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M. Botvinnik - J. R. Capablanca, 1938 AVRO Tournament

© Copyright 2003, Jim Loy

This game has been voted one of the two greatest games in all of chess history. And the diagrammed position is one of the most famous positions, which is followed by one of the most famous moves.

M. Botvinnik - J. R. Capablanca, 1938 AVRO Tournament, Rotterdam
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e3 d5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3 c5 7 cxd5 exd5 8 Bd3 0-0 9 Ne2 b6 10 0-0 Ba6 11 Bxa6 Nxa6 12 Bb2?! (12 Bd3) 12...Bd7 13 a4 Rfe8?! (13...cxd4 G. Burgess) 14 Qd3 c4?! (14...Qb7 M. Botvinnik) 15 Qc2 Nb8 (the knight is headed for b3) 16 Rae1 Nc6 17 Ng3 Na5 18 f3! Nb3 19 e4 Qxa4 20 e5 Nd7 21 Qf2! (isn't Black winning?) 21...g6 22 f4 f5 23 exf6 Nxf6 24 f5 (White's attack starts to look good) Rxe1 25 Rxe1 Re8 26 Re6! Rxe6 27 fxe6 Kg7 28 Qf4 Qe8 29 Qe5 Qe7? [Burgess and Nunn show the following: 29...h6! 30 h4! (30 Ne2!? may draw) 30...Na5! 31 Bc1! Qe7 32 Bg5! may win] [diagram]

30 Ba3!! (this move would be no surprise if White had more pieces to attack with) 30...Qxa3 31 Nh5+! gxh5 (31...Kh6 also loses) 32 Qg5+ Kf8 33 Qxf6+ Kg8 34 e7! (an obviously winning position, unless Black has perpetual check) 34...Qc1+ 35 Kf2 Qc2+ 36 Kg3 Qd3+ 37 Kh4 Qe4+ 38 Kxh5 Qe2+ 39 Kh4 Qe4+ 40 g4 Qe1+ 41 Kh5 1-0.

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