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

Diag. 137

13.  P-B3 P-QR3 14.  Q-B2 P-B4 15.  P-KKt3 Kt-B4 16.  B-Kt2 Q-B2

Black wishes to push on the KP.  White, however, prevents this at once.

17.  Q-K2          P-Kt4
18.  Castles       B-Kt2

The Black position has any number of weaknesses.  The King cannot castle into safety; the pawn position is full of holes, and open to attack.  White takes full advantage of this and wins in masterly fashion with a few strokes.

19.  P-B4           P-Kt5
20.  Q-Q2           R-Kt1

Now White cannot capture the KtP because of BxKt.  But he does not want the pawn, he wants the King.

21.  Q-R6 BxKt 22.  BxB Q-K4 23.  KR-K1 QxP 24.  Q-B4 QR-B1 25.  Q-Q6 P-B3

Mate in two was threatened (B-B6ch, etc.).

26.  B-R5ch        R-Kt3
27.  BxRch         PxB
28.  RxPch         Resigns.

Game No. 26

White:  Capablanca.  Black:  Blanco

French Defence.

1.  P-K4 P-K3 2.  P-Q4 P-Q4 3.  Kt-QB3 PxP 4.  KtxP Kt-Q2 5.  Kt-KB3 KKt-B3 6.  KtxKtch KtxKt 7.  Kt-K5

This crosses Black’s plan of developing the QB at Kt2.

7. ...             B-Q3
8.  Q-B3           P-B3

9.  B-Kt5ch, P-B3; 10.  KtxP was threatened.

9.  P-B3 Castles
10.  B-KKt5 B-K2
11.  B-Q3

Whatever Black plays now, he must create some weakness in order to provide against White’s Q-R3, BxKt, QxRP, and White’s attack must succeed.  The whole of Black’s plan is thus frustrated, as the only reason for abandoning the centre by PxP was the occupation of the long diagonal by the QB.  Now the Queen’s side pieces cannot get into play without much difficulty, and by the time they have succeeded it is too late.