Queen's Gambit Accepted, Janowski-Larsen Variation

ALBERTO FOGUELMAN vs. DAVID BRONSTEIN
Amsterdam International, 1964

1. d4, d5
2. c4, dxc4
3. Nf3, Nf6
4. e3, Bg4

The Janowski-Larsen Variation of Queen's Gambit Accepted.

5. Bxc4, e6
6. Qb3?!, Bxf3
7. gxf3 ....

The double-pawn structure may benefit White if he plans to castle on the queen side and his opponent on the king side, but White eventually castled where the war zone is.

7. .... c5
8. Qxb7, Ncd7
9. dxc5, Bxc5
10. f4 ....

Apparently White is trying to attack the e6 pawn, but this move benefited Black more.

10. .... 0-0
11. 0-0, Nd5
12. Rd1, Rb8
13. Qc6, Qh4!!

Black threatens Qg4+ threatening White's d1 Rook.

14. Nc3, Rb6

If 14.....Nxc3, 15. Rxd7 and the position favors White.

15. Qxd7, Nxf4!!

16. Ne2 ....

White could not take the f4 Knight because of 16.....Qxf2+ 17. Kh1 Qf3 mate.

16. .... Nh3+
17. Kg2 ....

Forced.  If 17. Kf1 Qxf2 mate.  If 17. Kh1 Qe4+, 18. f3 Qxf3 mate.

17. .... Nxf2
18. Rd4, Ng4

Black threatens 19....Qxh2 20. Kf1 Qf2 mate.

19. Rf4, Qxh2+
20. Kf1, Bxe3!!
21. Bd5, Bxf4

White resigns.  Black threatens Qf2 mate, Now, if 22. Ke1, then Qf2+, 23. Kd1 Qf1+, 24. Kc2 Qxe2+ and the position favors Black.

Queen's Gambit Accepted, Mannheim Variation

MARK TAIMANOV vs. LEV POLUGAEVSKY
USSR Championship, 1960

1. d4, d5
2. c4, exd4
3. Nf3, Nf6
4. Qa4+ ....

The Mannheim Variation.

4. .... Nbd7
5. Nc3, e6
6. e4, c5
7. d5, exd5
8. e5, d4
9. Bxc4, dxc3
10. exf6, Qxf6
11. Bg5, Qc6
12. 0-0-0, cxb2+

If 12....Qxa4, then 13. Rhe1+ Be7, 14. Rxe7+ Kf8, (if 14....Kd8, then 15. Rxd7+ Ke8, 16. Rd8 mate.) 15. Rxf7+ with a mating attack.

13. Kxb2, Be7
14. Rhe1, f6
15. Bb5, Qb6
16. Kc1 ....

Removing the King to safety in case Black moves pawn to a6.

16. .... fxg5
17. Bxd7, Kf8
18. Rxe7!! ....

White sacrifices the Rook in order to expose the King.

18. .... Kxe7
19. Qe4+, Kd8
20. Bf5+, Kc7
21. Qe5+, Kc6
22. Rd6+, Kb5
23. Qb2+, Resigns

Black can only escape mate at the cost of materials, including his Queen.

Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical Defense

SMBAT GARIGINOVICH LPUTIAN vs. MAXIM DLUGY
New York, 1998

1. d4, d5
2. c4, dxc4
3. e3, e6
4. Bxc4, Nf6
5. Nf3, c5
6. Qe2 ....

If 6. dxc5 Qxd1, the exchange of Queens would be bad for White.

6. .... a6
7. dxc5, Bxc5
8. e4, Qc7
9. e5, Ng4
10. 0-0, Nxf2
11. b4, Nh3+
12. Kh1, Nf2+
13. Rxf2, Bxf2
14. Nbd2, Ba7
15. Ne4, 0-0
16. Nf6+ ....

The sacrifice intends to open-up the g-file.

16. .... gxf6
17. gxf6, Nd7
18. Qd2 ....

The Queen is bound for g5, threatening mate.

18. .... Rd8
19. Qg5+, Kf8
20. Bf4, Qc6

If 20.....Qxc4, then 21. Bd6+ Ke8, 22. Qg8+ Nf8, 23. Qxf8+ Kd7, 24. Qe7+ Kc6, 25. Qxd8 ... and White wins more materials.

21. Rd1 ....


The threat of Bd6+ has become more plausible.

21. .... Nxf6
22. Rxd8+, Ne8
23. Ne5, Resigns

The White Queen has nowhere to go.  If 23....Qb6, then White continues the attack by 24. Rxe8+ Kxe8, 25. Qg8+ Ke7, 26. Qxf7+ Kd6, 27. Nd7+ and Black loses his Queen.

If 23....Qc7, then 24. Ng6+ hxg6, 25. Bxc7 ....

If 23....Qa4 or Qe4, then 24. Nd7+ Bxd7, 25. Bd6 mate.

Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical Defense, Steinitz Development Variation

ALEXANDER ALEKHINE vs. EERO EINAR BOOK
Margate, 1938

1. d4, d5
2. c4, dxc4
3. Nf3, Nf6
4. e3, e6
5. Bxc4, c5
6. 0-0, Nc6
7. Qe2, a6
8. Nc3, b5
9. Bb3, b4
10. d5, Na5
11. Ba4+, Bd7
12. dxe6, fxe6

Correct reply. If 12....Bxa4, then 13. exf7+ Ke7, 14. Nxa4 which favors White.

13. Rd1, bxc3
14. Rxd7!! ....

A crushing and unexpected attack.

14. .... Nxd7
15. Ne5!, Ra7
16. bxc3, Ke7

Black removes his King from the pin.

17. e4, Nf6

If 17....Nxe5, then 18. Bg5+ wins the Black Queen.

18. Bg5, Qc7
19. Bf4, Qb6
20. Rd1, g6
21. Bg5, Bg7
22. Nd7!! ....

Giving room for an attack move: e5 which would have a disastrous effect.

22. .... Rxd7

Black has no choice but to take the pesky Knight.

23. Rxd7+, Kf8
24. Bxf6, Bxf6
25. e5!!, Resigns

Black would have no reply to White's 26. Qf3+ with a mating threat at f7.

Queen's Gambit Accepted Classical Variation

YURI YAKOVICH vs. DAVID BRONSTEIN
Italy 1994

Queen's Gambit Accepted Classical Variation

1. d4, d5
2. c4, dxc4
3. e3, Nf6
4. Bxc4, e6
5. Nf3, c5
6. Qe2, cxd4
7. exd4, Nc6
8. Nc3, Be7

Black stands to lose after 8....Nxd4, then 9. Nxd4 Qxd4, 10. Bg5! with the threat of 11. Rd1 and 12. Bb5+....

9. 0-0, 0-0
10. Rd1, Nd5
11. Bb3, a6
12. Bd2, Qd6
13. Rac1, Rd8
14. Ne4, Qb8

Black has no choice but to retreat his Queen. If 14....Qc7, then 15. Ne5! ...

15. Nfg5, h6
16. Nf3, Bd7
17. Nc5, Be8
18. Qe4, Nf6
19. Qh4, b6

20. Nxe6, fxe6
21. Bxe6+, Kf8

If 21....Bf7, then 22. Rxc6! with advantage to White.

22. Qxh6, Resigns

The Queen's capture leads to mate. A superb ending! 

If 22...Ng8, then 23. Qh8 Bf7, 24. Rxc6! ...

Jose Raul Capablanca

José Raúl Capablanca was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. One of the greatest chess players of the twentieth century, he was renowned for his exceptional end game skill and speed of play. Due to his achievements in the chess world, mastery over the board and his relatively simple style of play he was nicknamed the "Human Chess Machine".

Capablanca learned chess at the age of four by watching his father play and in 1901, at the age of 12, he beat Juan Corzo, the Cuban champion. Capablanca was regarded as the most naturally talented chess player anyone had ever seen. He was educated in America, studied engineering at Columbia University and spent much of his free time playing masters at the Manhattan Chess Club in New York City, where he achieved a sensational win in a match against US Champion Frank Marshall crushing him by 8 wins to 1 with 14 draws in 1909 when he was 20 years old. Frank Marshall had unsuccessfully played Lasker in a World Championship match only two years earlier.

Here is one of Capablanca's games:

CAPABLANCA vs. JAFFE
New York State Championship, 1910
Queen's Gambit Declined

1. d4, d5
2. Nf3, Nf6
3. e3, c6
4. c4, e6

Black should have assured his forces more freedom of action by playing 4. .....Bf5.

5. Nc3, N8d7
6. Bd3, Bd6
7. 0-0, 0-0
8. e4, dxe4
9. Nxe4, Nxe4
10. Bxe4, Nf6
11. Bc2 .....

With a view to 12. Qd3 and 13. Bg5, threatening 14. Bxf6 and 15. Qxh7 mate.

11. ..... h6
12. b3, b6
13. Bb2, Bb7
14. Qd3 .....

A new threat: 15. d5 preparatory to 16. Bxf6 and 17. Qh7 mate.

14. ..... g6

Stopping the threat but weakens the castled position.

15. Rae1 .....

Now the threat of Rxe6! is in the air.

15. .....Nh5
16. Bc1, Kg7

But not 16. ....Nf4, 17. Bxf4 Bxf4, 18. Rxe6!.  The weakening of Black's King-side is beginning to tell.

17. Rxe6!, Nf6
18. Ne5, c5

After 18...... fxe6, 19. Qxg6+ Kh8, 20. Qxh6+ Kg8, 21. Qg6+ Kh8, 22. Re1 White wins easily by bringing his remaining Rook to the third rank.

Now, if 18. .....Bxe5, 19. Qh3!  fxe6, 20. Qxh6+ and wins.

19. Bxh6+!, Kxh6
20. Nxf7+!

Black resigns, for after 20. ..... Rxf7 White has 21. Qxg6 mate.  Note that White removed all of Black's King-side pawns by sacrifices.