Hi there.
In this lecture, we see a fascinating offhand game played between Alexander Alekhine and often Kauffman.
So this was played in 1918.
Odessa So not, not part of an official tournament, just an offhand game.
D4 From Alekhine.
The five Knights have three C5 and we have a kind of London system, but it hasn't supported the center.
So we've see three.
So this is interesting just letting D4 go.
We have now a very interesting move, which maybe it shouldn't have worked as well as it did.
Bishop takes by an early forcing move.
Its quite committed to give up the dance where Bishop rook takes the Queen takes D4 and Black is prompted
here for a move which doesn't really help piece development B to shield the A7 pawn Much better would
have been F6.
And yeah, this really isn't much for White's after this counter.
This this kind of pawn sac here.
This doesn't really do much for white, this particular opening sequence if it was played like this.
Because, yeah, blacks got a lot of compensation now with the two bishops.
But here is a whole different story after Bs6.
So what's the best way to proceed here?
You think if I give you a five sentence pause video, what would you play?
The natural tendency is to kind of open up the position.
We've moved like E, which is what Alekhine played.
It turns out here actually in sort of E-4 and Queens choice night C free is actually even better.
If not have sex.
We can play E4 for now and there are huge benefits in doing doing it like this.
If e6 we can take on D5 and this position should be five check and here we can actually grab the five.
So that night, putting pressure on day five here is very, very interesting.
Taking out the five.
Now here, you might ask.
Hold on.
Why can't black plate Bishop takes be five.
Well, we have Queen E five chat.
We're looking at Bates hair.
So with this check.
So what does Black do?
Bishop e seven.
We can cancel now.
And black's in huge trouble here.
If black cancels, we're taking out E seven winning the Queen.
If black plays nine takes the five, we're taking the five.
And the king stuck in the center hair of the queen size g seven.
Let's say rook F eight, nine, five.
We're going to get our material back with interest by piling up on D seven.
This is a terrible situation for Black to be in.
So here we're going to just take on D seven.
We've a huge advantage here.
Okay.
So I hope that explains this situation with our bishop hanging on B5.
But yeah, it shows the dangers of Knight C free taking out D5.
It's a fascinating position really.
Is this position where one is significantly better?
Okay, so returning to analysis now, if Knight 65, this gets a very interesting situation where the
king is still in the center and okay, we've sacrificed two pieces here, but Queen five we're looking
at the rook on B eight, so let's imagine.
Bishop E seven to avoid losing the B eight, Rook takes the E5.
We're getting back our pieces with interest this position.
So yes, Knight C Free is a very, very powerful move, putting pressure on D five here.
So so we see here.
Yeah.
This, this situation is very, very interesting.
But you might ask hold on.
What about E three, E six here, E four again, this is really good.
Bishop B five shank and here we can console queenside.
This position might be five.
Even if the Queen's come off, we have a huge possession with huge flats after the 9696.
Check this position.
We're going to end up winning Black's queenside, for example.
This is just huge.
So yes, Knight C free does have a lot going for it in this particular position, this pressure on D5
rather than E4 immediately.
So yes, interesting position.
And here if Knight takes the five we can console queenside this position.
Bishop C4 mounting the pressure on D5 here black is in big trouble.
Rook takes D5 for example is winning material.
So yes, all in all it does seem as though 94 is really interesting.
There's another interesting possibility as well.
9e5, another aggressive queen, 65.
This situation is in its favor, too.
But let's go with the game now.
E-4 So we have three tanks.
E-4 If might have 695 here because we've opened up the bishop with E-4.
This is a huge France.
So if Bishop de seven, we can now play knights free.
967 Knight takes three seven.
We're much stronger on the light squares.
Bishop Without a counterpart, we can take out seven and put huge pressure on D5.
So that's kind of crumbling here.
Even if we simplify, this is just huge for white with the extra pawn, but pieces as well.
So if three takes wasn't played, yeah, then.
Sorry.
So this position 95 is strong but say takes is played.
Queen takes de check is the game.
Well this is the game continuation Queen takes the eight Jack and this leaves the king.
You know, not protecting.
F7 So guess what Alekhine plays here, which is really strong and actually causes black to resign.
Okay, So not if I Maybe the resignation is a little bit premature for a casual game.
Black could have tried 96 because if King that is a true disaster.
Just push it be.
I will bring the king back to the eight winning the rook.
But say Knight's age 69c6 Check here.
OC White's advantage is only a small edge actually because Black does have the bishop pair and compensation
for the exchange.
It's not the end of the world necessarily.
There's a bit of work to do, which is why I kind of wanted to highlight these other possibilities.
So it's just the casual game, but it's interesting to put these on the scrutiny.
These are kind of celebrated quite a bit as well, so it was quite a forceful opening.
This is a very forceful kind of London system.
Variation with Bishop takes bait.
But yeah, if Black's willing to sacrifice a pawn, Black is celebrating the two bishops that bishop
were a counterpart, the dark square bishop Black counterpart.
This would have been the way to do it, just knowing f6 just offer up a seven.
So that's the first issue here.
With this casual game.
It's just the casual game.
Second issue is E4.
Straight off the bat, it seems 93 is far superior in the various variations which could emerge here.
So yes, 93 has a lot going for it as mentioned.
But yeah, e4 black seemed to be just because the exchange down black seems to be quite willing to resign
here.
So a fascinating little game.
I wouldn't read too much into it.
It's what fascinates me mostly.
That's why I'm showing you this is actually this temptation to play E4 here rather than Knight C free.
I examined myself deeply.
Why?
Why is it that I'm not thinking Knight?
C Free is strong.
Knight C4 is one of my opening moves generally or anti systems.
But yeah, this pressure on D5, that's another way of exerting pressure if you think about it on the
D5 pawn.
So it is a legitimate like developing move as well as I mean you could say well E4 develops this bishop
but yeah, this is actually it does seem in this particular scenario it's got a lot going for it in
comparison with E4.
It actually seems to and also of course it facilitates castling queenside in many variations.
So this is just a really interesting scenario.
If you get this kind of scenario, how we can use this scenario and blast through the defile.
So just maybe bear that in mind as well as a side effect of studying this game under the scrutiny.
But anyway, thankfully, Alekhine's opponent just resigned here.
Without further ado, short and sweet game.
Okay, that's very much.