The story behind the game
The first game of the 1935 championship match begins with a Slav structure and develops into active play by Alekhine’s rook and knight. His queenside pawn advances gain time against the queen, while the rook later penetrates the seventh rank. Notice how a wing operation and threats near the king become parts of the same position.
Take these ideas to your next game
- Look for threats created by a central knight jump.
- A pawn advance against the queen can gain time for another piece.
- An active rook needs supporting squares and targets.
- Check whether a checking move improves the piece that gives it.
Read the complete annotated game
Full game transcript, including the result and the answers. Original explanations by chessgames.info; game score from the sources below.
Nb5 creates a direct threat to the queen before the exchange of rooks. Black can exchange on d1 before moving the queen, so calculate more than the immediate knight attack. The remaining white rook will occupy the d-file. Compare the resulting activity with a quiet move that lets Black complete the same exchanges on easier terms.
b4 gains space with an attack on the queen. The pawn move is part of a larger expansion: the game later advances b5 and fixes the central tension. Moving a pawn with tempo can help, but it also leaves squares behind. Check the queen’s safe replies and the support for the advanced pawns in the saved lines.
Rd7 turns the open file into an active rank. White’s knight on f5 and queen on c2 remain part of the calculation. The rook is active because it can cooperate with those pieces, not because the seventh rank is always safe. Compare Black’s bishop defence with the checking resources available to White.
Nh6+ forces a king response before White takes on c5 in the game. A checking move should be evaluated through its consequences. Rebuild the position after the king reply, then inspect the queen’s targets and the rook on d7. The score ends after the subsequent queen capture; it does not record a checkmate.
Result: 1-0. The recorded score ends here; it does not imply checkmate.
Think through the turning points
Move 16: Jump with an attack on the queen
Which move by the c3-knight attacks the queen on c7? In the game: Nb5. Nb5 creates a direct threat to the queen before the exchange of rooks. Black can exchange on d1 before moving the queen, so calculate more than the immediate knight attack. The remaining white rook will occupy the d-file. Compare the resulting activity with a quiet move that lets Black complete the same exchanges on easier terms.
Engine-supported alternatives
Nd5 Bxd5 Rxd5 Rxd5 Bxd5 Rd8 Bb3 Bf6 a5 c5 Rc1 Qxa5 · +0.65 · depth 17
Nb5 Qa5 Nd4 Bc8 Nb3 Qc7 a5 Rxd1+ Rxd1 Bf6 h3 a6 · +0.65 · depth 17
Be4 g6 · +0.33 · depth 17
Move 19: Gain time on the queenside
Black’s queen is on a5. Which pawn advance attacks it while gaining queenside space? In the game: b4. b4 gains space with an attack on the queen. The pawn move is part of a larger expansion: the game later advances b5 and fixes the central tension. Moving a pawn with tempo can help, but it also leaves squares behind. Check the queen’s safe replies and the support for the advanced pawns in the saved lines.
Engine-supported alternatives
b4 Bxb4 Nb3 Qc7 Qe4 Bd6 Qd4 g5 Bxg5 f6 Bh6 Rd8 · +1.59 · depth 18
Nb3 Qc7 h4 Re8 Qc3 Bf6 Nc5 Qe7 Ne4 Ng4 Qc2 Rd8 · +0.59 · depth 18
Be4 g6 · +0.28 · depth 18
Move 28: Use the seventh rank
Which rook move reaches the seventh rank from d5? In the game: Rd7. Rd7 turns the open file into an active rank. White’s knight on f5 and queen on c2 remain part of the calculation. The rook is active because it can cooperate with those pieces, not because the seventh rank is always safe. Compare Black’s bishop defence with the checking resources available to White.
Engine-supported alternatives
Rd7 Kh8 Qxc5 Re8 Qd5 Bf6 Nd6 Qxe2 Nxe8 e4 Nxf6 Qf3+ · +5.39 · depth 20
Rxe5 Qb4 Re4 c4 Rxc4 Qa5 Qe4 Qb6 Qd5+ Kh8 f3 h6 · +4.98 · depth 20
Rd1 Qb4 Rd7 Bf6 Nh6+ Kh8 Nf7+ Kg8 Nd6 Kh8 Rxb7 c4 · +4.25 · depth 19
Move 29: Check from a new square
The knight is on f5 and Black’s king is on g8. Which jump gives check? In the game: Nh6+. Nh6+ forces a king response before White takes on c5 in the game. A checking move should be evaluated through its consequences. Rebuild the position after the king reply, then inspect the queen’s targets and the rook on d7. The score ends after the subsequent queen capture; it does not record a checkmate.
Engine-supported alternatives
Nh6+ Kh8 Qxc5 Re8 Nf7+ Kg8 Qc4 e4 Nd6+ Kh8 Nxe8 e3 · +6.89 · depth 19
Qc4+ Kh8 Qxc5 Ra8 Qc4 Rf8 Qe4 g6 Nh6 a6 Qxb7 Bg7 · +5.08 · depth 19
Rxb7 h5 Rxa7 Kh8 Qe4 Rd8 Ra8 Rxa8 Qxa8+ Kh7 Qe4 Qb4 · +4.71 · depth 19
Every piece has a part to play.
The first game of the 1935 championship match begins with a Slav structure and develops into active play by Alekhine’s rook and knight. His queenside pawn advances gain time against the queen, while the rook later penetrates the seventh rank. Notice how a wing operation and threats near the king become parts of the same position.
Look a little deeper
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Accessible evaluation values & provenance
Stockfish 17.1 · 75,000 nodes per position; 1,000,000 at key moments. Actual depth 12–21. Positive centipawns favour White; mate scores remain separate. Selective search is evidence, not proof.
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