The story behind the game
In this 1927 London Olympiad game, the open d-file becomes valuable through the pieces that use it. Euwe’s knights change the queen’s choices, one rook is exchanged, and the remaining rook enters the same file. Follow the sequence of attacks before deciding whether the final queen capture is really a sacrifice.
Take these ideas to your next game
- An outpost matters when it creates a threat.
- After a rook exchange, look for the next rook that can use the file.
- A knight jump can change which defender is allowed to move.
- Count the second recapture before calling a queen capture a sacrifice.
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.
Nd5 attacks the e7-queen while giving the knight useful central targets. The knight is protected by the queen, so attacking it is not the same as winning it. Black must deal with a threat to the queen before continuing ordinary development. Compare the saved queen retreats and identify which squares the knight controls after each reply.
Rd1 recruits the remaining rook to the file used by the earlier exchange. The knight on d5 currently stands in front of the rook. That does not make the rook useless: a later knight move or exchange can uncover its line. Follow the order of development, exchanges and threats rather than treating an open file as an advantage by itself.
Ng5 adds pressure near the king while keeping the d-file combination available. The game answers the jump by exchanging the bishop for the other knight. White’s rook then recaptures on d5. Track which knight remains on the board: its pressure and the rook’s new square affect the final calculation.
Qxd6 takes the bishop with a rook supporting the capture square. A queen appearing to offer itself is not enough to establish a sacrifice. Reconstruct the position after both queen captures and the rook’s recapture, then count the remaining pieces. The recorded game ends here; the saved continuation supplies the unplayed replies.
Result: 1-0. The recorded score ends here; it does not imply checkmate.
Think through the turning points
Move 14: Occupy the central square
Which knight move attacks the queen on e7 from a protected central square? In the game: Nd5. Nd5 attacks the e7-queen while giving the knight useful central targets. The knight is protected by the queen, so attacking it is not the same as winning it. Black must deal with a threat to the queen before continuing ordinary development. Compare the saved queen retreats and identify which squares the knight controls after each reply.
Engine-supported alternatives
Nd5 Bxd5 Qxd5 c5 Rfd1 Bg7 Kf1 Rc8 Qd6 c4 Rd5 Qxd6 · +0.85 · depth 19
Rfd1 · +0.35 · depth 19
Rad1 f6 Nd5 Qf7 Qb3 Bd6 c4 Rd8 Qc3 O-O a3 Kg7 · +0.34 · depth 19
Move 19: Recruit the other rook
After the first rook exchange, which move brings White’s remaining rook onto the d-file? In the game: Rd1. Rd1 recruits the remaining rook to the file used by the earlier exchange. The knight on d5 currently stands in front of the rook. That does not make the rook useless: a later knight move or exchange can uncover its line. Follow the order of development, exchanges and threats rather than treating an open file as an advantage by itself.
Engine-supported alternatives
Rd1 Bb5 Qc3 Kc8 Nxe5 Bg7 Nxf7 Qxd5 Qh3+ Bd7 exd5 Bxh3 · +3.22 · depth 20
Ng5 Be8 Qb3 Kc8 Qf3 Qc6 h4 Kb8 Rd1 Ka7 Rd2 Bc5 · +1.28 · depth 20
Qc3 f6 Rd1 Ke8 Rd3 Be7 h4 Kf7 h5 Rc8 hxg6+ hxg6 · +0.96 · depth 19
Move 20: Change the knight’s job
Which move by the f3-knight brings it closer to f7 while the other knight occupies d5? In the game: Ng5. Ng5 adds pressure near the king while keeping the d-file combination available. The game answers the jump by exchanging the bishop for the other knight. White’s rook then recaptures on d5. Track which knight remains on the board: its pressure and the rook’s new square affect the final calculation.
Engine-supported alternatives
Ng5 b5 Qc3 Be7 Ne6 Bxd5 Nxc7+ Kf8 Rxd5 b4 Qc4 Qf6 · +3.55 · depth 21
h4 Be7 · +1.48 · depth 21
Nc3 Qb4 Nxe5 Qxc4 Nxc4 Bg7 Nd5 Kd8 f4 Bd7 e5 Be6 · +1.45 · depth 20
Move 23: Count the recapture after the queen trade
White’s queen is on c7 and a black bishop is on d6. Which capture can be backed up by the rook on d5? In the game: Qxd6. Qxd6 takes the bishop with a rook supporting the capture square. A queen appearing to offer itself is not enough to establish a sacrifice. Reconstruct the position after both queen captures and the rook’s recapture, then count the remaining pieces. The recorded game ends here; the saved continuation supplies the unplayed replies.
Engine-supported alternatives
Qxd6 Qxd6 Rxd6 f5 exf5 gxf5 Rb6 Kd7 Rxb7+ Kc6 Rxh7 Rc8 · +5.51 · depth 20
Qc8+ Ke7 Qxb7+ Kf8 Qxf7+ Qxf7 Nxf7 Kxf7 Rxd6 a5 Kf1 Rc8 · +4.75 · depth 20
Rxd6 Qxg5 g3 Kf8 h4 Qc1+ Kg2 Kg7 Rd7 Rf8 Qxe5+ Kh6 · +4.68 · depth 20
Every piece has a part to play.
In this 1927 London Olympiad game, the open d-file becomes valuable through the pieces that use it. Euwe’s knights change the queen’s choices, one rook is exchanged, and the remaining rook enters the same file. Follow the sequence of attacks before deciding whether the final queen capture is really a sacrifice.
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Accessible evaluation values & provenance
Stockfish 17.1 · 75,000 nodes per position; 1,000,000 at key moments. Actual depth 13–21. Positive centipawns favour White; mate scores remain separate. Selective search is evidence, not proof.
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