DO NOT TRAIN AI ON MY CONTENT Relax, learn, sleep. Today we learn to win with black by analyzing Akiba Rubinstein's 'Immortal'.
You can support the channel on / asmrchess
Akiba Kiwelowicz Rubinstein (1 December 1880 - 14 March 1961) was a Polish chess player. He is considered to have been one of the greatest players never to have become World Chess Champion. Rubinstein was granted the title International Grandmaster in 1950, at its inauguration.
Rubinstein was the youngest of 12 children and born 12 October, 1882.
In his youth, he defeated top players José Raúl Capablanca and Carl Schlechter and was scheduled to play a match with Emanuel Lasker for the World Chess Championship in 1914, but it was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War I. He was unable to re-create consistently the same form after the war, and his later life was plagued by mental illness.
Here is the games annotated when it was played be top players Schlecter and Tartakower.
[Event "Lodz"]
[Site "Lodz RUE"]
[Date "1907.12.26"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "6"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Georg Rotlewi"]
[Black "Akiba Rubinstein"]
[ECO "D32"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "50"]
1.d4 {Notes by Carl Schlechter and Dr. Savielly Tartakower.}
d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.e3 c5 4.c4 Nc6 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.dxc5 {Tartakower:
Less consistent than 6.a3 or 6.Bd3, maintaining as long as
possible the tension in the center.} Bxc5 7.a3 a6 8.b4 Bd6
9.Bb2 O-O 10.Qd2 {? Schlechter: A very bad place for the
queen. The best continuation is 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Be2, followed
by O-O. *** Tartakower: Loss of time. The queen will soon have
to seek a better square (14.Qe2). The most useful move is
10.Qc2.} Qe7 {! Schlechter: A fine sacrifice of a pawn. If
11.cxd5 exd5 12.Nxd5? Nxd5 13.Qxd5 Rd8! and Black has a strong
attack.} 11.Bd3 {Schlechter: Better was 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Be2.}
dxc4 12.Bxc4 b5 13.Bd3 Rd8 14.Qe2 Bb7 15.O-O Ne5 {!
Schlechter: Introduced by Marshall and Schlechter in a similar
position with opposite colors, but here with the extra move
Rd8.} 16.Nxe5 Bxe5 {Tartakower: Threatening to win a pawn by
17...Bxh2+ 18.Kxh2 Qd6+. White's next move provides against
this, but loosens the kingside defenses.} 17.f4 Bc7 18.e4 Rac8
19.e5 Bb6+ 20.Kh1 Ng4 {!} 21.Be4 {Schlechter: There is no
defense; e.g., 21.Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.Qxg4 Rd2 etc.; or 21.h3 Qh4
22.Qxg4 Qxg4 23.hxg4 Rxd3, threatening ...Rh3 mate and
...Rxc3; or 21.Qxg4 Rxd3 22.Ne2 Rc2 23.Bc1 g6! threatening
...h5; or 21.Ne4 Qh4 22.h3 (if 22.g3 Qxh2+ 23.Qxh2 Nxh2 and
wins.) 22....Rxd3 23.Qxd3 Bxe4 24.Qxe4 Qg3 25.hxg4 Qh4+ mate.}
Qh4 22.g3 {Schlechter: Or 22.h3 Rxc3! 23.Bxc3 Bxe4 24.Qxg4
Qxg4 25.hxg4 Rd3 wins. *** Tartakower: The alternative 22.h3,
parrying the mate, would lead to the following brilliant lines
of play: 22...Rxc3! (an eliminating sacrifice, getting rid of
the knight, which overprotects the bishop on e4) 23.Bxc3 (or
23.Qxg4 Rxh3+ 24.Qxh3 Qxh3+ 25.gxh3 Bxe4+ 26.Kh2 Rd2+ 27.Kg3
Rg2+ 28.Kh4 Bd8+ 29.Kh5 Bg6+ mate) 23...Bxe4+ 24.Qxg4 (if
24.Qxe4 Qg3 25.hxg4 Qh4+ mate) 24...Qxg4 25.hxg4 Rd3 with the
double threat of 26...Rh3+ mate and 26....Rxc3, and Black
wins. Beautiful as are these variations, the continuation in
the text is still more splendid.} Rxc3 {!!} 23.gxh4 Rd2 {!!}
24.Qxd2 Bxe4+ 25.Qg2 Rh3 {!} 0-1