Abraham Speijer vs Akiba Rubinstein - St. Petersburg 1909.02.16

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Abraham Speijer vs Akiba Rubinstein
St. Petersburg St. Petersburg RUE round 2 1909.02.16
Queen’s Gambit Declined: Alapin Variation 0-1

[Event "St. Petersburg"]
[Site "St. Petersburg RUE"]
[Date "1909.02.16"]
[EventDate "1909.02.15"]
[Round "2"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Abraham Speijer"]
[Black "Akiba Rubinstein"]
[ECO "D31"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "110"]

1.d4 {Notes by Dr. Emanuel Lasker.} d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 dxc4
4.Nf3 a6 5.a4 c5 6.e3 {Here White should play 6.e4. After
6...Nc6 7.d5 Na5 8.Nd2 Nf6 9.Nxc4 White's position is
preferable.} Nf6 7.Bxc4 Nc6 8.O-O Qc7 9.Qe2 {Here 9.d5 might
have been done. If 9...exd5 10.Nxd5 Nxd5 11.Qxd5 Be6 12.Qe4,
White has certainly not the worst of it. Likewise if 9...Na5
10.Ba2 c4 11.e4 White has all pieces posted well.} Be7 10.Bd2
O-O 11.Rac1 Rd8 12.Bd3 cxd4 13.exd4 Bd7 {Naturally not
13...Nxd4?? 14.Nxd4 Rxd4 15.Nb5.} 14.Ne4 Rac8 15.Ne5 {A witty
trap. If 15...Nxd4 16.Nxf6+ Bxf6 (16...gxf6 17.Qg4+) 17.Qe4
Qxe5 (or 17...Ne2+ 18.Kh1 Nxc1) 18.Qxh7+ Kf8, White wins with
19.Bb4+.} Be8 {! This simple reply shows that the trap was
useless.} 16.Bc3 Nxd4 {! Exactly calculated. If 17.Bxd4
Qxc1. After the continuation in the actual game Black will
have two pawns extra.} 17.Nxf6+ Bxf6 18.Qe4 Nf5 19.g4 Bxe5 {!}
20.Qxe5 {Naturally not 20.Bxe5 Qxc1 21.Rxc1 Rxc1+ 22.Kg2 Bc6,
or 20.gxf5 Bxh2+ 21.Kh1 (or Kg2) 21...Bc6.} Rxd3 21.Qxc7 Rxc7
22.gxf5 exf5 {Also strong was 22...Bxa4, because 23.f6 will be
refuted by 23...gxf6 24.Bxf6 Rxc1 25.Rxc1 Rd1+. This game
clearly shows Rubinstein's mighty and solid style.} 23.a5 f6
24.Rfd1 Rcd7 25.Rxd3 Rxd3 26.Re1 Bc6 27.Re3 Rd1+ 28.Re1 Rd7
29.f4 Kf7 30.Kf2 Be4 31.Re2 g5 32.Rd2 Bd5 {!} 33.Kg3 Ke6
34.Re2+ Be4 35.Rd2 Rg7 36.fxg5 Rxg5+ 37.Kf4 Rg4+ 38.Ke3 Rh4
39.Rf2 Bd5 40.Bd4 Re4+ 41.Kd3 Bc6 42.b4 Bb5+ 43.Kc3 f4 44.Bc5
Kf5 45.Kd2 h5 46.Kc3 Be2 47.Rg2 f3 48.Rg7 Bb5 49.Rg3 Rc4+
50.Kd2 Ke4 51.Bb6 Rxb4 52.Rh3 Rb2+ 53.Kc3 f2 54.Re3+ Kf4
55.Re6 Kf5 0-1

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Updated: 21 December, 2021
Created: 21 December, 2021