Hi there.
In this lecture, Alexander Alekhine is playing against Oskar Chinese in 1911, the Colonel's battlements.
So we see.
C4 from Alekhine e6 e4.
Now there is an Achilles heel structurally d4.
Just bear that in mind.
We see C5, which marks that square 9396.
Planck's play so far is logical.
Except here, knights.
Every black should be concerned about D4 here.
Black plays actually G6 creating a collection of dot square weaknesses around the place.
This is a bit of a luxury move.
Instead, e5 even though the pawn has gone to E6 and this seems to be a wasting a move, it locks down
D4.
It's got a safety point to it.
If g3 d6 d3 g6 it's like a botvinnik system of the English opening, but it's about equal here in a
technical sense.
This should be equal, but with G6, horrible things happen.
Now we see D4 opening up those darts square weaknesses and if it's ignored there's the possibility of
D5.
So we have C takes D4 Knight 64, Bishop G seven and look at D6 here.
If Knight takes D4, Queen takes f6, there's Bishop A4 here and if Black plays E5, this bishop takes
E5 and this is very nice for white to win the rook.
So let's imagine Knight H6 instead.
Queen D2 one has the advantage here, but Ock Bishop G seven was played Knight DB five and then Bishop
e5.
If Black had played Knight G seven funny enough.
Can you see what strong in this position?
What's really strong.
We can do better.
It seems with 96 check we can do actually back with Bishop A4 if Black Castle.
The point is Bishop C7, then we're going to checkmate the Queen based on the D6 square.
So that's funny.
Anyway, so and here if E5 then 96 Jack and Bishop E4 is great for White, so okay, we have Bishop
E5 F4 trying to nudge the bishop away.
It's such a strong position already.
96 check was also possible.
This position is actually rather dominant with this move order.
So for example, here we can pen the A6 pawn and actually just celebrate a knight on D6.
It doesn't matter about B2.
This is a phenomenal position to get bigger vantage point.
So anyway F for here majorly A6 and F takes E5 eight and now Bishop F4.
Yeah, it's an interesting position.
Lots of options actually.
Knight takes B5 was was possible as well.
Even this route where White loses a rook is not so clear for black here because Bishop F4.
And the queen's kind of a prisoner here.
What's going on?
Castle Queenside and Bishop G2 winning in the Queen so nicely for his desperate move.
But White's just better that.
And if Knight G7 instead.
Not G7, you know, we just castle with Bishop G2 in mind.
Soon.
And in fact, even more accurate, is Bishop H free?
Not without H two.
So here, Bishop H.
Freeh.
And we're winning the Queen without Queen since H two.
So this position is better for Y.
So it's funny stuff about 1965, it seems, is plausible.
Also, you know, just to show how strong possession is, queenly sex is dangerous.
This possession is also kind of good for white.
Yeah, blacks misplayed the opening.
So anyway, we have Bishop F for B taxi for bishop.
Take C for rook e5 wine castles.
And yeah, there's a world of pain here.
On the dark squares, the bishop's just ready to play.
Bishop H six, F nine, G seven.
There's lots of interesting moves here, in fact.
So.
We have actually be five and now be4 if Bishop be free before one can actually throw in 95 with the
king still in the center.
So it is just liberates the whole wide position here and is a big advantage.
This position is also you know it's just an overwhelming position cracking open.
The position with the king and the center is a nice recipe.
And, you know, this is just devastating here.
For example, if a queen bring the king back for queen, the eight track queen is main.
So, yeah, there's lots of interesting stuff.
Even Bishop be free for 95 is great but before was plate we have Queen bees six check.
If Knight takes before Knight takes B5 and it doesn't actually matter at this check, if Rook takes
P5, we can take here and hit this position, pin the knight and look at look at Black's pieces.
They're ridiculous.
This is just a ridiculous situation where Black has to give back the piece, basically.
And White's in a commanding position.
So anyway, Queen Bee six Champ was played nine times before here, and yet it's a similar scenario.
Bishop takes B5 where we're getting a pin out of this Knight takes Queen where Black's again, not in
a great position to do anything about the pin Bishop e6 is tried If queen a five we can amplify the
pen.
Bishop d2 and this is just great.
Bishop takes b4 so yes.
And if Queen.
C for sure.
Queen Rook.
C one this queen a6 protecting A6.
But we can just amplify the pin with Queen A4 here and getting commanding position there.
So anyway, Bishop A6 was played.
We have Queen D6 now.
F thinks if my e7 rook have D1 and if Cos then Queen takes E7, we're looking forward to a dot square
tonight with Queen of Sixth and Bishop 86 as well as winning that piece on B4.
So okay, so F6 was tried Rook FC one.
So this frees up the rook now without being mated.
If rook takes b4 then queen f1 is mate.
Yeah.
So rook FC one queen D3 and now just rook takes before we have G5.
Yeah.
Black's opening is terrible.
Here's the nightmare.
If Queen takes D6, then this is also it's just the exchange down basically with a lost position.
And even Rook C seven is winning here.
This position is so strong for white.
For example here, what is black doing about this pawn?
Not much.
It's terrible.
So G5 is tried, but now rook D4 looking at D7 so tempo and I'm trying to nudge the queen away from
D7.
Okay.
Queen V7 and now Rook c seven not minding this checkers of Rook D one and here black resigned if Queen
B eight Queen 67 check and Queen F seven is checkmate.
Now, this is kind of instructive.
Like with Paul Morphy games, often they're very instructive because the opponent made some mistakes
which often occur at the the average player level, which you know is less than 2200.
But this is like a typical mistake creating too many dot square weaknesses.
So we see that actually, even if we had been planning on a botvinnik system with different Geoffrey,
that structure, you know, accepting D4 as a weakness, this is a special circumstance where D4 here
is very powerful indeed very, very, very strong, very dangerous position for black to be in.
So, yes, when it opens up like this, we're getting a semi-open file, which is enabling us to exploit
much more easily these dot square weaknesses such as D6 and Black's camp as we see here.
This is a major issue that's D6 square.
So it's very interesting stuff.
How to expose weaknesses.
I hope you enjoyed this game and so much.