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By Larry Parr
Chess Life Editor 1984 - 1988
Author
WORSE
THAN A CRIME?
(FINAL)
WHEN
CHESS GODS BLUNDER
(X)
If Keres provides a case text on how to appraise carefully a
blunder or apparent blunder, then Savielly Tartakower quickly grabbed some
pseudo-blunder bait like a starved tuna in a game against Capablanca.
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Savielly Tartakower -
Jose Capablanca New York, 1924 (King’s Gambit Accepted
)
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1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4
3. Be2 d5 4. exd5 Nf6
5. c4 c6 6. d4 Bb4+!
7. Kf1 cxd5 8. Bxf4?! dxc4
Has Capablanca blundered a piece? In
the tournament book, Alekhine wrote of Black’s
8th move, “This natural move
is bound up with a bit of finesse, however.”
Capablanca
Tartakower
(to play)
9. Bxb8??
Tartakower later admitted that he actually believed the great Cuban had
pitched a piece
here, expecting 9. ... Rxb8
10. Qa4+, winning the Bishop on b4.
Alekhine wrote rather
cruelly in the tournament book that Tartakower
“plainly thinks that the world’s champion
has simply left a piece to be
taken.” A much better move is 9.
Bxc4.
9. ... Nd5!!
There was, then, no blunder. Tartakower
moved too quickly in his excitement, and
Capa stands much better.
Perhaps his game is already won.
10. Kf2 Rxb8 11. Bxc4 0-0 12.
Nf3?
His high hopes dashed, White falls apart.
The best chance was 12. Bxd5.
12. ... Nf6!
13. Nc3 b5! 14. Bd3 Ng4+ 15. Kg1 Bb7 16.
Bf5 Bxf3 17. gxf3 Ne3
18. Bxh7+ Kh8! 19. Qd3 Bxc3 20.
bxc3 Nd5 21. Be4 Nf4
22. Qd2 Qh4 23. Kf1 f5
24. Bc6 Rf6 25. d5 Rd8
26. Rd1 Rxc6 27. dxc6 Rxd2
28. Rxd2 Ne6 29. Rd6 Qc4+ 30.
Kg2 Qe2, White resigns
QUICK GLANCE
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