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C13 French (Alekhine-Chatard)

French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack. Breyer Variation

Efim Bogoljubov vs Alexander Alekhine, 1942

1-0, 42 moves

[Event "Crakow"]
[Site "Crakow"]
[Date "1942.??.??"]
[EventDate "?"]
[Round "?"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Efim Bogoljubov"]
[Black "Alexander Alekhine"]
[ECO "C13"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "84"]
1. e4 {Annotation by Alexander Alekhine.} e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. h4 {This interesting attack was introduced by me at Mannheim in 1914 and since then has been incorporated into master praxis.} c5 {One of the numerous replies which are possibe but which do not present White with any difficulties Much more is promising is 6...f6.} 7. Bxe7 Kxe7 {if 7...Qxe7 there follows 8 Nb5.} 8. Qg4 Kf8 9. Nf3 Nc6 {With the offer of an exchange of queens by 9...cxd4 10 Qxd4 Qb6 Black could obtain approxmate compensation.} 10. dxc5 Nxc5 {sharper would have been 10...Ndxe5 11 Nxe5 Nxe5 12 Qg3 f6.} 11. O-O-O a6 12. Rh3 h6 {Usually Black does not worry about the king's side and seeks counter play on the queen's flank. This move is not corrected and, as will be seen, White manages to take possesion of and exploit the strong strategic point d4. The opportune move would have been 12... Qc7 13 Rg3 f6 14 exf6 gxf6 with changes of a counter of attack.} 13. Rg3 Rg8 14. Bd3 Nxd3+ 15. Rxd3 Qb6 16. Rd2 Qc7 17. Qf4 Bd7 18. Ne2 Rc8 19. Ned4 Na5 20. Rd3 Nc4 21. b3 Qa5 {A blow which is based on a tactical calculation. With ...Na5-c6 Black would have been able to defend himself for some time but I had already lost my taste for this position and also my confidence in the resistance I would be able to offer.} 22. bxc4 dxc4 23. Re3 c3 {Too late I realized that 23...Qxa2 is refuted by 24 Nd2! with the double threat of 25. Ra3 and 25 Ref3} 24. Nb3 Qa3+ 25. Kd1 a5 26. Nfd4 Ke7 27. Ref3 Be8 28. Ne2 Qb2 29. Nxc3 Rd8+ 30. Rd3 Bc6 {In case of 30...Qxc3 there would follow 31 Rxd8 attacking the queen.} 31. Qc4 Rxd3+ 32. Rxd3 Rc8 33. Qc5+ Ke8 34. Qxa5 Bxg2 35. f3 Bf1 36. Qb5+ Kf8 37. Qxb7 Re8 38. Rd7 Kg8 39. Qc7 Rf8 40. Rd8 Rxd8+ 41. Qxd8+ Kh7 42. Kd2 {I resigned a few moves later. Bogoljubov exploited my mistakes very well, winning the game in elegant style.} 1-0

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