Reti was among the best players in the world during his prime which was during the 1910s and 1920s. He started out as a classical, but tactical player, who favored openings like the King's Gambit. However, after the First World War his style changed and he became a proponent of Hypermodernism.
The following game does not appear in Golombek's book probably because it was "only" a draw. It does, however, appear in Alekhine's collection of his best games...with his usual hype of course.
Although the game was a draw, what a draw it was! It features some excellent positional play and Reti salvaging an inferior ending, but more than that, it features a ten move long tactical sequence by Alekhine that is as instructive as it is astonishing.
The game was played in Vienna, 1922, which was one of the first great events after World War One. Alekhine's fourth place tie was something of a surprise, but it was only a minor setback in his career.
[Event "Vienna"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1922.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alexander Alekhine"]
[Black "Richard Reti"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C77"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 14.1"]
[PlyCount "118"]
[EventDate "1922.??.??"]
{Ruy Lopez} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. Nc3 b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 {
Alekhine commented that if it was black's intention to play ...Bc5 he should
have done so before playing 5...b5 because the text move needlessly exposes
black to "grave perils." In my database 6...Bc5 gives black much better
results than Alekhine's recommendation of 6...Be7, but I suspect that may be
because in many of those games white did not follow up correctly.} 7. Nxe5 {
Alekhine says this gives white an extremely dangerous attack in every
variation. Again, my database shows that after this move does quite well which
is the reason for my conclusion in the previous note.} Nxe5 8. d4 Bd6 {Uusual,
but not bad. Black usually plays 8...Bxd4} (8... Bxd4 9. Qxd4 d6 10. f4 c5 11.
Qd2 Ng6 {equals. Rzayev,B (2411)-Durarbayli,V (2600)/Baku 2016}) 9. dxe5 Bxe5
10. f4 {Alekhine awarded himself aan exclamation mark for this. Stockfish
thinks it's an overly aggressive move that favors black. The mundane 10.Nd5
was satisfactory.} (10. Bd2 Bb7 11. Qe2 O-O 12. O-O Bxc3 13. Bxc3 Nxe4 14. Qf3
Nxc3 15. Qxb7 {Black is better after 15...Ne2+ Nolot,C-Bertrand,M/Aix les
Bains 2006}) 10... Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 {White's P-structure is ruined, but in
return he has good attacking possibilities. However, black has not made any
mistakes and with careful play, he should be able to withstand the onslaught.}
O-O (11... Nxe4 {runs into} 12. Bxf7+ (12. Bd5 {This faux pas was given by
Alekhine in his book, but it loses quite handily!} Nxc3 13. Qf3 Nxd5 14. Qxd5
Qh4+ 15. g3 Qf6 16. Qxa8 O-O 17. Qe4 Qxa1 {and white's down a bunch of Ps.})
12... Kxf7 13. Qd5+ Kf6 {Other moves lose.} 14. Qxa8 Qe7 15. Be3 Ng3 16. Kd2
Ne4+ 17. Kd3 c6 {White is slightly better after he extricates his Q.}) 12. e5 {
Here's where things get interesting! Black's N on f3 is attacked and it is
apparently forced to retreat to e8 after which black's position is badly
cramped. Alekhine gave Reti credit for finding the only move that gave him
defensive chances and Reti was also praised for the exemplary manner in which
he conducted the defense.} c5 {This excellent move takes advantage of the
limited mobility of the B on b3. Should white take the N, because he is not
castled black can equalize fairly easily.} 13. Ba3 {One spectator claimed that
when Alekhine played this move he banged the B onto a3 so hard that it was
heard throughout the playing hall. The move pins the P and leads to some
pretty complicated play. At the end of the tactical sequence white ends up
winning a P, but that's all!} (13. exf6 Re8+ 14. Kf2 c4 15. Re1 {Best} Qb6+ 16.
Qd4 Qxd4+ 17. cxd4 Rxe1 18. Kxe1 gxf6 19. Bxc4 bxc4 20. d5 Bb7 21. Bb2 Re8+ 22.
Kf2 Bxd5 23. Rd1 Bc6 24. Bxf6 {The position is completely equal.}) 13... Qa5 {
This move attacks the B on a3 and indirectly defends the c-Pawn. Unfortunately,
it also yields the advantage to white. In fact, Alekhine's combination is
based upon the temporary removal of black's Q from the center.} (13... Bb7 {
This is the correct move that keeps the chances balanced.} 14. Bxc5 Ne4 15.
Bxf8 Qh4+ 16. g3 Nxg3 {White has two ways of equalizing.} 17. hxg3 (17. Be7
Qxf4 18. hxg3 {Also equalizing is 18.Qd4} Qxg3+ 19. Kd2 Qf4+ 20. Ke1 {black
must take the draw by repetition.}) 17... Qxg3+ 18. Kd2 Qxf4+ 19. Ke1 Qxe5+ 20.
Qe2 Qxc3+ 21. Kf2 Kxf8 {In this crazy unbalanced position Shootouts tresulted
black managing to draw all five games.}) 14. O-O {White aoms to take advantage
of the exposed position of black's R on a8 and the fact that after an eventual
exf6 black's K will be exposed.} (14. Bxc5 Qxc3+ {wins the B.}) 14... Qxa3 15.
exf6 c4 {Reti is unconcerned about the reply 16.Qd5 and rightfully so. It
looks like black will be, after his move, a piece ahead.} 16. Qd5 {Attacking
two weak points in black's position...the R and the K-side with Qg5
threatening mate. It may look grim, but Reti has a resource.} Qa5 {And this is
it.} (16... gxf6 17. Qxa8 cxb3 18. cxb3 Qc5+ 19. Kh1 d5 {and white is winning.}
) (16... Rb8 17. Qg5 {wins outright.}) 17. fxg7 {The importance of this
exchange will be clear in three more moves.} Qb6+ 18. Kh1 Kxg7 {He has to take
the P at once.} (18... Re8 19. Bxc4 bxc4 20. Qxa8 Qb7 21. Qxb7 Bxb7 22. Rfe1 {
White is the exchange up with a winning position.}) 19. Bxc4 {Amazing! the
doomed B gains fresh life.} Bb7 {The only move that doesn't lose.} (19... bxc4
20. Qxa8 Bb7 21. Rab1 {White is the exchange up no matter what.}) 20. Qe5+ {
Look back to move 17. If the P was still on f6 this saving check would not be
playable.} Qf6 21. Bd3 {The fascinating chain of complications of the previous
few moves have come to an end. White is a P ahead, but that's not enough to
win.} Rfe8 {Reti surrenders another P in order to occupy the e-file with his
Rs...a good decision.} 22. Qh5 h6 23. Qg4+ Kh8 24. Qxd7 Re7 25. Qd4 Qxd4 26.
cxd4 Rd8 27. f5 {Alekhine is still thinking of attacking. The idea is to play
f6 when he has hopes of attacking the K. Instead of capturing the d-Pawn Reti
prefers to play it safe and guard against that possibility.} (27. c3 {There is
no good way for white to defend the d-Pawn.} Re3 28. Rad1 (28. Rfd1 Rg8 29. d5
Bxd5 30. Bf1) 28... Rc8) 27... f6 28. Rae1 {Alekhine wants to give back a P to
rid himself of black's strong B. Besides, he can't possibly defend all of his
Ps anyway.} Rg7 (28... Rxe1 {loses} 29. Rxe1 Rg8 (29... Rxd4 {loses outright.}
30. Re8+) 30. Re2 Bd5 31. a3 {White has a won ending.}) 29. Be4 Rxd4 30. Bxb7
Rxb7 31. Re6 {Temporarily winning another P.} Kg7 32. Rxa6 Rc4 33. Rf3 {
There was no way to defend the c-Pawn.} Rxc2 {The remainder of the game lends
credence to the saying that all double R endgames are drawn.} 34. h3 Kf7 35.
Rg3 Rf2 36. Rg6 Rxf5 37. Rxh6 Kg7 38. Rh4 b4 39. Rg4+ Kf7 40. Rg3 Rfb5 41. Rb3
Kg6 42. Kh2 Rc5 43. Ra4 Rcb5 44. h4 R5b6 45. Kh3 Rb8 46. g3 f5 47. Ra5 Rc8 48.
Rf3 Rf6 49. Kg2 Rc3 50. Ra8 (50. Rxc3 bxc3 51. Rc5 Ra6 {draws}) 50... Rxf3 51.
Kxf3 Rc6 52. Rb8 {The game I downloaded from 365Chess gives white's move as 52.
Rg8+ with the game being drawn on move 61. I am using the sequence given in
Alekhine's book as it is generally considered correct. But is it? Alekhine was
known to doctor games! In any case, the outcome of a draw was the correct one.}
(52. Rg8+ Kf6 53. Rf8+ Kg6 54. Rb8 Rc4 55. Rb6+ Kg7 56. h5 Rd4 57. Rc6 Re4 58.
Rg6+ Kf7 59. g4 Rxg4 $11 60. Rxg4 fxg4+ 61. Kxg4 Kg7) 52... Rc4 53. Rb6+ Kg7
54. h5 Rd4 55. Rc6 Re4 56. Rg6+ Kf7 57. g4 Rxg4 58. Rxg4 fxg4+ 59. Kxg4 Kg7 {
Draw agreed. Black's K will arrive just in time to stop the a-Pawn.} (59... Kg7
60. Kg5 Kh7 61. h6 Kg8 62. Kg6 Kh8 63. Kf5 (63. h7 b3 64. axb3 {Stalemate})
63... Kh7 64. Ke4 Kxh6 65. Kd4 Kg6 66. Kc4 Kf7 67. Kxb4 Ke6 68. Kb5 Kd7 69. Kb6
Kc8 70. a4 Kb8 {draw}) 1/2-1/2
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