Hi there.
In this lecture, we see an absolutely iconic game.
Mikhail Botvinnik against Jose.
Raul Capablanca.
So two world champions meet.
So Mikhail Botvinnik, representing the younger generation to the likes of Capablanca and Alekhine in
this tournament.
So 1938 Avro Tournament round 11 d4 from Botvinnik Capablanca plays nine six c4 e6 nine C4 allowing
the Nimzowitsch Indian defense.
We have the Rubinstein duration e3 d5 and now botvinnik place a frame not minding the double pawns.
Botvinnik has been experimenting around this time with double pawns in openings and seeing the dynamic
compensation aspects.
Here we do have a bishop, which could be a very dangerous weapon later and without a counterpart.
This is certainly, in my view, an attacking ingredient which the attacking player should cherish and
try and celebrate later in their games.
If this extreme imbalance, as I like to call it, emerges from the opening.
So the extreme imbalance, the extreme difference in your favor, they should be examined.
It might be a bishop like this or it might be something else.
So those extremes are great ingredients for attacking potential to be translated potentially into a
strong attack against the king we have.
C five.
C thanks.
D five.
E, 65 Bishop D three black consoles and now 92.
We see big sinks, which tries to exchange off what seems to be the better bishop of whites to try and
reduce attacking potential, perhaps.
We see whites constantly not minding bishop.
A6 bishop takes 869986 and now a kind of strange looking move.
In some respects Bishop B2, it does add solidity to the centre.
It seems to be voluntarily looking in imprisoning the bishop.
If Queen de France had this position, one could consider D.S. C5 with the idea of C4 and maybe later
the bishop gets to use the diagonal.
That was an alternative, but Bishop beats her.
We have Queen D7.
Perhaps Black can actually play C4 here.
Generally, it's a bad idea to release the tension in the centre, but here if we look at this where
rookie eight black could actually lock down the E4 square to a large extent to make sure F3 is not possible
and say Bishop c C1 rookie thinks A3 here, even if F3 occurs because of Bishop C1 retreat supporting
E3.
This position is actually just equal to follow this a bit more.
Say G6 Black could reduce the tension with A5 and get a blockade position where it should be about even.
So that's an interesting way of playing it.
C4 immediately we have Queen D7 though here A4 Rook have eight queen D3 prompting C4 with tempo.
Capablanca obliges her queen C two but now might be eight.
Perhaps a little bit more accurate.
Would have been age five.
Which this way it's not g free because of the kicking of the knight.
Because Knight Geoffrey could be useful for an F4 laser and say Knight F4.
This position should be about equal.
Even if we get this kind of position once building up, whereas the E4, it's still about even black
has a decent enough position here.
So anyway, might be eight and we have Rook A1, C six knight G phrase.
So there's this build up for expansion in the sensor.
With F4 in E4 we have Knight A5 F3 might be free, so black is going after this pawn.
So it's kind of queen in Siberia attacking gradient actually.
So watch out for this.
If there's a pawn, you can use this kind of reduce the defensive potential of pieces around the king.
This is very interesting, especially because this knight can be potentially kicks on f6 so the pawn
is given up E5 D7 Now the endgames are far away.
Sure, Black has a passport, but we have the middle game in between Queen F2 now.
Is played.
This safeguards actually the queen away from some tactics like night C-5, which would hit the queen
and 93.
So that's a safeguard move tactically as well as other things.
It means also A4 A5 is looking dangerous.
G6 A4 and now F.
So this looks to be shutting down the attack or is it?
We have eight tanks.
F six night tanks, F six, F five.
And Flanker is trying to simplify one of his favourite strategies when he feels he has an advantage
to try and simplify.
However, it's not that easy here.
White puts a spanner in the simplification works here.
To say the least.
So what is that spanner in the works, you think?
At some points.
You know what puts a spanner in the works for rookie six.
So this gives more pressure on F6 so that's actually taken leaving a dangerous pawn now.
And also if we look at this, there's a kind of backward pawn on D5 and I know this pawn as well as
is not protected by any other pawn, but this could be a liability as well.
Bear that in mind.
King G7, we have Queen F4 and actually this has a very concrete threat to it.
Let me test you.
If 85 this wasn't played, what would you play here for?
Ten points.
Yeah.
9 to 5 check is dangerous.
And then, for example, here G tanks, Queen G five, taking on F six.
And how would we finish her?
We could.
We could finish this position with that pawn and the queen.
But how the queen controls these seven.
For ten points.
What would you play here?
Yeah.
Bishop, are you free with the friends of Queen?
If I chat mating and if taking that neglects 87.
So we tap into that neglect and chat, mate.
So Queen A4 has that France so Queen Queen A4 has that France.
So Queen E eight is played.
This gives a defensive resource.
Now this is not working now, not at five but Queen E5 is played.
Yeah if have five check now.
G Thanks.
There's a big difference between G six winning from like so.
Okay.
But the point is pinned.
There might even be a more accurate way of playing this.
In fact, just for the record, Queen seven check.
And this position.
Is interesting.
So if the if the queen goes here.
Bishop 84, is strong with the idea of queen sex.
Sex and that strong -- with the Queen is a great theme there.
So this position is very dangerous because defined is loose and here.
Once getting in.
A very powerful.
Position for the attack.
So this position of a joint comes to D5 that's going to either lose the Queen or get mated soon.
So yeah, there's fascinating variations here, but Queen E5 was played immediately, which is still
very strong.
Queenie seven.
So what was like French thing if Queen and seven wasn't played, if only five in this position?
95 check is not working because of that Queen G6 resource.
So why has though a strong move in Bishop 83 restricting the Queen?
Has that bishops really been useful in the middle game before this a pawn wins for black and say for
this is just an example.
Queen C seven check and Bishop E seven is very strong here I'll show you why in this position.
Why is this good for whites?
It's a bit of a tell of the unexpected in my view.
This is a first thing variation.
Bishop takes F six check, Queenie.
Five check.
And guess what the key move is here, which is absolutely crushing black.
You might find this very surprising.
Teamwork.
We can't just work with the Queen.
This noit seems useless to contribute anything on its current square, but if it moves to e to all of
a sudden this big fat is better than any a -- advance.
So say Queen f8 94.
Yeah, we're going to hit D five and queen.
Yeah, it's just too quick.
This whole attack is just too quick.
After 92.
Yeah, this is this is an incredible variation.
So I find Bishop is very strong with those ideas of taking out the knight, which weakens D5.
If we look at this in slow motion again we can D5 and we come back to win D5 in style after and this
annoyance kind of can't really parry this knight.
It's an awkward spot.
So yeah, this is just a very, very strong attacking idea that exists.
But in the game Queen A7 was played, so that seems to prevent Bishop A3 Right?
So for 500 points, guess what Mikhail Botvinnik plays and why especially why so weakness of the last
move.
The Queen is not kind of looking at G6 anymore.
That's a bit of a clue.
Maybe.
Or maybe it's a misleading clue.
Anyway, so this totally iconic move, which has been celebrated hugely in this game and its amount
to reveal its bishop, a free you can just say so experienced players bishop a free game of they'll
know this game generally.
So it's amazing Bishop a free hair is absolutely amazing.
So at one point to point out if if the Bishop sack isn't accepted, this mechanism is really cool of
weakening D5.
We played Bishop E7 and it still holds.
Here we play Queen E5 Check and we still get this other guy on Knight here in four.
It's just very, very strong, this position for one.
So anyway, the Bishop sacrifice though, is accepted after Bishop A3 So what is the point here?
What is the point of giving up this Bishop?
Not only that, it looks as though Black's looking forward to some checks.
So is this poem really enough?
What is going on here?
Whites play for 100 points.
What would you play here?
Och, Lloyd's age.
Five check.
So G takes his plate.
If the offer is refused nine times have sex and this is going to be good for white hair, even though
it looks like a strange king walk.
The thing is, the point here is if Queen takes the fortune, what would you play with White?
Be careful.
You have to play nine G for Shaq here for the win.
And the queen will give herself up.
And this is just winning.
This is absolutely winning.
Amazing.
The thing is, if you play Queen takes D4 thinking that the pawns going to queen.
Unfortunately, there's a cold shower here at five track and then 9/10 E seven.
So.
Yes.
Okay.
Anyway.
That variation is fascinating is winning for one with careful play with King H sex.
So g takes was played and we have Queen G five Czech Cafe queen.
Thanks F thanks Czech King G and now E seven.
If the king had gone to E eight, we just play Queen F seven, Queen D seven and checkmate.
So King G eight and now E seven with the big frats of either cleaning.
Or queen of fight, mate.
Okay, so black tries Queen C one, king after Queen C two, check.
Now, this is interesting.
This is really interesting.
These checks actually if Queen D to check instead, Queen site C for King H for Queen E, one king takes
H five has to be played.
Has to be played because if G three this is a draw.
Black has these checks here which are difficult to escape because here I could just do that and win.
So that's out of the question.
And King h5 is this perpetual check time
on even nine takes here.
This is going to be a perpetual check one.
It's going to force the perpetual check.
So Geoffrey just draws in this line, but King takes H five.
Check, check G three.
Check G for H five.
But now this is just winning off the King sites.
H y Black is right.
Queen.
Thank you for writing.
Potentially, but this position is absolutely winning off the Queen G6 check.
Funnily enough, the pawn queen's now in this line safely.
So fun stuff on.
Queen D to kick butt in the game.
Queen C to check was blind.
King, Great queen de freaking King for queen for change.
King takes h five.
King injury would ruin everything because of Queen G for Checkmates King G5 would also ruin everything
because of these checks.
Again, being annoying, by the way, its plan is to take out the H five pawn check king H for Queen
E for shank, G for Queen E one, check King H five.
And the checks have run out.
The game ended here.
Yeah.
The prince is actually immediately queen a think checkmate.
So it's difficult to parry both of these is the queen stopping act.
But queen of fight is the key thing so if h6 were the game we continue with H six Queen G six Jack E
Queen and that's easily one.
So yes, a very interesting game.
We see the extreme imbalance of the dance square Bishop from the opening.
Yeah, we have to pay attention.
If we want to be solid attacking players, we need to have extreme imbalances which we might be able
to make use of later bishop about counterpart.
But there's also structurally a plan of expansion in the center which has interesting effects.
The sacrifice of a pawn gave extra time for this whole attacking operation.
Extra time was given granted and sidestepping things like 95 hair.
So this looks like a very menacing attack potential.
If G6 hadn't been played, it still looks absolutely dangerous of F4, F5, F6 or F5 in Queen G3.
That looks to be a lot of dangers lurking.
So Capablanca was trying to shut things down and simplify.
But yes, this pawn was very, very dangerous on E6 and this potential for Bishop A3.
So even if Queen E7 wasn't played, we see amazing ideas of Bishop A and checks to get rid of F6 and
weaken D5 and get this knight back in to help the Queen.
Amazing concepts.
But we have this very beautiful combination here with Bishop A3 highly celebrated combination.
I hope you enjoyed this game, this iconic game as much as me and what it teaches.
Okay.
And highlights so much.