Euwe vs Keres, Rotterdam 1940

Annotated Classic Game | Hot Off The Chess, www.hotoffthechess.com

This week’s classical game features two of the most formidable opponents chess has seen. They are, namely Dutchman Max Euwe (World Champion 1935-37 and FIDE President 1970-78) and Paul Keres of Estonia.

This game is taken from their 14-game match, which was played in different cities in the Netherlands, between 1939 and 1940.

The game was played in Rotterdam. It sees Euwe (incidentally, pronounced more like ‘eww-wer’ rather than ‘ewe’ as in the female sheep) as White, and takes the shape of a Queen’s Indian Defence. Unfortunately for Euwe, he plays the opening rather inaccurately, which leads to the loss of a pawn. It is a bum game for the Dutchman, who makes several less than optimum moves, unworthy of his chess prowess.

Keres capitalises. As mentioned, above, Euwe loses a pawn, but this is only the beginning of his problems. His badly placed Queen lands him in further trouble and this will culminate with a magnificent Queen sacrifice on Keres’ 23rd move. And from here, there is no holding the Estonian.

  [Event "Euwe - Keres 1939/40"]  [Site "Rotterdam NED"]  [Date "1940.01.05"]  [Round "9"]  [White "Max Euwe"]  [Black "Paul Keres"]  [Result "0-1"]  [ECO "E19"]   { Annotations by John Lee Shaw for www.hotoffthechess.com. } 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 { The Queen's Indian Defence. } 4.g3 Bb7 ( 4...Ba6 { is also a viable move, here, often leading to the following: } 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Bg2 { ...c6 and ...d5 are the main continuations, here. } ) 5.Bg2 Be7 6.O-O O-O { Nothing out of the ordinary. } 7.Nc3 Ne4 8.Qc2 { This seems most prudent. Capturing does not seem to work out for White, as shown in the variation. } ( 8.Nxe4 { This does not seem to be the most ambitious move. It tends to lead to the exchange of light-squared bishops, thus: } 8...Bxe4 9.Ne1 Bxg2 10.Nxg2 d5 { And Black would be rather satisfied, here, I think. } ) 8...Nxc3 { Taking the piece off of d5. } 9.Qxc3 d6 10.Qc2 { White wants to support the pawn advance e4. Much is revolving around the e4 and d5 squares, here. Black intends c5, nd does not want White to be able to play d4-d5, therefore, he did not delay in getting rid of White's Knight on c3. On the other hand, White wants to play e4 in order to support any advance to d5. } 10...f5 { And this move continues the tale of one player's will against the other's. } 11.Ne1 { I don't like these kinds of moves in the opening, but here it is very constructive. Black's light-squared bishop is much more useful than White's at the moment, it is a nice piece. If Keres exchanges, Euwe can consider it something of a result. And if not, then White has another piece supporting e4, which is how it goes. } 11...Qc8 12.e4 Nd7 13.d5 { ? This is too much too soon, White needed more patience. exf5 was an another option, here, but it can lead to some liquidation and if there was nothing in it for them, players back then tended not to do it. } ( 13.exf5 Bxg2 14.Nxg2 Rxf5 { with d5 or Qe4 very viable continuations. } ) 13...fxe4 { This is ok, but there was no need to rush to capture. ...Nc5 was also very good, here, getting the knight to a good square, allowing the black Queen to breathe a little, and putting another piece onto White's e4-pawn. } ( 13...Nc5 { The considerations that this gives White, becomes clear, should he try to embarrass the knight ... } 14.b4 Nxe4 { and after f3 (which, alarmingly, is the best move Black has) Black retreats to f6 with a smug look on his face. Or ... } 15.Bxe4 fxe4 16.Qxe4 Bf6 { begining to open the e-file. } 17.Rb1 exd5 18.cxd5 Qe8 { and things are bad for White. } ) 14.Qxe4 { ? There are not many of us who would make this move with the Queen, here, letting Black take a tempo. } 14...Nc5 15.Qe2 { e2 to keep the bishop on e7 eyed of course, and the e6-pawn pinned. However, the White Queen is not best placed and Black now begins to open the e-file, as shown in the variation, above. } 15...Bf6 16.Bh3 { White may have thought that things were under control, here, but this is a minor inconvenience (if any) to Black. } 16...Re8 17.Be3 Qd8 18.Bxc5 { Best. But not quite good enough. The placement of White's Queen is the drawback of his position, here, and allows Black a rather nice zwischenchug. } 18...exd5 19.Be6+ { ?? Magnifying his troubles. The bishop retreat was the only way to fight. } ( 19.Be3 d4 20.Bg2 Qc8 21.Rd1 dxe3 22.fxe3 Be4 { with the nicer situation. } ) 19...Kh8 20.Rd1 dxc5 21.Ng2 d4 { Things have gone very badly for Euwe, here. In a short space of time, he has pinned his light-squared bishop, obligated his Queen to its defence and allowed Keres a rather nice passed pawn to boot. } 22.f4 { ? Not a very useful move, this. White had to try to improve his Queen's situation, Qg4 or Rfe1 were worth trying. } 22...d3 { ! Onward! Keres has his tail up. And again, eyes on the White Queen. } 23.Rxd3 { Completely oblivious to the storm that is about to hit. After 23...Bd4+ 24.Kh1 Qf6 (see variation), Black is sitting pretty. However, Keres has other ideas ... } 23...Qxd3 { !! This will have come as a big shock to Euwe and perhas he thought that Keres had gone insane. The sacrifice leads to nothing immediate, it is the product of vision. White has no choice but to accept, but the game turns into a rout. } ( 23...Bd4+ 24.Kh1 Qf6 25.f5 Bxb2 { beginning to eat the position alive. } ) 24.Qxd3 Bd4+ 25.Rf2 { Black will have been quite pleased to see this move, as it pins the rook to the King. (Although he does not intend to take advantage of that, it is always a nice thing.) The alternative of Kh1, would be much worse, pinning the knight and leaving White more vulnerable on the back rank once the rooks are doubled. Anyway, the King should not be going into the corner. } 25...Rxe6 { So, Black has given his Queen, but has a lovely pair of rooks and bishops and all of the activity. } 26.Kf1 Rae8 27.f5 { ? Frankly, this move (and its follow up) is useless. White had to try to batten down the hatches and wait for Black to bang at the door. Due to Black's utter control of the board, there was probably nothing better than to shuffle the rook and Queen around on the second rank. } 27...Re5 28.f6 gxf6 { Answers on a postcard as to what White achieved with his last two moves. } 29.Rd2 Bc8 30.Nf4 { The problem with this move is that it leaves e1 and e3 unguarded. } 30...Re3 { Banging on the door, and White has nothing with which to resist. } 31.Qb1 Rf3+ 32.Kg2 Rxf4 { !! Delightful. White either kisses goodbye to yet another piece or hands the very useful g-file to Black. } 33.gxf4 { Virtual resignation. The fact that engines give just about every move on the board apart from this one, tells us just how untenable this move is. } 33...Rg8+ 34.Kf3 { The King is being driven into the centre and with the open diagonals, the bishops have a field day. (Kf1 Rg1+ of course.) } 34...Bg4+ { ! better than ...Bb7+. Upon Kg3 or Kg2, there is ...Bf5+. Ke4 leaves mate in 3 (...Re8+ etc.). Max Euwe resigned. A nice game by Paul Keres, well played! } 0-1