1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.cxd5 cxd5
This game was played in the first round of the
tournament. Kan, a rising star of the younger generation, did
not want to take any chances against Lasker. Hence, the Slav
Exchange Variation.
4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bf5 7.Qb3
This excursion is a bit early. Modern theory
considers 7.e3 preferable, preserving the option of playing Qb3 later.
7...Na5 8.Qa4+ Bd7 9.Qc2
This move runs into an unpleasant pin. 9.Qd1 is
preferable.
9...Rc8 10.e3 b5! 11.a3 e6 12.Bd3 Be7 13.Ne5 Nc4
Each player has his own reason to maintain the knight
outpost. If White plays Nxc4, Black recaptures with his b-pawn,
drives the white bishop off the d3-h7 diagonal and gives black rooks a
target at b2.
14.Qe2 0-0
The tempting move 14...Nxa3?! is refuted by 15.0-0!
with threats of Nxd7,Nxb5 or Rfc1 followed by Rxa7,once the knight
retreats.
15.0-0 Be8!
A Steinitzian retreat preparing ...Nxe5 and ..Nd7.
16.Rac1 Nd7 17.Nxc4!?
White disturbs the symmetry of the position first,
preparing the advance e3-e4. He has a sounder alternative in
17.Nxd7 Bxd7 18.e4 dxe4 19.Nxe4 (19.Qxe4 g6 20.Bh6 Re8 followed by
...Bc6.) 19...Bc6.
17...bxc4
This move is not questioned by Soltis. 17...dxc4
18.Bb1 Nb6 restraining White's advance e3-e4 and retaining a mobile
pawn majority is better.
18.Bb1 f5! 19.f3 Nb6
19...Nf6 is met by 20.h3 and 21.g4.
20.Bc2
This move prevents...Na4. 20.e4 dxe4 21.fxe4
Qxd4+ drops a pawn.
20...Bd6 21.Bxd6 Qxd6 22.Rcd1 Bd7 23.Qd2
Hereabouts White begins to vacillate. The
principled continuation 23.e4 offered better chances. For
example, 23...dxe4 (23...Bc6) 24.fxe4 f4 25.Qh5! So Black
should play 23...Bc6.
23...Bc6 24.Rfe1 Rcd8 25.Re2
Aimless play. 25.e4 dxe4 26.fxe4 fxe4 27.Nxe4
Bxe4 28.Bxe4 Nd5= at least clarifies the position.
25...Rd7 26.Rde1 g6
Declaring his intention to play..e5.
27.Rd1
Not 27.e4 dxe4 28.fxe4 e5 29.d5 fxe4 30.Bxe4 Bxd5.
27...Rb8 28.Qe1 Rdb7 29.Rdd2 Nd7 30.Bb1 e5! 31.Qg3
Qe6?
Black had probably planned 31...Qf6! but he could not
see his way after 32.dxe5 Nxe5 33.Nxd5 Bxd5 34.Rxd5. Black has
winning chances with 34...Rxb2 35.Rxb2 Rxb2 36.Qxe5 (36.Rxe5 Rxb1+
37.Kf2 Rb2+ 38.Kg1 Qd8!
)
36...Rxb1+ 37.Kf2 Qh4+ 38.Qg3 Rb2+ 39.Kf1 Qxg3 40.hxg3 c3
32.e4! exd4!
The only move. Other lines lose:
32...dxe4? 33.d5!; 32...f4? 33.Qh4 Qf7 34.exd5 Bxd5 35.Nxd5 Qxd5
36.Be4
33.exf5?
Tempting, but wrong. White misses a win with an
incredible variation: 33.exd5! dxc3! 34.dxe6 cxd2 35.Rxd2 c3!?
36.exd7! cxd2 37.Ba2+! Kg7 38.Qe5++-
33...Qf6! 34.Re6
Soltis thinks that 34.Nd1 is perfectly playable and
gives the variation 34...c3 (34...Nf8 35.fxg6 hxg6 36.Re5 d3)
35.Re6 cxd2? 36.Rxf6 Nxf6 37.fxg6+- But this is not convincing
in view of 34...Nf8 35.fxg6 hxg6 36.Re5 d3. Chances, if any, are
with Black.
34...dxc3! 35.Rxf6 cxd2 36.Rxg6+!
The obvious move 36.Bc2 fails to 36...Nxf6 37.Qd6 Bd7!
The analysis by Soltis stops here. But it is important to see
what happens next. In the tournament book Belavenets continues
with 38.fxg6 (38.Qxf6 Bxf5 39.Ba4 Rxb2-+) 38...Rb6 39.gxh7+
Kf7-+
36...hxg6 37.Qxg6+ Kf8
Black was hoping for 38.Qh6+ and Qxd2. He
anticipated that he would win after the subsequent ...Rxb2.
38.Qd6+?
White misses a wonderful opportunity to complicate the
game with 38.Bc2! In that event Black would have to find
38...Rc8! (Not 38...Rxb2 39.f6! Rb1+ 40.Kf2 Re1 41.Be4!+-)
39.Qd6+ Ke8 40.f6 Nf8 41.Qe5+ Kf7 42.Qh5+ Kxf6 43.Qf5+ Ke7 44.Qxc8
Rxb2 45.Qf5 Ne6 46.Bd1 d4
38...Ke8 39.Bc2
This threatens 40.f6 and looks strong. But it is
one move too late.
39...Rb6!!
Not 39...Rc8? 40.f6! Kd8 41.f7+- [Editor's Note:
40...Kd8 leads directly to mate, while 40...Nf8 appears to hold, at
least for now, and offers White a draw by perpetual check with 41.Qe5+
Kd8 42.Qd6+ Ke8 etc.]
40.f6 Kd8 41.f7 Kc8 42.f8Q+ Nxf8 43.Qxf8+ Kb7
44.Qf6
44.Qf4 Rxb2 45.Qxd2 fails to 45...d4 46.Qc1 c3-+
44...Ka6!
The proud monarch would not crouch in a corner.
44...Ka8?! 45.Qd4 Rxb2 46.Qxd2 d4 47.Qh6÷ gives White needless
chances.
45.Qd6
Once again the attempt to take the d-pawn with 45.Qd4
Rxb2 46.Qxd2 fails to 46...Ba4-+
45...Re8 46.h4 Re1+ 47.Kh2 Rc1! 48.Bf5
If 48.Qg6 Ba4-+ Curtains.
48...d1Q 49.Bc8+ Ka5
White Resigns. There are no more checks after
50.Qc5+ Ka4.
0-1
