb8 and the exchange 20.Nax4
Nxc4 21.Nxc4 Rxb4 22.Ne5 looks perfectly satisfying for Black
after 22. ... Bxe5 followed by 23. ... Rc4} 16. Nd2 Be6
17. Nxc4 {17.Nef3 was probably better} Qc7 {The attempt to
take control of the white squares with 17.Bxc4 18.Qxc4 Nd5
should fail because of 19.Nd3 followed by Rae1, f3 and
e4. Therefore, Black's 15th move seems to be confuted (as said
beforehand).} 18. Nd3 Rad8 19. Nf4 Bd5 20. Ne5 {White is still
threatening to play the Rae1, f3, e4 sequence, against which
it is hard to find a valid reply.} Bh6 21. Rae1 {21.Nfd3
should have been played.} Rf8 {Black wastes the opportunity to
get a solid position with 21. ... Bxe4 followed by 22. ... e6}
22. f3 {Once again 22.Nfd3 was better...} Kg7 { ...and once
again 22. ... Bxe4 was better also!} 23. Nfd3 Bg8 24. e4 { Now
White has the advantage.} Qc8 25. Nc5 {Keeping alive the
attack on queenside, almost forgotten. However, even a line
based upon Qe2 and g4 would have been also very strong: 25.Qe2
Kh8 26.g4 Bg7 27.exf5 gxf5 28.g5 Nd5 29.f4 and White has a
violent attack on kingside} Kh8 26. Qf2 Kg7 27. exf5 { Now
Black has lost the control of the white squares, and White
should have no problem to win, because he also dominate most
of the black squares. For example, 27. d5 would have won:
27. ... cxd5 28.exf5 gxf5 29.Bd4 and Black is powerless
against f4 followed by Re1-e3-h3. Else: 28. ... Qxf5 29.g4 Qc8
(29...Qf4? 30.Ned3, or even 30.Bc1) 30.f4. However, the move
played in the game should win ever quicker.} gxf5 28. f4
{White misses the chance to win easily: 28.Qg3+ Kg8 29.Qh4 Kg7
30.g4 Bf4 31.g5 Nd5 32.Qh6+ Kg8 33.Ng6# After the harmless
28.f4, Black saves the situation with an interesting harmonic
movement involving all his defensive troops.} Nd5 {!} 29. Qh4
Rd6 30. Rf3 Kh8 31. Ref1 Bg7 32. Rg3 Rff6 33. Rff3 Rh6 34. Qg5
Rdg6 {!} 35. Nxg6+ Rxg6 { Draw!! The Queen cannot avoid
perpetual check!} 1/2-1/2

