[Event "World Championship 16th"]
[Site "Netherlands"]
[Date "1935.11.16"]
[Round "20"]
[White "Euwe, Max"]
[Black "Alekhine, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D17"]
[Annotator "User,New"]
[Plycount "81"]
[Eventdate "1935.10.03"]
[Eventtype "match"]
[Eventrounds "30"]
[Eventcountry "NED"]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 { If the Orthodox Queen's
Gambit was the opening of the Alekhine-Capablanca match, the Slav Defense -
and this line in particular - was the opening of the Euwe-Alekhine match. } 6.Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Qc7 8.g3 e5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 10.Bf4 Nfd7 { This is still topical
theory today, and can be found in the games by the top grandmasters. } 11.Bg2 f6 { Later the move 11...g5 was introduced (at the top level) by Alexander
Morozevich. Now it is more common than 11...f6. } ( 11...g5 12.Ne3 gxf4 13.Nxf5 O-O-O 14.Qc2 ) 12.O-O Rd8 { Alekhine does not want to castle queenside,
since he will be facing some pressure there (e.g. a4-a5-a6). However, today
this is how they play it. } 13.Qc1 { The queen steps off the d-file. } 13...Qb8 { In
the very next game of the match this position was reached, with the players on
the other side! Here Euwe chose 13... Be6, and Alekhine's 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.a5
a6 16.Ne4 Bb4 allowed Black to equalize, and eventually win the game. } 14.Ne4 Be7 15.Qc3 O-O 16.Rad1 { White has obtained a pleasantly slightly better
position, with more active pieces and a sounder pawn structure. It seems
difficult for Black to avoid this outcome in this line, which is probably why
most top players now prefer 11...g5; although as I do not play this with
either color I am hardly an expert. } 16...Be6 17.Nxe5 Nxe5 { It appears that Black
should prefer 17...fxe5, with a somewhat worse position, in view of what
happens. } 18.Ng5! { Using tactics, Euwe gets either the better pawn
structure or the two bishops. } 18...fxg5 { Black has little choice, since 18...Bf7
19.Nxf7 Rxf7 20.Qb3 is very unpleasant. } ( 18...Bf7 19.Nxf7 Rxf7 20.Qb3 ) 19.Bxe5 Bf6 { The only move - otherwise the queen and g7 are both hanging. } 20.Bxb8 Bxc3 21.Bd6 { For the moment it looks like White wins material, since he
is attacking the rook on f8 while the black bishop on c3 remains en prise. But
in a few moves everything will be clarified. } 21...Rf7! 22.bxc3 Rfd7 { Black
regains the piece. } 23.Rb1! { White wins a pawn in return for the bishop. } 23...Rxd6 24.Rxb7 R8d7 25.Rxd7 Bxd7 { The dust has settled - White is up a pawn,
with seemingly the better pawn structure. However, the black rook is more
active and both black pieces will soon be attacking White's a4 and c3 pawns.
In fact, with the idea of ...c5 and ...Ra6, along with the possibility of ...
Rd2, Black has a good chance to win back the pawn. Meanwhile, the doubled
black g-pawns actually help to restrain White's kingside pawns. So Black does
have some chance of defense, and only with subtle play was Euwe able to win. } 26.Be4 { This was going to be necessary at some point; White could not afford
in any case to abandon the 1st rank with his rook before this, since it would
allow ...Rd1+ Bf1 Bh3. From e4 the bishop also gains the possibility to defend
e2 by Bd3, while also keeps h7 under fire. } 26...c5 { Black opens the attack on a4
by the bishop while also opening the way for ...Ra6 at some moment. } 27.c4! { This is a significant move. White does not attempt to passively defend the
a-pawn, but will instead give it back under the right circumstances, catching
Black in a painful pin. In the meantime he creates a support point for the
bishop on d5. As is often the case, material can be converted into activity
and one must not cling desperately to one's gains. } 27...Bxa4? { I suspect that
Euwe was happy to see this move. As White did on the previous move, Alekhine
should be looking for activity with 27...Rd2. } ( 27...Rd2 28.Bd5+ Kf8 29.Rb1 { 29.e4 Bxa4 30.Ra1 is now met by 30. ..Rd1+. } 29...Rxe2 30.Rb7 Re1+! { Cleverly,
Black first forces the king to g2, where it will be vulnerable to discovered
attack/checks by ...Bh3+. } 31.Kg2 Re7 { Thanks to inserting 30...Re1+, White
cannot capture the a7-pawn. } 32.a5 { Euwe gave this line. White keeps a large
advantage, perhaps enough to win, but faces many more decisions than in the
game. The superior activity of the pieces - especially the dangerous a-pawn -
underlines the white advantage. Additionally, the black c-pawn can come under
attack at some moment. } ) 28.Bd5+ Kf8 29.Ra1 { Black cannot afford to give up
the a-pawn - the extra pawn with the more active pieces gives White an easy
win. } 29...Ra6 { Alekhine was relying on this move. Did he perhaps overlook Euwe's
next, powerful move? } 30.Ra2!! { This little move is a perfect example of
prophylactic thinking - preventing the opponent's ideas. Black wanted to break
the pin on the a-file and offer a trade of rooks by ...Bb5, so Euwe prevented
it by placing the rook on the a2-square. Now ...Bb5 will never be possible,
since it can be met by cxb5, defending the rook by the bishop. I doubt
Alekhine expected anything but this move by this point (strong players will
see 30.Ra2 very quickly), but it is believable that he missed it when playing
27...Bxa4. } ( 30.e4 { Routine play such as this would allow Black to save the
game. } 30...Bb5! ) 30...Ke7 31.f4 { Now Euwe begins to advance the center pawns,
and also clears a way for the king to enter the game. } 31...gxf4 32.gxf4 Kf6 33.e4 g5 { The only hope to create complications. Otherwise, Black will quickly fall
into Zugzwang, since moving either his rook or bishop lose material. } 34.f5 { Euwe's position is easily won, and this is not the only way. 34.fxg5+ seems
simple as well. } ( 34.fxg5+ Kxg5 35.e5 h6 36.e6 Kf6 37.Kf2 Ke7 38.Kg3 Kf6 39.Kf4 { Black is falling into Zugzwang. Eventually ...Ra5 will become
necessary. } 39...Ra5 { after which } 40.Bc6 { wins. } ) 34...h5 35.h4! { Punching a
hole in the black pawns. If he allowed the pawn to get to h4 then things could
get more complicated, since going to white squares like f3 or g4 would be met
by ...Bd1+. } 35...gxh4 { 35...g4 would create a protected passed pawn, but would be
hopeless, since the white king would reach f4 and the connected passed pawns
would advance. } ( 35...g4 36.Kf2 Ke5 37.Kg3 { Black is in Zugzwang - if the
king moves, then Kf4 followed by e5 follows. } ) 36.Kh2 Kg5 37.Kh3 Ra5 { If the
king retreats, then White just takes the h-pawn and then brings the king to g5
with the help of Zugzwang, followed soon after by f5-f6. } 38.Bb7 { Euwe of
course does not rush to reap the harvest - 38.Bc6 would be a grave mistake,
allowing Black to remove most of the white pawns in return for the exchange. } ( 38.Bc6 Bxc6 39.Rxa5 Bxe4 { The f5 pawn is going as well, and White should not
be able to win. } ) 38...Kf6 39.Bd5 { After a repetition, Euwe reaches move
forty and demonstrates the hopelessness of Alekhine's position. } 39...Kg5 40.Bb7 Kf6 41.Bc8 { Both black pieces are comically tied up on the a-file, while if
41...Kg5 then 42.e5 follows; and otherwise 41...Ke5 42.Kxh4 is hopeless - with
the help of Zugzwang White will push through the passed pawns; he also has Bd7
available at the right moment. So Alekhine resigned. } 
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