AVRO 1938, Round 3: Alekhine and Botvinnik impress

by Johannes Fischer
6/5/2020 – Round 3 of the AVRO Tournament 1938 brought a number of remarkable games. Mikhail Botvinnik convincingly outplayed Samuel Reshevsky, and Alexander Alekhine showed against Max Euwe why he is considered to be one of the best attacking players in chess history. Reuben Fine and José Raúl Capablanca drew after both had missed good chances. With 2½/3 Fine continues to be sole first. | Photo: Alexander Aljechin
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Attacking chess

The 27-year-old Mikhail Botvinnik from the Soviet Union is known as an excellent theoretician and outstanding strategical player. In round 3 against Samuel Reshevsky he showed why he enjoys this reputation. After the opening Botvinnik had a slight plus and put Reshevsky under constant pressure.

Reshevsky found no concept, used oceans of time and after 23 moves was almost lost. Botvinnik finished the game with a couple of precisely calculated tactical shots.

 
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1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 5.e3 d6 6.Nge2 Nge7 7.d4 exd4 8.exd4 0-0 9.0-0 Nf5 10.d5 Ne5 11.b3 a5?! After the game Botvinnik said that he did not like this move: "That Black should aim to ensure the future safety of the post for his knight at c5 is understandable, but it is unrealisable, since White prepares and carries out the advance b3-b4. Instead of this routine plan Black should have tried to create counterplay by 11....a6 12.Bb2 b5." 12.Bb2 Nd7 13.a3 Nc5 14.b4 Nd7 15.Qb3 Maybe the position is objectively equal but Black seems to be unable to find a convincing plan. Nd4 16.Nxd4 Bxd4 17.Rad1 Bg7 18.Rfe1 axb4 19.axb4 Nf6 20.h3 h5 21.c5 Bf5? This bishop move costs Black time - and this is more than he can afford. Better was 21...Bd7 and after 22.c6 bxc6 23.dxc6 with a slight advantage for White. Compared to the game Black is a tempo up. 22.Nb5 Bd7 23.c6! bxc6 24.dxc6 Bc8 25.Nxd6! Be6 After the game Botvinnik admitted that he was more afraid of 25...cxd6 26.c7 Qxc7 27.Bxa8 Bxh3 28.Bh1 because "Black has a pawn for the exchange and some counterplay. Even so, the passed b-pawn must decide the outcome, since it cannot be firmly blocked." 26.Rxe6! fxe6 27.Nf5! Reshevsky was already in severe time-trouble. But Botvinnik managed to refrain from the tempting 27.Qxe6+ because he would lose a knight after Kh7 27...Qe8 28.Nxg7 Kxg7 29.Rd7+ Rf7 30.Be5! A remarkably calm decision in a tense position. White wins the weak pawn on c7 and then the white pawns and the white bishops will decide the game. Kg8 31.Rxc7 Rxc7 32.Bxc7 Ra1+ 33.Kh2 Ra7 34.Be5 Rf7 35.c7 Nd7 36.Qc2 Rf8 37.c8Q! A nice finish of an impressive game. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Botvinnik,M-Reshevsky,S-1–01938A25AVRO3

Our experts show, using the games of Botvinnik, how to employ specific openings successfully, which model strategies are present in specific structures, how to find tactical solutions and rules for how to bring endings to a successful conclusion

Alexander Alekhine's nimbus suffered greatly from his defeat against Max Euwe in the 1935 World Championship match - and even Alekhine's win in the rematch against Euwe in 1937 could not fully restore it.

Alexander Alekhine during the match against Euwe in 1935

But in his game against Euwe in round 3 of the AVRO tournament Alekhine showed how well he still plays, especially in dynamic positions with hidden attacking potential.

 
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1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bf4 Bf5 7.e3 a6 8.Ne5 Rc8 9.g4 Bd7 10.Bg2 e6 11.0-0 h6 12.Bg3 h5?! After this move Black is in trouble. Better was 12...Bb4 13.Nxd7 Nxd7 14.gxh5 Nf6 15.Bf3 Bb4 16.Rc1 Kf8 17.a3 Bxc3 18.Rxc3 Ne7 19.Qb3 Rxc3 20.bxc3 Qd7 21.Qb6 Nc8 22.Qc5+ Kg8 23.Rb1 b5 24.h6! It is impressive to see how Alekhine plays on both wings to open the position to give his pieces attacking chances. gxh6 Or 24...Rxh6 25.a4 with good chances for White, e.g. Na7 26.axb5 Nxb5 27.c4 dxc4 28.Bc6 Qd8 29.Ra1 Qc8 30.Qxc4 Na7 31.Rxa6 with a clear advantage for White. 25.Be5 Kg7 26.a4! After opening the position on the kingside Alekhine also opens it on the queenside. bxa4 27.c4 Ne7 28.cxd5 Nexd5 29.Kh1! Allowing White's rook to come to g1. Rc8 30.Rg1+ Kh7 After 30...Kh8 White wins with 31.Bxd5 Rxc5 32.Bxf6+ Kh7 33.Be4+ Rf5 34.Rg7+ 31.Qa3 Rg8 32.e4 White wins material. Rxg1+ 33.Kxg1 Qb5 34.exd5 Qb1+ 35.Kg2 Qg6+ 36.Bg3 Nxd5 37.Bxd5 exd5 38.Qxa4 h5 39.h4 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Alekhine,A-Euwe,M-1–01938D13AVRO3

On this DVD GMs Rogozenco, Marin, Müller, and IM Reeh present outstanding games, stunning combinations and exemplary endgames by Alekhine. And they invite you to improve your knowledge with the help of video lectures, annotated games and interactive tests

Reuben Fine started the tournament of the world's eight best players with two wins and in round 3 he almost won his third game in a row. Fine had White against Capablanca and missed a good chance in a complicated middlegame – but in the end Fine could be happy about half a point.

 
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1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.Bd2 cxd4 6.Nb5 Bxd2+ 7.Qxd2 Nc6 8.Nf3 f6 9.Qf4 Nh6 10.Nd6+ Kf8 11.Bb5 Nf7 12.Nxf7 Kxf7 13.Bxc6 bxc6 14.exf6 gxf6 15.Ne5+ Kg7 16.Qg3+ Kf8 17.Nxc6 Qd7 18.Nxd4 The opening did not go well for Capablanca. He is a pawn down for which he has insufficient compensation. e5 19.Nb3 Qf5 20.Qd3 d4 21.0-0 Rg8 22.f4 Bb7 23.Rf2 Be4 24.Qd2 Kf7 25.Re1 Rg4 After 25...Rxg2+ 26.Rxg2 Bxg2 27.Kxg2 Rg8+ 28.Kh1 Rg4 29.Qd3 White is able to repel Black's attack. 26.Nc5? Fine misses a good chance to secure his advantage: 26.fxe5! Qxe5 27.Qxd4 Qxd4 28.Nxd4 Bxg2 29.Rxg2 Rxd4 with very good winning chances for White. 26...Bxg2! Now Black can sacrifice his bishop. 27.Rxg2 Rag8 28.Ree2 exf4 29.Nb7 Qd5 30.Rxg4 Rxg4+ 31.Rg2 Rxg2+ 32.Qxg2 f3 33.Qh3 Qg5+ 34.Qg3 Qc1+ 35.Kf2 Qe3+ 36.Kf1 Qe2+ 37.Kg1 Qd1+ 38.Kf2 Qxc2+ 39.Kxf3?! Better was 39.Kf1 after which Black has nothing better than the perpetual. 39...Qc6+ 40.Ke2 Qxb7 41.b3 Qe4+ 42.Kd2 Qe5 Black is a pawn up in the queen ending but Cabablanca seems to lack the energy to play for a win. After e.g. 42...f5 Black has good winning chances. 43.Qh3 Qg5+?! Now the game finally peters out to a draw. After 43...Qe4 Black still has winning chances. 44.Kd3 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Fine,R-Capablanca,J-½–½1938C17AVRO3

The only dull game of the round was the encounter between Paul Keres and Salo Flohr, which ended in a draw after 23 unspectacular moves.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.Nc3 Bb7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 Be7 7.e3 Ne4 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Qc2 Nxc3 10.Qxc3 0-0 11.Be2 d6 12.0-0 Nd7 13.Rfd1 Nf6 14.Nd2 c5 15.dxc5 dxc5 16.Nf1 Rfd8 17.Ng3 Qc7 18.h3 Kf8 19.Rxd8+ Rxd8 20.Rd1 Rxd1+ 21.Bxd1 Qd6 22.Be2 Ne4 23.Nxe4 Bxe4 ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Flohr,S-Keres,P-½–½1938E12AVRO3

Results of round 3

M. Botvinnik 1-0 S. Reshevsky
A. Alekhine 1-0 M. Euwe
R. Fine ½-½ J.R. Capablanca
S. Flohr ½-½ P. Keres

Standings after round 3

Rk. Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pts.
1 Reuben Fine         1 ½   1 2.5
2 Alexander Aljechin       1   ½   ½ 2.0
3 Paul Keres       ½ ½   ½   1.5
4 Max Euwe   0 ½       1   1.5
5 Mikhail Botvinnik 0   ½         1 1.5
6 Jose Raul Capablanca ½ ½         ½   1.5
7 Salo Flohr     ½ 0   ½     1.0
8 Samuel Herman Reshevsky 0 ½     0       0.5

Games

 
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Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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