WEBVTT 00:00.960 --> 00:01.680 Hi there. 00:01.710 --> 00:07.980 In this lecture, we see Alexander Alekhine playing against a valet Toccoa who has many witty quotations. 00:07.980 --> 00:11.100 It's well worth checking out the funny stuff I've thought to cover. 00:11.130 --> 00:13.380 This is in 1927. 00:13.410 --> 00:15.780 Kismet Thomas Round three. 00:16.110 --> 00:26.970 So e4 from Alekhine we have C6 d4 d59c3d tanks e496e, 4969g3. 00:27.180 --> 00:32.150 And now there's quite cheeky moving away E5 from TYKWER. 00:32.670 --> 00:37.350 This looks like it's kind of liberating. 00:37.530 --> 00:43.980 Especially it's but also White's position off the 93 is quite active after he tanks D4 Knight takes 00:43.980 --> 00:44.340 D4. 00:44.340 --> 00:52.950 We have Bishop C5 and in fact here Alekhine chooses Queen E to check so Bishop e seven is played. 00:52.950 --> 00:59.100 If Queen is seven, one could actually just take on E seven throw in Knight df5 check. 00:59.100 --> 01:01.530 And this position is very strong for White's. 01:01.950 --> 01:07.080 We can see that Black has kind of weakened squares like dark squares and white can castle queenside 01:07.080 --> 01:07.680 later. 01:07.710 --> 01:10.080 And you know, we're very strong possibilities. 01:10.350 --> 01:13.590 So for example Bishop E6 there's Knight D6 six as well. 01:13.590 --> 01:16.080 It's just a pleasant advantage for White's. 01:16.290 --> 01:21.660 So a kind of concession here given that Bishop E6, we can just take that a concession to move back 01:21.660 --> 01:22.170 here. 01:22.230 --> 01:27.090 But on the other hand you could argue well kingside castling is out of the question, right? 01:27.450 --> 01:33.270 So the thing is White can prepare now to console queenside with Bishop e free and one little perk of 01:33.270 --> 01:36.300 castle in Queensland there could be an x ray against D eight. 01:36.690 --> 01:43.530 We see C5 in this position like D5 and now Black Castle. 01:43.530 --> 01:49.380 So White's can't console immediately because that Knight has been nudged and the Queen is stopping castling. 01:49.380 --> 01:56.490 Here we have Queen C4, so White is trying to create an interruption on the default in order to castle 01:56.490 --> 02:04.620 queenside legally we have rook e eight points of note if 95 Can you see what white plays here with Knight 02:04.620 --> 02:05.490 on F5? 02:05.730 --> 02:09.720 It's not just pretty, it's also pretty functional for ten points. 02:09.720 --> 02:10.650 What would you play? 02:12.330 --> 02:17.190 Okay, we can play Queen 65 half for 9/10 E seven check and winning material. 02:17.580 --> 02:25.440 So anyway rook is played bishop defray so one is ready to console queenside be6 so Black is preparing 02:25.440 --> 02:32.460 by leaving the knight on b8 Black is preparing bishop A6 What could possibly go wrong here if Bishop 02:32.490 --> 02:37.650 f8 and White Castles Bishop e thinks Queen H four might be seven? 02:37.650 --> 02:40.200 This position is quite nice. 02:40.200 --> 02:43.380 We have the attacking gradients of a knight on F5. 02:44.040 --> 02:45.990 If for example, we had. 02:46.720 --> 02:51.730 Bishop D2 OC, Queen C seven. 02:52.720 --> 02:57.470 Bishop C Fray Black does have resources though This is not the end of the world. 02:57.500 --> 03:01.990 C4 This position should be about equal black could simplify. 03:03.460 --> 03:07.840 Now I mentioned 1987 if queen a five hair. 03:07.850 --> 03:08.710 Funny enough. 03:08.830 --> 03:10.920 Test your attacking skills here. 03:10.930 --> 03:16.480 There's actually a move here which is rather good from an attacking perspective. 03:16.900 --> 03:19.390 So it looks as though a two is on the far right. 03:19.570 --> 03:20.890 What do we do here? 03:23.540 --> 03:24.920 We can actually play Bishop H. 03:24.920 --> 03:28.100 Six trying to undermine key squares around the King. 03:29.060 --> 03:36.320 If queen before once again Queen exchange Queen G5 and this position we can play H for. 03:36.680 --> 03:39.470 With a strong attack brewing up. 03:39.950 --> 03:45.920 So if Bishop takes Bishop takes this position, it's a strong attack and we can take on D seven. 03:46.160 --> 03:49.880 Bishop takes G7 Desperado for Rook 27. 03:50.000 --> 03:51.500 It's just much better here. 03:52.220 --> 03:53.150 So yes, there is. 03:53.150 --> 04:00.940 There is an interesting attacking prospect in that line with Bishop Evans, but it seems more prudent 04:00.950 --> 04:01.400 overall. 04:01.400 --> 04:04.370 There was a way of getting equality, as we saw. 04:04.670 --> 04:07.370 So essentially, you know, this position. 04:08.750 --> 04:13.200 If black treads carefully and is not materialistic, then it should be okay. 04:13.220 --> 04:22.690 We see though be6 white castles, queenside and now not fair feeling any problems here with Bishop A6 04:22.700 --> 04:23.570 that's played. 04:25.520 --> 04:28.110 It's a tricky position before we get into Bishop. 04:28.130 --> 04:30.020 A6 if Queen sees seven. 04:30.420 --> 04:34.430 There's a fascinating move from an attacking players perspective here. 04:34.460 --> 04:38.510 What do you think that is in this position for 100 points? 04:42.970 --> 04:47.620 Sometimes splitting these pawns up is a defensive point here. 04:47.620 --> 04:51.970 But if we can dice these pawns, there's magical effects. 04:51.970 --> 04:52.840 Really. 04:53.380 --> 04:56.040 Knight takes Gee, seven is a bit of magic here. 04:56.050 --> 05:01.990 After King takes Queen H for Black has numerous issues to address. 05:03.280 --> 05:09.730 As example, if King gets Bishop G5 Knight D5, we can take an inmate. 05:10.030 --> 05:12.670 So let's try and improve on things there. 05:15.050 --> 05:18.100 So here, if 1987 Bishop G. 05:18.110 --> 05:25.070 Five the problem is here F6 is really vulnerable and Rook is seventh in threat threatened. 05:25.070 --> 05:29.990 So Bishop B seven Rook takes E7 and we're crashing through like this. 05:29.990 --> 05:34.940 So King j95 And what does black do about nine? 05:35.000 --> 05:37.010 H Six or seven? 05:37.100 --> 05:38.810 Queen D seven is the major one. 05:40.610 --> 05:42.050 What is black to check? 05:42.080 --> 05:47.660 This position is pretty desperate to do that, but otherwise black's getting mated. 05:49.280 --> 05:51.140 King and Queen H eight is checkmate. 05:51.140 --> 05:52.190 So okay. 05:52.190 --> 05:53.300 And you might ask. 05:53.300 --> 05:53.840 Hold on. 05:53.840 --> 05:56.180 What about King H eight? 05:56.480 --> 05:59.870 Bishop G five, 1987, this position with Queen C six. 06:00.890 --> 06:03.650 We can play here Bishop at five actually. 06:03.680 --> 06:09.350 And blacks under too much pressure wrote this rook tasty seven on this occasion. 06:09.350 --> 06:10.130 Bishop Thanks. 06:10.310 --> 06:14.540 Bishop takes a six check and we're just simply mating on H seven. 06:14.540 --> 06:21.530 So it's funny stuff actually, if Queen C seven had been played, this is rather interesting 9/10 G 06:21.530 --> 06:24.410 seven and instructive in its own right. 06:24.500 --> 06:29.450 But anyway, Bishop eight six is played and guess what Alekhine plays here? 06:30.440 --> 06:31.730 There is an x ray. 06:31.730 --> 06:32.270 I'll give you a clue. 06:32.270 --> 06:34.310 There's an x ray in this position. 06:34.310 --> 06:36.620 Can we make anything of that x ray? 06:36.620 --> 06:38.510 Can we profit from that x ray? 06:39.440 --> 06:42.140 So for 200 points, what would you play? 06:48.330 --> 06:51.060 It's funny, but 96 check is working. 06:52.350 --> 06:55.540 Now, the point is, if king if a queen, succession is checkmate. 06:55.560 --> 06:59.040 If King were getting a spot with me, Pattern Knight takes up seven chess. 06:59.040 --> 06:59.570 It doesn't matter. 06:59.640 --> 07:01.320 Queen's attacked because double check. 07:01.320 --> 07:04.380 The king is forced to move King If eight Queen have saved his mates. 07:04.710 --> 07:08.610 King h8 Queen G eight Jack Knight takes smothered mate pattern. 07:09.000 --> 07:11.580 So let's follow through G tanks. 07:11.580 --> 07:13.590 And the point is we've cleared the diagonal. 07:13.920 --> 07:16.690 And now the very clever point here. 07:16.710 --> 07:18.180 What are we playing this position? 07:19.200 --> 07:20.430 We've all been attacked. 07:22.270 --> 07:22.640 Yeah. 07:22.660 --> 07:24.760 Bishop takes a seven check now in the game. 07:24.760 --> 07:25.600 Nine takes eight. 07:25.600 --> 07:31.450 Seven was played, which does give a weakness of the last move, neglecting G4, which means Queen G4 07:31.450 --> 07:32.320 check is possible. 07:32.320 --> 07:35.770 And that's the game continuation where one can win the Queen. 07:35.770 --> 07:37.000 Now you might ask. 07:37.000 --> 07:37.780 Hold on. 07:38.410 --> 07:39.790 So let's run this through. 07:39.790 --> 07:46.360 If King H ain't, there's Queen Tanks F seven and now it seems black is in huge trouble. 07:46.360 --> 07:51.430 If rook AFAIK we're just playing Rook takes the eight which pins that rook and then thanks very much 07:51.430 --> 07:53.320 but let's try here. 07:53.350 --> 07:58.390 1987 does not solve the problem of things here. 07:58.420 --> 08:03.670 Instead of rook fight 1987 half What is why playing this position? 08:03.670 --> 08:06.790 What would you play here if I give you 5 seconds to pause video. 08:15.060 --> 08:18.420 There's actually a rather crushing treatment here with age five. 08:19.500 --> 08:20.310 Funnily enough. 08:21.710 --> 08:23.990 It just seems to be the strongest if nothing stays. 08:24.020 --> 08:26.270 We play bishop at 530 then, mate. 08:27.720 --> 08:30.330 So we've done, it seems, is to meet with the queen. 08:30.330 --> 08:34.720 We've got the bishop out of the Queen square, which we want to make way of. 08:34.740 --> 08:36.270 But this is devastating here. 08:36.270 --> 08:37.620 Brooke takes these seven. 08:39.330 --> 08:40.560 And yeah, if. 08:41.840 --> 08:42.270 Queen bee. 08:42.860 --> 08:49.400 As an example, Bishop cites If Rook, we can even play now what winds here Shackle sharks. 08:49.970 --> 08:52.250 We're covering escape squares with the bishop. 08:52.880 --> 08:54.320 So what would you play here? 08:56.910 --> 09:01.230 Yeah we can play queenside f6 Jack and I'm Rook H7 is checkmate. 09:01.410 --> 09:02.340 So funny stuff. 09:02.340 --> 09:05.250 It does seem in that variation 925 is a killer. 09:05.670 --> 09:07.380 Also night at five is pretty strong. 09:07.380 --> 09:16.110 This shows also nice 495 we can play Knight G six check here and when the queen like this and Y is significantly 09:16.110 --> 09:25.410 better there so yes it seems as though King h8 Queen six F7 is just not working for black. 09:26.820 --> 09:28.500 Thanks to amazing resources. 09:29.400 --> 09:35.010 And if King if there's just Bishop takes h six is checkmate. 09:35.040 --> 09:40.800 If King takes eight seven, then we're getting our check and we can just take the Queen and this position. 09:40.800 --> 09:43.440 Knight eight five is useful here. 09:44.020 --> 09:44.550 Nine takes. 09:44.550 --> 09:49.020 We're taking the rock and we're taking another piece later, soon. 09:49.320 --> 09:52.140 If King G seven there's to have five check. 09:53.070 --> 09:58.060 And the thing is here there's Queen Sykes have seven were threatening, mate and the Queen Bishop F 09:58.080 --> 09:59.190 eight Brooke takes the eight. 09:59.610 --> 10:03.350 So yeah, it does seem as though this is very unfortunate. 10:03.360 --> 10:08.250 So Black tries to gather material nine takes h seven offering the queen up. 10:08.850 --> 10:11.450 So Queen G four check King eight. 10:11.730 --> 10:15.300 Now the white queen is not attacked to take here. 10:16.020 --> 10:17.460 There wasn't too much choice here. 10:17.460 --> 10:22.980 If King If a bishop takes h six is made so Queen G four, King H eight. 10:23.010 --> 10:25.980 Taking the Queen of rook takes the eight. 10:27.180 --> 10:34.590 If Bishop takes Danes, there's actually Queen a three, which is unfortunate. 10:34.590 --> 10:38.670 If you look at this, this collection of pieces, Black is losing material. 10:39.690 --> 10:41.610 Yeah, the rooks are not protecting each other. 10:41.610 --> 10:42.450 If 96. 10:42.450 --> 10:46.350 Yeah we just take that off and then this is strong for white. 10:46.830 --> 10:47.790 So, Rook. 10:49.990 --> 10:57.910 Takes the eight is played, but we still have Queenie for this aspect of the unprotected rook on eight 10:58.120 --> 11:00.010 and also hitting E7. 11:00.460 --> 11:01.750 So a double attack. 11:02.140 --> 11:03.460 So that's nice. 11:05.410 --> 11:07.270 Okay, 96 is played. 11:07.300 --> 11:09.460 Otherwise, if Bishop we're just taking the rook. 11:09.460 --> 11:11.110 There's no penalty for the Queen being there. 11:11.110 --> 11:12.280 It seems so. 11:12.310 --> 11:12.970 96. 11:12.970 --> 11:14.080 Queen C six. 11:14.080 --> 11:16.300 Bishop, F-8 NOI F-8. 11:16.300 --> 11:22.660 Bishop C for Bishop takes H six, Bishop D five and now Queen C seven. 11:24.390 --> 11:29.190 Rook asks Queen F for Rook c6. 11:29.220 --> 11:36.900 Bishop takes a feint which weakens black on the dark squares and now answer the queen e5 shank limiting 11:36.900 --> 11:40.950 replies notes f6 black doesn't want to be mated on with Queen. 11:41.160 --> 11:47.730 Seven Can't move the King Knight six But now a powerful tactic in this position ends the game. 11:49.380 --> 11:49.890 Five points. 11:49.890 --> 11:50.850 What would you play here? 11:52.750 --> 11:55.390 96, interrupting the rook from the knight. 11:55.960 --> 12:02.350 If King G7 if the game continue, King G7, there's Queen G five Jack and Queen six f6 Simple enough, 12:02.350 --> 12:03.490 very strong for one. 12:04.570 --> 12:08.950 So, yes, 96 is just ending the game if C4. 12:10.330 --> 12:12.400 We can actually play. 12:14.510 --> 12:17.310 Queen at five track Hair and Queen 65. 12:17.330 --> 12:19.730 So, yeah, it's very convincing. 12:20.150 --> 12:21.410 There's nine takes of seven check. 12:21.420 --> 12:25.640 So it's absolutely a winning possession here. 12:25.760 --> 12:30.920 So it's interesting that this game had a kind of sucker punch. 12:30.920 --> 12:33.260 And if you look up Sucker punch, there's actually a game. 12:33.260 --> 12:41.330 One of my favorite games for the Reti champ mate which is Richard Reti against Tunguska, where there 12:41.330 --> 12:48.650 was a kind of central operation which backfired on DA spectacularly the reti mate game where the of 12:48.700 --> 12:52.100 mate Patton came from is absolutely fascinating. 12:52.100 --> 12:52.460 So. 12:52.460 --> 12:58.430 Todd Yeah, he seems to be playing quite actively in the sense about sometimes these, these central 12:58.430 --> 13:01.340 fouls can backfire on him with moves like E5. 13:01.340 --> 13:06.260 So in this case, yes, there's a default which is pretty dangerous for black. 13:06.260 --> 13:10.400 And you might think, well, you know, fundamentally it's a shared file rights but exploits ability 13:10.400 --> 13:13.520 in chess, you know, weakness is only a weakness if it can be exploited. 13:13.550 --> 13:17.090 Exploit ability is often intimately linked with initiative. 13:17.780 --> 13:22.190 The player with the initiative is more likely to be in a position to exploit weaknesses. 13:22.190 --> 13:24.380 So yes, you could say, well, this is a shared file. 13:24.380 --> 13:26.090 Why do such a disaster happen? 13:26.090 --> 13:29.260 Well, White does have a leading development here. 13:29.270 --> 13:31.460 Black's pieces are launched on the back row. 13:31.940 --> 13:36.170 And it's just as we see, you know, there are fascinating variations behind the scenes. 13:36.170 --> 13:41.960 Queen C seven for nine takes G seven, which is absolutely fascinating to study in its own right as 13:41.960 --> 13:43.730 a parallel kind of game to this. 13:43.730 --> 13:46.820 In this variation, we want to learn about the art of attack. 13:46.820 --> 13:53.000 And if we want to take note of Alekhine being a fantastic annotator finding the rich resources in games, 13:53.000 --> 13:55.550 I think he would approve of finding this resource. 13:55.550 --> 13:57.800 9g7 okay. 13:57.830 --> 14:03.410 To recap the game though, Queen C seven wasn't played bishop A6 and it the game really amplifies an 14:03.410 --> 14:04.070 x ray. 14:04.070 --> 14:10.250 So getting to exploit the X-ray with 9.86 jack liberating that X-ray, amplifying the effect of it, 14:10.460 --> 14:16.250 taking out the downside of not losing the Queen by having this key check now made available. 14:17.180 --> 14:24.050 So a sweet win of the Queen and winning further material here means that White does have a material 14:24.050 --> 14:25.310 superiority. 14:25.640 --> 14:28.940 And let's just go to the end of the game, the final possession. 14:29.720 --> 14:31.550 So the final possession coming up. 14:32.060 --> 14:35.210 Dance squares have been compromised on to the dark square Bishop exchange. 14:35.510 --> 14:37.970 And this leads to a painful interference move. 14:37.970 --> 14:39.380 96 ending the game. 14:39.380 --> 14:41.720 So a sweet game from Alekhine. 14:41.750 --> 14:44.690 Lots to learn here, including key variations. 14:44.690 --> 14:46.310 I hope you enjoyed this as much as me. 14:46.940 --> 14:47.780 Fans were much.