The book has 107 games played between 1939 and 1945 that were annotated by Alekhine. The games are arranged by opening and they are by the usual great players of the era such as Alekhine (31 of his games), Capablanca, Bogoljubov, Kashdan, Reshevsky, Tartakower, Keres, Najdorf, but it also contains the games of some lesser known players whose games you are highly unlikely to ever see.
Some reviewers complained about the annotations: either they were too sparse or they were tinged with "mocking condescension" or they were indifferent and Alekhine assumed that some tactical or strategic ideas were obvious and didn't explain them therefore the reader won't learn anything. The book is not an instructional book; it's what it says it is...a collection of 107 great games that one can just enjoy playing over.
The very first game in the book was played between two lesser known players: Isaias Pleci and Gunnar Friedemann at the 8th Chess Olympiad in Buenos Aires, 1939.
This event is not to be confused with the international tournament held in October in Buenos Aires immediately after the Olympiad. In this tournament all participants, except of Paul Keres, had decided to stay in Argentina due to outbreak of World War II. Keres and Najdorf tied for first.
The Olympiad was made up of an open tournament, as well as the Women's World Championship. For complete details refers to the Wikipedia article HERE.
Isaias Pleci (October 27, 1900 - December 27, 1980) of Argentina was awarded the IM title in 1965 and was Argentine champion in 1929 and 1930. He represented Argentina in the 1935, 1937, and 1939 Chess Olympiads. He won the reserve board gold medal at Buenos Aires 1939 and the reserve board bronze medal at Stockholm 1937. In 1936, he won Mar del Plata. He was champion of South America at Mar del Plata 1936 and finished 2nd at the South America championship in 1935.
In 1935, at the Warsaw Chess Olympiad, Pleci claimed his game on time forfeit against Miguel Najdorf. Najdorf said he made his move just before time control, but before he could press the button Pleci picked up the clock and ran away with it. Pleci said he couldn't forcibly stop Najdorf from making his move and writing it down on his scoresheet. The arbiters were unable to reach a verdict on who was right, so the clock decided the issue and Najdorf lost the game on time.
Gunnar Friedemann (September 22, 1909 - February 2, 1944) was an Estonian master who played in several Estonian championships at Tallinn. In 1932, he tied for 3rd-4th and in 1933, he won the championship. In 1934, he took finished 3rd and in 1935 he finished 2nd. In 1935, he lost a match against Keres at Tallinn (+1 –2 =0). In 1939, he took 3rd in the Estonian championship.
In the 1930 Olympiad the Estonian team took third place and it was made up of Keres, Raud, Schmidt, Friedemann and Turn. Friedemann's score of +11 –3 =3 contributed heavily to the team's success.
Friedemann died in 1944 at the age of 34 while fighting for the German Army on the Eastern Front.
Isaias Pleci - Gunnar Friedemann
Result: 1-0
Site: Chess Olympiad, Buenos Aires
Date: 1939
Closed Ruy Lopez
[...] 1.e4 e5 2.♘f3 ♘c6 3.♗b5 a6 4.♗a4 ♘f6 5.O-O ♗e7 6.♖e1 b5 7.♗b3 d6 8.c3 Alekhine made a comment here that this move is premature and therefore incorrect and he predicted that within three years black would abandon the move in favor of 8... O-O. He was right. My database has 187 games with this move but almost 4,500 with 8...O-O. 8...♘a5 9.♗c2 c5 10.a4 ♖b8 (10...♗g4 11.h3 ♗h5 12.d4 ♗xf3 13.♕xf3 cxd4 14.cxd4) 11.axb5 axb5 12.d4 ♕c7 13.dxe5 dxe5 14.♘xe5 Even at the time this game was played is theory considered this move too dangerous. In spite of its bad results this move is usually played instead of Alekhine's recommended 14.Nbd2.
18.gxh4 ♕xh4 19.♕f3 The only move.
24...♘xe1 25.♔xe1 ♕h1+ 26.♔f2 ♕xc1 Alekhine called this an unbelievable error that completely overlooks the check and claimed that after 26...O-O white would have been struggling to hold the draw. Actually, after 26. ..O-O things get quite murky.
14.♘bd2 ♘c6 15.♘f1 O-O 16.♘e3 ♗e6 17.♘g5 ♖bd8 18.♕f3 with equality. Levenfish,G-Lilienthal,A/Leningrad 1939
14...♕xe5 15.♖xa5 ♘g4 16.g3
16.f4 Is not nearly as good as it looks. After 16...♕c7 black gets a very strong attack. For example... 17.♖a1 c4 18.♖f1 ♕c5+ 19.♔h1 ♘f2+
16...♕h5 17.h4 ♗xh4
17...g5 At the time this was the book move, but Friedemann had realized that the book move was bad. For this reason he decided to sacrifice a piece, which ia not actually any better, but in this game it leads to good results. 18.♗xg5 ♗xg5 19.♕d6 ♗xh4 20.♕xb8 ♗d8 Alekhine ends his comments here with etc., but things get murky after 21.♕xb5+ ♗d7 22.♕xc5 ♕h2+ 23.♔f1 ♗xa5 24.♖d1
17...g5 This actually favors white after 18.♗xg5 ♗xg5 19.♕d5 as was pointed out by Alekhine. 19...O-O 20.♕xg5+ ♕xg5 21.hxg5 and white is better.
17...g5 can, however, be met by the even stronger 18.♖a7 ♖b7
Or 18...gxh4 19.♕d5 ♕g6 20.♖xe7+ ♔xe7 21.f3 ♖g8 22.♕xc5+ ♔e8 23.fxg4 and white has a won game.
19.♖a8 O-O 20.♗xg5 ♗xg5 21.♕d5 ♖e7 22.♗d1 ♖fe8 23.f4 ♕g6 24.♕xg5 ♕xg5 25.hxg5 and white is much better. 19.♗e3 ♕h2+ 20.♔f1 ♘e5 21.♕d5 ♗g4 and white must surrender his Q or get mated in two.
19...♕h2+ 20.♔f1 ♘e5 21.♕g3 As Alekhine pointed out this move is the key to the combination because it allows his B to participate in the attack. 21...♕h1+ Again, Alekhine correctly pointed out that this is the only move, but it leads to no more than equality. Alekhine also commented that, "Friedemann'a move thus provides evidence of a profound examination of the position."
21...♗h3+ fails after 22.♔e2 ♗g4+ 23.♔e3 and black has no satisfactory way of continuing the attack. (23.♔d2 ♘c4+ 24.♔d3 ♖d8+ mates next move.) (23.♔f1 ♕h1+ 24.♕g1 ♗h3+ mates in two. ) 23...♕h6+ 24.f4 leaves black in a bad way.
22.♔e2 ♕h5+ 23.f3 ♘xf3 Another sacrifice is called for, but white still stands better. 24.♔f2 After this black is calling the tune. (24.♕xf3 ♗g4 obviously wins.)
24.♕xg7 allows black to equalize, but no more. 24...♘e5+ 25.♔f2
25.♔d2 is bad. 25...♕h2+ 26.♖e2 ♕f4+ 27.♔d1 ♕f1+ 28.♖e1 (28.♔d2 ♘c4+) 28...♕f3+ 29.♖e2 ♘g6 30.♗d2 ♗g4 31.♔c1 ♕xe2 with the advantage.
25...♘g4+ with a perpetual check. 26...O-O 27.♗f4 (27.♕xb8 ♕xc1 28.♗d3 f5 29.exf5 ♗xf5 wins for black.) 27...♖b6 28.♕h2 ♕xh2+ 29.♗xh2 with unclear complications.
27.♕e5+ This check is not fatal provided black finds the right reply. 27...♔d8 Which he does not.
27...♗e6 is not quite satisfactory because after 28.♕xb8+ ♔e7 29.♕c7+
allows the draw after 29.♕xh8 ♕f4+ 30.♔e2 ♗g4+ 31.♔d3 ♕f3+ 32.♔d2 ♕e2+ mates in two.
29...♔f6 30.♗d3 Here, too, the result would be unclear. 30...h5 and it's anybody's game. 27...♔d7 This is the clearest continuation after which white would be able to draw. For example... 28.♕f5+ ♔d8 29.♕d5+ ♔c7 30.♕e5+ ♔d7 31.♕d5+ etc.
28.♕d6+ Now with black's K on the 8th rank and white's R on the 7th, the game is over. 28...♔e8 29.♖a7 (29.♕xb8 also wins. 29...♕xc2+ 30.♔e3 ♕c1+ 31.♔e2 ♕c2+ 32.♘d2) 29...♕xc2+
29...♕g5 This would make things a tad more difficult for white. 30.♕xb8 ♕h4+ 31.♕g3 ♕xg3+ 32.♔xg3 h5 In Shootouts white won 5 out of 5 games. 33.♘a3 ♖h6 34.♘xb5 h4+ 35.♔h2 ♖b6 36.♗a4 ♗e6 37.♘d6+ ♔d8 38.♘xf7+ ♗xf7 39.♖d7+ ♔c8 40.♖xf7 ♖xb2+ 41.♔g1 ♖e2 42.♗c6 with a winning ending.
30.♘d2 ♖b7 31.♖a8 ♖c7 32.♔e2 ♕a4 33.♖xa4 bxa4 34.♕xc7 ♗g4+ 35.♔e3 According to Alekhine black resigned here, but in fact he played on until adjournment. 35...♖f8 36.♕xc5
36.♘c4 leads to mate: 36...♗d7 37.♘b6 ♔e7 38.♕xd7+ ♔f6 39.♕f5+ ♔e7 40.♕e5+ ♔d8 41.♕d6+ ♔e8 42.♕d7#
36...f6 37.♔f4 ♗d7 38.♘c4 g5+ 39.♔e3 ♖g8 40.♘d6+ ♔d8 41.♘b7+ ♔e8 42.♕c7 ♔e7 43.♕d6+ ♔e8 44.♕xf6 ♗h3 45.♕d8+ ♔f7 46.♘d6+ ♔g7 47.♕xg5+ Facing mate, black resigned. A lively game. Powered by Aquarium
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