Alekhine and Fine Race for First

     Finally, it seems that the worst of the winter storm with its drizzle, ice and 12 inches of snow has moved on to the East Coast and it's just cold and blustery. Still it's a good day not to venture out for any reason. 

     As nasty as this storm was it does not compare to the Great Blizzard of 1899 which you can read about HERE. It was incredible! 

     Nor did it compare to the one I remember...the Great Blizzard of 1978. That morning as I left for work it was nice, but someone called a radio station and said it was windy and their lawn furniture had just blown away. That prompted me to go back in the house and get my winter parka just in case. 

     Later that morning the blizzard hit hard and fast and there were 70-80 mile per hour wind gusts. The company sent us home and a couple of guys didn't make and got stranded. You can read about that one HERE. It was the result of a bomb cyclone which is described HERE.

     As a result of this latest storm I have 3 or 4 Blog posts ready to go! This one is on the 1936/37 Hastings Christmas Congress. It had an excellent entry list that included former World Champion Alekhine, American star Reuben Fine, the Austrian champion Eliskases, Feigin a promising young Latvian and the experienced Yugoslav GM Vidmar, plus the British champion Winter, the veteran Thomas and the world's leading lady player Menchik. 

     Because Fine had won the previous year's event everyone was interested to see if he could repeat and he got off to a terrific start by scoring seven consecutive wins and it looked like he might very well repeat. 

     Fine's repeat performance seemed justified because although Alekhine had been doing almost as well, his score being only half a point less, their play had been polar opposites. Fine had run rough shod over his opponents while Alekhine had a number of adjourned games and his points had come harder. 

 

 

     The fatal game was their eighth round meeting. Alekhine was playing white and so was favored. In the game he essayed a doubtful sacrifice, but Fine mishandled the defense and lost. This reversed the tables and Alekhine led by a half point entering the final round. Alekhine was paired with Koltanowski and Fine with Vidmar. Both games were drawn after strenuous efforts on the part of Alekhine and Fine, both of whom were a Pawn down, but still managed to hold the draw.

 

 

 

[Event "Hastings 1936/37"] [Site "Hastings ENG"] [Date "1937.01.05"] [Round "8"] [White "Alexander Alekhine"] [Black "Reuben Fine"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C90"] [Annotator "Stockfish 14.1"] [PlyCount "73"] [EventDate "1936.12.28"] {Ruy Lopez} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {I believe it was Pudry who did not recommend the Ruy Lopez to beginners because of its complexities.} a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 Na5 9. Bc2 c5 10. d4 Qc7 11. Nbd2 O-O 12. Nf1 {So far the play has been pretty standard, but black's next move is questionable. He should have played 12...cxd4} Bg4 13. Ne3 {The recommended move is 13.d5, but at this point Alekhine was trailing Fine by half a point and so he had to play for a win at all costs. This explains the text move, which costs a Pawn but gives him decent attacking chances.} Bxf3 (13... Nc6 14. d5 Nb8 15. a4 b4 16. c4 Bd7 17. b3 g6 18. h3 Ne8 19. g4 Ng7 20. Kh2 f6 { left white with good chances. Cruz,W-Vianna/Mar del Plata 1928}) 14. Qxf3 cxd4 15. Nf5 {An interesting alternative was 15.cxd4} (15. cxd4 Nc6 16. Nf5 Nxd4 17. Nxd4 exd4 18. Bb3 a5 19. Bf4 {equals.}) 15... dxc3 16. Qxc3 Rfc8 {Of course not 16...Qxf3 17.Nxe7+ winning a piece.} 17. Qg3 Bf8 18. Bd3 Nc6 19. Bg5 { It should be pretty clear that white's chances on the K-side are greater than black's on the Q-side as at the moment black can't really undertake any action there.} Ne8 {In spite of black's cramped and passive position his defense should hold.} 20. Rac1 (20. h4 {pressing on with his K-side attack looks promising, but does not seem to lead anywhere.} Nd8 21. Ne3 Ne6 22. Nd5 Qb7 23. Be3 {but even here black has plenty of pieces to defend his K.}) 20... Qb7 { It would seem better to keep the Q centrlized with 20...Qd7} (20... Qd7 21. Be2 Nd8 22. Ne3 Ne6 23. Nd5 {White's attack is at a standstill and now black can beginb play on the Q-side.} Rxc1 24. Rxc1 Rc8 {with at least equality.}) 21. a3 {He might still have considerd 21.h4 because now Fine begins to get some play.} g6 {Black rids himself of the well placed white N and eases his defense by eliminating an attacker. It does not create a weakness because he has his dark squared B.} (21... Nd4 {to alleviate the pressure might be considered here., but after} 22. Nxd4 Rxc1 23. Rxc1 exd4 {but white looks to have at least equality.}) 22. Nh6+ Bxh6 23. Bxh6 Nd4 {Now that the N on f5 is gone black can occupy this fine square.} 24. Rcd1 b4 {It is difticult to say exactly where Fine went wrong, but I.A> Horowitz thought this move permitting the white B to eventually control the diagonal a2-g8 must be considered bad. Engines disagree and eveluate the position as equal.} 25. f4 exf4 (25... f6 {was incorrectly recommended by Horowitz. After} 26. Rf1 Kh8 27. fxe5 dxe5 28. Qxe5 Nf5 29. Rxf5 gxf5 30. Qxf5 {white is betetr.}) (25... bxa3 {seems to be the best move. After } 26. bxa3 Rc3 27. fxe5 Qb3 {it gets interesting after} 28. exd6 Ne2+ 29. Bxe2 Rxg3 30. hxg3 Qb6+ 31. Kh2 Nxd6 {wiht even chances! Shootouts resulted in five draws.}) 26. Qxf4 bxa3 (26... b3 {was recommended by Horowitz in order to lock the Q-side and then concentrate his efforts on the K-side defense. However, Fine's move is actually better because in this line after} 27. Rf1 Ne6 28. Qg4 N8g7 29. Qe2 Nd4 30. Qf2 {white still has the initiative. In Shootouts white scored +2 -0 =3 in fairly long endings so black would have some drawing chances.}) 27. bxa3 Rc3 28. Qf2 Ne6 29. a4 Rac8 30. Rf1 {Threatening to capture the a-Pawn.} R3c7 {Defending f7.} (30... Kh8 {A pass to demonstrate the threat} 31. Bxa6 Qxa6 32. Qxf7 Qc4 33. Rd5 {and wins because black must surrender heavy material to stave off mate.} Rc1 (33... Qxa4 34. Qf8+ Nxf8 35. Rxf8#) 34. Bxc1 Qxc1 35. Qxe6 Ng7 36. Qxd6 {wins easily.}) (30... R8c7 { This was a better way to defend f7 because the R on c3 remains active.} 31. Rb1 Qc6 {White is only slightly better.}) 31. Rb1 {With this move Alekhine seizes th einitiative and his position just keeps getting stronger.} Qc6 32. a5 { The threat is 33.Rb6 followed by the capture of the a-Pawn. With the weaknesses of the Q-side now black is helpless to defend on both wings.} Nc5 { This move resulting in an instant loss is probably explained by time pressure.} (32... Re7 {This is the best defense he has.} 33. Bc4 {Clever!} Qc5 (33... Qxc4 34. Rbc1 {and black has to surrender his Q for not quite enough compensation.}) 34. Be3 Qe5 35. Bxa6 Ra8 36. Bb5 Nc5 (36... Rxa5 37. Bxe8 Rxe8 38. Qxf7+ {mates }) 37. Bd4 {with a decisive attack.}) 33. Bc4 Qd7 34. Qa2 Nxe4 35. Rxf7 Qxf7 36. Bxf7+ Rxf7 37. Qe6 {Fine resigned.} (37. Qe6 N4f6 38. Qxc8 {is clearly hopeless.}) 1-0