[Event "Noordwijk Masters"] [Site "Noordwijk"] [Date "1938.06.08"] [Round "1"] [White "Landau, Salo"] [Black "Tartakower, Saviely"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D67"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "80"] [EventDate "1938.06.08"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "NED"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceVersion "2"] [SourceVersionDate "1999.07.01"] [SourceQuality "1"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6. e3 O-O {Black plays the so-called Orthodox Defence. This saw a great deal of use in the 1920s and 1930s including on multiple occasions in the famous World Championship match of 1921 between Lasker and Capablanca. Also in the, perhaps infamous, match in 1927 between Alekhine and Capablanca where the latter was largely unprepared and over-confident after an overwhelming victory at New York 1927.. Over this period adventurous players such as the English Internationals Yates and Sir George Thomas utilised the more dynamic KID on occasion, in which Black accepted an inferior central position, in the hope of counter-attacking chances. The Orthodox Defence is the antithesis of this concept.. Black plays for absolute equality with the idea of dxc4, and exchanges via Nd5, followed by the freeing move e5 liberating the queen's bishop.} 7. Rc1 {One of White's many options to avoid moving the king's bishop so giving Black a tempo when playing dxc4. It's a matter of "who blinks first" as White can play a3, or Qc2 often with the rook going to d1, or even nullify the idea of waiting with cxd5. Black can choose moves such as a6, h6, c6 or even c5 directly.(as well as Re8 which is not so favoured nowadays).} (7. Bd3 {refuses to become involved in the tempo matter but then Black may play} dxc4 8. Bxc4 c5 {as already played back in the 1890s and more recently in, for example, Petrosian-Larsen, Interzonal-10a Biel 1976.}) 7... c6 {Although out of fashion for a long time, as it was regarded as perhaps incorrectly "drawish" at best, the Orthodox Defence has appeared in many games of the World's elite players in the last few years.} 8. Bd3 {the main alternatives are} (8. Qc2) ({and} 8. a3) (8. cxd5 {is a relatively ineffective version of the QG Exchange variation due to} exd5 9. Bd3 Ne4 {and Black has freed his game, for example, as in Tregubov-Kretschmer, RUS-Cup Tromsk 1998.}) 8... dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nd5 (9... b5 10. Bd3 Bb7 {is the other method of activating the queen's bishop.}) 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O Nxc3 12. Rxc3 Rd8 {Not the most common move (although already played in Johner-Euwe, Bad Pistyan Breyer Memorial 1922), in contrast to the extensively analysed and played line after} (12... e5 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 15. f4) 13. Bd3 (13. Qc2 {removing the queen from the d-file seems a better choice. Timman-Georgievski, Skopje Solidarnost 1976 saw White obtain the more promising game with} h6 14. a3 Nb6 15. Ba2 Bd7 16. Bb1 g6 17. h4) 13... g6 (13... Nf8 {leaves Black passive, unable to play e5, and White slightly better after} 14. Qb3 {Euwe-Treybal, World Amateur-ch The Hague 1928.}) (13... e5 {can in fact be played now. For example} 14. dxe5 g6 $1 (14... Re8 {fails to} 15. Rc4 {Fucks-Kloska, Verbandsliga Sued Baden 1992 since Black cannot play .} Nxe5 16. Nxe5 Qxe5 {due to} 17. Re4) (14... Nxe5 {also fails to} 15. Nxe5 Qxe5 16. Bxh7+) 15. e6 Qxe6 16. Bb1 Qe7 17. Rd3 b6 {with an acceptable game for Black.}) 14. Qb3 (14. Qc1 {is not stronger as played in a recent game since} e5 {again is fine for Black (Miralles-Herb, SUI-chT Switzerland 1997).}) 14... e5 15. Bc4 e4 16. Nd2 Nb6 17. Be2 Be6 18. Qc2 f5 {Black has freed himself and has more space with some prospects of a king's-side attack.} 19. a3 Rd6 {Black prefers central play although} (19... a5 {minimises White's play on the queen's-side and, in effect, activates the Ra8.}) 20. b4 a5 21. b5 Nd5 22. Rc5 cxb5 23. Bxb5 {White only appears to be making progress but cannot yet make anything of the dominance of the c-file.} b6 24. Rc4 Rdd8 (24... Rad8 {is perhaps more natural}) 25. Qb2 {White plans to double rooks on the c-file and hopes to exploit the weak c6 square.} Rac8 26. Rfc1 Rxc4 27. Bxc4 {with some pressure on b6.} (27. Rxc4 {leaves White's king-side exposed to} f4) 27... Rc8 28. Rb1 (28. Ba2 {re-organising pieces to make c4 and e5 available gives White a small edge.} Rxc1+ 29. Qxc1 Qd6 30. Nc4 Qe7 31. Ne5 $14) 28... Qd6 29. Qb5 {A somewhat adventurous winning attempt in try and penetrate into Black's position. However, a balanced game would results from} (29. h3 Bf7 (29... Rxc4 $2 {loses to} 30. Nxc4 {as the loose knight cannot be exploited.}) 30. Ba2 Rc6 {with neither side having significant prospects. If White now plays} 31. Nc4 Qc7 32. Ne5 {then} Rc2 {is awkward.}) ({White cannot win the b6 pawn by} 29. Bxd5 $2 {due to the weak back rank and the reply} Bxd5 30. Qxb6 Qxb6 31. Rxb6 Rc1+ 32. Nf1 Bc4 $19) 29... Rc6 {safely securing Black's position. Instead} (29... Nc3 30. Qa6 Nxb1 {is winning for White following} 31. Qxc8+ Kg7 (31... Kf7 32. Nxb1 $18) 32. Bxe6 Nxd2 33. h4 {and with Bg8 or a2 to follow the errant knight is lost to Qc2.}) 30. Qa6 Kg7 31. Qb7+ Kh6 32. Bf1 Nc3 33. Ra1 Bd5 34. Qa7 f4 $2 {Black continues "forward" so misses the winning "retreat" of} (34... Rc8 35. Qa6 Ra8 36. Nc4 Qe6) 35. Re1 Rc8 (35... f3 {is also promising but not}) (35... fxe3 36. Rxe3 {gives White play due to the exposed Black king.}) 36. exf4 Ra8 37. Nc4 Qxf4 (37... Qe6 {leads to complex play when White had to find} 38. f5 (38. Qc7 {loses to} Rc8 {as} 39. f5 {is now too late} Rxc7 40. fxe6 Bxc4 41. Bxc4 Rxc4 {winning a piece as the e-pawn cannot queen due to} 42. e7 Rc8) 38... gxf5 39. Qc7 (39. Qxb6 {pins the Black queen but loses to} Bxc4) 39... Rc8 40. Qf4+ {the point of f5 and now White wins with} Kg7 41. Nd6 Rf8 42. Rc1) 38. Qxb6 Rb8 39. Qd6 (39. Qxa5 {is to be avoided as after} Rf8 {f2 cannot be defended.so} 40. Qxc3 {leads to mate.} Qxf2+ 41. Kh1 Qxf1+) 39... Qxd6 40. Nxd6 Rb3 (40... Rb3 41. Ra1 {defends comfortably and neither side is able to make significant progress. The position could repeat via} Kg5 42. Ne8 Bf7 (42... Bc6 43. Nd6 Kf6 44. Bc4 Rb8 45. Bf1 {is also level.}) 43. Nd6 Bd5) 1/2-1/2