Friday, December 22, 2017

Akiba Rubinstein X Oldrich Duras - Vienna 1908

This game ilustrates two things:
(a) Rubinstein´s brilliant combination, early in the game, envolving a Queen sacrifice, to win a Pawn. (b) His skillful play thereafter to exploit his advantage. The subsequent strategy of winning with
an extra Pawn may be summed up as follows: 
(1) Rubinstein simplifies the position by exchanging as many pieces as possible.
(2) He returns the extra Pawn on one wing to create a passed Pawn on the other.
(3) He rushes the passed Pawn to the Queening square.


A game that I liked (ChessBase 14)
[Event "Vienna"] [Site "Vienna"] [Date "1908.??.??"] [Round "10"] [White "Rubinstein, Akiba"] [Black "Duras, Oldrich"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D04"] [Annotator ""] [PlyCount "77"] [EventDate "1908.03.23"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "19"] [EventCountry "AUT"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c5 3. e3 Nf6 4. dxc5 Qa5+ 5. Nbd2 Qxc5 6. a3 {LiveBook: 3 Games} Qc7 7. c4 dxc4 $6 {This move not only surrenders the center, but help White develop his pieces. Better was 7... e6.} 8. Nxc4 {White has an edge.} Bg4 {"Knights before Bishops!", advised Lasker, way back in 1895. So, 8... Nc6 was better.} 9. b4 Nc6 10. Bb2 b5 {An attempt to force the Knight to retreat, but Rubinstein has other plans for the piece. Its next move initiates a spectacular combination.} (10... a6 $14) 11. Nce5 $1 $36 {[%mdl 2048] White is in control.} Nxe5 12. Nxe5 $1 ({Resist} 12. Bxe5 $6 Qb7 $16) 12... Bxd1 13. Bxb5+ Nd7 ({Not} 13... Kd8 $2 14. Rxd1+ Qd6 15. Nxf7+ Kc8 16. Rxd6 $18) 14. Bxd7+ {[#]} Qxd7 $1 15. Nxd7 Bh5 16. Ne5 Rc8 17. g4 Bg6 18. Nxg6 {The two Bishops might enable Black to put up a good deal of resistence, so Rubinstein decides to remove one of them.} hxg6 19. Bd4 a6 20. Kd2 {The King moves toward the center, to take an active part in the endgame.} f6 {Preparing 21... e5} 21. Rac1 $1 {White establishes control of the open file.} Rxc1 22. Rxc1 $1 {[%mdl 4096] Endgame The Rook must atack in the endgame, not stay inert at h1 protecting a Pawn. . KRB-KRB} e5 23. Bc5 Rxh2 24. Bxf8 Kxf8 {KR-KR} 25. Ke2 e4 26. Rc6 Rg2 27. Rxa6 Rxg4 {Material is even, but Rubinstein has a great positional advantage with his two connected passed Pawns.} 28. Ra7 {Almost instinctively the Rook hastens to seize control of the seventh rank. . And now b5 would win.} Rg1 29. b5 $1 Rb1 30. a4 g5 $2 (30... Rb2+ $16 {is a better defense.} 31. Kd1 Kg8) 31. Rb7 $18 {Strongly threatening a5.} Ra1 {[#]} 32. b6 $1 {Rubintein doesn´t waste time saving both Pawns. . White is clearly winning.} Rxa4 33. Ra7 Rb4 34. b7 {With the threat of winning by 35.Ra8+ followed by Queening the Pawn.} g4 (34... Rb2+ $142 35. Ke1 g6 36. Ra8+ Ke7) 35. Ra8+ Kf7 36. b8=Q Rxb8 37. Rxb8 Ke6 38. Re8+ Kf5 39. Kf1 { Precision: White = 80%, Black = 20%.} 1-0

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