lichess.org
Donate

Count Tempi, Not Material: Capablanca Mates Two Pieces Down

StrategyChessAnalysis boardChess personalities
Contains sponsored content, affiliate links or commercial advertisement
Kings castled on opposite wings turn a game into a race. Raubitschek went material hunting with his queen and finished two pieces ahead, and it did not matter, because Capablanca got to his king first.

Good day, chess world!

This is game 3 of Capablanca's My Chess Career, a King's Gambit from New York in 1906,

It is a wonderful example of how to handle opposite side castling. White castles short and Capablanca castles long. After that decision the game has one question: whose attack arrives first? Raubitschek answers it the wrong way. He sends his queen after material, wins a knight. He ends up two whole pieces up, while Capablanca quietly piles rooks on the g-file. A queen on h8 does not defend a king on g1. The game ends in mate with White two pieces ahead on the scoreboard.
Showing the that King position trumps material !

If you are enjoying my posts take a look at the lesson link on my website and consider signing up for the free daily lessons with the links below.

Four exercises from the game

Try to solve each before you watch. Capablanca is Black here and he gives mate, so every exercise asks for Black's move, the attack that wins a race against a man who was counting the wrong thing. The answers are in the full game at the bottom, in the video, and in the website lesson linked below.

Exercise 1. Black to play (move 16). White has just recaptured on e5 and his king sits on g1. You have to commit your own king now, and the choice decides what kind of game this becomes. Where does it go?

Exercise 2. Black to play (move 19). White has just taken on e5 with the queen, and that queen is now a target. Which rook move gains a move on it and activates your worst piece at the same time?

Exercise 3. Black to play (move 23). White has just taken your knight on f6 and is two whole pieces up. Forget the material. Which rook move puts both rooks on the file that points at his king?

Exercise 4. Black to play (move 24). White has defended with Rf2. The g-file is loaded and the white king has no air. Which capture breaks the door down and forces mate?

Play through the full game with my notes here:

https://lichess.org/study/rpPITMZW/UpJwZoDh

Questions, or a move you would have played differently? Tell me in the comments. Good day, chess world.

Watch the video and go deeper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_25X1W2PQzg

https://chessexcellence.com/f/opposite-side-castling-attack-capablanca-vs-raubitschek.html

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVtlFBDTaYahWI-VcpZOUIGn7ly5R4mYnjoEgg2OOgHn1tzQ/viewform

https://forms.gle/nEt1DWY5pKGq7T3n6

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPOO5Irce4Zw