Master Game Analysis – Capablanca-Tartakower, New York 1924

22nd December 202017th January 2021 Becoming a Chess Master Game Analysis, José Raúl Capablanca, Saviely Tartakower

Master Game Analysis – Capablanca-Tartakower, New York 1924

This master game, played between José Raúl Capablanca and Saviely Tartakower, is a true classic from the legendary New York 1924 tournament.

The game illustrates Capablanca’s exceptional endgame skill, in this case activating his rook to the seventh rank, using it to dominate Black’s position, while slowly but surely bringing his king in to support the rook and convert to a win. In the process he gives away two pawns, but shows that material majority is not the only factor in winning a game of chess.

In the game viewer below you can play through the game and variations, and read the commentary. Use the arrows below the board, or click on moves in the annotation section.

[Event "New York"] [Site "New York"] [Date "1924.03.23"] [Round "6"] [White "Capablanca, Jose Raul"] [Black "Tartakower, Saviely"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A85"] [PlyCount "103"] [EventDate "1924.03.16"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "22"] [EventCountry "USA"] 1. d4 e6 {Preparing for a French Defence, should White play 2.e4.} 2. Nf3 f5 3. c4 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 ({Alekhine thought the following line would be better, as it would allow Tartakower to develop his queen’s knight with more ease.} 4... Bb4+ 5. Nbd2 Nc6 6. e3 O-O {with a later …d7-d6 and …d6-e5}) 5. Nc3 O-O 6. e3 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. O-O {It is said that Capablanca did not study opening theory much, instead relying on logical moves and his deep understanding of positional play.} Qe8 {Possibly for …Qh5 and …Ng4} 9. Qe2 {Preparing e3-e4, which Tartakower stops with…} Ne4 {, which also allows for a simplification of the position} 10. Bxe7 Nxc3 11. bxc3 {Imposing a structural weakness, while gaining a semi-open b-file.} Qxe7 12. a4 Bxf3 {Alekhine points out that bishops tend to be better than knights in mobile pawn formations, therefore this exchange was not in Tartakower’s favour.} ({Another option was} 12... Nc6 {now, with the idea of …Nc3-a5 to block the a-pawn. Tartakower does later play this. See comment after 16…Na5. Alekhine suggests the following line:} 13. Rfb1 {threatening a5} Na5 14. c5 {and Rb5}) 13. Qxf3 Nc6 14. Rfb1 Rae8 15. Qh3 {Preventing …e5, as the f-pawn would fall.} Rf6 {Possibly for …Rf6-Rh6} 16. f4 {aiming to prevent a Black kingside attack.} Na5 {Tartakower blocks the a-pawn, but the knight is some distance away from the kingside, where it may later be needed.} 17. Qf3 {Renewing the idea of e3-e4} d6 {removing pawn support from the e-pawn} 18. Re1 {Still with the e3-e4 plan in mind. This plan is now even more relevant, given the potential target on e6.} Qd7 ({Alekhine suggest White would benefit from 18…e5, because the open e-file would be to White’s advantage after 19.e4. However, the following line, although leaving White with a slim advantage, is not clear.} 18... e5 19. e4 exf4 20. exf5 Qxe1+ 21. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 22. Kf2 Re8 23. Qxf4 g6 24. g4 gxf5 25. Qg5+ Rg6) 19. e4 { As advertised} fxe4 20. Qxe4 g6 {against the obviour threat of Qxh7+} 21. g3 { Solidifying his position and getting ready to get his king involved.} Kf8 22. Kg2 Rf7 23. h4 d5 ({Alekhine proposed an alternative to the simplication sought by Tartakower with 23…d5} 23... Nxc4 $5 24. Bxc4 d5 25. Bxd5 Qxd5 26. a5) 24. cxd5 exd5 25. Qxe8+ Qxe8 26. Rxe8+ Kxe8 {taking the game into an endgame and giving Capablanca a chance to do what he does best.} 27. h5 $1 { To activate his rook on the only possible file.} ({Should Capablanca have tried to activate via the open e-file, he would have got nowhere after} 27. Re1+ Re7) 27... Rf6 ({Chernev illustrates that} 27... gxh5 $6 {is worse for Tartakower after} 28. Rh1 Kf8 29. Rxh5 {with a double attack on the h- and d-pawns}) 28. hxg6 hxg6 29. Rh1 {Mission accomplished} Kf8 30. Rh7 {Getting his rook onto the 7th rank, cutting off Black’s king and attacking the a- and c-pawns. There is a reason rooks belong on the 7th rank.} Rc6 {To attack c3} ({ Note that the blocking move now does not work, due to} 30... Rf7 31. Bxg6 { , losing a pawn and giving Capablance two connected passed pawns and an easy win.}) 31. g4 {Proceeding on the kingside with an aim to creating a passed pawn.} Nc4 (31... Rxc3 32. Bxg6 {is no good for Tartakower}) 32. g5 Ne3+ 33. Kf3 Nf5 {This blocks the attack on the g6-pawn and thus allows …Rxc3} (33... Nd1 {is the engine’s preferred move. Tartakower, without the benefit of Stockfish, rejected it due to this rather long line.} 34. Rh6 Kg7 35. f5 Nxc3 $4 {This is the key mistake in Tartakower’s analysis. 35…Nb2 would have have led to equality.} 36. Kf4 Ne4 37. Bxe4 dxe4 38. f6+ Rxf6+ $4 {Another blunder. …Kf7 still loses, but is best. Clearly we can forgive Tartakower this oversight so deep into a variation.} 39. gxf6+ Kxh6 40. Kxe4 Kh7 41. Kd5 Kg8 42. Kc6 g5 43. Kxc7 g4 44. d5 g3 45. d6 g2 46. d7 g1=Q 47. d8=Q+ Kh7 48. Qe7+ Kh6 49. Qg7+ Qxg7+ 50. fxg7 Kxg7 51. Kb7 Kf7 52. Kxa7 Ke7 53. Kxb6 Kd7 54. Kb7 {and the pawn marches in.}) 34. Bxf5 gxf5 (34... Rxc3+ $4 {May look like a good inbetween move, but it is a blunder, because after} 35. Kg4 gxf5+ 36. Kxf5 {Capablanca is winning.}) 35. Kg3 $1 {Ignoring the material status and instead starting a journey to go and support the strong rook and help the kingside majority forward.} Rxc3+ {Doing one thing often means you are not doing another. Here, although …Rxc3+ nets Tartakower the pawn, his rook is now not cutting off Capablanca’s king from entering the deeper ranks.} 36. Kh4 Rf3 37. g6 Rxf4+ {Winning another pawn, but not paying due attention to Capablanca’s grand scheme.} 38. Kg5 {Penetrating ever deeper into Black’s territory.} Re4 39. Kf6 {With a mate threat.} ({Capablanca could have won one pawn back, but this would allow Tartakower to defend from behind. For example:} 39. Kxf5 $4 Rxd4 40. Kf6 Rf4+) 39... Kg8 40. Rg7+ Kh8 41. Rxc7 Re8 {Tartakower is already lost, but this move, reducing his rook to a passive defending role, is his best at this point.} ({As an example of why Black had to go to the 8th rank} 41... f4 $4 42. Rc8+ Re8 43. Rxe8#) 42. Kxf5 Re4 43. Kf6 Rf4+ 44. Ke5 Rg4 45. g7+ {Capablanca is happy to give away the g-pawn, because after the exchanges, he has a winning endgame – see the variation.} Kg8 (45... Rxg7 $4 46. Rxg7 Kxg7 47. Kxd5 Kf7 48. Kd6 a6 49. Kc6 b5 50. axb5 axb5 51. Kxb5 Ke6 52. Kc6 Ke7 53. d5 Kd8 54. Kd6 Ke8 55. Kc7 Ke7 56. d6+ {and the pawn promotes}) 46. Rxa7 { All over bar the shouting.} Rg1 47. Kxd5 Rc1 48. Kd6 Rc2 49. d5 Rc1 50. Rc7 Ra1 51. Kc6 Rxa4 52. d6 {And Tartakower finally resigned.} 1-0 You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.

As ever, I would encourage you to set up the game on a real board and play through it. Other than the fact that real chess is played on real boards, it is an opportunity to practise your visualisation skills by visualising variations before you play through them.