Hi there.
This is an extremely remarkable example we have in this lecture of Alexander Alekhine playing in a blindfold
simultaneous display.
Believe it or not, the quality of the play is absolutely amazing.
So this is Alekhine versus Schwarz in 1926, a simultaneous blindfold displaying d4 from Alekhine nine
f6 c4 g6 g3.
So a thin Kanto variation of the king's engine.
The fence knight Siegfried six Knights every night c6 d 5.85 Queen D3 B6.
There's no point really playing Bishop A5 here it has E4 so this position E4 is possible.
So we have B6 though this looks like it's a weakening move fundamentally of C6.
It seems White's getting a nice clear advantage out of the opening with simple moves.
Now Knight D4 looking at that C6 square Knight B7 and already you know this is just a dominating position.
So Alekhine castles a5 be free.
Now this does prepare a plan of trying to open up that A5 slowly.
So Knight C5 One of the mechanisms here is if a free sometimes there's a fall from black and if you
consider 95 these these pawns are kind of disabled.
So it has to be played slowly with B3 to be able to react, control A4 and slowly build up with a free
and B4 later.
So we have 95 queenside to Bishop b7 h Free Rook ain't a free.
So the slow build up here and now black gives even more positional advantage to alekhine.
So a large positional advantage is being built up here and now b4 886986 and now rook a4 on standby.
We have actually now this is a target and white could construct a battery.
So actually the knight volunteers itself to be kind of squished.
We have B5 now, so this is a huge position.
So can we get King attacking potential from this position?
Well, there is a plan afoot to have a rook on the seventh and we see its amazing effects in this game.
So H6 Rook A7 So there's an x raying rook across the seventh rank.
We have E5 King H two, King H seven and now F4 Rook E7.
If here he takes F4, White could play, Bishop takes F4.
And for example, this position was 95 Knight 65.
Bishop takes the five rook have six White has a nice pleasant advantage.
An interesting maneuver here would be rook have free.
We don't have to wait It doesn't have to move the e2 pawn and could just control the phone has so advantage
building up there in that variation.
So anyway rook e seven is played.
We have f takes e5, rook takes e5.
If D takes e5 there is a skewer and say this position y can simply just take on f eight.
And this position is huge.
Also funny enough though.
There is another option of E4, and this shows a little bit the power of that seven Frank.
Let's have a quick look at this.
Rook G 895 Knight takes seed sex that's safe sex can actually play D sex opening up that powerful rook
against the king hair and now takes sex exploiting that pin --.
So yes, this is a powerful example where two rocks could get to the seven Frank for one moment at least.
And then here, because of that pin against G7, White can amplify that seven Frank Brooke give support
and crash through.
So that's an interesting variation.
So anyway, we have Brooke tanks, E-5 Bishop at Fallbrook, 895 9/10 35 Bishop takes five Queen the
8h4 Queen 80 7e3 King H ain't king G two So why is really dominating the position and black are not
opened the you know, the whole g5h6 we can use the the rook we there's no way black can play G5 here.
So we see f five and now rookie 1k7 e4 Bishop E five and this is slightly weakening that seven Frank
we have 8xf5g tanks, but now here comes the true power y.
I felt this game was a fantastic example of seven frank pressure against the king.
There's a brilliant kind of combination here.
What would you play in this position to ramp up the pressure?
So if I give you 5 seconds pause video, what would you play here?
Okay.
The powerful break through.
Move.
C5, C5.
Break here.
It doesn't matter which pawn takes, It's going to be a disaster now.
Basically, if three takes, that's a more immediate, clear disaster.
The rook takes E5.
That's no good.
So basically, the pressure's mounting here with C tanks as a threat in particular.
So we have actually B takes, but this allows B six now this breakthrough rook c eight and now, yeah,
there's pressure on this pin and that's just released the E5 control events and Alekhine pounces on
that.
That kind of weakness of the last move, that neglect of E5 here.
So what would you play in this position to ramp up the pressure?
Okay.
Queen C France plate and now Black tries to support E5 with this.
If Black had taken on C3 Rook takes E7 shank and here B C7 is just crushing.
Black would have to give up a piece.
It's just all over basically, and make it even win more material.
Bishop D7 So Rook, F-8 Bishop takes E5 D tanks and now it looks as though isn't black.
Adequately guarded on E5.
This is a remarkable combination here in itself.
Once play, what would you play?
Okay.
Queen Taxi five, believe it or not.
So giving up an entire rook for this position because Rook take C seven is now check.
And that's the magic here.
That's Jack gaining a key tempo for these advanced pawns we have.
Rook take C seven If King Ji eight.
It doesn't matter that White's a knight down here.
It's only for a moment.
And there's two connected winning pawns.
So that's absolutely winning.
So.
Okay, so Rook, take C seven was played B tanks and now rook e8.
And here a rook down.
But C tanks is just winning because now bishop e6 and they'll see seven There's nothing to stop.
C seven cleaning basically.
King g6c7 Black played on for a little bit.
This is just the bishop down now.
Yeah that's the whole breakthrough based on the rook on the seventh rank has been leading to that amazing
combination.
This is an absolutely just winning position now and yeah Black actually resigned here at move 54.
It's a staggering feat to play these blindfold simultaneous things but the amplification of the rook
on the seven Frank is absolutely remarkable.
It shows the strength of imagination in calculation of Alexander Alekhine under amazing circumstances,
being blindfolded, incredible combination to break through at the key points here in Black's position.
So, yes, amazing stuff.
I hope you enjoy this as much as me and so much.