When this game appeared in print the annotations left a lot to be desired, but the game is interesting. After playing the opening poorly (unusual for an opening expert like Euwe) and after some weak early middlegame play by Tartakower, Euwe turned in a wonderful performance in the form of a desperate counterattack against his opponent’s King. Euwe finished up in a fashion worthy of a composed study so the brilliancy prize was well deserved.
[Event "Venice"]
[Site "Venice ITA"]
[Date "1948.10.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Savielly Tartakower"]
[Black "Max Euwe"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C53"]
[Annotator "Stockfiah 18"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "1948.10.03"]
{C53: Giuoco Piano} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Bb6 5. d4 Qe7 6. O-O
d6 7. h3 Nf6 8. Re1 O-O 9. Na3 {The usual move is 9.a4, but at the time this
game was played Tartakower was experimenting with a new way of handle this
position. Although 9.Na3 results in white having to waste time moving the B
again so as to vacate c4 for the N there seems to be no way for black to take
advantage of it.} Nd8 {Besides this time consuming maneuver black has also
played 9...h6 which seems better.} (9... h6 10. d5 Nb8 11. Bf1 c6 12. Nc4 Bc7
13. a4 Nbd7 {White has more space and black has limited counterattacking
resources.}) 10. Bf1 {White wanted to make c4 availavle to the N and thought
retreating the B to any other square would hamper the activity of either the Q
or R. That is not the case though because 10.Bd3, as used by Rossolimo, is
perfectly logical and good.} (10. Bd3 c6 11. Nc4 Bc7 12. b3 b5 13. dxe5 dxe5
14. Ba3 c5 15. Ne3 Ba5 16. Qc2 Bb7 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. exd5 Bc7 19. Nxe5 Bxe5 20.
f4 b4 21. Rxe5 Qd6 22. Bb2 bxc3 23. Bxc3 h6 24. Rf1 Nb7 {Rossolimo,N-Muhring,W
Hastings 1948. White soon won.}) 10... Ne8 {The idea of this move is to keep
the e-Pawn protected, but it's a serious mistake that has tacical consequences.
} (10... exd4 $16 {might work better.} 11. Nxd4 Re8 12. Nc4 Bxd4 13. cxd4 d5 {
and white has the advantage after either 14.e5 or 14.Bg5. Still, this is
black's best choice.}) 11. Nc4 f6 12. a4 {White often plays this in the Giuoco
Piano, but here is is even stronger than usual} c6 {Played to meet the threat
of 13.a5.} 13. Nxb6 axb6 14. Qb3+ Ne6 15. Qxb6 {As a result of his faulty plan
initiated with his 10th move black has lost a P and his position is seriously
compromised.} g5 {With his position strategically lost Euwe seeks counterplay
on the K-side by bringing a N to f4 andm at the same time, maybe opening a
file to get at white's K. Will it work?} 16. Bc4 {Not a bad move by any means,
but it indicates that Tartakower is barking up the wrong tree as he is
attempting to foil black's attack by direct means. All he succeeds in doiung
is aiding black by opening up lines against his own K. A better plan was to
make advances on the Q-side.} (16. Be3 Kh8 17. b4 Nf4 18. b5 Ng7 19. Nh2 cxb5
20. axb5 Rxa1 21. Rxa1 exd4 22. Bxf4 gxf4 23. Qxd4 {White is safe on the
K-side and his central and Q-side superioity should prevail.}) 16... h6 17. h4
{White insists on opening files that weaken his K's position. A Q-side advance
is still indicated.} Kh7 18. hxg5 hxg5 19. dxe5 dxe5 $14 20. Be3 {In spite of
his play over the last few moves white hasn't ruined his position, but his
advantage has been considerably reduced.} Rh8 21. g3 Kg6 {Clearing the file
for the Q and R.} 22. Kg2 {It;s likely that Tartakower saw the coming
sacrifice, but misjudged its effectiveness believing he could successfully
challenge on the h-file.} (22. Bf1 {This brings the B to the defense of the K.}
Nf4 {is now ineffective.} 23. Nh4+ Rxh4 24. gxh4 Bg4 25. Bg2 gxh4 26. f3 h3 27.
Bxf4 exf4 28. Qf2 hxg2 29. Qxg2 {Technically white's R+P are superior to
black's N+B and, in fact, white scored 5-0 in Shootouts.}) 22... Nf4+ {At this
point the chances are equal, but only if white does not capture the N!} 23.
gxf4 {[%mdl 8192] A move worthy of double question marks because it loses.} (
23. Bxf4 {This nearly equalizes after} Bh3+ 24. Kg1 Nd6 (24... exf4 25. e5 f5
26. e6 Nf6 27. Rad1 {with a huge advantage.}) (24... gxf4 25. Rad1 {is equal.})
25. Be2 gxf4 26. Qb4 {and black's advantage is minimal.}) 23... Bh3+ 24. Kg3 {
There was nothing better.} (24. Kg1 gxf4 25. Bf1 Qe6 {wins}) 24... exf4+ 25.
Bxf4 Qd7 {This is an important part of black's attack.} (25... Nd6 {allows
white to turn the tables.} 26. Bd5 (26. Bxd6 Qxd6+ 27. e5 Qd7 28. Qd4 Qxd4 29.
Nxd4 {and white has won material.}) 26... cxd5 27. Qxd6 Qxd6 28. Bxd6 dxe4 29.
Rxe4 {White is uo a N and P.}) 26. Nh2 {White no longer has a viable defense.}
gxf4+ 27. Kxf4 {There can be little doubt that white's exposed K will not
survive long.} Rh4+ 28. Ke3 Bg2 {Attacking the e-Pawn.} 29. Nf3 {Euwe now ends
the game with a brilliant sacrifice that initiates a successful King hunt.}
Rxe4+ {[%mdl 512] Very nice.} 30. Kxe4 Nd6+ 31. Kd3 Qf5+ 32. Kd4 Qf4+ 33. Kd3 {
Is the K getting away? It it does white is a R and P up.} Qxc4+ 34. Kc2 {
Now if white could only play 35.Nd2 he would be safe.} Bxf3 35. b3 {[%emt 0:00:
03]} (35. Qd4 {is equally hopeless.} Qxd4 36. cxd4 Nf5 37. Kc3 Rh8 38. b4 Rh3
39. b5 Bd5+ 40. Kb4 Nxd4 {Black has a decisive endgame advantage.}) 35... Be4+
36. Kb2 Qd3 {[%mdl 2048]} 37. Rg1+ Kf7 38. Rac1 Qd2+ 39. Ka3 Nc4+ $1 {[%mdl
512] Totally destroying white's defense.} 40. bxc4 {Black's last move was only
the precursor to his next nive.} Rxa4+ {[%mdl 512] Without this move white
would be winning.} 41. Kxa4 Qa2+ 42. Kb4 Qb2+ {White resigned.} 0-1
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