Chess World.net presents: Rubinstein's Immortal Game! Georg Rotlewi vs Akiba Rubinstein 1907

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Chess World.net presents: Rubinstein's Immortal Game! Georg Rotlewi vs Akiba Rubinstein 1907

[Event "Lodz"]
[Site "Lodz"]
[Date "1907.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Georg Rotlewi"]
[Black "Akiba Rubinstein"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D40"]
[Annotator "Microsoft"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "1907.??.??"]

{Akiba Kiwelowicz Rubinstein (12 December 1882 in Stawiski, Poland - 15 March
1961 in Antwerp, Belgium) was a famous Polish chess Grandmaster at the
beginning of the 20th century. He was scheduled to play a match with Emanuel
Lasker for the world championship in 1914, but it was cancelled because of the
outbreak of World War I. In his youth, he astonished the chess world,
defeating many famous players, including Capablanca and Schlechter - however,
his later life was plagued by mental illness.} 1. d4 {Notes by Carl Schlechter
and Dr. Savielly Tartakower.} d5 2. Nf3 e6 3. e3 c5 4. c4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Nf6 6.
dxc5 {Tartakower: Less consistent than 6.a3 or 6.Bd3, maintaining as long as
possible the tension in the center.} (6. a3 a6 7. b3 Be7 (7... dxc4 8. bxc4) 8.
dxc5 Bxc5 9. Bb2 O-O 10. Bd3 dxc4 11. bxc4 Qd6 12. Qc2 Rd8 13. Be2) 6... Bxc5
7. a3 a6 8. b4 Bd6 9. Bb2 (9. Bd3 dxc4 10. Bxc4 b5 11. Be2 (11. Bd3 Ne5 12.
Nxe5 Bxe5 13. Bb2 Bb7 14. O-O Qc7)) 9... O-O 10. Qd2 {? Schlechter: A very bad
place for the queen. The best continuation is 10.cxd5 exd5 11.Be2, followed by
O-O. *** Tartakower: Loss of time. The queen will soon have to seek a better
square (14.Qe2). The most useful move is 10.Qc2.} (10. cxd5 exd5 11. Be2 Be6
12. Rc1 Rc8 13. O-O Re8 14. h3 Ne5 15. Nxe5 Bxe5 {About equal}) (10. cxd5 exd5
11. Be2 Be6 12. O-O Rc8) 10... Qe7 {! Schlechter: A fine sacrifice of a pawn.
If 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Nxd5? Nxd5 13.Qxd5 Rd8! and Black has a strong attack.} 11.
Bd3 {Schlechter: Better was 11.cxd5 exd5 12.Be2.} (11. c5 Bc7 12. Be2 Rd8 13.
O-O e5) (11. cxd5 exd5 12. Nxd5 (12. Be2 Rd8 13. O-O Bf5) 12... Nxd5 13. Qxd5
Rd8 14. Qb3 Bg4 15. Rc1 Rac8) 11... dxc4 12. Bxc4 b5 13. Bd3 (13. Bb3 Ne5 14.
Nxe5 Bxe5 15. O-O-O Bb7 16. Kb1 Bxg2 17. Rhg1 Bf3 18. Rde1 Rad8 19. Qc2) 13...
Rd8 14. Qe2 (14. O-O Bxh2+ 15. Kxh2 (15. Nxh2 Ne5 16. Nxb5 Nxd3 17. Nd4 Nxb2
18. Qxb2 Qd6 19. Rac1 Bb7) 15... Qd6+ 16. Kg1 Qxd3) 14... Bb7 (14... Ne5 15.
Nxe5 Bxe5 16. f4 Bc7 17. Ne4 Nxe4 18. Bxe4 Rb8 {About equal}) 15. O-O Ne5 {!
Schlechter: Introduced by Marshall and Schlechter in a similar position with
opposite colors, but here with the extra move Rd8.} 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 {Tartakower:
Threatening to win a pawn by 17...Bxh2+ 18.Kxh2 Qd6+. White's next move
provides against this, but loosens the kingside defenses.} 17. f4 (17. Rfd1 h5
(17... Rac8 18. Rac1 Bb8 19. Bb1 h5)) (17. g3 Qd6 18. Rfd1 Qc6 19. e4 Bxc3 20.
Rac1 Nxe4 21. Bxe4 Qxe4 22. Qxe4 Bxe4 23. Bxc3 Bf3) 17... Bc7 18. e4 (18. Rad1
e5 19. h3 Re8 20. f5) 18... Rac8 19. e5 (19. Kh1 Bb6 20. Rad1 h5) 19... Bb6+
20. Kh1 Ng4 {!} (20... Rxd3) 21. Be4 {Schlechter: There is no defense; e.g.,
21.Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.Qxg4 Rd2 etc.; or 21.h3 Qh4 22.Qxg4 Qxg4 23.hxg4 Rxd3,
threatening ...Rh3 mate and ...Rxc3; or 21.Qxg4 Rxd3 22.Ne2 Rc2 23.Bc1 g6!
threatening ...h5; or 21.Ne4 Qh4 22.h3 (if 22.g3 Qxh2+ 23.Qxh2 Nxh2 and wins.)
22....Rxd3 23.Qxd3 Bxe4 24.Qxe4 Qg3 25.hxg4 Qh4+ mate.} (21. Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.
Qxg4 Rd2) (21. h3 Qh4 22. Qxg4 Qxg4 23. hxg4 Rxd3 24. Rac1 Rh3#) (21. Qxg4 Rxd3
22. Ne2 Rc2 23. Bc1 g6 (23... h5 24. Qxh5 Bxg2+ 25. Kxg2 Qb7+ 26. Rf3 Rxe2+ 27.
Kg3 Bf2+ 28. Kh3 Rxf3+ 29. Kg4)) (21. Ne4 Qh4 22. h3 Rxd3 23. Qxd3 Bxe4 24.
Qxe4 Qg3 25. hxg4 Qh4#) 21... Qh4 (21... Nxh2 22. Bxb7 Nxf1 23. Qg4 Ne3 24. Qf3
Qh4+ 25. Qh3 Qf2 26. Bxc8 Nd1) 22. g3 {Schlechter: Or 22.h3 Rxc3! 23.Bxc3 Bxe4
24.Qxg4 Qxg4 25.hxg4 Rd3 wins. *** Tartakower: The alternative 22.h3, parrying
the mate, would lead to the following brilliant lines of play: 22...Rxc3! (an
eliminating sacrifice, getting rid of the knight, which overprotects the
bishop on e4) 23.Bxc3 (or 23.Qxg4 Rxh3+ 24.Qxh3 Qxh3+ 25.gxh3 Bxe4+ 26.Kh2
Rd2+ 27.Kg3 Rg2+ 28.Kh4 Bd8+ 29.Kh5 Bg6+ mate) 23...Bxe4+ 24.Qxg4 (if 24.Qxe4
Qg3 25.hxg4 Qh4+ mate) 24...Qxg4 25.hxg4 Rd3 with the double threat of 26...
Rh3+ mate and 26....Rxc3, and Black wins. Beautiful as are these variations,
the continuation in the text is still more splendid.} (22. h3 Rxc3 23. Bxc3
Bxe4 24. Qxg4 Qxg4 25. hxg4 Rd3 26. Kh2 Rxc3) 22... Rxc3 {!!} 23. gxh4 {Forced
mate in 8} (23. Bxc3 Bxe4+ 24. Qxe4 Qxh2#) 23... Rd2 {!!} (23... Re3 24. Qxe3
Bxe3 25. Bxb7 Rd2 26. Bg2 Rxb2 27. Rf3 Nf2+ 28. Kg1 Ng4+ 29. Kh1 {drawish}) 24.
Qxd2 (24. Qxg4 Bxe4+ 25. Rf3 Rxf3 26. Qg2 Rf1+ 27. Rxf1 Bxg2#) 24... Bxe4+ 25.
Qg2 Rh3 {George Rotlewi vs Akiba Rubinstein, Lodz 1907, Tarrasch Defense:
Symmetrical Variation (D02), 0-1 A very impressive attacking combination;
"perhaps the most magnificent combination of all time" (Carl Schlechter)} (
25... Bxg2+ 26. Kxg2 Rc2+ 27. Kg3) 26. Qxe4 (26. Bd4 Bxd4 27. Rf2 Bxf2 28. Qxe4
Rxh2#) 26... Rxh2# 0-1

Category:

Education

Tags:

• chess
• letsplaychess.com
• chessworld.net
• rubinstein
• rotlewi
• 1907

[hishnick79]

Beautiful indeed, but I really doubt that this is an immortal game rather than a nice attacking game. Because, in many of the immortal games the brilliancy is so decisive that the play raise from the lost position and win the game. This game, I think, just demonstrates an attacking game of Rubinstein.

[Shagstah]

@RazRawSum "Rg1," rather. Dangers of posting at 1:30AM.

[Shagstah]

@RazRawSum Rg2 Seems to be an adequate, if slightly uncomfortable reply. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[ShedarK]

just beautiful

[RazRawSum]

Very great game! Thought rc2 instead of rh3 in the final position, does the same job right?

[MrLlk14]

Beautiful game!. Reuben Fine wrote of Akiba Rubinstein: Better chess cannot be played by mortal man

[Brycefied]

This is probably the most instructive game played since Opera. We don't have to try to adapt a brilliant Kasparov or Tal sacrifice for our own games. It's as simple as accurate development leading to stronger middlegame chances.

[Nola213]

Very nice how black got that slight nagging advantage out of the opening, very early in the game.

[RooskiChess]

@RooskiChess at 1700 CC I don't think you're nearly at the point where openings matter. Just play the opening to get a decent game, not a +.20 engine evaluation which most theory does. The biggest problem wit theory though is most people don't actually understand the moves, so as soon as the see a move they don't recognize they're in trouble. Your opponent will almost never follow you in theory 20 moves in, it's a waste of time to prepare like that.

[RooskiChess]

@AzraelAscoli I recommend learning actual ideas of chess. You should understand the opening, and understand moves very well in certain openings. For instance, I know virtually no theory on the Sicilian, only to enough to get to the Najdorf, and from there I'm out of book. But yet, when I look at my games and compare them to GM games, the first 10-15 moves end up being theory. I think it's better to figure out opening moves based on understanding rather then attempt to memorize lines.