Reti, Richard2563–Alekhine, Alexander26490–1A00Baden-Baden1Baden-Baden25.04.1925
The Players Richard Réti (1889-1929) was born in what was then Hungary but
he later adopted Czechoslovakian nationality. Réti was one of the leading
figures in the "Hypermodern" school of chess, which revolutionized chess
thinking in the period after the First World War. The new ideas introduced by
the Hypermoderns had a particular impact on opening play. It had always been
accepted that opening play had three main objectives: to develop the pieces,
bring the king into safety and control the centre. This last had been taken to
mean occupying the centre with pawns, and the ideal central formation was
thought to be pawns on d4 and e4 with White, or d5 and e5 with Black. The
Hypermodern school held that central control was possible without the physical
occupation of the centre by pawns; instead, the pieces would exert control
from a distance. In keeping with this theory, Réti favoured openings
involving the fianchetto of the bishops (i.e. b3 + Bb2 and g3 + Bg2 with White,
and the analogous development with Black). From b2 and g2 the bishops would
exert an influence on all four central squares (d4, e4, d5 and e5). If Black
tried to occupy the centre with his own pawns, the idea was that the
persistent pressure exerted by the bishops would cause the enemy centre to
collapse, opening the way for White’s own pawns to advance in the centre
without resistance. These new theories proved controversial, and would never
have gained any credence had they not been backed up by practical successes.
Although Réti was one of the world’s leading players in the early 1920s, he
was never in a position to challenge for the world championship and his early
death deprived the chess world of one of its most profound thinkers. He left
behind two classics of chess literature (Modern Ideas in Chess and the
unfinished Masters of the Chess Board) and a collection of games bearing the
hallmarks of a great chess artist. The ideas of the Hypermoderns were
gradually assimilated into chess thinking; one of their theories which has
gained universal acceptance is that a pawn-centre which is insufficiently
supported by pieces is not strong, but weak. Many opening systems have been
developed with the specific purpose of luring the opponent into a premature
central advance; this over-extension is then punished by a vicious
counterattack. Alexander Alekhine (1892-1946) was one of the greatest players
of all time and held the World Championship from 1927 to 1935 and from 1937
until his death in 1946. Born into the Russian aristocracy, he was taught
chess by his mother and soon displayed a remarkable talent for the game. After
some successes in relatively minor tournaments, he was invited to play in the
famous 1914 St Petersburg tournament, which included all the world’s leading
players. Alekhine’s third place indicated that he had arrived among the
chess elite. The First World War and the Revolution interrupted Alekhine’s
career, but after he left Russia in 1920 he started a run of impressive
tournament successes, which led to a challenge for the World Championship in
1927. Few expected the almost unbeatable Capablanca to lose, but Alekhine’s
preparation was better and, aided by his ferocious will-power, Alekhine gained
the title after a marathon battle of 34 games. Unlike many world champions,
actually gaining the title did not undermine his determination and over the
next few years Alekhine dominated the chess world. He successfully defended
his title twice against Bogoljubow, but Alekhine seemed reluctant to face his
most dangerous challengers and never allowed Capablanca a return match. A
fondness for alcohol cost Alekhine the title in 1935 when he faced the
Dutchman Euwe. The gentlemanly Euwe offered Alekhine a return match and, after
giving up the bottle, Alekhine regained his title in 1937. Alekhine’s
results just before the Second World War were definitely less impressive than
formerly, and had a projected match with Botvinnik taken place he might well
have lost the title. The war intervened, and during the war years Alekhine
played in a number of (not very strong) tournaments in German-occupied
territory. After the war, negotiations for a match with Botvinnik resumed and
terms were agreed, but Alekhine died of a heart attack before the match could
take place. Alekhine had a preference for attacking play and tactics, but he
could handle all types of position well. The games produced while he was at
his peak are models of attacking play; he had the rare ability to confront his
opponents with all sorts of problems without risking his own position. The
Game Alekhine was famed for his attacking powers and they are never more
evident than in this game. A slightly lax opening by Black allows White some
positional pressure. Rather than defend passively, Alekhine, typically,
chooses to counterattack. At the critical moment he hurls a rook into
White’s position. Faced with a thicket of enormously complex variations,
Réti chooses the wrong move and falls victim to a tactical storm which
continues right into the endgame. The fact that the new annotations below tell
a different story to the generally accepted version in no way detracts from
Alekhine’s genius. 1.g3 e5 2.f3 e4 3.d4 d5 4.d3 exd3 5.xd3 5.cxd3 and the P-position would be more compact. But Reti plays for development
which is furthered by getting the Q out of the way of his R's. (L) 5...f6 6.g2 b4+ The idea is to block the point c3. 7.d2 7.c3 e7 7.d2 was probably better. The Black Bb4 is already in some little danger and
White is not well advised to exchange his fine Bc1 for it. (L) 7...xd2+ 8.xd2 0-0 9.c4! a6 9...c5 10.4b3! (Kotov) 10.cxd5 b4 11.c4 bxd5 The development is accomplished. White has somewhat the better of it in
the centre, but Black has brought his pieces more rapidly to the scene of
action. (L) 12.2b3 White espies a weakness of Black's on c5, accentuated
by the Bg2 which retards -b6. (L) c6 Black with this move admits the
weakness of his c5. (L) 13.0-0 e8 14.fd1 g4 15.d2 15.h3?! h5
FOO Bg6-e4 15...c8 Black seeks compensations by exerting pressure on the K
side. (L) 16.c5 FOO b4-b5 h3! 17.f3 17.xh3? xh3 18.xb7? g4 19.f3 de3! 20.fxe3 xe3 21.xf7+ h8 22.h4 f8-+ 23.d8 xf7 24.xf7+ g8 25.g5 g4 26.gf3 f8 17...g4! Black is ready to cosent
to a draw. (L) 18.g2 h3! 19.f3 g4! 20.h1 In relying upon the
strength of his advance post on c5, White refuses a draw. (L) h5! 20...a5 Here Black could have prevented the attack by White's Q side pawns, which, of
course, he saw coming. He re solves, however, to allow the storm to break
because he senses as it were, a profound combination, directed against the
White K. (L) 21.b4 a6 22.c1 h4 23.a4 hxg3 24.hxg3 c7 Kasparov:
'Forced to fight against Reti's special weapon Alekhine has almost equalized,
but his opponent, playing with ongoing inventiveness, has managed to retain
the initiative. He has a positional edge because of his superiority in the
centre and on the queenside, with Alekhine obviously looking for
counterchances on the kingside. 25.b5? White here is too impetuous. On
the one hand, he should not have aided the development of Black's Ra8; on the
other hand, he had to drive the Black Nd5 from its strong post sooner or later,
and the right moment had now arrived. There was no cause for holding Pe2 back,
it should now have its say. (L) Kasparov: Eine solide positionelle
Alternative war 25.e4! b6 25...e7 where the N has a better post than
on b6, White had time for 26.f3 upon which 26.a5 strengthening the
knight on c5 was a solid positional alternative, but Reti wanted to create
weaknesses on c6. 26...xg3+ , of course, would not be playable, and the
Black B would become embarrassed. All in all, with 27.e4 White had slightly
the better of it and kept the initiative. But from the moment that White
omitted that move Black took the initiative out of White's hands. (L) 26.b3 26.c3 ad8 27.db3± White had a favourable position, for instance xd2 28.xd2 d8 29.f4 c8 30.a5± (L) 26...bd7!∞ 25...axb5 26.axb5 Kasparov: 'White's strategy seems to be working very nicely. The
isolated black pawn is doomed to fall within a few moves. But Alekhine wasn't
going to passively wait for destruction. He finds a way to completely change
the unwanted course of the game. ' e3‼ Kasparov: 'All of a sudden the
white king feels insecure. The audacious rook cannot be taken: 27.f3?-+ Still White is unwilling to simplify. 29.Bf3 was bitterly needed. Now the N
is missing on the Q's side. (L) Kasparov: 'From now on Alekhine makes a
series of moves that sweep White off the board. 27.h2? Kasparov: 'Black
will continue to apply pressure on g3: ' aa3! Kasparov: 'and the rook
still cannot be touched' Kasparov: 'der Turm ist immer noch tabu' 28.cb3! 28.fxe3? xe3 FOO -Nf1+ -+ 29.b4 f1+! 30.g1 xg3+ 31.g2 31.xf1 h3+ 31...e3 and mate. But the quiet 28.Ncb3 would have given White the
upper hand. However, confronted with Alekhine's dramatic assault Reti panicked
- unfortunate for him, lucky for the world of chess! ! 28...e5! 29.bxc6 bxc6-+ 30.fxe3? h5+ 31.g1 h3! 32.xd5 xd5 32...xg3+?? 33.g2+- 33.f3 xg3+ 34.h1 xf3+ 35.exf3 xf3+ 36.h2 xe3 37.g4 37.xc6 f4+ 38.g1 xb3 39.c8+ h7 40.h2+ g6 41.c6+ g5 42.d8+ f6 43.g2+ g3 44.cc2= 37...xb3 38.c8+ h7 39.f5+ h6 40.g2 g6 41.xf7 h3+ 42.g1 e3+ 43.h2= 27.f3! xf3 28.exf3 Kasparov: 'ending Black's
activity; or even by the cold-blooded cxb5 29.xb5 a5! 30.xd5? an
e1+ 31.xe1 xe1+ 32.g2 a1 32...xd5 33.xd5 a1 34.d8+
with an immediate draw, which seems to be the correct result of the whole
combination (Nunn). 33.d8+ h7 33...e8 34.h3 34.h4+ g6 35.f4+- Nunn 27.fxe3?? xg3+ 'with mate; and even after ' 28.g2 28.f1 xe3# 28...xe3-+ und auch nach 27.g2 xg3! 28.fxg3? Hier ist
28.e3! is much stronger, but Black still has sufficient compensation for
the sacrificed material: xe3 29.fxe3 d5 28...e3 29.d3 xg3 wins. In
the last variation 28.e3! was much stronger... (see above). Alas Alekhine's
original attempt to complicate the position could have been met by simply 27...cxb5! The introduction to one of the most charming combinations known
to chess. 28.xb5 28.d4 a4! 28...c3‼ 'Now the black pieces are
swarming' 29.xb7 There is nothing else. (L) 29.c4?! 'doesn't help:' b5!-+ 29...xb7 29...xe2+? 30.xe2 xb7 31.xe3! with a
possible draw. (L) 30.xb7 xe2+ 31.h2 31.xe2? xe2-+ 31.f1
Kasparov: 'is hopeless too:' Kasparov: 'ist ebenfalls hoffnungslos:' xg3+ 32.fxg3 xf3 33.xf3 xf3+ 34.g2 aa3 Kasparov: 'etc. White's position has
lost its attraction, but how can Black make something serious out of that?
Both 31...Nxc1... (see below) ' 35.d8+ h7 36.h1+ g6 37.h3 fb3!-+ 31...e4‼ To have captured Rc1 would have profited nothing, but if now fe:
Nd2: and wins the exchange or a piece. (L) Kasparov: 'What a move! This new
member of the cavalery regiment will turn White's defence lines into dust. Now
White's best chance was 32.Rd8... (see below) Sowohl 31...xc1 and
wie auch 31...xf3 32.xe2 f5 33.b2 lead to an obvious draw. 32.c4 White is equal to the task; play and counter-play are on the same high
level. (L) Kasparov: 'Reti, using nice tactical tries, desperately hopes he
will be able to exchange the terrifying black pieces. 32...Bxf3... (see below) 32.fxe3? xd2 Kasparov: 'loses right away.' Kasparov: 'verliert sofort' 33.xd2 xc1-+ 32.d8+ xd8 33.fxe3 although after obwohl nach d5! Black wins the pawn while his pieces still dominate the board. 32...xf2! Now the K becomes the target. (L) Kasparov: 'The simple refutation - Black
takes the key pawn on f2 and keeps all threats alive. 32...xd2?
Kasparov: 'also doesn't work' 33.xd2! (Alekhine) d3 34.c5 (L) '!'
Kasparov. 32...xf3? 33.xe2 (Kotov) xf2+ 34.xf2 xf2 (Fritz
3) Kasparov: Nach 32...xf3? Kasparov: 'is met by' 33.xe4!
'!!' Kasparov. xe4 34.fxe3 xh1 35.xh1 xg3+ 36.g2 e4 37.d8+ xd8 38.xd8 with good drawing chances. mit guten Remischancen. 33.g2 This B is
too valuable for defence to allow its exchange. (L) Kasparov: 'Black is
clearly winning, but Alekhine's final combination makes this game a true
masterpiece.' e6! 34.cc2 -Ng4+ Kh1 Ra1 -+ g4+ 35.h3 e5+ 36.h2 xf3! 37.xe2 g4+ 38.h3 Kasparov: 'Neither now nor before could the
white king move to the first rank because of the deadly check on a1' e3+ 39.h2 xc2 40.xf3 d4! I consider that this and my game against Bogoljubow
at Hastings 1922 are the most brilliant tournament games of my chess career.
And by a peculiar coincidence they both remained undistinguished as there were
no brilliancy prices awarded in either of these contests. (Alekhine) White
resigned. The play in this combination was rich in invention and variety by
both winner and loser. (L) 41.f2 xf3+ 42.xf3 d5! Kasparov: 'and the
abandoned knight on b7 is lost. The endgame with a piece less is hopeless, so
Reti resigned. I think there is reason to nominate this game the most
beautiful ever played in the history of chess. Lessons from this game: 1) A
fianchettoed bishop combined with a pawn advance on the opposite wing is a
standard technique for exerting strategic pressure. 2) Active counterplay is
better than passive defence. 3) In order to play a game such as this it helps
if you can calculate at least ten moves ahead! 0–1
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