Ten years after the Moscow 1925 tournament and the Botvinnik-Flohr match in 1933, Krylenko decided it was time to test the progress of Soviet players against Western players. To this end, eight foreign masters, including two former World Champions, were invited to play against twelve Soviet masters in a tournament in Moscow.
The tournament opened on February 14th and finished on March 15th and was held in the Museum Of Fine.
Although Botvinnik and Flohr tied for first, the finish of 66-year-old Emanuel Lasker who was undefeated and finished just half a point behind them was impressive. Lasker also finished half a point ahead of Capablanca, whom he brilliantly defeated in their individual game.
At the time, Salo Flohr, then of Czechoslovakia, was considered a world championship contender so his finish was no surprise. Botvinnik was known as a rising star at age 24 and two years earlier he had drawn a match with Flohr.
Botvinnik, Flohr and Levenfish took the early lead. After round 15 Levenfish had slipped back and Flohr led Botvinnik by half a point. In round 16 Botvinnik won and Flohr drew to bring the two into a first-place tie. They both drew their games in the final three rounds.
When Flohr
and Botvinnik met in round 18, Flohr proposed that they both draw
their final game in round 19 and share first place. Their individual
game was a colorless 17 move draw.
With Flohr and Botvinnik tied for first going into the last round, Ilya Rabinovich was ordered to lose his game against Botvinnik to ensure that Botvinnik took first. Botvinnik refused to go along with the skulduggery and said he would put a piece en prise and resign. The plan was then abandoned and the game was drawn after 24 moves in a complicated position where both sides seemed to have had chances. In the last round Flohr proposed a draw against Alatortsev in a level position at move 23. This tournament was Botvinnik's first success in international play.
As can be seen from the crosstable there were some very strong players among the also rans and they produce some great games. Spielmann’s crush of Chekhover was awarded the 3rd prize for "best game" of the tournament.
Pianist Vitaly Chekhover (December 22, 1908 – February 11, 1965) was a Soviet master and endgame study composer of renown. With more than 160 published endgame studies he was considered a prominent specialist on Knight endgames He also wrote several books on the subject. In 1956 he was awarded the title International Judge of Chess Compositions and received the title International Master of Chess Compositions in 1961. He was awarded the IM title in 1950.
Final standings:
Rudolf Spielmann - Vitaly Chekhover
Result: 1-0
Site: Moscow
Date: 1935.02.28
Queen's Indian Defense
[...] 1.d4 ♘f6 2.c4 b6 One hesitates to call this a Queen's Indian because of black's 5th move. In annotating the game. Chekhover himself gave this move a ? and called it risky because it allows white to build up a strong P-center. He recommended 2...e6. 3.♘c3 ♗b7 4.♕c2 Preparing e2-e4. 4...d5 5.cxd5 Chekhover recommended that instead of this white should play 5.Nf3.
16.a4 Another move that Chekhover incorrectly praises. After this the chances are no more than equal.
5.♘f3 and if 5...e6 6.♗g5 The opening has transposed into an unfavorable variation of the QGD for black.
5...♘xd5 6.e4 According to CHekhover it was still better to play 6.Nf3 and only then play e4. ..splitting hairs! 6...♘xc3 7.bxc3 e5 Chekhover gave this move !, but analyzing with Stockfish causes the little red warning light to flash and the evaluation to jump from even to slightly in white's favor. The engine way is 7...e6 then either 8.Nf3 or 8.Bf4 would leave white a bit better. 8.♘f3 exd4 9.♗b5 Typical of Spielmann. He sacrifices a P for a strong attack. At the time 9. Nxd4 was the usual continuation with the intention of transferring the N to f5 in preparation of a K-side attack. Black would have comensation in the form of white's weal Ps. 9...c6 10.♗c4 b5
10...dxc3 gives white an overwhelming attack after 11.♘g5 ♗a6 12.♗xf7 ♔d7 13.♗b3 threatening Nf7
11.♗e2 A good move because it leaves the d-file open. 11...dxc3 Chekhover believed that it would probably have been wiser not to win the P, but to complete his development by 11...Be7 and 12..0-0.
11...♗e7 This, however, does not seem to work out well for black. 12.O-O O-O 13.♖d1 is favorable for white.
11...d3 12.♗xd3 ♘a6 13.O-O ♘c5 14.♖d1 ♕c7 15.♗f1 ♗d6 16.e5 ♗e7 17.♘d4 O-O also leaves white with a promising position.
12.♕xc3 A difficult position has arise and practically speaking, it is difficult to say whose attack is going to prove stronger. 12...♘d7 13.O-O ♕e7 This is a serious mistake. By attacking the e-Pawn it has the purpose of It has the purpose of preventing 14.Bb2, but it doesn't.
13...b4 was the best replay as played in Pilgaard,K (2418)-Grachev,B (2618)/La Roda ESP 2019. 14.♕b3 ♗e7 15.♖d1 ♕c7 Pilgaard,K (2418)-Grachev,B (2618)/La Roda ESP 2019/0-1 (36) and in the game white erred here with 16.Bg5 allowing white to eaualize and go on to win. After 16.Nd4! threatening Ne6 white would have been better.
14.♗b2 ♘c5 With this move black was hoping to exchange the dangerous bishop b2 after ... Na4. Chekhover commented that he didn't notice white's reply. 15.♕c2 This move gets a ! from Chekhover, but in fact it's a poor move releasing the pressure on black's position and allowing him to equalize.
15.♖ad1 ♘a4 16.♕c2 ♘xb2 17.♕xb2 would leave white quite well off because black has trouble completing his development and getting castled.
15...♘e6
15...♕xe4 Chekhover claimed this move was not possible, yet it is actually the best move as after 16.♗d3 ♘xd3 Best!
16...♕xd3 loses as Chekhover correctly pointed out. 17.♖fe1 ♔d8 18.♖ad1 ♕xd1 19.♖xd1 ♔c7 20.♗e5 ♔b6 and black gets crushed. 21.♗d4
17.♖fe1 ♕xe1 18.♘xe1 ♘xb2 19.♕xb2 O-O-O with an unclear position. In Shootouts Stockfish scored +2 -0 =3 in white's favor. 16.♖ad1 Keeps the pressure on black. 16...♕c5 Black would love to trade Qs, but white will not oblige. 17.♕b1 ♗d6 18.♘d4 ♘xd4 19.♗xd4 ♕b4 20.♕c1 O-O-O 21.e5 ♗e7 22.♕f4
16...a6 Better was 16...Qc5 and ...Be7. 17.axb5 axb5 (17...cxb5 is not possible. 18.♖xa6 ♖xa6 19.♗xb5) 18.♖xa8 ♗xa8 19.♖d1 Threatening Bxb5. Basically black is playing a R and B down because those two pieces are useless. Plus, his K is caught in the center. 19...♕b7
19...h6 A pass to demonstrate the threat. 20.♗xb5 cxb5 21.♕c8 ♘d8 22.♕xa8 Threatening Ba3. White is winning.
20.♘e5 ♗e7 Chekhover lays a bit of a trap in case Spielmann plays the natural 21.Rd7 21.♗h5 Spielmann makes what is probably the best practical choice OTB because the lines arising from 21.Rd7 certainly would not be clear.
21.♖d7 ♕xd7 22.♘xd7 ♔xd7 and Chekhover wrote that black has a R, N and pawn for Q and two connected passed Ps with a solid position. Practically I am not sure how true that is. In Shootouts white won five games fairly quickly. For example... 23.f4 ♖d8 24.f5 ♘f4 25.♗f1 ♔e8 26.♗xg7 ♘h5 27.♗b2 ♘f6 28.♗e2 ♘d7 29.♗h5 ♘b6 30.♕c3 ♗f8 31.♕f6 ♗c5 32.♔f1 ♔d7 33.♗xf7 ♗d6 34.e5 ♗b4 35.♗d4 ♘c8 36.e6 ♔c7 37.♗e5 ♘d6 38.e7 ♖b8 39.e8=♕ ♖xe8 40.♗xe8 and wins easily.
21...♖f8 (21...O-O Finally! 22.♖d7 wins material.)
21...g6 can be met by 22.♗g4 Threatening Nxf7 22...♖f8 23.♕b3 with the same position as in the game.
22.♕b3 A new threat along the a2-g8 diagonal. Now white threatens not only 23 Nxf7 or 23 Bxf7+, but also 23 Qxe6. Since black can only play one move at a time it is not possible to answer all three threats. 22...g6 23.♗g4 ♕c8 24.♘xf7 The final blow. 24...♔xf7 25.♕f3 ♔e8 26.♕h3 ♘f4 27.♗d7 Note that grabbing the Q would be very bad! After 27.Bd7+ Chekhover resigned. Much to his credit, when Chekhover annotated this game he had nothing but praise for Spielmann's play. (27.♗d7 ♕xd7 28.♕xd7 ♔f7 29.♗a3 ♖e8 30.♗xe7 ♖xe7 31.♕d8 and wins.) (27.♗xc8 ♘xh3 28.♗xh3 ♗c5 and black is better.) Powered by Aquarium
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