WEBVTT

00:01.200 --> 00:01.950
Hi there.

00:01.980 --> 00:06.000
In this lecture, we see Alexander Alekhine playing against John Jewitt.

00:06.030 --> 00:11.010
This is in the 1923 British Chess Federation Major Open.

00:11.010 --> 00:16.470
I've actually played in the major myself, so this is not the main British championship, in fact.

00:16.590 --> 00:21.240
So perhaps there were other qualifications needed to play in the main British.

00:21.660 --> 00:23.790
But anyway, let's see this game.

00:23.790 --> 00:31.260
So nice to have free from Alekhine we have d5 b4 so an interesting move here.

00:31.950 --> 00:37.470
E6 we have Bishop b2 so looking at g79 ten six.

00:37.470 --> 00:37.830
Yes.

00:37.830 --> 00:41.640
If Planck takes on B4 we can just take on g seven winning material.

00:42.060 --> 00:56.040
So 910 six a free C5 beating c5 Bishop take c5 e free black consoles C4 96 and now D4.

00:56.070 --> 00:57.750
This does blunt the bishop.

00:57.960 --> 01:05.100
Maybe later that bishop would be nice to kind of open up to G seven access Bishop B six Knight bd2,

01:06.000 --> 01:07.320
Queen E seven.

01:07.410 --> 01:08.940
And then we have Bishop D3.

01:09.180 --> 01:13.140
So White's bishop here is a little bit better than the eight Bishop.

01:13.620 --> 01:17.160
This bishop seems a little bit irrelevant actually at the moment.

01:17.160 --> 01:24.600
Blunted by the D4 pawn we see Rook D eight won't consoles Bishop D seven and now 95.

01:25.110 --> 01:27.360
Now here Bishop e eight was played.

01:27.360 --> 01:34.980
This is a bit passive and allows this F4 perhaps black should have played it seems Knight takes E5 so

01:34.980 --> 01:37.140
for example D takes 94.

01:37.230 --> 01:44.310
So offering a pawn if Knight takes e4, D takes this position where Bishop C6 Queen C two White's edge

01:44.310 --> 01:51.480
is only small here it's only slight, but in the game it seems as though this is problematic after F4

01:51.510 --> 01:54.360
because now this is like a stonewall attack.

01:54.360 --> 01:55.820
There's things like Rook afraid to H.

01:55.830 --> 01:56.430
Fritz.

01:56.430 --> 01:57.750
It's a very interesting position.

01:57.750 --> 02:00.390
White controls quite well the E4 square here.

02:00.510 --> 02:06.600
So this does seem like a strong version for white of a stonewall attack system.

02:06.600 --> 02:12.960
Rook AC eight So the Stonewall has this particular pawn structure, often the pawn on on C3.

02:12.960 --> 02:15.720
So there seems to be a good version.

02:15.870 --> 02:22.140
Rook C 197 And now Knight takes C6, Rook take C6 and now C5.

02:22.290 --> 02:28.290
And here Black perhaps notices there's a bit of a snag in this position.

02:29.960 --> 02:34.820
Emerging so and actually desperately plays Night Taxi five.

02:34.820 --> 02:37.580
So why is this why desperately give up this this piece?

02:37.580 --> 02:40.670
And it also has a cost to it as well, not just the material.

02:40.790 --> 02:43.640
It potentially it's like opening up the bishop to G7.

02:43.640 --> 02:50.300
If we look at this critical position, if bishops C seven, Bishop B five and that wins the exchange,

02:50.460 --> 02:51.860
you might wonder, Well, hold on, hold on.

02:51.860 --> 02:54.500
What about Bishop A5 then?

02:54.500 --> 03:01.520
It seems as though Knight be free is awkward for black, whereas black playing be sex now in this position,

03:01.610 --> 03:07.520
concretely, the strongest move is Knight takes a five, so that shatters Black's pawns.

03:07.520 --> 03:08.540
But now even worse.

03:08.540 --> 03:11.870
Bishop See three And what is black doing here?

03:12.380 --> 03:15.500
This is just a very painful position to be in.

03:17.030 --> 03:19.790
If a four bishop be five.

03:20.000 --> 03:27.920
And then here there's Bishop A5 and this is winning material might be six short heads B five, but we

03:27.920 --> 03:32.390
can take on eight first and then just take the ninth.

03:32.720 --> 03:34.400
This is highly problematic.

03:35.000 --> 03:38.330
If Rook sees seven, there's a bishop A5 skewing.

03:38.330 --> 03:40.690
Both rooks might have six.

03:40.700 --> 03:43.060
We can actually just afford here to take on C seven.

03:43.070 --> 03:44.000
So we're looking at D eight.

03:44.000 --> 03:48.040
Forget about B5 here and you know, we're just winning material here.

03:48.050 --> 03:56.330
So this kind of helps explain this unfortunate point in the game where black sacrifices are nice for

03:56.330 --> 04:02.340
two pawns, but it also opens up the Bishop rook phrase dual purpose protecting Ephraim.

04:02.390 --> 04:08.570
Also this potential rook left also potentially Bishop takes H seven and rookie free.

04:08.720 --> 04:12.290
So we have here Bishop takes Avery trying to grab more material.

04:13.130 --> 04:20.360
If f6 this might be more prudent here for Rook H free but this position one actually has a very strong

04:20.360 --> 04:21.800
attack with Rook.

04:21.800 --> 04:31.880
Take c5 of the Queen, take C5 Knight be free this position with Queen A1 very hyper modern and suave.

04:32.270 --> 04:34.400
What does Black do this 94?

04:34.430 --> 04:36.410
It's just building up a very, very strong attack.

04:36.410 --> 04:38.390
And then there's the idea of bishop a free.

04:38.630 --> 04:48.170
So one's getting a big advantage if B6 might be free F6 rook G4 is strong for white Bishop B6 we can

04:48.170 --> 04:53.570
actually play Bishop takes h seven check and Admiral Cage free check.

04:54.020 --> 04:59.960
And here rook take C six first and we can smash fruit to the king.

04:59.960 --> 05:05.000
Can you see how if you had this position, how can we smash fruit to the king now for a king attack?

05:05.150 --> 05:08.950
Brilliant king attack combination We would play here.

05:08.960 --> 05:10.010
Bishop, take G7.

05:10.010 --> 05:11.000
This is devastating.

05:13.130 --> 05:18.830
So one point is, if King takes in as Queen four and if king of six, Queen G5 is mate.

05:18.860 --> 05:21.110
Otherwise, we're just mating with broken chains.

05:21.500 --> 05:27.140
And if it's ignored, we've f6 then rook G3 is strong this position.

05:27.800 --> 05:32.000
Just ignore that King fan one And then, you know, it's just devastating, basically.

05:32.990 --> 05:35.420
A6 Les Bishop takes 87.

05:35.420 --> 05:37.850
This is just White's material up anyway.

05:37.880 --> 05:41.150
As you might suspect, a lot of these attacks are just very strong here.

05:41.180 --> 05:42.890
This position is very strong.

05:43.280 --> 05:47.420
So, for example, here we just zero up.

05:47.990 --> 05:52.580
I mean, we've given back our material rather for a very strong attack.

05:53.450 --> 05:56.180
So Bishop takes f6 here would be devastating.

05:57.230 --> 05:58.640
Looking at D eight.

05:58.640 --> 06:02.540
If G takes Queen takes of six, track Queen takes the eight.

06:03.830 --> 06:06.110
So, yeah, it's just very, very strong attack.

06:06.110 --> 06:12.970
So Bishop takes A3 though, makes things interesting and we have actually an inaccuracy from Alekhine

06:12.980 --> 06:14.330
Rook take C six.

06:15.440 --> 06:17.720
It does seem there was a more clinical move here.

06:17.720 --> 06:18.890
This is intriguing.

06:18.890 --> 06:27.620
A little bit intriguing that rook take C6 was played so it seems as though bishop takes H7 check here

06:27.620 --> 06:33.590
is very strong for rook H free shank and here Queen H five.

06:36.900 --> 06:45.960
If if f6 because otherwise if Rook C1 were just taking on C1, this position could win H eight check.

06:46.590 --> 06:49.440
And here actually just very strong as a free.

06:51.560 --> 06:57.590
So this with 95 check, 9.87 check Rook Geoffrey, for example.

06:57.680 --> 07:05.180
And black can't easily defend seven here so if I wrote 67 this is just dismantling check take the queen.

07:05.210 --> 07:07.520
It's just dismantling black.

07:07.520 --> 07:09.290
You know, black is not going to last too long here.

07:09.290 --> 07:11.390
And even the bishop can come to help the queen.

07:11.660 --> 07:15.260
So yeah, it does seem as though Bishop takes 87 check was very strong.

07:15.260 --> 07:18.200
And if you're wondering, by the way, you know, King G six is Queen H five.

07:18.320 --> 07:21.770
So, yes, that's kind of it's a very, very dangerous sequence.

07:21.770 --> 07:23.810
But Rook takes six was played.

07:23.810 --> 07:24.890
Bishop Thanks.

07:26.600 --> 07:33.980
If Bishop takes B to rook C2 Yes, Bishop takes H seven check Here is possible.

07:35.030 --> 07:36.950
And here Bishop de Fray.

07:36.980 --> 07:38.030
Bishop takes queen.

07:38.030 --> 07:38.570
Thanks.

07:38.600 --> 07:39.470
It is.

07:41.190 --> 07:42.720
Better for white.

07:42.810 --> 07:48.120
One has the extra nights and black hands free for five.

07:48.120 --> 07:49.630
Six against four points.

07:49.650 --> 07:57.300
Two points though, but OC Bishop takes six, which allows now a brilliant combination, which I think

07:57.300 --> 07:58.140
you might suspect.

07:58.140 --> 08:00.630
So the first move is for ten points.

08:02.480 --> 08:02.900
Okay.

08:02.930 --> 08:06.290
Bishop takes a seven track roll, cage free check.

08:06.290 --> 08:10.490
KING And now I hope you suspect the move here, which ends the game.

08:10.940 --> 08:12.260
What is that move?

08:12.920 --> 08:17.390
And this does seem to echo basically Alaska's brilliancy against Beyer.

08:18.950 --> 08:25.760
So, yes, Bishop takes seven, a double bishop sacrifice, totally demolishing the defensive layer,

08:25.790 --> 08:31.810
the force defensive shield around around the king going into Star Trek mode here.

08:32.510 --> 08:40.730
The defensive shield has been taken out if f6 because if King takes G7 queen G4 check is pretty convincing.

08:40.730 --> 08:46.010
So say F6 then Bishop, age six, is pretty dangerous for black.

08:48.380 --> 08:49.460
So here.

08:51.520 --> 08:56.140
If Queen H seven, Queen H five, and we're cutting escapes.

08:56.140 --> 08:58.360
Queens of the King here, I think.

08:58.360 --> 09:00.760
Queen G for Czech King of seven.

09:01.390 --> 09:07.060
Bishop takes eight is actually just winning material here And note how the night and she stops Queen

09:07.090 --> 09:08.260
B one check as well.

09:09.640 --> 09:16.750
So yes, as a crushing finished double bishop sacrifice could have been played maybe even a tad more

09:16.750 --> 09:17.620
accurately.

09:17.830 --> 09:19.690
But it's human after all.

09:19.690 --> 09:24.610
So Bishop 6h7 here was working, it seems, with this idea.

09:24.610 --> 09:27.040
It seems this is is interesting.

09:27.040 --> 09:32.800
So maybe something about this had been rejected by Alekhine, but it does seem as though Knight Fraser

09:32.800 --> 09:36.940
is a pivotal move here, clarifying why it's actually a strong attack.

09:36.950 --> 09:42.940
It involves giving up the bishop on C one, but this is just a very, very strong attack here emerging.

09:42.940 --> 09:44.710
This is actually just a winning position.

09:44.710 --> 09:48.160
But yes, Rook takes C six and the Queen's human after all.

09:48.430 --> 09:49.630
But now.

09:51.480 --> 09:51.650
Yeah.

09:52.080 --> 09:56.130
After Bishop takes six, you know, this double Bishop sack is on anyway.

09:56.130 --> 09:56.880
So brilliant.

09:56.880 --> 09:57.600
Finish.

09:57.990 --> 09:58.710
Yep.

09:58.710 --> 10:01.020
End of game position there after Bishop takes seven.

10:01.020 --> 10:05.370
I hope you enjoyed this one as much as me echoing Laska here.

10:06.180 --> 10:06.990
Thanks very much.