Keres,Paul - Euwe,Max [C81]

WC den Haag - Moskau, 1948

Paul Keres Max Euwe

Bibliography: Paul Keres, "111 Sowjetische Schachpartien", Sportverlag Berlin 1956, Mikhail Krasenkov, 'The Open Spanish', Cadogan 1995, Encyclopedia C, Chess Informant 1997

1.e4 e5 Here Keres mentions that Max Euwe played at first often the French, later the Sicilian, but prefered in this tournament open games, although he didn't play the open Spanish in serious games before. He says that open games don't suit Euwes' style and that he should play perhaps better the Caro-Kann.

2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3

[Keres mentions: 7.d5 d6 8.dxc6 bxa4 9.Re1 with better play for Black (9.c4!? seems to be better.) ; 7.d5 Ne7 8.Re1 f5 9.Bb3 d6 10.c4 with compensation is given by Skembris; 7.d5 Ne7 8.Re1 bxa4 9.Rxe4 d6=/+ Korchnoi 10.c4!? Skembris]

7...d5 8.dxe5

[8.a4?! Nxd4! Schlechter 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.axb5 Bc5 11.c3 0-0 12.cxd4 Bb6 13.Nc3 Bb7 14.bxa6 Rxa6 15.Rxa6 Bxa6 16.Re1 Bb7=/+ Lasker-Schlechter, WC Vienna 1910]

8...Be6 9.Qe2

Keres-Euwe 1948

! by Keres. It was the first time that this line appeared in top-level practise in this game and so this line is called Keres-system. The Keres-System is now not so popular as the classical 9.c3-System.

[9.c3 Main line]

9...Be7

Main Line

[9...g5? 10.c4! dxc4 (10...bxc4 11.Ba4 Bd7 12.e6+- ) 11.Bc2 Nc5 12.Rd1 Qc8 13.Bxg5+/- ; 9...Na5?! 10.c3 Nxb3 11.axb3 Nc5 12.Nd4 Qc8 13.b4 Nd7 14.f4+/- ; 9...Nc5?! 10.Rd1 Nxb3 11.axb3 Qc8 12.c4! dxc4 13.bxc4 Bxc4 14.Qe4 Qb7 (14...Ne7? 15.Na3! ) 15.Nc3 with compensation ; 9...Bc5!? 10.Be3 (10.Nbd2 Nxd2 11.Bxd2 0-0 12.Rad1 Re8 13.Be3+/= ) 10...0-0 11.Rd1 Ne7 12.c3+/= ]

10.Rd1 0-0

Main line [10...Nc5 11.c4! d4 12.cxb5 d3 13.Qf1!+/= ]

11.c4 bxc4 12.Bxc4 Bc5

Keres notes that Euwe played very fast so far. [12...Qd7 13.Nc3 Nxc3 14.bxc3 f6 15.exf6 Bxf6 16.Ng5+/= ]

13.Be3 Bxe3 14.Qxe3 Qb8 15.Bb3 Na5 16.Nbd2

Keres thought to have an advantage now because of control of the squares d4 and c5.

16...Nxd2?!

[better is 16...Qa7! not mentioned by Keres 17.Qxa7 (17.Nd4 Nxd2 18.Qxd2 Qb6! 19.Bc2 c5! 20.Nf5 Bxf5 21.Bxf5 Rad8 22.Re1= Kavalek,L-Tal,M Montreal 1978; 17.Qxa7 Rxa7 18.Nxe4 (18.Rac1 c5 19.Nxe4 Nxb3! 20.axb3 dxe4 21.Nd2 e3! 22.fxe3 Rb7= Kavalek,L-Honfi,K/The Hague/1966/ Matanovic,A-Kortschnoj,V/JUG-URS/1966/) 18...Nxb3 19.axb3 dxe4 20.Nd4= ) 17...Rxa7 18.Rac1 (18.Nxe4 Nxb3 19.axb3 dxe4 20.Nd4 c5= ; 18.Rac1 c5 19.Nxe4 Nxb3! 20.axb3 dxe4 21.Nd2 e3! 22.fxe3 Rb7= Kavalek,L-Honfi,K/The Hague/1966/ Matanovic,A-Kortschnoj,V/JUG-URS/1966/) 18...c5 19.Nxe4 Nxb3 20.axb3 dxe4 21.Nd2 e3! (21...Bf5 22.Nc4 (22.Rxc5? Rd8-/+ problem is Nd2) 22...f6= Jansa,V-Haba,P Germany 1990) 22.fxe3 Rb7= Kavalek,L-Honfi,K Den Haag 1966 and Matanovic,A-Korchnoi JUG-URS 1966]

17.Rxd2

[17.Nxd2 d4! (17...Rd8! with the idea d4) 18.Qxd4 Bxb3 19.axb3 Nxb3 20.Nxb3 Qxb3= Keres]

17...Nxb3 18.axb3+/= Rc8

[18...Qb6 19.Qxb6 cxb6 20.Nd4 Rfc8 21.f4+/- ]

19.Rc1 c5

Keres-Euwe 1948

! by Keres, but perhaps better is [19...a5!? 20.h3 (20.Rc5 Qb4! ) 20...a4 21.bxa4 Rxa4 22.Rc5 Qb4 23.Kh2 Ra5 24.Rc6 (24.Rdc2 Rxc5 25.Qxc5 Qxc5 26.Rxc5 Rb8!= ) 24...Bd7 25.Nd4 h6 26.Rdc2 (26.e6!? fxe6 27.Rxe6 with attack ) 26...Ra4 (26...Bxc6? 27.Nxc6 Qa4 28.b3+- ; 26...Qb7 27.Qc3!+/- ) 27.Rxc7 Rxc7 28.Rxc7 Qxd4 29.Qxd4 Rxd4 30.Rxd7+/= ]

20.Rxc5 Rxc5 21.Qxc5 Qxb3 22.Nd4

White now could transpose to a favourable ending, when he manges to exchange queens.

22...Qb7

[22...Qa2!? 23.h3 Qb1+ 24.Kh2 Qe4 25.Re2 Qf4+ 26.g3 Qh6 27.h4+/= ; 22...Qc4!? 23.Rc2! Qxc5 24.Rxc5 Rb8 25.Rc2 Rb4 26.Rd2+/- ]

23.h3+/= Rd8 24.Kh2 g6 25.f4 h5?!

Doesn't allow g4 followed by f5, but weakens the kingside.

26.Rd3!

Keres-Euwe 1948

26.-Qd7

[26...Qxb2 27.Nxe6 fxe6 28.Qe7+- ]

27.Qb6 Ra8 28.Ra3 Qa7 29.Qb4?!

White hopes for a successful kingside attack and underestimates Black's counterplay. [29.Qxa7! transposes to an endgame and wins easily according to Keres 29...Rxa7 30.Kg3+- ] 29...Qd7 [29...Rc8?! was given by Keres, but 30.f5!? (30.Qd2 Rc4 31.Rd3+/- ) 30...Rc4 31.Qd6 Rxd4 32.Rxa6+- ]