[Event "Netherlands m 3940"] [Site "Netherlands"] [Date "1940.01.14"] [Round "14"] [White "Keres, Paul"] [Black "Euwe, Max"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "D28"] [Annotator "Llewellyn, Alan"] [PlyCount "122"] [EventDate "1939.12.24"] [EventType "match"] [EventRounds "14"] [EventCountry "NED"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.07.01"] {Paul Keres was actually Estonian not Soviet and his greivance at the Soviet Union invasion of his country led to an unfortunate push for Nazi chess events. Here Max Euwe shows why he was World Champion in game 14 of a match between the two which finished closely 7.5-6.5 to Keres in 1940. Max Euwe was to latter become the FIDE President.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 {The Queens Gambit was rarely accepted at the top level but here it is shown that it is perfectly valid to do so, this is known but not often expressed.} 3. Nf3 (3. Nc3 e5 4. dxe5 Qxd1+ 5. Kxd1 Be6 $15 {When the c4 is advanced enough to make life difficult for White while the pawn on e5 is just a target for Black hence the advantage to Black.}) 3... a6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Bxc4 e6 6. O-O c5 7. Qe2 Nc6 8. Rd1 b5 9. Bb3 c4 10. Bc2 Nb4 $1 {This is to exchange off the strong light squared Bishop of Paul.} 11. Nc3 Nxc2 12. Qxc2 Nd5 13. b3 $6 $15 (13. e4 Nb4 14. Qe2 Nd3 $14) 13... cxb3 14. Qxb3 Bb7 15. Ne5 Nxc3 16. Qxc3 Rc8 17. Qe1 Bd6 18. Nd3 Qh4 $1 19. h3 O-O 20. a4 b4 $1 (20... Rc2 $17) 21. Nxb4 Bf3 $3 22. Nxa6 ({if the Bishop is taken it is bad.} 22. gxf3 Qxh3 23. Nd3 (23. f4 f5 24. Rd3 Bxb4 25. Qf1 Qg4+ 26. Qg2 Qh5 27. Bd2 Rf6 28. Kf1 Rc2 29. Bxb4 Qe2+ 30. Kg1 Rg6 31. Rd2 Rxd2 32. Bxd2 Rxg2+ 33. Kxg2 Qxd2 $19) 23... f5 $19 {with the Rook coming to first f6 then g6.}) ({And if the Rook tries to escape it is bad.} 22. Rd3 Qg5 23. Qf1 Bxb4) 22... f5 $6 (22... Qg5 $142) 23. Ba3 Bxa3 24. Rxa3 Bxd1 25. Qxd1 f4 $1 26. e4 Qe7 27. Rb3 Qd6 28. Qd3 Rfd8 29. Nb4 Qxd4 30. Qxd4 Rxd4 $19 { It was more difficult for Paul Keres to play the position than Max Euwe and so with extremely accurate play Max has got a winning advantage.} 31. Nd3 g5 $6 ( 31... Rxe4) 32. h4 Rxa4 33. f3 h6 34. hxg5 hxg5 35. Rb5 Kf7 36. Rb7+ (36. Rxg5 $4 Ra1+ 37. Kh2 Rh8+ 38. Rh5 Rxh5#) 36... Kf6 37. Nf2 $1 Kg6 38. Rb5 Rc1+ 39. Kh2 Raa1 40. Rb2 {If the Knight moves it is mate by Rh1# but the Knight has no reason to move. Black plays on of course (for the win instead of a draw) because he has a strong advantage in material but he has to find a way through Pauls defences and it isnt entirely obvious how he does so.} Rf1 41. Rc2 Kh5 42. Rb2 g4 43. fxg4+ Kg5 44. Rc2 Kf6 45. Rb2 Ke5 46. g5 Ra3 47. Nh3 Kxe4 48. g6 Raa1 (48... Rg3 {this is drawn.} 49. Nxf4 Kxf4 50. Rb4+ Kf5 51. Kxg3 $11) 49. Nf2+ Kf5 50. g7 Ra8 51. Rb7 Rg8 (51... Kg6 $19) (51... Rfa1 {the Rf7+ then Rf8 threat can be parried in a few ways.} 52. Rf7+ Kg6 53. Rf8 Kxg7 $19) 52. Nd3 Kf6 53. Nc5 Rxg7 54. Rxg7 Kxg7 55. Nxe6+ Kf6 56. Nc5 Ke5 57. Kh3 Kf5 58. g4+ $2 Ke5 59. Nd3+ Ke4 60. Kg2 Rb1 61. Nc5+ Ke3 {and the f-pawn cannot be stopped.} 0-1