[Event "Noordwijk Masters"] [Site "Noordwijk"] [Date "1938.06.15"] [Round "5"] [White "Eliskases, Erich Gottlieb"] [Black "Landau, Salo"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "D61"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "83"] [EventDate "1938.06.08"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "NED"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceVersionDate "1999.07.01"] [SourceQuality "1"] {[%evp 0,83,29,13,20,4,-5,-1,1,-1,21,21,21,21,49,15,32,13,31,26,41,34,47,44,67,73,67,52,75,75,49,65,78,85,87,34,43,40,31,27,17,26,30,34,42,26,54,51,38,35,128,113,104,115,123,152,171,91,94,72,163,142,302,301,522,558,581,564,589,580,609,589,611,629,643,487,564,96,120,576,646,715,747,777,1789,29988]} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O (5... Nbd7 {is an alternative move order utilised in another game from this event but which went disasterously for the outstanding player of the Black pieces:} 6. Rc1 c6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nd5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O Nxc3 12. Rxc3 e5 13. Qc2 exd4 14. exd4 Nf6 15. Re1 Qd6 16. Ng5 Bd7 17. Qb3 Ng4 18. Bxf7+ Kh8 19. Rh3 Nh6 20. Qd3 Bf5 21. Qxf5 g6 22. Rxh6 {1:0 Pirc-Tartakower, Noordwijk 1938. Tartakower did not do well in this event even though only a few years ealier he seemed set to challenge for the World Championship. A highly intelligent person, who played very regularily throughout Europe in the 1930s, he was no doubt well aware of, and troubled by, the gathering storm clouds. Resident in Paris, he became a French citizen, and joined the Army on the outbreak of WW2. On the fall of France he made his way to England. Some of his games from this period published in the West London Chess Club War TIme Gazette have appeared on this web site.}) 6. Nf3 Nbd7 7. Qc2 c6 ({The more vigorous} 7... c5 {is also playable but may result in Black defending an IQP position following} 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Nxd5 exd5 11. Bd3 g6 12. dxc5 Nxc5 {Shirov-Piket, Dos Hermanas 1995.}) (7... h6 {can be inserted with tempo and removes the possibility of White gaining time by attacking the pawn on h7. A game from the same event, still reflecting the influence of the earlier World Championship match went} 8. Bh4 c5 9. Rd1 Qa5 10. Bd3 cxd4 11. exd4 dxc4 12. Bxc4 Nb6 13. Bb3 Bd7 14. O-O Rac8 15. Ne5 Bb5 16. Rfe1 Bc4 {Euwe-Landau, Noordwijk 1938.} (16... Nbd5 17. Bxd5 Nxd5 18. Bxe7 Nxe7 19. Qb3 Bc6 {Lasker-Capablanca, W-ch Havana 1921. This is a game included in Capablanca's Best Games book by Harry Golombek and with consumate skill "Capa" won a marvellous ending.}) 17. Bxc4 {with a level game.}) 8. Rd1 a6 (8... dxc4 {is yet another line played in this event where the theoretician Euwe gets nowhere against a famous attacking player:} 9. Bxc4 Nd5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O Nxc3 12. Qxc3 b6 13. e4 Bb7 14. Rfe1 Qf6 15. b4 {Euwe-Spielmann, Noordwijk 1938.}) 9. a3 Re8 10. Bd3 dxc4 (10... b5 {is more active although placing pawns on the same colour as the Black queen's bishop. Black went onto win in Bogoljubov-Spielmann, Bad Sliac 1932 after} 11. c5 h6 12. Bf4 ({and also after} 12. Bh4 e5 {Noteboom-Stoltz, Olympiad-04 Prague 1931.}) 12... Bxc5 13. dxc5 e5) 11. Bxc4 Nd5 12. Bxe7 Qxe7 13. Ne4 N5f6 (13... N7f6 {seems more reasonable when Black slowly freed the game after} 14. Ng3 b6 15. O-O Bb7 16. Ba2 Rac8 17. Bb1 c5 18. e4 cxd4 {Khusenkhojaev-Kurilov, St Petersburg op 2007.}) 14. Bd3 (14. Ng3 {retains pieces but again Black frees the position via} b5 15. Ba2 Bb7 16. Ne5 c5 {Schroeder-Salas Romo CHI-ch Santiago de Chile 1951.}) 14... Nxe4 15. Bxe4 h6 16. O-O c5 (16... e5 {is another option worth considering.}) 17. Rc1 cxd4 18. exd4 Nf6 19. Ne5 {Required since if} (19. Bd3 Bd7 {and Black is fine.}) ({Of course trying to exploit the c-file control with} 19. Qc7 {blunders a piece to} Nxe4) 19... Rb8 20. Bf3 Bd7 21. Qc5 (21. Qc7 {is easily defended by} Rec8 ({as well as} 21... Bb5)) 21... Bb5 (21... Qxc5 {is perhaps easier for Black. For example,} 22. Rxc5 (22. dxc5 Ba4 23. Rc3 Red8 24. b3 Be8) 22... Bb5 23. Rfc1 Red8) 22. Rfd1 {defends the weak pawn hence cuts out Black's main counter-attacking idea.of hitting d4.} Kf8 {Somewhat passive. Best was} (22... Ba4 23. Rd2 Nd7 {forcing the trade of pieces.}) 23. b3 b6 24. Qc7 Rec8 $6 {Underestimating the strength of White's trade of queen for two rooks. The Black position can be secured by} (24... Qxc7 25. Rxc7 Re7 26. Rdc1 Rxc7 27. Rxc7 Be8 28. Ra7 Rc8 29. h3 Rc3 30. Rxa6 Rxb3) 25. Qxc8+ Rxc8 26. Rxc8+ Be8 ({If} 26... Ne8 27. a4 Bd7 28. Rb8 {and the threat of Rb7 wins.}) 27. b4 a5 28. bxa5 (28. Bc6 {is also good immediately exploiting the pin} axb4 29. Ng4 Nxg4 30. Rxe8+ Qxe8 31. Bxe8 Kxe8 32. axb4 {White is the exchange up but Black could get a strong knight to d5 to make it a difficult win..}) 28... bxa5 29. a4 Qd6 $2 {Losing, hence giving the king an escape to g7, gives some hope of survival via} (29... g5) ({or} 29... g6) 30. Bc6 Ke7 (30... Qb4 {tries to activate the queen but it can achieve little. For example.} 31. h3 Qb3 32. Rc1 Qb2 33. Bxe8 Nxe8 34. R1c7 Qb1+ 35. Kh2 Qf5 36. Rxf7+ {wins.}) 31. Rb1 Qxd4 (31... Bxc6 {fails to hold the game due to} 32. Rxc6 Qxd4 33. Rb7+ Kf8 34. Rc8+ Ne8 35. Rxe8+ Kxe8 36. Rb8+ Ke7 37. Nc6+) 32. Bxe8 Qe4 ({Also of no help is} 32... Nxe8 33. Nc6+ Kd7 34. Rd8+ Kxc6 35. Rxd4) ({and also} 32... Qxe5 33. Rb7+ Kd6 34. Rc6+ Kd5 35. Rb5+) 33. Nc6+ Kd6 34. Rd1+ Nd5 35. Rd8+ Kc5 36. Rc1+ Kb6 37. Nb8 Nc3 38. Rd6+ Ka7 39. Nc6+ Kb6 40. Ne7+ Ka7 41. Rd7+ Ka6 42. Nc8 1-0