MARK RUBERY CHESS
The 1939 Chess Olympiad in Buenos Aires was responsible for the increase in strength of South American chess when a number of players, such as Najdorf, preferred to remain rather than return to a Europe on the brink of World War 2. The Olympiad was also the final event in the illustrious career of one of the most sublime talents ever to grace the game, that of Jose Raul Capablanca. The third World Champion lost only 37 games since coming into prominence at the beginning of the century, and even in the twilight of his chess playing days he was able to give a very creditable performance for Cuba. Here is one of his last wins...
Capablanca,J - Czerniak,M
Buenos Aires (3), 1939
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.cxd5 Qxd5 7.Be2 e6 8.0–0 Nf6 9.Nc3 Qa5 10.h3 Bh5 11.a3 Rd8 12.g4 Bg6 13.b4! (Capablanca was famous for his smooth positional style, here he reveals a more cavalier side of himself) Bxb4 14.axb4 Qxa1 15.Qb3 Rxd4 16.Ba3 Bc2 17.Qxc2 Qxa3 18.Nb5 Qxb4 (18...Rxg4+ 19 hxg4 Qxb4 would have given Black better chances than in the game) 19.Nfxd4 Nxd4 20.Nxd4 0–0 (In this position the piece is far more important than the pawns) 21.Rd1 Nd5 22.Bf3 Nf4 23.Kh2 e5 24.Nf5 g6 25.Ne3 Ne6 26.Nd5 Qa3 27.Rd3 Qa1 28.Rd1 Qa3 29.Rd3 Qa1 30.Qd2 Kg7 31.Qe2 f6 32.Qe3 a6 33.Rd1 Qb2 34.Nc3 Nd4 35.Rb1 Qc2 36.Be4 1–0
BLACK TO PLAY AND WIN
‘Everyone got up to dance except a man who, I had vaguely noticed, sought to be near me. Quietly but distinctly he said, “Someday you and I will be married”.’ As she was about to go home, the man said to her, ‘Please give me your telephone number. Permit me to call you. My name is Capablanca.’ The following morning her telephone rang: ‘It was Capablanca. “I hope you remember you are to have dinner with me tonight.” Whether I did, or did not, didn’t matter. He firmly said he would call for me at six. Precisely at six the porter rang from downstairs. When I came down Capablanca stood by his car. As he took off his hat I was surprised to see how handsome he was. From that time on, he called me every other day, and if I could not see him because of some other engagements he would be awfully unhappy. Sometimes he would spend most of the night on the bench opposite our windows on Central Park waiting for my return. If I said to him some cross words, as happened a few times, tears welled in his eyes, which would make me miserably guilty. (Reminisces from Olga Capablanca)