38.  R-K1 Q-Kt4
39.  Q-R5

After the exchange of Queens, Black would win easily by R-Kt7. 39.  B-R2 also fails on account of QxQ; 40.  RxQ, R-Kt7; 41.  B-Kt3, B-Q6!; 42.  R-K5, BxP, and the passed pawn costs a Rook.  With the text move, White provokes the sacrifice of the Queen at Kt 8, apparently not seeing the fine continuation at Black’s disposal on the forty-first move.

39. ...  QxB!
40.  RxQ RxR
41.  P-Kt4

Compulsory.  B-Kt1 would be followed by R-QB8, etc.

41. ...  B-B8!! 
Resigns.

There might follow 42.  K-Kt3, P-Kt3; 43.  Q-R4, BxPch; 44.  KxB, P-Kt4ch, and so on. 4l. ...  B-Q3 would have given White a little respite, though his game would still have been hopeless after PxP and R-K8.

Game No. 15

  White:  Aljechin.  Black:  Niemzowitsch.

        Ruy Lopez (see p. 41).

1.  P-K4 P-K4
2.  Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3
3.  B-Kt5 P-QR3
4.  B-R4 Kt-B3
5.  Castles KtxP
6.  P-Q4 P-QKt4
7.  B-Kt3 P-Q4
8.  PxP B-K3
9.  P-B3 B-K2
10.  R-K1

---------------------------------------
8 | #R |    |    | #Q | #K |    |    | #R |
|---------------------------------------|
7 |    |    | #P |    | #B | #P | #P | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
6 | #P |    | #Kt|    | #B |    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
5 |    | #P |    | #P | ^P |    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
4 |    |    |    |    | #Kt|    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
3 |    | ^B | ^P |    |    | ^Kt|    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | ^P | ^P |    |    |    | ^P | ^P | ^P |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | ^R | ^Kt| ^B | ^Q | ^R |    | ^K |    |
---------------------------------------
A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H

Diag. 122

This is one of the most important positions in the Ruy Lopez.  Black has the better development, but his centre is less secure.  Whilst White has a pawn secured in the centre, Black has a Knight there which will soon be driven away.  White’s Q4, the basis of his centre, is entirely in his hands, while Black’s Q4 is exposed to a steady pressure by the White pieces.  Finally Black’s Q Kt is unfavourably placed, obstructing as it does the QBP and preventing it from falling into line with its fellows.  In Petrograd, 1909, Lasker tried the following new defence:  Kt-B4 followed by B-Kt5, giving up the moves gained before in order to relieve the pressure on the Black QP and to exchange the same ultimately at Q5.  The various possibilities of the position have been discussed in connection with Diag. 22.  It may be added that after 10. ...  Castles; QKt-Q2 is surely a better move than the usual Kt-Q4, as the Queen’s side should be developed before undertaking an attack (11. ...