Blog reader "es_trick" asked me to cite a few games of Capablanca that would illustrate my assertion that he was a master of flexibility and adaptation at the chess board. I will present one today and try to comment a little on it. This first game of this "series" shows Capablanca's ability to positionally punish weak moves by as great a player as Emanuel Lasker by first attacking the isolated d-pawn. The unexpected 20...bxc6 makes it impossible for White to get rid of the weakness by advancing the pawn. Capablanca then allows a capture on d5 which shields White's isolated pawn on d4 but gives Black other avenues for infiltration and a great square for his knight on f5. The maneuver h7-h5-h4 maintains the knight's post and fixes White's g- and h-pawns. Capablanca switches to the queen-side after Lasker plays 30. Qb1, which threatens to begin the advance of White's pawn majority. 30...Qb4 not only prevents the pawns from advancing, but it also ties down the White Rook and Knight to the defense of the d4-pawn. This is followed by a "minority attack" of sorts on the queen-side that leaves White with two isolated pawns and also exchanges the queens. The endgame that results is lost for White. Lasker's attempt at counterplay on the king-side ends up only weakening his position further. I think it is illustrative of how positionally lost White is when Black wins the b-pawn even with the White king available to help with the defense. This is a wonderfully smooth game.
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About Me
- Greg
- Middle aged education professional who has returned to chess after a few decades of going to school, working, and raising a family.
13 comments:
Very instructive. I've played through it once, hope to do so one or two more times. One of my big take aways from this game is how patiently Capa plays, not trying to force things prematurely.
I have a rated game in Keene, NH tonight, and expect to be paired with someone I've played five times previously. We've drawn three times, and have a win apiece. Maybe, if we get into another drawish looking position, I'll be able to channel a bit of Capa's patience to squeeze out an extra half point.
An excellent game by Capablanca.
I thought Lasker didn't seem to play very well in this match. 21. Re5 seemed very strange.
I can see how he wanted to gain a tempo but after Black's response that must been analyzed he loses two tempos with his Queen shortly after. After that with an isolated pawn, no development and no luft he must have known he was busted.
es_trick: I hope you were able to bring home a full point last night. :)
ChessClues: I concur. Lasker wasn't Lasker in this game, for sure. I wonder if he understood how his position became so untenable.
Hi Greg,
Didn't get the pairing I was expecting/hoping for last night. Got paired against a 700 who got a point from a bye in the first round. So, I'll definitely get to play my long running opponent next week, since we're the only 2-0 players left.
re: this game between Capa and Lasker, it was the 10th game of their World Championship match, held in 1921.
Lasker was 52 at the time of the match, and had been World Champion for 27 years. He had attempted to renounce his title in a published statement, and confer it upon the most worthy person, but the chess community wouldn't hear of it, and eventually a match was arranged, with all of the requisite financial backing.
However, the match was played in Havana, and the hot, humid weather was enervating for a man used to a northern climate.
The match was supposed to go for 30 games. In the first nine games there had been eight hard fought draws and one win by Capa. This, the 10th game of the match, seems to have been the decisive turning point. Lasker took some risks, trying to go all out, and failed. After drawing two more games, he lost rounds 13 & 14, and then resigned the match, after his request that it be moved to New York or Philadelphia was turned down. Being down 4-0 was an insurmountable hole to dig out of in any event.
And when Lasker got back to Europe, he was quite ill and had to spend several months in the hospital followed by a lengthy stay at Karlsbad to recuperate.
es_trick: Thank you for providing all of that information about the Capablanca-Lasker match! It is very important to understand the context in which this game was played.
Greg,
I've since found this game in two other game anthologies, besides the Immortal Games of Capablanca. This was exactly the kind of game I was thinking of when I asked about a couple/few of your favorites from the volume. There's no way I'll ever be able to become acquainted with as many games in the literature as a serious master is, but it's good to be aware of at least some of the "classic" games.
es_trick: I'm glad that I happened to choose this one! I have another, played against Frank J. Marshall, that I want to post very soon.
I'm not sure if it's published anywhere but by coincedence I saw a game Capablanca vs. A Chase 1922 over at chessgames.com.
A very entertaining game where Capablanca sacs his Queen for two Bishops and big space and initiative.
ChessClues: Thank you for the suggestion. I can search for this game in my Big Database 2010.
This game has that air of two strong players not wanting to take any dubious chances against the other.
Qb1 seems to me where Lasker starts going wrong. Why not simply Ng1-f3? A plan with Qb2 in it there can't be good - the queen is not supposed to defend like that on principle.
A game like this should end in a draw, IMHO, but the person who plays more regularly may find a chance it.
LinuxGuy: Lasker was not the player he once was, for sure, and Capablanca seemed to know that taking risks was silly when he could positionally outplay his opponent. Yelena has asked me to study Capablanca's games so I can get a better sense of positional play for myself.
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