Jose Capablanca - David Janowski

White: Jose Capablanca
Black: David Janowski
New York, 1918 (October 29), Round 6
Manhattan CC Masters

Annotated by J. R. Capablanca

 

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.e3 c6 6.Nbd2

I believe this is my own invention. In this position it is probably the best move. The object is to retake with the Knight when Black plays ...dxc4 later on, and thus have two Knights controlling the square at e5.

6...Be7 7.Bd3 dxc4 8.Nxc4 0-0 9.0-0 c5 10.Rc1 b6 11.Qe2 Bb7 12.Rfd1 Nd5

13.Nd6!

In order to drive the Bishop to c6 where it will be in the line of White's Rook. Later on it will be seen how this little advantage now acquired is largely the cause of Black's defeat.

13...Bc6 14.Ne4 f5 15.Bxe7 Qxe7 16.Ned2

Back again, but there is now a "hole" at e5 and it threatens to go there via c4, which influences Black's next move.

16...e5 17.dxe5 Nxe5 18.Nxe5 Qxe5 19.Nf3 Qe7

Black considered this move a long time. Had he retreated the Queen to any other place, then 20.Bc4 combined in some cases with e3-e4 would have yielded White at least a pawn. This game is remarkable because it would be hard to say which move lost the game, though it is probably 16...e5 or 14...f5, and most likely the former.

20.Nd4! cxd4 21.Rxc6 Nb4

There was nothing better as White threatened 22.Bc4.

22.Bc4+ Kh8 23.Re6 d3 24.Rxd3 Qc5 25.Rd4 b5

This only makes matters worse, but the fact is that Black, besides being a pawn behind, has the inferior position as well.

26.Bxb5 Nxa2 27.Bc4 Nb4 28.Qh5

28...g6

White threatened 29.Rh4.

29.Rxg6 Rad8 30.Rg7, 1-0

Black resigned, for if 30...Kxg7 31.Qg5+ Kh8 32.Rxd8 and mate follows unless Black gives up the Knight. This is one of those very neat games, very simple in appearance, but very difficult in reality, and only the expert can fully enjoy it. There is no wasted effort, and every move seems to fit in naturally with the previous one and the next.

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