[Event "AVRO"] [Site "Holland"] [Date "1938.11.22"] [Round "11"] [White "Botvinnik, Mikhail"] [Black "Capablanca, Jose Raul"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E49"] [PlyCount "81"] [EventDate "1938.11.06"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "14"] [EventCountry "NED"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.07.01"] {The battle of the giants- Mikhail Botvinnik was the hero of the Soviet Chess Revolution, a mysterious giant among men for all that he did as a player and coach. Jose Capablanca was also a giant, a Classical Chess Player of enormous ability from the old school of players. I bet the earth shook when these two met in Holland 1938... ...maybe I am being a bit melodramatic but still the game lived up to its billing.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 {This is the Nimzo-Indian Opening, which many players of Black like.} 4. e3 d5 {This is the Rubinstein variation of the Nimzo-Indian and Whites play becomes known as the Botvinnik System to the Rubinstein Variation of that Opening.} 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bd3 O-O 9. Ne2 b6 10. O-O Ba6 11. Bxa6 Nxa6 12. Bb2 Qd7 13. a4 Rfe8 14. Qd3 c4 15. Qc2 Nb8 16. Rae1 Nc6 17. Ng3 Na5 $6 {Jose is targetting the b3 square for the Knight and then to take the a4 pawn that is imposible to defend. But meanwhile Mikhail is developing a Kingside attack which shouldnt be ignored.} (17... h5 $142) 18. f3 Nb3 19. e4 Qxa4 20. e5 Nd7 21. Qf2 g6 22. f4 f5 23. exf6 Nxf6 24. f5 $1 {swapping off rooks favours Jose so more drastic efforts are needed.} Rxe1 25. Rxe1 Re8 26. Re6 $1 Rxe6 27. fxe6 Kg7 28. Qf4 Qe8 29. Qe5 Qe7 30. Ba3 $3 {Mikhail throws the kitchen sink at Jose just to be certain.} Qxa3 31. Nh5+ $3 {a wonderfull sacrifice which isnt really a sacrifice as Mikhail will immediately get his material back combined with a strong e-pawn.} gxh5 32. Qg5+ Kf8 33. Qxf6+ Kg8 34. e7 (34. Qf7+) 34... Qc1+ 35. Kf2 Qc2+ 36. Kg3 Qd3+ 37. Kh4 Qe4+ 38. Kxh5 Qe2+ 39. Kh4 Qe4+ 40. g4 Qe1+ 41. Kh5 {and after a rather desperate King Hunt by Jose, he runs out of checks thus the e pawn is unstoppable and Mikhail is actually threatening mate next move with 42.Qf8# so Jose threw in the towel.} 1-0