Legitimacy
Raymond Keene
SETTING UP the Kasparov-Short cham- pionship match outside Fide has been rather like becoming involved in those legitimist movements which aim to restore the Romanovs or the Hapsburgs to the thrones of Russia and Austro-Hungary. A book which has been much in demand is Alekhine's recently re-issued account of his 1937 match against Dr Euwe for the world title (Batsford, £13.99). This volume was Alekhine's own record of the very last match held outside Fide, when the cham- pion, as he had done since 1886, accepted challenges personally. It was only when Alekhine, the chess czar, died in 1946 that Fide was able to seize the rights for itself during the interregnum.
The 1937 match was for the best of 30 games. Even though Alekhine had won the title after game 25 the last five games were still played. This blueprint has been adopted for the Kasparov-Short match: 24 games are envisaged, and 24 will be played, come what may. In the book, Alekhine claimed that the last five games, which he lost by three to two, were without creative interest. This is a case of 'He would, wouldn't he?' In fact, two of those last five games were amongst the best and hardest-fought of the match.
Alekhine — Euwe: Amsterdam 1937; Slav Defence.
1 Nf3 d5 2 c4 e6 3 e3 Bf5 4 cxd5 exd5 5 Qb3 Qc7 6 Bb5+ Bd7 7 Nc3 e6 8 Bxd7+ Nxd7 9 d4 Ngf6 10 Bd2 a6 11 0-0 The opening appears to have been somewhat arid and it is fascinating to observe how Alekhine manufactures chances from this unpromising material. 11 . Bd6 12 Rfcl Qb6 13 Qc2 Rd 14 a4 0-0 Euwe avoids a typical Alekhine trap, namely 14 . . . Ne4 15 a5 Qd8 16
Nxc4 Rxc2 17 Nxd6+ Ke7 18 Rxc2 Kxd6 19 Bb4+ winning. 15 a5 Qc7 16 Qbl Qb8 17 h3 Rc6 18 b4 Rc4 19 Na4 Rxel + 20 Bxcl Ne4 21 Nc5
Position after 22 dxc5!
BxcS 22 dxc5! (Diagram) A very fine move and not at all obvious. Black now appears to have a dangerous central pawn majority while White's queenside pawn trio looks clumsy. In fact, the pawns represent a constant danger to Black while the entry of White's queen's bishop into the game proves of paramount importance. 22 . . .Ne5 23 NxeS QxeS 24 Bb2 Qc7 25 Qd3 f6 26 Ra Qc6 27 0 Ng5 28 Rdl Nf7 29 f4 Qb5? Quite underestimating the dangers that face him in the coming endgame. 30 QxbS axb5 31 e4 Rd8 Hopeless is 31 . . . dxe4 32 Rd7 Nd8 33 Kf2 and Black is paralysed. 32 exd5 exd5 33 Rel K18 34 Bd4 Ra8 The concluding tactics are charming, all based on White's ability to sacrifice one queen- side pawn to queen another. If 34 . . . Re8 35 Rxe8+ followed by 36 c6 wins. 35 c6 Nd8 If 35 . . . bxc6 36 Bc5+ Kg8 37 a6 Nd8 38 a7 followed by Re7 and Bb6 when the pawn queens. 36 Bc5+ Kg8 37 Re8+ Black resigns If 37 . . Kf7 38 cxb7 Rb8 39 RxdS and then a6 when the pawns are triumphant, Euwe — Alekhine: Rotterdam 1937; Queen's Gambit Declined.
1 NO Nf6 2 c4 e6 3 NO d5 4 d4 e5 5 Bg5 cxd4 6 Nxd4 e5 7 NO d4 8 Nd5 Nc6 9 e4 Be7 10 Bxf6 Bxf6 11 b4 The opening has not been happy for Black. White has a wedge in the centre and a mobile phalanx of pawns on the left flank which represent a long-term danger to Black. 11 . . 0-0 12 Bd3 a513 a3 Be6 14 Rbl axb4 15 axb4 Be7 16 0-0 f6 17 Qc2 Kh8 18 c5 Anticipating the variation 18 . . . BxdS 19 exd5 QxdS 20 Bxh7 followed by Nh4 with a devastating attack against the black king. Avoiding this, Alekhine wriggles ingeniously but cannot shake off White's grip. 18 . . . Ra3 19 Bc4 f5 20 Nxe7 Qxel 21 Bd5 Rc3 22 Qd2 fxe4 23 Bxe4 Bf5 24 BxfS Position after 25 Rfel Rxf5 25 Rfel (Diagram) White's threats against Black's centre and also involving the thrust b5 have reached intolerable levels. Therefore, Alekhine seeks to confuse matters with a sacri- fice. 25 . . . Rcxf3 26 gxf3 Qh4 27 Re4 Qh3 28 Rg4 Qxf3 29 Rg3 Qe4 30 Ral Black's threats had appeared significant but Euwe's defence has been perfect. 30 . . . h6 31 b5 Ne7 32 c6 Rf8 33 Qb4 Re8 34 c7 Threatening Qxe7. 34 . . . Nd5 35 Qd6 Nf4 A final fling, but White's resources are more than adequate to cope. 36 Qd8 Ne2+ 37 Kfl Nxg3+ 38 hxg3 Qhl+ 39 Keg Qh5+ If 39
• • Qe4 + 40 Kd2 wins. 40 Kd2 Qf7 41 Kel Black resigns Both 41 . . . Rf8 42 Ra2! and 41 . . . Qf8 42 Ra8 are hopeless for him.
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