WEBVTT 00:00.840 --> 00:01.590 Hi there. 00:01.710 --> 00:05.280 In this lecture, we see Alexander Alekhine against Hans Mock. 00:05.910 --> 00:07.710 This is in 1940. 00:08.520 --> 00:14.370 So Hans Mock actually labeled Bobby Fischer's game of the century. 00:14.400 --> 00:16.440 He coined that term Game of the century. 00:16.530 --> 00:18.720 Fischer's game against Bern. 00:19.260 --> 00:23.700 So, yeah, a very famous player in the chess community. 00:24.000 --> 00:24.960 So. 00:25.080 --> 00:30.360 Okay, this is Alekhine against Hans Mock in 1930 Sanremo Tournament, round seven. 00:30.360 --> 00:40.080 So D4 we have Hans Oakmont playing Knight f6 c4 e6 Knight C three Bishop b4 names Engine Bishop d2. 00:40.110 --> 00:41.940 This looks a little bit awkward. 00:42.450 --> 00:44.120 We see black castling. 00:44.130 --> 00:48.680 I mean, quite often the Rubinstein variation is very, very good. 00:48.690 --> 00:54.120 It's kind of been considered the main line, so Bishop RD2 seems a little bit awkward, but Black Castles 00:54.120 --> 00:54.480 now. 00:54.480 --> 00:59.340 So Alekhine plays F3 now D5 like F3 and now C5. 01:00.330 --> 01:04.020 This is very logical play from Black A3 Bishop Take C3. 01:04.020 --> 01:09.750 Bishop takes C4 and now 94 Rook c one to avoid the possibility of double pawns. 01:09.750 --> 01:17.700 We have Knight take C3 Rook take C3 C takes D4 and here is a major decision point actually. 01:17.970 --> 01:20.280 This is really interesting. 01:24.010 --> 01:29.200 The technical move from an engine perspective, which is accurate is Queen takes D4. 01:29.230 --> 01:31.900 This doesn't give way an isolated queen's pawn. 01:33.310 --> 01:36.010 And if say 96 Queen d2. 01:36.750 --> 01:41.690 Have a look at this first D takes Bishop takes Queen's come off and it's a bit dull. 01:41.710 --> 01:44.500 This is maybe why it's got a small edge. 01:44.500 --> 01:46.350 This is more Capablanca territory. 01:46.360 --> 01:51.070 We're not going to be attacking the king as much because we haven't got our main top score of the Queen. 01:51.070 --> 01:52.280 The Queen's disappeared. 01:52.300 --> 01:54.880 Queen D1 Not much different details. 01:55.030 --> 01:58.770 We get a similar scenario where we might have a small edge. 01:58.780 --> 02:05.500 The way Alekhine plays it is to accept the isolated Queen's pawn with E takes D4. 02:05.500 --> 02:07.570 And actually, let's examine the range of perks. 02:07.570 --> 02:07.960 We get. 02:07.960 --> 02:09.700 A marking of C5 and E5. 02:09.730 --> 02:11.770 Potentially E5 could be a good outpost. 02:11.890 --> 02:19.480 We actually clear out the pawn from E3, so we've actually got potentially a third rank attack against 02:19.480 --> 02:20.320 the king. 02:21.680 --> 02:23.540 So that's another major perk. 02:24.320 --> 02:29.120 So yeah, the awesome perks, this kind of form of structural damage in effect. 02:29.780 --> 02:34.940 And we see Black playing 96 now. 02:36.950 --> 02:41.000 And here, Bishop E two and now D take C four. 02:41.300 --> 02:47.000 So the isolated queens born i.q p as it's abbreviated to, is it a liability? 02:47.000 --> 02:50.800 Is it a strength for attacking plants, having an isolated queen plant? 02:50.810 --> 02:57.020 As I say, in this position, there are a range of perks the works already on C free ready to switch 02:57.020 --> 03:00.860 for an attack, especially the G free squared could be lucrative. 03:01.580 --> 03:03.530 We see Queen F six now. 03:03.530 --> 03:07.190 The Queen on F six does have a particular subtle cost to it that may be later. 03:07.190 --> 03:10.340 There's a tempo gain to be had from attacking the Queen. 03:10.340 --> 03:15.000 At some point we see white constant rook and now an awkward looking rook. 03:15.020 --> 03:16.820 The free a necessary move. 03:16.820 --> 03:24.140 In this situation we see Bishop D7 rookie one Bishop e ain't. 03:25.960 --> 03:38.230 And now Queen D two and here 97, which locks down against the five if H six, which stops 95, that 03:38.230 --> 03:38.830 might be interesting. 03:38.830 --> 03:46.450 Y could dissolve the -- this position with some trades and say here. 03:47.460 --> 03:50.130 With Bishop D7 Queen C two. 03:51.390 --> 03:56.280 This kind of situation is going to be about even. 03:56.320 --> 03:59.550 There are some dynamic aspects here with the queen looking at three. 04:00.390 --> 04:02.060 We can examine one as an example. 04:02.070 --> 04:06.120 Bishop takes H three, which also looks at the the rook looks at the bishop. 04:06.150 --> 04:07.330 Bishop takes six. 04:07.350 --> 04:08.340 B takes one. 04:08.340 --> 04:10.080 Can play queen C five here. 04:12.450 --> 04:14.200 So not wanting to take as acquaintances. 04:14.200 --> 04:14.510 They're afraid. 04:14.520 --> 04:20.010 But this position should be about even. 04:20.190 --> 04:24.210 The reason is, yeah, it's about even this position. 04:24.210 --> 04:26.040 You know, black has some issues here. 04:26.610 --> 04:30.720 And also if King G seven, Queen 67 is about even. 04:30.720 --> 04:31.890 So anyway. 04:33.580 --> 04:39.880 So on 86, there is a possibility of day five in a nutshell there, but 97 was played not depriving 04:39.880 --> 04:42.060 the use of the G5 square for the night. 04:42.070 --> 04:44.470 So this seems like an aggressive probing move now. 04:44.470 --> 04:52.000 95 And for me, yes, I've seen many years back night G5 in Alekhine's games they've been inspiring 04:52.000 --> 04:59.050 for us Little big points winners for online chess on coming to the fifth rank is often very very dangerous 04:59.050 --> 05:00.460 and probing for stuff. 05:00.580 --> 05:08.710 We see it being ignored here with 95 to not be nudged just left on G5 for the moment, but it does vacate 05:08.710 --> 05:13.060 a free giving white the new resource, the newly found resource rule. 05:13.060 --> 05:18.010 Caffrey We have Queenie seven and it's good that the bishop supports have seven. 05:18.010 --> 05:19.750 Here we have Rook Geoffrey. 05:19.750 --> 05:23.380 This looks a little bit scary for Black H six now. 05:23.380 --> 05:24.130 Not now. 05:24.130 --> 05:25.150 The knight goes to right. 05:25.150 --> 05:31.480 So this rook, like an R2-D2 robot in Star Wars, is looking at nicely at G seven. 05:31.480 --> 05:32.530 That's good to have. 05:33.430 --> 05:34.210 In a way. 05:34.210 --> 05:40.450 It looks as though, you know, is this just artificial play based on just attacking the king? 05:40.960 --> 05:43.030 Maybe Capablanca wouldn't approve. 05:43.030 --> 05:44.350 This doesn't seem. 05:45.590 --> 05:55.850 Kind of pure In a purist purism perspective, it doesn't seem too elegance. 05:56.510 --> 06:02.540 And but the thing is, the king is, in a practical sense, a way of winning games. 06:03.530 --> 06:07.820 There are issues surrounding playing accurately for king safety. 06:07.970 --> 06:14.270 And the funny thing about this position, there are all sorts of things going on while the knight is 06:14.270 --> 06:16.820 acting as a guardian for Black's position. 06:18.110 --> 06:22.970 It's interesting to bear in mind that if, say, the knight wasn't guarding beef or the royal moves 06:22.970 --> 06:27.680 like Queen before, which might look at the King, there are bouncy rows potentially to the king of 06:27.680 --> 06:28.370 the king was linked to. 06:28.370 --> 06:30.280 And you can imagine this is a bouncy road. 06:30.290 --> 06:31.550 So just bear that in mind. 06:31.550 --> 06:38.000 We see E4 and it's kind of scary, this build up and actually black does not does actually move the 06:38.000 --> 06:39.230 knight at E7. 06:39.230 --> 06:42.770 So it does have some new possibilities emerging here. 06:43.460 --> 06:56.720 Like queen before about plays 95 now and we have F5 and the Rook goes to D3 to support the fall OC Rook 06:56.720 --> 06:57.920 AC eight H. 06:58.100 --> 07:00.560 It looks as though Black's playing in a kind of classical way. 07:00.560 --> 07:01.670 And Alekhine. 07:01.670 --> 07:03.320 What is he doing with all this? 07:03.320 --> 07:09.590 96 He's relying on tempo gain and here rook fall we have Knight take C4 which hits White's queen. 07:09.590 --> 07:15.080 So an element of simplification which in general is black strategy. 07:15.080 --> 07:19.010 You know, if Black's playing, if you're playing against Knight, say Queen spawn, the classic strategy 07:19.010 --> 07:25.700 is actually simplification to try and avoid the dynamic aspects of the isolated Queen's pool coming 07:25.700 --> 07:26.960 to attack your king. 07:26.960 --> 07:34.400 We have Queen G3 now Rook, Geoffrey, Queen D5 and now this block header is nudged with 93, Queen 07:34.400 --> 07:38.750 C six, and now King H two, which stops any checks. 07:38.840 --> 07:40.610 And now Black makes a huge mistake. 07:40.610 --> 07:41.390 Queen C one. 07:41.390 --> 07:43.640 Queen D six, it seems, is safer. 07:44.180 --> 07:53.000 So for example, Rook for G4 Black can, it seems, play a very technically interesting move G5 it's 07:53.000 --> 07:53.690 made. 07:54.310 --> 07:58.760 There's a method to the madness here because F5 actually releases the bishop to potentially an interesting 07:58.760 --> 08:02.270 square and or having access to H5 as well. 08:02.270 --> 08:09.830 Let's just show G5 here if d5 F5 94 for Queen E seven. 08:11.050 --> 08:13.030 And let's say rook d4 Rook takes D5. 08:13.030 --> 08:18.550 This leads actually to an even position, even though Black seems to be committing some sort of crime 08:18.550 --> 08:19.570 of king safety. 08:19.570 --> 08:21.640 It's not that unsafe. 08:21.640 --> 08:22.300 The king here. 08:22.330 --> 08:23.980 This should be an even position. 08:24.010 --> 08:30.280 G6 is actually worse because now D5 is interesting. 08:30.880 --> 08:38.440 If h five Rook H for you can see that actually the attacking prospects here are not to be laughed at. 08:38.440 --> 08:44.260 F4 Queen f6 Rook takes H5, Queen takes F4 Queen E one. 08:44.650 --> 08:48.250 But Black still has resources here. 08:48.340 --> 08:50.580 Be free in this position. 08:50.590 --> 08:52.270 Now this is kind of funny. 08:52.960 --> 08:54.490 This is engine territory. 08:54.910 --> 09:00.040 These squares are weak, but are they actually exploitable? 09:00.040 --> 09:01.600 And what on earth is B free? 09:01.630 --> 09:04.900 Got to do this variation, you might ask. 09:05.140 --> 09:07.810 It gives an access route to dark squares. 09:07.960 --> 09:08.870 So be free. 09:08.890 --> 09:12.040 Here is is interesting to consider, believe it or not. 09:12.880 --> 09:21.490 So Bishop D7 and we see Queen A1 being quite dangerous now French thing mate on H eight be the Queen. 09:21.520 --> 09:33.490 If King fights this position, Black has to play extremely accurately with E5 if a six this position 09:33.490 --> 09:39.070 of rook coming to G4 Rook Geoffrey is going to be bad news for black. 09:39.070 --> 09:40.870 This installation is going to be bad news. 09:40.870 --> 09:48.850 Black's going to get mated basically by if black plays E5 at the right time and this situation should 09:48.850 --> 09:51.030 actually be only a small edge for white. 09:51.040 --> 09:56.890 So there's fascinating stuff revolving around Queen D six. 09:57.340 --> 10:03.010 It seems if Black wants to hold the balance, Queen D six was the move to do it with potentially very 10:03.010 --> 10:08.110 resourceful play to follow up with OC, but Queen C one was played. 10:08.110 --> 10:14.740 But now we see this possibility this Queen before and I mentioned this before this this is a bouncy 10:14.740 --> 10:16.240 kind of road to the king. 10:16.570 --> 10:21.640 We have Queen C seven and now D5 is a fantastic way of protecting the rock. 10:21.730 --> 10:25.810 And the Queen is also it's, you know, it's protecting the route, but also there's this big possibility 10:25.810 --> 10:27.130 of A5. 10:27.310 --> 10:36.160 We see A5 trying to nudge the Queen if E6 Yes, then the big F5 comes and if Queen E5 light sites H 10:36.160 --> 10:38.650 six check for example. 10:38.650 --> 10:40.600 And here we can make use of Queen F eight. 10:40.630 --> 10:42.280 That would be the great point here. 10:43.600 --> 10:44.920 And this position. 10:44.920 --> 10:52.900 Black's king is in big, big trouble if rook C6 knight gates and we're going to kind of make the king 10:52.900 --> 10:56.590 potentially rook h for among other things. 10:56.590 --> 11:00.310 So the knight essentially holding H six if. 11:02.980 --> 11:03.700 Bishop G4. 11:03.700 --> 11:09.130 But you know, this this position we have Czech here and if here we can just take that and bring the 11:09.130 --> 11:10.780 king out and then make on G6. 11:10.780 --> 11:13.990 So this would be a desperate attempt to stave off mate. 11:14.200 --> 11:19.750 If Bishop G4 is desperate, we just take the and then we're crashing through. 11:21.460 --> 11:23.610 So yeah, it's dangerous stuff. 11:23.620 --> 11:27.040 He takes five that doesn't really want to allow 95. 11:27.040 --> 11:31.750 So A5 we have Queen E for now still holding the rock. 11:34.150 --> 11:40.960 If Queen D four this would be a big mistake because of E5 forcing once play D six and everything just 11:40.960 --> 11:41.680 gets thrown away. 11:41.680 --> 11:42.970 The attack is all thrown away. 11:42.970 --> 11:52.480 So Queenie for safety point rook d six here if e5 there is actually knight f5. 11:52.900 --> 11:56.020 If it takes F4, Rook takes g seven check. 11:56.920 --> 11:59.650 And here if King h8 Queen D4. 12:00.670 --> 12:01.450 And what does that do? 12:01.480 --> 12:02.620 Every check. 12:02.620 --> 12:11.890 So what Rook Geoffrey is check Queen E five and then black gets mated soon after. 12:11.980 --> 12:14.530 So Rook six is joined. 12:14.530 --> 12:19.120 Queen E five looking to mate G six, Queen H five. 12:20.170 --> 12:27.100 And now a desperate kind of exchange sacked to try and stave off being mated with rook takes D5 if King 12:27.100 --> 12:33.330 H7 can you see the absolutely beautiful move that one has available here for 500 points? 12:33.340 --> 12:35.100 What would you play in this position? 12:35.110 --> 12:36.820 The pawn has been underpinned. 12:38.070 --> 12:38.850 What do you want to do? 12:38.850 --> 12:39.840 Move on, Queen. 12:41.080 --> 12:42.040 Well, something else. 12:46.510 --> 12:52.810 There is a cost or downside to the bishop interrupting these key squares, actually. 12:53.800 --> 12:55.800 So, yes, I hope you can spot this move. 12:55.810 --> 12:56.730 It's a brilliant move. 12:56.740 --> 12:59.410 We have four here in this case. 13:01.310 --> 13:08.360 So looking at h six, if G takes h five, we have 9f6 Jack and a classic make pattern. 13:09.260 --> 13:09.830 Yes. 13:09.830 --> 13:10.930 This would be devastating. 13:10.950 --> 13:11.360 And if. 13:11.690 --> 13:11.960 Yes. 13:11.960 --> 13:13.310 Just taking on h six. 13:14.540 --> 13:15.620 Nice F six check. 13:15.620 --> 13:21.200 And this is this is and here even better than taking on F6 is to play roll cage for game for the champ 13:21.200 --> 13:21.710 mate. 13:24.650 --> 13:29.900 And Champ ends the game So black, you know, desperately played Rook, thanks to you. 13:29.900 --> 13:30.130 Fine. 13:30.140 --> 13:31.750 But now just night 65. 13:31.760 --> 13:32.750 Thanks very much. 13:33.350 --> 13:34.790 Queen takes 86. 13:35.920 --> 13:37.120 So equal on pawns. 13:37.120 --> 13:45.730 Just the exchange up for White Rook H for Queen G seven, Queen six G, seven in black resigned here. 13:46.240 --> 13:51.580 So there is a bit of work to do if the game continue his affection or example. 13:52.390 --> 13:59.530 So King takes with just the exchange up we can challenge that c file, blockade the d pawn and try and 13:59.530 --> 14:05.770 use the free to to pull majority here, press through with F five at some points. 14:05.890 --> 14:07.630 So F five and then H four. 14:07.630 --> 14:10.240 We've got a free to pull majority. 14:10.270 --> 14:17.470 The exchange up is basically going to make its presence felt here quite easily with such a plan of g 14:17.470 --> 14:21.610 five to crap pass pawn and white's well on the way to winning. 14:21.790 --> 14:24.520 So anyway, the game ended at Queen Takes G seven. 14:24.520 --> 14:30.790 So the instructive point here we have a decision in the opening in the opening here. 14:30.790 --> 14:37.060 Well the way it was played with Bishop D2 where you know, if we don't have the isolated Queen's pawn 14:37.060 --> 14:41.710 structure, none of this fun happens like that. 14:41.710 --> 14:48.430 We've witnessed with this third ranked stuff with a rook on g free r two D2 style. 14:48.520 --> 14:49.630 I like to think of it like that. 14:49.630 --> 14:55.660 These rooks remind me of the little R2D2 robot in Star Wars, but that's just me. 14:55.660 --> 14:57.730 Okay, so E takes D four. 14:57.730 --> 15:03.280 But yeah, getting it to g three is cute, but it looks some people say, oh, it looks really kind 15:03.280 --> 15:06.690 of artificial, but I thought it's kind of cute here. 15:06.700 --> 15:13.180 This possession in general if you're an attacking player you know there's some prospects here the queens 15:13.180 --> 15:17.680 are still on heavy pieces are still on the heavy rooks still on two minor pieces. 15:17.680 --> 15:21.820 The bishop of Knight, they're still attacking prospects basically to be celebrated. 15:22.660 --> 15:27.610 We've got to sort of potentially nany the pawn at various points in various potentially awkward ways. 15:27.610 --> 15:28.210 Sure. 15:28.210 --> 15:35.440 And we're going back here just to Nonny, the queen's pawn, and then try and drum something up. 15:36.220 --> 15:41.860 So this simplification was a necessary thing to happen. 15:41.860 --> 15:46.180 But yeah, I mean, it seems as though even, you know, without simplification. 15:48.080 --> 15:50.710 We've got some attacking prospects to look forward to. 15:50.870 --> 15:54.950 Know if Black moved the Queen, maybe we can just move the bishop onto this diagonal at some point. 15:54.950 --> 16:01.490 So Black wanted to kind of simplify was playing the classic recipe, but still it's like it becomes 16:01.490 --> 16:03.470 exceptionally dangerous off the Queen C one. 16:03.470 --> 16:07.220 This is the huge big point of mistake, it seems. 16:07.220 --> 16:08.210 Queen C one. 16:08.210 --> 16:12.290 So anyway, I hope you enjoyed this game and some of the instructive points and it shows that there 16:12.290 --> 16:20.090 are various attacking perks of the Queen's pawn, not just the adjacent files, which you usually get 16:20.090 --> 16:25.490 the aggressive pieces, not just the outpost squares, especially a night on E5 quite often, but also 16:25.490 --> 16:30.830 this, this rank aspect, this rook left aspect, because the third rank is is clear here. 16:30.830 --> 16:34.340 So very interesting stuff based on the perks of the isolated Queen's pawn. 16:34.940 --> 16:37.700 Okay, I hope you enjoyed that and so much.