The last months of 1913 were used by a young official in the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, José Raúl Capablanca, for intensive "diplomatic activities."
After visiting a number of European cities and countries - England, France, Berlin, London, Paris - playing a number of simultaneous and "exhibition" games, the young Cuban arrived in Petrograd - the "Venice of the North" - in November 1913, where he also played a number of simultaneous games, as well as several "free games" with Alekhine, Dus Hotiminsky and Snosho-Borovsky. After that, he traveled to Yuryev and Riga, and then returned to Moscow, continuing with simultaneous and exhibition games, all in anticipation of the great international tournament in Petrograd in 1914.
In this tournament, Capablanca took second place - half a point behind the first-place Lasker, but he also played one of the most beautiful games of his career - with Dr. Bernstein.
Many Gambits
Bernstein - Kapablanca
Moscow, 1914.
"The Great Chess Masters"
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 0-0 e3 Nbd7
7.Tc1 b6
This old variation, often played by Lasker, is rarely seen in tournaments because it does not give Black a satisfactory game. In this game too, White managed to get into a better position after the opening, but then made his position worse with unwise anti-positional moves.
8.cxd5 exd5 Da4
Today, 9.Bd3 is considered stronger and at 9…Bb7 10.0-0 c5 11.Qe2 c4 12.Bb1 a6 13.Ne5 b5 14.f4 and White sets up the classic Pillsbury attack scheme, which is very favorable for White.
9. …Lb7
It is considered not the strongest. The correct move here is 9..c5! and at 10.Qc6 Rb8 11.Nxd5 Bb7 12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.Qa4 Bxf3! 14.gf3 cd4 15.Qxd4 Ne5 16.Be2 Rbd8 17.Qf4 Rd6 and the game is equal according to an analysis by Duras. After the move in the game, White will come to a slightly more favorable game.
10.Ba6 Bxa6 11.Qxa6 c5 12.Bxf6?
The move really has no positional basis and can be said to be essentially weak. White is unnecessarily exchanging his strong bishop, and he had several very good moves at his disposal, e.g. 12.dc5 with a positional advantage. After such a move, White can no longer count on an advantage in the opening, but on the contrary, he must be careful not to let the advantage pass to his opponent.
12..Sxf6 13. dc5 bc5 14. 0-0 Db6 15. De2
White must not exchange queens anymore, because the black pawn chain would be connected. But he will still have problems with the elastic and mobile black pawn center.
15.c4. 16.Tfd1 Tfd8 17. Sd4 Lb4 18.b3
White once again misjudges the position. It is clear to him that Black will gain a free pawn, but he hopes that he can capture it with combined threats. This is a completely wrong assessment, as will become clear later in the game. It would have been better not to touch the pawn constellation.
18..Tac8 19.bc4 dc4. 20.Tc2 Lxc3 21. Txc3 Sd5.! 22.Tc2
22.Rxc4 did not work because of 22..nc3! and White would lose quality. After a move in the game, the situation becomes critical. Black's free pawn is still alive and White will have great difficulty keeping it.
22….c3 23. Rdc1 Rc5 24. Nb3 Rc6 25. Nd4 Rc7 26. Nb5 Rc5 27. Nxc3?
Finally, White fell for the trap set. He probably thought at that moment that Black had resigned himself to a draw and took the offered pawn, but he overlooked the final point, after which he was forced to lose. He should have tried 27.Nd4 again and somehow held the position, although it is unlikely, to save the game.
27…Sxc3 28.Txc3 Txc3 29.Txc3
DB2!! 0-1
White did not see the final move, and after it, he loses the least rook.
Bonus video:
