Aron Nimzowitsch vs Jose Raul Capablanca - Exhibition Game 1913.12.30

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Aron Nimzowitsch vs Jose Raul Capablanca
Exhibition Game Riga RUE 1913.12.30
Blackburne Shilling Gambit 0-1

[Event "Exhibition Game"]
[Site "Riga RUE"]
[Date "1913.12.30"]
[EventDate "1914.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Aron Nimzowitsch"]
[Black "Jose Raul Capablanca"]
[ECO "C50"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "128"]

1. e4 {Notes by Capablanca.} e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bc4
{The normal move, 4. Bb5, is stronger. Nimzowitsch must have
had some new idea in mind when he chose this line in
preference to the other which he generally adopts.} 4...Bc5
{If 4... Bb4 5. Nd5 gives White an excellent game.} 5. d3 d6
6. Bg5 Be6 {With the idea of driving the Queen's Bishop back
at the proper time by ...h6 and ...g5, and thus bringing the
game to a position full of complications and unknown
possibilities where Black hoped to outplay his adversary.}
7. Bb5 h6 8. Bh4 Bb4 {To prepare against d3-d4, after or
before Bxc6 which was the intention indicated by White's
7.Bb5.} 9. d4 Bd7 10. O-O Bxc3 11. bxc3 g5 {There were a dozen
select spectators around our table, one of them Nimzowitsch's
father, a fairly good player, and they looked at one another
when they saw the bold course I was pursuing, reckless on my
part, they thought, and bound to bring disaster, especially
after my next move 12...Nxe4, when I had not castled and my
King was in the center of the board.} 12. Bg3 Nxe4 13. Bxc6
{Not the best way to continue the attack, as by exchanging
pieces the Black King will not be submitted to the strong
attack that would be necessary to compensate for the material
advantage obtained by Black and the disarrangement of White's
Queenside pawns. 13. Qd3 was the best move to keep up the
pressure.} 13...Bxc6 14. dxe5 dxe5 15. Bxe5 {Some people have
suggested 15. Nxe5. It has its good and bad points, but at all
events Black will come out with the better game in any
variation.} 15...Qxd1 16. Raxd1 16... f6 $1 {The key to my
maneuver in this variation. I had counted on it, together with
17...Kf7, when I played 11...g5.} 17. Bd4 {17. Bxc7 would
leave the c-file open for the Black Rooks to act against
White's c-pawns. My opponent must have thought that on account
of the Bishops of opposite colors he had a safe game.}
17... Kf7 {Now the Black King is much more useful than
White's.} 18. Nd2 18... Rhe8 {Notwithstanding the Bishops of
opposite colors I did not hesitate to exchange. Those who wish
to learn should do well in carefully studying this game. It is
one of the finest endings I ever played, and I have had very
often the great pleasure of hearing my opponent pay tribute to
the skill displayed by me in winning it.} 19. f3 Nxd2 20. Rxd2
Rad8 21. g4 Bb5 22. Rb1 Ba6 23. Rbd1 {Not 23. Kf2 because of
23...c5! 24. Be3 Rxd2+ 25. Bxd2 25... Re2+, winning a piece.}
23... Re2 $1 {Still exchanging.} 24. Rxe2 Bxe2 25. Re1 Bxf3
26. Rf1 26. c5 $1 {The move that gives Black the advantage.}
27. Bxf6 {If now 27. Rxf3 cxd4 28. Rd3 Rc8 and for all
practical purposes Black is a pawn ahead. My opponent chose
the other line of play in order to keep Bishops of opposite
colors, which he thought should give him a draw.} 27...Rd1
28. Be5 Rxf1+ 29. Kxf1 29... Bxg4 {The ending is now won by
force. Several months after the game was played, when
Nimzowitsch had come to St. Petersburg to play in the
All-Russian Masters Tournament, he told me that he had studied
the game and thought that he had finally found a way to draw
this ending. Although I had not seen the game since it was
played I offered to make him a small sporting bet, giving him
odds of a draw in any position from now on. The offer was
immediately accepted and we sat down. In a few moves he saw
that his idea was wrong and gave up the game.} 30. a4 Ke6
31. Bb8 {It would seem that had White played 31. Bg7 and then
followed with a4-a5, he could have drawn; but such is not the
case, as 31...h5 32. a5 a6 would also have won, though taking
much longer.} 31...a5 $1 32. Ke1 {White cannot attack the pawn
by 32. Bc7 as 32...b5! wins.} 32...Kd5 33. Kd2 Bd7 34. Bc7 Kc6
35. Bd8 {White cannot take the pawn with 35. Bxa5 because of
35...b6} 35... b6 36. c4 Kb7 37. Kc3 Bxa4 38. Kb2 Bd7 39. Kb3
Be6 40. Kc3 a4 41. Kd3 Kc6 42. Kc3 g4 43. Bh4 h5 44. Bg3 a3
45. Kb3 Bxc4+ $1 {If White now plays 46.Kxc4 then 46... a2
47. Be5 h4 48. Kb3 g3 49. hxg3 49... h3! and wins, as one of
the two Rook's pawns will Queen.} 46. Kxa3 b5 47. c3 Kd5
48. Bf2 Be2 {In order to make room for the King at c4.}
49. Kb3 Bd1+ 50. Kb2 Kc4 51. Kc1 Bf3 52. Kd2 b4 53. cxb4 cxb4
54. Bh4 Be4 55. Bf6 Bg6 56. Bh4 b3 57. Bf6 h4 58. Ke3 g3
59. hxg3 h3 60. Kf2 Bf5 {So as to prevent the advance of
White's single pawn. Now the Black King marches down to the
support of the b-pawn and wins the Bishop, and then comes back
and forces the other pawn to the eighth rank winning.} 61. g4
Bxg4 62. Kg3 Kd3 63. Kh2 Kc2 64. Kg3 b2 {White resigns.} 0-1

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Updated: 25 November, 2021
Created: 25 November, 2021