Chess lessons › Famous chess games
Alexander Alekhine
Deep combinations: Alekhine’s rook and knights take apart Réti’s position at Baden-Baden in 1925.
The idea
Alekhine’s knights chase White’s king, then fork rook and bishop.
- The knight on c2 has just taken a rook, and it jumps to d4.
- From d4 it attacks White’s rook on e2.
- It also attacks the bishop on f3, and White loses a piece.
In a game: After a run of checks, look for a knight move that hits two pieces.
How the lesson begins
Alexander Alekhine was born in Moscow in 1892. In 1927 he beat José Raúl Capablanca in Buenos Aires and became world champion. He lost the title to Max Euwe in 1935, won it back from him in 1937, and was still champion when he died in 1946.
He loved sharp play and long combinations. Here is a game from Baden-Baden in 1925. Richard Réti has White, Alekhine has Black.
Réti puts his bishop on the long diagonal; Alekhine brings his pieces to the centre. Then Alekhine puts a rook on e3, where the pawn on f2 can take it. Réti does not take, and the queens come off.
- 1. g3 e5 2. Nf3 e4 3. Nd4 d5 4. d3 exd3 5. Qxd3 Nf6 6. Bg2 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ 8. Nxd2 O-O 9. c4 Na6 10. cxd5 Nb4 11. Qc4 Nbxd5 12. N2b3 c6 13. O-O Re8 14. Rfd1 Bg4 15. Rd2 Qc8 16. Nc5 Bh3 17. Bf3 Bg4 18. Bg2 Bh3 19. Bf3 Bg4 20. Bh1 h5 21. b4 a6 22. Rc1 h4 23. a4 hxg3 24. hxg3 Qc7 25. b5 axb5 26. axb5 Re3 The rook goes to e3, where the pawn on f2 attacks it.
- 27. Nf3 cxb5 28. Qxb5 Nc3 The knight jumps to c3.
- 29. Qxb7 Qxb7 30. Nxb7 The queens are gone. The knight on b7 has just taken back.
Find the move
Black to move. Take a pawn with check.
A hint
The knight on c3 can reach e2.
Show the answer
30... Nxe2+
30...Nxe2+ After 31.Kh2 the other knight comes to e4, and both white rooks are attacked.