Hi there.
In this lecture, we see Alexander Alekhine against Akiba Rubinstein.
This is in the 1923 Coles battlements around one d4 from Alekhine.
We have D5 from Rubinstein c4 e6.
Let's have four eight, six nine.
Siegfried Bishop E7, Bishop g5 Knight Bd7 F3.
Black Consoles Rook C1 C6, Queen C2.
So this is actually a system that Rubinstein is actually known for.
The Rubinstein variation being used against Rubinstein.
Here we see A6 E4 rookie eight and now Bishop D3.
So we have D take C4, Bishop take C4 95.
Now one slight downside emerging is that there's no defense of Knight right now on F6, and without
a defensive knight one should look out for the soft spots like H7 a little bit more than usual.
We have an unusual move here, which is not strictly accurate.
Bishop F4 Bishop takes E7 would be a more accurate move, it seems.
And for example, this position should be a small edge for whites.
The way this is played with Bishop F4 an invoice in 1964.
But notes now there's no knight on F6 and after he takes F4 white potentially you can get a nice grip
on the position Black played energetically here with C5 if Knight's F8 that is a defender of H.
Seven Shaw.
This position, though, seems a little bit on the passive side of the Bishop A2.
This bishop seems like quite a nice attacking piece and White's grip on squares like E5 is very comfortable
here.
Small edge for white.
We see C5 and now D take C5 is played.
This is actually necessary with the Kingston Center.
If the E5 then e tanks d5 and the problem is if Bishop takes D5, there's Bishop D6 check and F4 will
drop and Black has the advantage here.
This is bad for white, clearly not being able to console so D take C5 is played Queen C seven.
That's sneaky looking at F4 and now Alekhine Castle.
If he plays G free, he's asking for trouble on this diagonal.
It looks as though, What am I talking about?
Kings Krishna, What are you talking about?
The thing is, Queen takes C5.
If we look at this position, B5 is energetic and then Bishop b7.
And what does white do if white cancels Bishop takes F3 end of game.
So that that is the kind of disaster that could occur if Bishop D3 attacks.
Black's going to be absolutely fine here with enough play this position, taking out the exchange,
it's going to be great for black, but technically it's equal actually.
Okay, so Alekhine avoided all that.
All of those issues just castling offering a full for the moment.
If Queen takes E5 Knight e4, this position is about even so Queen takes F4.
We have Knight E4 and you might think isn't why I pulled down here after 1965.
Not for long night take five.
Bishop takes Bishop D3 hints H seven that soft spot note there's no defensive knight and hits C5 so
B6 is plaint if we're just going to take out C5 if Bishop E7 that is plausible actually and this position
King F8 should be even so B6 is a slight weakening move, maybe wanting to get this other bishop.
It looks nice to get the other bishop, but there's a cost to it.
B6 We have Bishop takes H7 King and shines here.
If King f8, the cost of B6 is revealed.
Bishop E4 and the problem is, say Geoffrey, now White has a five and this starts to look a little
bit painful, especially here b4 if Bishop d6 b5 and things are getting tricky.
For example here 1964 Queen 60 for Rook 51 and then taking up B6.
Things are getting very tricky here in these variations.
If we look at this again, if Rook D7 Queen c5 check, Rook takes, D7 Bishop takes and the bishop could
drop back and this is very pleasant for white so ock King h8 though is played Bishop E4.
All rock seven.
So why Rock seven?
That looks a bit awkward, right?
If Rock B aids, can you see what.
White plays here for ten points.
Yeah.
Before.
Before Black has any chance to do anything before if Bishop detects this position is unpleasant.
There are unpleasant ideas here like Queen C6 hitting d6 and if Bishop f i g fray this position as Queen
C7.
Ouch.
Black's losing material.
And if we look at this again, if Bishop f8 nudges the Queen away from E4 first so that this queen is
free to come in to see seven ouch.
Just winning material.
So that explains Rook seven The little bit b4 is played anyway though.
So what's the point here?
If Bishop takes b4, can you see what White plays in this position?
If I give you 5 seconds pause video.
We have an escape square taken, so we should be excited by this queen.
Thanks, Kate.
Yeah, This is crunching.
This is going to be checkmate.
So Bishop faints.
Now Queen C six is played.
In this position.
Also, Geoffrey is worth considering for Queen C6 disposition.
B5 is nice for White Oak, but Queen C6 immediately.
This move order looks very similar anyway, except the Queen hasn't gone to F6.
Okay, so what happens here now?
If Queen f6 in this position, I would just take you out.
B6 So Queen Bey protects B6 G5.
This is very, very dangerous.
So you can see without the defensive knight on F6, things are happening on soft swat squares.
We have Rook 88 and now there's a wonderful conception, really resourceful.
And when I say resourceful, I literally mean that this this move actually creates a new powerful resource
which is intimately connected to the first move.
It's a stunner.
It's an iconic move in this position.
So we have a position without the defensive on F6 and that amplifies the soft spots.
But this is a magnificent amplification resource of H seven as a weakness, and it's just absolute.
Genius.
It does exploit.
The queen is kind of far away from the king as well.
There are other factors here.
These pieces are kind of in bed, you know, basically.
So I wonder for 500 points, what would you play here and why and why does it literally create resources?
What sort of move creates new resources?
Not in the initial position.
We're constrained by illegal moves.
You know, with Queen can't go there.
The queen can't go here, the rook can't go there.
We're always constrained by, you know, our own illegal moves created by our own pieces occupying squares.
That's a little clue for you.
There's a crunching move here.
I'm about I'm going to show it now.
It's Bishop G6.
It vacates E4 so the queen can potentially bounce like this to look at H seven, you might think Bishop
G six What's going on here?
Bishop G six Queen e5 was played f f tanks, G six.
It's amazing.
But the quantum of Queen E four is French thing.
Amazing two For example, Queen 42h71 is black two.
Bishop C five.
Queen Saint's G six then is strong and Queen 6e6 check say king AFAIK 97 is mate seven mate that if
King H eight Queen H check King G eight.
Queen H seven.
And now for the Art of Checkmate.
What would we do here?
Sometimes in preference to a check, we want to cover escape squares.
So what are we playing in this position?
With ten points.
What would you play?
Yeah.
You want to make each check more effective to be kind of mating rook.
C one covers the scheme squares.
So now that's kind of been promoted to a checkmate fret if Queenie five Yeah, we just it's just delaying
the checkmate.
So that's a beautiful variation where Queenie four is amazing.
Queen E4 is amazing.
So if Bishop is seven.
Yeah, this just, this is just amazing.
Like this?
Yeah.
So the bishop's like, trying to, you know.
Potentially has the resource.
You know, it's it's in the way here so that's that explains this computer like Bishop C five Troy if
King G ain't in this position.
We can, actually.
Play here, Queen C-4, as an example.
And.
I mean, if it was also super dangerous.
But if Bishop B seven, Queen H four, Bishop six before.
And in this position we can actually force.
A concession here, which is kind of magnificent, actually, in its own right.
What would you play here for?
300 points?
This is very tricky stuff.
Very tricky.
What would you play in this variation?
If you want to carry on the attack.
If you want to be a king hunter.
Yeah.
Queen H five.
It might be tempting to chase the king, but where are we chasing the king to?
Are we chasing the king to safety?
And then they might even have looked after.
What are we doing here?
It's not necessarily that good, although, I mean, it is promising, but more accurate is Queen H
five.
So here.
This is causing a lot of pain.
If KING if a bishop takes a seven because there's no easy way actually to defend seven here.
So let's imagine this position.
Bishop takes E6.
Bishop C one, Queen h H.
King E seven.
We're hunting the king here, bringing it out of shelter.
And this position is just diabolical.
So, yes, there are some interesting tricks and ideas here.
So Queen E5 anyway was played and now Alekhine just cashes out.
He just wins In exchange.
Knight takes f7 shank.
So with that fork of Queen and King Black, is the exchange down now?
Queen F5 after you won not minding the simplification combination now.
So Rook takes the one.
Rook takes the one.
Queen takes up seven.
Queen size eight.
King H seven.
We have now Queen six A6 Queen F3.
But now.
Yeah.
Cashing out I mean simplifying rather.
Queen D3 check and the game If Queen takes the free rook tanks D3 if Black takes this pawn as rookie
free E6 is difficult to protect.
So that's going to be dropping.
That's just an easy win for white from here.
So I resent in this game it is an iconic game and it does feature a move Bishop F4 which engines do
not like.
I have to say this, but we are in this course taking on the role of king hunters.
Your king hunting hat has to be on.
What we need is that extra sensitivity to soft spots, the towel mindset, the mindset of soft spots.
And we should know where we're getting rid of a potentially defensive piece.
A knight on F6.
There's only like one key defensive knight now.
So here in this situation that Knight's been indulging in this operation, which leaves a situation
where H7 is a soft spot now which is taken out.
But the impact here is very, very beautiful.
It's very, very instructive how a very, very powerful resource is made use of here.
This is one to think about deeply.
Take some time to think about this concept here.
It's Crates and Express Roots for the Queen by vacating E4 and also clearance on this rank.
Even if Queen force don't use sometimes queen C4 so we can bounce bouncy roads of attack as well.
Think about access routes to H seven bouncy roads of attack to the king.
But Bishop six literally for me creates resources.
Unlike the square vacating resource crater aspect of Bishop G6 so that F4 can be used as a pivot if
needed.
And yeah, it just if we look at the variations, they're all very, very favorable for white hair.
So white winning exchange basically spells the end of the game there.
It's a really beautiful conception.
And once bear in mind, but the prelude to it, there's a subtle prelude, often in eloquent games here.
You know, the subtle prelude was making sure pieces are over here.
There isn't a defend enough defence, enough defensive pieces around the king.
So wonderful stuff.
I hope you're inspired by this as much as me.
That's so much.