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C17 French Winawer (Advance)

French Defense: Winawer. Advance Variation

Reuben Fine vs Mikhail Botvinnik, 1938

1-0, 31 moves ("Fine Slew")

1031938 (#476)

[Event "AVRO"]
[Site "The Netherlands"]
[Date "1938.11.06"]
[EventDate "1938.11.06"]
[Round "1"]
[Result "1-0"]
[White "Reuben Fine"]
[Black "Mikhail Botvinnik"]
[ECO "C17"]
[WhiteElo "?"]
[BlackElo "?"]
[PlyCount "62"]
1.e4 { Notes by Reuben Fine. *** Before this tournament I was known as a d4 player, hence my first move must have come as somewhat of a surprise to Botvinnik. } e6 {Botvinnik does not vary. Against e4 he almost invariably played the French, sometimes he tried the Sicilian.} 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.dxc5 {This is the prepared move. Unlike Euwe, I make it a rule not to anatlyze such lines too profoundly before the game because it is most essential to be able to meet whatever surprises come up over the board and not everything can be forseen.} Ne7 6.Nf3 Nbc6 7.Bd3 d4 {Accepts the complications. On 7...Bxc5 8.O-O, White's game is freer.} 8.a3 Ba5 9.b4 Nxb4 10.axb4 Bxb4 11.Bb5+ {Another possibility was O-O, but the move played was part of the prepared variation.} Nc6 {? The fatal error. Necessary was 11...Bd7} 12.Bxc6+ bxc6 13.Ra4 Bxc3+ 14.Bd2 {Suddenly Black discovers that he is lost. The Bishop is hopelessly shut in, and it is only a question of time before White's superior development make itself felt.} f6 {Desperately trying to free the bishop.} 15.O-O O-O 16.Bxc3 dxc3 17.Qe1 a5 18.Qxc3 Ba6 19.Rfa1 Bb5 20.Rd4 {! Black was hoping for 20.Rxa5 which would bring some freedom to the Black pieces.} Qe7 21.Rd6 a4 {To tie the rook down.} 22.Qe3 {! Threatens to win a pawn, but not in an obvious way.} Ra7 23.Nd2 {! The point: the poor Bishop will be driven away.} a3 {The pawn goes anyhow.} 24.c4 Ba4 25.exf6 Qxf6 26.Rxa3 Re8 27.h3 {After this quiet move, Black might as well resign.} Raa8 28.Nf3 Qb2 29.Ne5 Qb1+ 30.Kh2 Qf5 31.Qg3 {Too many threats. Black can't guard the 7th rank.--Fine (Black does not have a single move, and Rf3 is threatened. A combination of a splendid strategic idea with tactical subtleties.--Botvinnik)} 1-0

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