Corzo was born in Madrid and emigrated to Cuba in 1887 and won the Cuban championship five times (in 1898, 1902, 1907, 1912, and 1918). He is best remembered though for having lost the match against Capablanca.
Today’s game is ftom that match and it appears in Fred Reinfeld’s old nook, Attack and Counterattack in Chess. The old book was one of his “pot boilers”, in which he illustrates basic strategic principles with illustrative game. It’s annoying that he did not give players’ names, the event or the date. They are just labeled White and Black.
It’s a decent book with mostly verbal explanations. Of course, like all old books there are quite a few mistake in analysis, but the games themselves are interesting.
I was able to identify this game because it was referenced in the tactical analysis performed by the Fritz program.
Reinfld used the game as an example of how to play against gambits, claiming that knowing how “is one of the most important qualifications for playing the black pieces skillfully.”
Reinfeld ststed that “in order to succeed against a gambit, you must keep two valuable principles in mind. They are 1) the initiative is much more important than a material advantage and 2) the extra material can be used as a means of seizing the initiative yourself, often by returning it. Returning the extra material works because the opponent needs time to get it back and you can use that extra move or two to your advantage.
Capablanca’s game against Corzo is fascinating because of the way that he handled Corzo’s adventurous Hamppe-Allgaier Gambit which can lead to some real fireworks.
[Event "Match, Havanna"]
[Site "Havana"]
[Date "1901.??.??"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Juan Corzo"]
[Black "J.R. Capablanca"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C25"]
[Annotator "Fred Reindeld/Stockfish"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "1901.11.17"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "CUB"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceVersion "2"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
{C25: Vienna Game: Alternatives to 2...Nf6} 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. f4 exf4 4.
Nf3 g5 5. h4 {Anothetr often seem move is 5.d4. The idea of the text is to
undermine black's P-structure.} g4 6. Ng5 {Having come down this road, white
shouldn't even consider turning back with 6.Ng1} h6 7. Nxf7 {White is betting
everything on a quick mating attack while black whill try to defend himself.}
Kxf7 {Black's K is exposed to attack. He is a piece ahead, but white can pick
up some Ps leaving him almost equal in material. Therefore, black's maim
problem is that he is likely to fall badly behind in development.
Statistically in my database white scores an overwhelming 60% in this position
while black only manages to win a scant 26%. That only leaves 13% draws. It
would seem Corzo has made a good opening choice against his young opponent.} 8.
d4 {Excellent! This is the only move white has that gives him the advantage.} (
8. Bc4+ {This looks like a reasonable move, but after} d5 {white does not have
a good reply.} 9. Bxd5+ Kg7 10. d4 Bd6 11. Bxc6 bxc6 12. e5 f3 {It's white's K
that is exposed tp a strong attack after ...Be7 and ...Bxh4+. Note that taking
the B is really bad!} 13. exd6 fxg2 14. Rg1 Qxh4+ 15. Kd2 Qf2+ 16. Ne2 Nf6 {
and black is winning. A sample line...} 17. Qe1 Ne4+ 18. Kd1 Rf8 19. Qxf2 Rxf2
{And it should be clear that black is winning.}) 8... d5 {Black has also
played 8...Nf6 and 8...d6 here. The idea of ...d5 is to open up lines to
white's K.} 9. exd5 {Instead of this move which opend up a line against his K
or even 9.Nxd5 white should try and finish his development with 9.Bxf4.} Qe7+
$19 {The situation jas changes from a few moves back...niw it's white's K that
is dangerously exposed.} 10. Kf2 {Although white's position is not very good,
this is no improvement over 10.Be2 that Corzo played two games earlier and
managed a draw.} (10. Be2 {As played in game 6} f3 11. gxf3 gxf3 12. O-O Qxh4
13. Bxf3 Nf6 14. Bh5+ Ke7 {Better was side strepping to g97} 15. Qe2+ Kd8 16.
Rxf6 Rg8+ {Missing the winning line of ...Bg7 and ...Bxd4+} 17. Rg6 Rxg6+ 18.
Bxg6 Qg3+ 19. Qg2 Qe1+ 20. Qf1 {½-½ Corzo,J-Capablanca,J Havana 1901, game 6}
) 10... g3+ 11. Kg1 {Reinfeld wrote that a glance at the position gives the
impression that black has virtually committed suicide. He has lost two Ps for
the sacrificed piece and after his attacked N moves he will lose two more Ps.
Worse yet, black will be hopelessly behind in development.} Nxd4 {[%mdl 512] A
"magnificent resource" with which black "reveals that he understands very well
how to free himself from an uncomfortable bind." (Reinfeld) The sactifice is
omly temporary though.} 12. Qxd4 Qc5 {This is the point of Capablanca's
cunning play.} 13. Ne2 (13. Qxc5 {allows mate.} Bxc5+ 14. Be3 Bxe3#) 13... Qb6
{[%mdl 128]} 14. Qxb6 (14. b4 {This P sacrifice is white's best try.} Bxb4 (
14... Qxd4+ 15. Nxd4 Bxb4 16. Bxf4 {with abour equal chances.}) 15. Be3 fxe3
16. Qxh8 Qf6 17. Qxf6+ Nxf6 18. Nxg3 {Black is better, but white has kept the
damage to a minimum.}) 14... axb6 {Black still threatens mate with ...Bc5#} 15.
Nd4 Bc5 16. c3 {White seems to have survived. material is equal and he gas
managed to defend against the mate threat.} Ra4 {[%cal Ra4d4] A remarkable
move! He threatens ...Rxd4 and adter cxd4 then ...Bxd4 is still mate.} 17. Be2
(17. b4 {is no defense because} Rxb4 {simply renews the mate threat.} 18. cxb4
Bxd4+ 19. Be3 Bxe3#) 17... Bxd4+ 18. cxd4 Rxd4 19. b3 Nf6 20. Bb2 Rd2 21. Bh5+
(21. Bxf6 Kxf6 22. Bc4 {Avoids the loss of a piece, but leaves him without
counterchances in the ending.} Re8 23. Rc1 Bg4 {is hopeless for white.}) 21...
Nxh5 22. Bxh8 f3 23. gxf3 Nf4 {The concentrated attack of Black's pieces must
be decisive. - Reinfeld} 24. Be5 (24. Re1 {allows a forced maye.} Rg2+ 25. Kf1
Rf2+ 26. Kg1 Bh3 27. Re7+ (27. Rxh3 Nxh3+ 28. Kh1 Rh2#) 27... Kxe7 28. d6+ Kf7
29. Rxh3 Nxh3+ 30. Kh1 Rh2#) 24... Rg2+ 25. Kf1 Rf2+ 26. Ke1 Nd3+ {White
resigned. Bearly perfect play by Capablanca.} (26... Nd3+ 27. Kd1 g2 28. Rg1
Nxe5) 0-1
No comments:
Post a Comment