In the early 1900s a series of three tournaments were held there: 1907, 1911 and 1923. Today’s game comes from the one in 1911 from August 20 to September 24.
Twenty-six players took part including established greats Rubinstein, Schlechter and Marshall and rising stars Alekhine, Nimzovich and Rotlevi.
The latter, Gersz (Georg, George, Gersh) Rotlevi (Rotlewi, Rotlevy) (1889 – 1920) was a Polish master of great promise and Karlsbad 1911 was probably his greatest success. He finished 4th and could have done even better except for the misfortune that befell him in his last three games.
According to the Russian GM Grigory Levenfish, the young Rotlevi played excellent chess and defeated the likes of Schlechter, Nimzovich, Marshall and Spielmann and after round 17 rounds he shared the lead along with Teichmann and Schlechter with Rubinstein a point and a half back.
At that point his younger brother, Tietz, loaned him some money based on his anticipated prize money. Rotlevy spent the money on new clothes and the next day he was strutting around in them and was unrecognizable as he got sidetracked by what the resort had to offer.
Not long after Karlsbad Rotlewi, who previously had contracted tuberculosis, began suffering mental problems which forced him to give up serious chess and he died in 1920 at the age of 31.
As the tournament progressed the name of Richard Teichmann became prominent and this event turned out to be his greatest success.
Writing in his book Chess Praxis (published in 1928) Nimzovich said of centralization that, “The reason is that up until now it has not been well known that under all circumstances the control of the central squares is a strategic necessity; quite often even experienced
players simply run away from the center. But in each individual case we must make absolutely sure that any neglect of the central area by the opponent is really punished.” That’s what Nizovich does here...he punished Levensfish for neglecting the center.
In this game Levenfish acquired two Bishops for two Knights plus he had a central Pawn majority and every reason to feel confident of his chances. But, Nimzovich proceeded to demonstrate that black’s center was a liability because the squares in front of it were weak, inviting invasion by blockading Knights. The result was Levenfish’s Bishops were locked behind the Pawns and were unable to be used to any effect.
However, in a ticklish position where white had no more than a slight positional advantage, Levenfish engineered a dubious plan that allowed his Bishops to escape. Still, Nimzovich still managed to dominate them with his Knights even on the open board!’
As with most games, the theme, here blockading the center and the domination of the Knights over the Bishops, is not so clear cut as the books would have you believe. That’s because Stockfish, Komodo, et al, find hidden resources in the millions of positions they examine...something humans simply cannot do. That does not take away from the game’s instructional value though because humans, not engines, were playing the game.
[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1911.09.15"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Aron Nimzovich"]
[Black "Grigory Levenfish"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C02"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 15.1"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "1911.08.21"]
{C02: French: Advance Variation} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 {A Nimzovich favorite.
The generic idea is for white to gain space in the center. By blocking
black’s Pawns on light squares, the Bishop on c8 will have a hard time
playing a part in the game. It is considered a solid, yet ambitious option
against the French.} c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 f6 {This is strategically wrong
according to Nimzovich who taught that Pawn chains should only be attacked at
the base ...here d4, so correct move is 5...Qb6} (5... Qb6 6. a3 Nh6 7. b4 cxd4
8. cxd4 Nf5 9. Bb2 Bd7 10. g4 Nfe7 {is equal.}) 6. Bb5 {This move which
prepares to exchange a B for a N is a natural move. It's a natural because the
position is blocked.} Bd7 7. O-O {White already has a nice position. Nimzovich
incorrectly claimed 7...Nxe5 would be wrong and his analysis was absolutely
horrible!} (7. exf6 {is strategically wrong.} Nxf6 8. O-O Bd6 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10.
c4 {Black has a slight advantage. Blomqvist,E (2508)-Lopez Perdomo,J (2020)
chess.com INT 2023 1}) 7... Qb6 (7... Qc7 8. Bf4 Nge7 9. Bg3 Qb6 10. a4 cxd4
11. exf6 gxf6 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. cxd4 Bxb5 14. axb5 h5 {with equal chances.
Thipsay,P (2446)-Rathnakaran,K (2428) New Delhi 2009}) (7... Nxe5 8. Nxe5 Bxb5
9. Qh5+ g6 (9... Ke7 {This gross blunder was given by Nimzovich} 10. Qf7+ Kd6 {
Black is dead lost, but Nimzovich's analysis had black walking into a helpmate
in 4 with} 11. dxc5+ Kxe5 12. Re1+ Kf5 13. Qh5+ g5 14. g4#) 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11.
Qxh8 Bxf1 12. Qxg8 Bd3 {White is slightly better after} 13. Qxe6+ Qe7 14. Qxe7+
Bxe7 15. dxc5 Bxc5 16. Be3 Bxe3 17. fxe3) (7... Nxe5 {This is still black's
best move if it's followed up correctly.} 8. Nxe5 (8. dxe5 {favors black after}
Bxb5 9. Re1 f5) 8... fxe5 9. Qh5+ g6 10. Qxe5 Bxb5 11. Qxh8 Bxf1 12. Qxh7 Bd3 {
Black is slightly better.}) 8. Bxc6 {The beginning of his plan to blocjafe
black's center Ps.} bxc6 {Equally playable was 8...Qxc6} 9. exf6 Nxf6 {
Ninzovich would have played 9...gxf6} (9... gxf6 10. Ne5 fxe5 11. Qh5+ Ke7 12.
Qg5+ Kf7 13. Qh5+ Ke7 14. Qg5+ Kf7 15. Qh5+ Ke7 {½-½ (15) Krainski,S (2120)
-Zielinski,W (2008) Kolobrzeg POL 2010}) 10. Ne5 Bd6 11. dxc5 Bxc5 12. Bg5 {
Nimzovich points out that this move, which leads to a total blockade of
black's center Ps and is the point behind white's moves 8-12.} Qd8 13. Bxf6
Qxf6 (13... gxf6 14. Qh5+ Ke7 {is completely even.}) 14. Qh5+ {GM Raymond
Keene called this move a common device in Nimzovich's games. The idea is to
weaken black's K-side.} g6 15. Qe2 Rd8 {After this white gradually begins to
improve his position. The idea is to defend the B so he can play ...O-O} ({
was a better option.} 15... Bd6 16. f4 Qe7 {Defending the B so he can castle.}
17. g3 O-O {Neither side can claim any advantage.}) 16. Nd2 O-O 17. Rae1 Rfe8 (
17... Bd6 18. Nxd7 Rxd7 19. Qxe6+ {wins a P}) 18. Kh1 Bd6 19. f4 c5 20. c4 {
Nimzovich was critical of this move because at the cost of a P, black now gets
his Bs into action. Instead he recommended 20. Qa6, but that does not seem to
lead to any advantage. Both Stockfish and Komodo indicate that white is just
slightly better here, but neither engine indicates a line where white can
greatly improve his position. Thus, in reality, Nimzovich's move is probably
as good as any.} (20. Qa6 {Getting sidetracked with this inviting move
actually takes the pressur eoff black.} Qe7 21. Qxa7 Bxe5 22. Rxe5 Ra8 23. Qc7
Rec8 24. Qb6 Rab8 {and black has fully equalized.}) 20... Bf8 {In an attempt
to gain counterplay Levefish makes a practical decision.Nimzovich comments-
Black loses a P, but the loss is rather pleasant because now the Bs come into
play and white will not find it easy to suddenly change his own game which has
been based on blockading. Actually, the move is not that great!} (20... Bxe5 {
This is counter intuitive because it leaves black with the bad B, but white's
well positioned N is eliminated. After this move black has equality.} 21. fxe5
Qh4 22. Rf3 Bc6 {Intending to open the diagonal. White's best is probably} 23.
Rf6 dxc4 24. Ref1 Bd5 {with complete equality.}) 21. cxd5 Bc8 {Black gives up
a P to smash the blockade and bring his Bs to life, but white maintains the
upper hand.} 22. Ne4 Qg7 23. dxe6 (23. d6 {Technically there is absolutely
nothing wrong with Nimzovich's move, but practically speaking, as Nimzovich
himself pointed out, 23.d6 would have kept the Bs at bay, but his claim that
it would have won is a bit opimistic. He also claimed that he wanted to
"evaluate the P sacrifice."} Bxd6 24. Nc6 Rd7 25. Rd1 Be7 {White is better,
but hardly winning.}) 23... Bxe6 {Black';s Bs now have some open diagonals,
but white has a clear advantage.} 24. Qa6 Kh8 25. Rd1 Bg8 26. b3 Rd4 27. Rxd4
cxd4 28. Qa5 {White avoids provoking the mighty Bs by some sort of diversion
with a Knight (e.g. 28.Ng5). With the text move he prevents ...8d8, but allows
the occupation of the c-file. The struggle now becomes very dramatic. -
Nimzovich} (28. Ng5 {Actually the move played gives black near equality while
this move keeps a solid advantage/} Rd8 29. Rd1 Bb4 30. Nc6 Rd6 31. Qc8 Bc3 32.
Ne4 Rd7 33. Ne5 {with the advantage.}) 28... Rc8 (28... Qb7 {Would have
equalized. For example...} 29. Nf6 Rc8 {White has two plausible moves to keep
the attack going, but neither one accomplishes much because black has
sufficient resources.} 30. Nxg8 (30. f5 Rc2 31. Nf3 Qb6 32. Qxb6 axb6 {equals})
30... Rc2 31. Nf3 Kxg8 32. f5 Qc6 {with equal chances.}) 29. Rd1 {Another slip.
29.Qd2 was better.} (29. Qd2 Rd8 30. Rd1 {with a positional advantage.}) 29...
Rc2 {Natural...and wrong...naturally!} (29... Qb7 {and whit's adwvantage has
evaporated.} 30. Re1 Bb4 31. Nf7+ Bxf7 (31... Kg7 {loses at once.} 32. Qe5+ Kf8
(32... Kxf7 33. Qf6+ Ke8 34. Nd6+) 33. Nfd6) 32. Qe5+ Kg8 33. Nf6+ Kf8 34.
Nxh7+ Kg8 {[%eval 0,51] [%wdl 4,992,4] [%emt 0:00:01]} 35. Nf6+ Kf8 36. Nh7+
Kg8 37. Nf6+ Kf8 38. Nh7+) 30. h3 {[%mdl 2048] Or 30.Qd8 Rxa2 31.Qxd4} Qb7 (
30... g5 {is interesting.} 31. fxg5 Qe7 32. Qb5 Bg7 33. Qd3 Rxa2 34. Ng4 Qa3
35. Ngf6 {and white's greater piece activity should prevail.} Ra1 36. Rxa1
Qxa1+ 37. Kh2 Qb2 38. Nxg8 Be5+ 39. Kg1 Qc1+ 40. Kf2 Kxg8 41. g3 {White is
clearly better, but there is no forced win.}) 31. Rxd4 Bc5 {Nimzovich
commented that black's attack now seems very-powerful. He has some serious
threats and manages to make threats against the g2-square.} 32. Qd8 {Nimzovich
observed that this move has a surprising point...black cannot take the R. He
made the philosophical observation that this is not the result of mere chance.,
Instead, it's a result of a typical procedure if your opponent manages to
break your central blockade by means of a Pawn sacrifice, In that case he
advises that you should just sit tight in the center and wait for the
opportunity to use a central blockading diagonal for a return sacrifice. This
return sacrifice will then be decisive in its effect.]} (32. Ra4 {attacking
the a-Pawn does not allow black quite as much as Nimzovich indicated.} Bb6 33.
Qe1 Qc7 {and white still dominates the position.}) 32... Be7 (32... Bxd4 {
White now gets a series of forks. Raymond Keene asks, Can a system' really
teach you to spot variations like this one?} 33. Qxd4 Qg7 34. Nd6 Rc7 35. Ne8
Rd7 36. Qc3 {and wins.}) 33. Qd7 {What follows now is a rout.} Qa6 34. Rd3 Bf8
{This allows a mate in 9 moves, but there was no way of saving the game.} 35.
Nf7+ Bxf7 36. Qxf7 Rc8 37. Rd7 {Black resigned.} (37. Rd7 Rc1+ (37... Qf1+ 38.
Kh2 Qxf4+ 39. Qxf4 Bg7 40. Nf6 Rc1 41. Qxc1 Bxf6 42. Qc8+ Bd8 43. Qxd8#) (37...
Be7 38. Rxe7 Qf1+ 39. Kh2 Qh1+ 40. Kxh1 Rc1+ 41. Kh2 Rh1+ 42. Kxh1 g5 43. Qxh7#
) 38. Kh2 Rh1+ 39. Kxh1 Qf1+ 40. Kh2 Qh1+ 41. Kxh1 Be7 42. Qxe7 Kg8 43. Qe8#)
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