Friday, March 14

Capablanca in Vienna: Visiting Master defeats Dr. Tartakower in first game of exhibition match

José R. Capablanca added to his long run of European successes by defeating Dr. Saviely Tartakower in the opening contest of their two-game exhibition match at Vienna. Capablanca, as second player in a Scotch Game, emerged from the opening with a comfortable development and free play for his pieces, the Black Knight on e4 being particularly well-placed. Dr. Tartakower with 16.c4 sought to undermine the position of that Knight, which Capablanca soon reinforced via 18...f5. Black's 20...Qf7 appears to have been an error left unexploited by Dr. Tartakower, as White at his 21st turn missed an opportunity for advantage with 21.Nxf5!, a temporary sacrifice of a piece ultimately leading to a material surplus for the first player. Soon thereafter the contest turned in favor of Capablanca, whose 25...Rd2 initiated the invasion of the opposing position by the Black forces. At his 30th move Dr. Tartakower, short of time and under pressure, eschewed the tenacious 30.Rxd2 for 30.Re5?, and was compelled to sacrifice the exchange two moves thereafter. Capablanca concluded matters with his usual exemplary technique, and White, who stood an exchange and three pawns to the bad when the game at last concluded at the 50th move, might well have resigned much earlier than he did.

We present the game score below.

  

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