Annotated chess game

I looked up the GK World database. It doesn't seem to have caught on, although Morrison's treatment, played twice against V. Novikov's Black pieces, drew one and lost one.

The alternative doesn't look very good...

Perhaps White hoped to induce ...g5. The thing about such a move is that most of the time it is bad, but when it IS good, it is very, very good! We shall see!

Maybe this move carries more risk than Capa acknowledges. One of White's possible responses that Black had to bear in mind was 13.Nxg5(!) with the possible continuation: 13...hxg5 14.Bxg5, after which, for the piece, White has promising operations on the K-side, e.g: 14...Ne7 15.Bc4 Nh7 16.Bh6 ... At some point White could mount an infantry assault upon the Black's king and his guardian knights.

It is not clear that White's 14th achieved very much.

We have, of course, a 'castled on opposite sides' game. So a whole alternate plan, here, might have begun with 15....Rb8. Having said that, though, we see that the centre is very open and fluid, suggesting that flank attacks might be very risky if the opponent can undertake counter-operations in the centre. Capa seems to be taking the line of gradually ramping up the pressure, rather than going for an all-out flank attack.

Weakening, as it presents a target for a pawn storm. But it seems just about essential in the light of that raking bishop pair.

(?!) Rather unexpected! Instead, 16...b5 looks promising.

Overcaution, perhaps? Something like 18...fxg3 19.Rh1 Bf7 20.gxh6 Bf6 21.fxg3 Ne5... offers an unclear position with lots on piece play in prospect.

It is White's turn to give in to over-caution. I can't see the King is any safer on b1 than on c1. The thing with opposite side castling is that the element of time assumes an added significance. A possible wild line runs 20.Bc2, the idea being to switch to b3 and the a2-g8 diagonal. So: 20.Bc2 fxg3(?) 21.Nxg5 Bh6 22.f4 Bxg5 23.fxg5 ... when White has a very promising initiative. Instead of taking the bishop, Black might try shoring up the centre: 20...Ne5 21.Bb3 Nxf3 22.gxf3 c6 23.Rxh5! ... With three White pieces hanging, who knows what mayhem might ensue?

One might have thought 22...c6 would be at least as effective... 23.Nb4 a5 24.Nc2

The OTHER alternative is 26.f3. At first glance in this position one might suppose it looks pretty even. I think I would much prefer Black, though, despite the apparent exposure of his King, as his pieces seem far more active and effectively placed.

The game turns on White's 27th move: c4?? A mistake, although Capa doesn't call it for some reason. Exchanging queens whilst blocking the attack on a2 might be thought to ease the pressure and draw the teeth of one's opponent's attacking chances. What it achieves here is to lose White a pawn, and clear all sorts of open lines - diagonals and orthogonals - in the centre. Instead, 27.a3 kept Black at bay and offered some counter-chances: 27.a3 gxf4 28.Nc2 Bh5 29.Rde1 Rae8 30.Bxf4 Qf4 31.Be3 ... creating a solid, defensible position.

Compare - all right then, contrast! - now the coordination among Black's pieces and White's. White is completely busted already.