Rotlewi - Rubinstein re-play Page

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Rotlevi - Rubinstein

Gersh Rotlewi (2525) - Akiba Rubinstein (2650)
[D40]
Lodz, POL; 1907/8

[A.J. Goldsby I]

I (first) annotated this game (primarily) for my web page on the,
"Best (and Most Amazing) [Chess] Moves - Ever Played."

(I am doing this game again !! {June, 2002} for my "Best {All-Time} [Chess] Games" page.)

Rubinstein's Immortal Masterpiece/Game

***

The single greatest game Rubinstein ever played.
It also contains two of the prettiest chess moves ever played!

***

His game vs. Karel Hromadka from Mahrisch-Ostrau, 1923;
is considered by many to be just as brilliant as this game.

1. d4 d5; 2. Nf3 e6; 3. e3 c5!?; (Maybe - '!')
The Tarrasch Defense.

This line usually leads to an isolated pawn for Black, but usually the 2nd
player gets good play. Theory has often frowned on this opening, - And even
labeled it UNSOUND - but it has been repeatedly used { and 'REVIVED' }
by great players. Originated by one of the greatest players and chess teachers
of all time - Tarrasch! - this line has been used by hundreds of Masters, but
most notably Tal, Spassky, and ... even Kasparov!! And now a new generation
of players are using this dynamic and creative opening. It results in positions
where Black has an isolated pawn and brings about the age-old argument of
STATIC POSITION; (structure); versus DYNAMICS. (Piece play.)
Which is better? Every player has a different opinion.

[ More prudent would be: 3...Nf6. ]

4. c4 Nc6; 5. Nc3 Nf6; {Diagram?}
We now have transposed to the Semi-Tarrasch.

6. dxc5!?, {Diagram?}
White goes for the immediate isolation of Black's QP.
(But activates Black's dark-squared Bishop.)

[ One modern 'book' line runs: 6.a3! a6; 7.dxc5 Bxc5; 8.b4 Ba7;
9.Bb2 0-0; 10.Qc2 Qe7; "=" ].

6...Bxc5; 7. a3 a6!; 8. b4 Bd6!; 9. Bb2!?,
Nothing wrong with development, but...

(This is a standard development of this minor piece in this line.)

[ Not 9.cxd5!? exd5; 10.Nxd5?? Nxd5; 11.Qxd5?? Bxb4+; "-/+"
which wins for Black. ].

9...0-0; 10. Qd2!?, (Maybe - '?!')
The Queen may have been better off on the c2-square.

[ White could try: 10.cxd5 exd5; 11.Be2, "+/="
Or 10.Bd3!? ].

10...Qe7!; {Diagram?}
Soltis also gives this move an exclam.

11. Bd3?!, (Probably - '?')
Bad, as White loses tempi.

[ Better was: 11.cxd5!? exd5; 12.Nxd5?! Nxd5; 13.Qxd5 Rd8;
14.Qb3, (14.Qh5? Bxb4+!) 14...Be6; "<=>" ].

11...dxc4; 12. Bxc4 b5; 13. Bd3 Rd8; 14. Qe2!?,
Trying to avoid a tactic.

[ 14.0-0 Bxh2+; 15.Kxh2?!, 15...Qd6+; 16.Kg1 Qxd3; "=/+" ].

14...Bb7; 15. 0-0 Ne5!; {Diagram?}
Breaking the symmetry ... in Black's favor.

16. Nxe5 Bxe5; 17. f4 Bc7; 18. e4!?,
This opens up the game, when BLACK is the only one who will
profit from this!

[ 18.Rfd1! ].

18...Rac8; 19. e5!? Bb6+; 20. Kh1 Ng4!; (Maybe - '!!')
This looks like a mistake, but it is not.
(---> This move is NOT as simple as it looks, Black will soon have
everything hanging!)

21. Be4, (Pretty much forced.)
Seems to be the best, under the circumstances.

[ If 21.Qxg4? Rxd3;   /\ ...Rxc3; ("/+")
     Or 21.Ne4 Rxd3!; 22.Qxd3 Bxe4; 23.Qxe4 Qh4; 24.h3 Qg3;
     25.hxg4 Qh4#;
     Or 21.Bxh7+ Kxh7; 22.Qxg4 Rd2; "-/+" ].

21...Qh4!; (Maybe - '!!')
Black goes for the throat.

This is also not as simple as it looks, any Master who can calculate a
few moves ahead will realize that nearly all of Black's pieces will soon be ...
'en prise.' So without some very hard and concrete calculations this
move is simply impossible to make just on general considerations.
(Some games you don't know always have to calculate, the attack can be
played on general considerations ... but this is NOT the case here!!)

22. g3, {Diagram?}
Again, this looks forced.

Black looks busted, everything is hanging.

[ 22.h3 Rxc3; 23.Bxc3, What else?   (Or 23.Bxb7 Rxh3+; 24.gxh3 Qxh3+;
   25.Qh2 Qxh2#; Or 23.Qxg4 Rxh3+; 24.Qxh3 Qxh3+; 25.gxh3 Bxe4+;
     26.Kh2 Rd2+; 27.Kg3 Rg2+!; 28.Kh4 Bd8+!; 29.Kh5 Bg6#)   23...Bxe4;
    24.Qxg4, Not much choice here. (24.Qxe4 Qg3 ; 25.hxg4 Qh4#)
    24...Qxg4; 25.hxg4 Rd3; 26.Kh2[], (26.Rac1?? Rh3#)
    26...Rxc3; "-/+" Black is winning easily. ].

22...Rxc3!!; (Maybe '!!!') EXTRA - Ordinary!
One of the prettiest moves of all time!
(And a wonderful Queen sacrifice!!)

[ Not 22...Qh3?; 23.Bxb7, "+/-"
Or 22...Qe7!?; (Maybe - '!') This was also good. 23.Rf3 Rc4; "-/+" ].

23. gxh4,
"In for a penny, in for a pound." (White may as well take.)

[ 23.Bxc3 Bxe4+; 24.Qxe4 Qxh2#;
     Or 23.Bxb7 Rxg3; 24.Rf3,   (Or 24.Bf3 Nxh2!; "-/+" and Black has a winning
    attack against the exposed White King.)   24...Rxf3; 25.Bxf3 Nf2+;
     26.Kg1, Forced?   (Or 26.Kg2? Qh3+ ; 27.Kg1 Ne4+ ; 28.Kh1 Ng3#).
     26...Ne4+; 27.Kf1 Nd2+; 28.Kg2 Nxf3; 29.Qxf3, What else?
    (Or 29.Kxf3 Qh5+)    29...Rd2+; "-/+" Black has a winning attack. ].

23...Rd2!!; (Really - '!!!') Incredible!! {Diagram?}
(Maybe even - '!!!!')

One of the grandest, most elegant and beautiful chess moves ever played.
(Theme = Decoy the defender.)

Having just sacrificed his Queen, Rubinstein throws a Rook on the fire
for good measure!

[ 23...Re3!?; 24.Qxe3, "~" ] .

24. Qxd2, {Box?}
Forced ... again.

[ If 24.Qxg4 Bxe4+; 25.Rf3 Rxf3; "-/+"
Or 24.Bxc3 Rxe2; 25.Rf2 Bxe4+; 26.Kg1 Bxf2+; 27.Kf1 Bf3; 28.Rd1 Nxh2#.
Or 24.Bxb7 Rxe2; 25.Bg2, (25.Bxc3?? Rxh2#) 25...Rh3!; "-/+" ].

24...Bxe4+; 25. Qg2, {Diagram?}
The only legal move.

25...Rh3!; (Probably - '!!')
Another thunderbolt. There is no reply to such a move.
(Black threatens ...Rxh2#. There is no defense.) An amazing move in it's own
right, practically all my students want to play ...Bxg2+ here!)

White RESIGNS, 0 - 1.

[ The main threat is: 25...Rh3!!; 26.Rf3, Sadly ... forced.
(Or 26.Rf2 Bxf2; 27.Qxe4 Rxh2#) 26...Bxf3; 27.Qxf3 Rxh2#.

    Most normal, mortal players might have been tempted by: 25...Bxg2+!?;
    26.Kxg2 Rc2+; 27.Kg3, Forced.   (If 27.Kh1?? Rxh2#;
     Or 27.Kh3? Nf2+; ("=/+");  Or 27.Kf3?? Nxh2+; 28.Ke4 Nxf1; "-/+")
    27...h5; "~" ].

0 - 1

One of the most famous chess games of all time. This game has been printed
an almost infinite number of times in books, magazines and newspaper columns.
Virtually every annotator worth his salt has taken a whack at it. The combination
is one of the greatest ever played!! Additionally, this game shows up in over
half a dozen different books devoted to the best games of all time.
(Two good examples are: Soltis's "The 100 Best," and Nunn's "The World's
Greatest Chess Games." This game is in both of those books AND highly rated
by BOTH authors.)

***

I consider this one of, "The Ten Most Beautiful Games Ever Played."
(Click HERE to go to my web page on this subject.)

Many people consider Rotlewi to be a fish, or a completely obscure player
of no talent, not worthy of sitting at the same chess board as Rubinstein.

This is NOT true!

GM Andy Soltis gives the additional information about the 1st player:
" Gersh Rotlewi - {1889-1920}, is one of the tragic losses of 20th Century chess.
He was an obscure Pole until winning an amateur section at Hamburg, 1910.
This earned him the Master Title, and the right {and invitation} to compete
at Carlsbad, 1911. [One of the strongest of the pre-World War I events!]
To the amazement of the spectators he held his own with the world's best players.
He beat Aaron Nimzovich, Carl Schlecter, Frank Marshall, and Rudolf Spielmann."
{He also drew many fine game of chess with some of the world's best. - A.J.G.}
Soltis continues: "And he would have tied for First Place ... had he won his final
game. (!!) But after this brilliant debut at age 22, Rotlewi was stricken by a
serious nervous disorder and never played again." (!)
(From Andy Soltis's book, "The 100 Best.")

(Perhaps someone could write a book on this nearly forgotten player?)

A detailed search of my database (and many on-line sources) indicates
that Rotlewi was a strong Master, maybe close to 2450 ELO.
(Lifetime average.)

(If you take FIDE's CURRENT rating formula's, Rotlewi would have been an
un-rated player prior to Carlsbad. This means his post-tournament rating
would have been well above 2700!!)

***

   GM Akiba Rubinstein   - {1882 - 1961}, was maybe the strongest player to
have never won the World Championship. Easily one of the four best players
in the World during the period from 1907 to 1922, according to the Oxford
Encyclopedia of Chess. He was the first (and maybe only) player to win FIVE
(5) International Tournaments in a row. (Clear first, no ties.) In 1912 he also
won all five tournaments he played in. "His play - during this period was
   unparalleled. His tournament record for the six years 1907 to 1912 was much
   better than that of ANY other Master; at one time or another he had met the
   best ten or eleven players," (in the World); "and he had a minus score ONLY
   against Maroczy."   (From a chess encyclopedia.)
In 1918, he defeated Schlecter.

He won many tournaments and matches. Aside from beating Schlecter, he also
beat Marshall, (1908, +4, =1, -3); and Bogolyubov. (1920, +5, =3, -4) His
greatest International Tournament wins were St. Petersburg, 1909; Breslau, 1912;
San Sebastian, 1912; Vilnius, 1912; (he beat Alekhine TWICE!) Triberg, 1921;
and Vienna, 1922. (This tournament was one of the all-time greatest. Virtually
all of the best players of that time were present. Rubinstein was winning in virtually
every game. In the end, he has like 10 wins and four or five draws. He lost NONE!
He also won the first brilliancy prize in this event! His games from that event are
perhaps the most beautiful and accurate of his entire career.)

Rubinstein was a great student of the opening and one of the greatest end-game
players of all time. Players made remarks like: "Rubinstein is a Rook-and-Pawn
endgame played by the gods." Another chess editor, circa 1909, wrote: ... "that
if Rubinstein had won such a Rook-and-Pawn endgame 100 years ago, he would
have been burned at the stake for being in league with devils." (!!!!!)

GM Ruben Fine once said that Rubinstein was the greatest of ALL the
Masters ... when it came to the end-game. (Ahead, even of Capablanca!!)

Rubinstein was a great innovator, there are close to half a dozen different main
lines of openings that are still used today, from the Nimzo-Indian to the Four
Knight's Opening; that his name is still attached to. He left his mark on any
opening he studied or played.

According to many players, prior to World War I, Rubinstein was, "The young
field general who knew THE Marshal's baton was firmly ensconced in his own
knapsack." But after the war, he was never quite the same, - he was plagued by
doubts, and began being bothered by 'nervous tics' and other mental problems.
He slowly began to slide downhill and was never quite the same.

Click HERE for more info on this great player. (Including his complete
tournament record.)

This game was first posted in late 2000.

This game is pretty much the full version of the game as it exists in my database.
(I have not shortened it for publication.)
If you would like a copy of that game to study, please contact me.

Click HERE to return (or go to) to my big/main (formerly "Geo-Cities") "Home Page."

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Click HERE to go to, or return to, my:
(GeoCities) "Best All-Time [Chess] Moves Page."

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(GeoCities) "Best (All-Time) [Chess] Games Page."

Click HERE to go to my (GeoCities) "Best Short Games Page."
(If you liked this game, you will enjoy the many games that are available on this page.)

Click HERE to go to, "La Mecca."
(An on-line, chess encyclopedia.)

Rotlevi - Rubinstein

Gersh Rotlewi (2525) - Akiba Rubinstein (2650) [D40] Lodz, POL; 1907/8

Gersh Rotlewi (2525) - Akiba Rubinstein (2650)
[D40]
Lodz, POL; 1907/8