We shall keep exploring an idea introduced thanks to the game Janowski - Lasker, 1909. Our tabiya arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 4.d4 Bd7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.0-0 Be7 7.Re1 exd4 8.Nxd4 0-0 (diagram). In the position below, White has a slight advantage due to the extra space. Contrarily to Tarrasch, who played by creating double pawns on the c-file, Janowski came out with the idea of maintaining more pieces on the board by avoiding a massive minor pieces exchange.
9.Bf1. An idea first played in 1911 by Abram Rabinovich, a name that you are going to hear again. Once again, the move itself is absolutely not fatal for Black, but could be an extra bullet in your weapon jacket. 9...Nxd4 Black performs much better by playing 9...Re8. We are going to study this exchange in the centre more deeply in the next games. 10.Qxd4 Bc6 (diagram). What you have to realise is that the queen in the centre is a powerful piece when this cannot be attacked by Black's pieces. In fact, in the position below, White has the opportunity to grab some initiative. White moves; think about this position for 3-5 minutes.
I like Capablanca's approach 11.b4! Kh8? Hodges panicked and did no react well. The game becomes not interesting very soon, as White gets a large advantage (then he loses it, and finally he gets it back), and won. More challenging would have been 11...a6, although after 12.Bb2 Nd7 13.Nd5 Bf6 14.Nxf6+ Qxf6 15.c4 Qxd4 16.Bxd4 ± (Stellwagen - Brunello, Heraklio 2002), White has a significant advantage that was converted in a textbook manner.
The last instructive moment in our game is at move 31. The material is equal, but White has an overwhelming position thanks to the bishops pair. This is not exactly a tactical exercise, because White has more than one option to win the game, but I believe that Capablanca's move is the most beautiful and effective. Think about it for 3-5 minutes.
Essentially, the first thing that you should notice is that Black's king is weak because of the weak pawn in g7. White needs to bring back his rook into the attack. Whatever square on the 7th rank would do the job. However, if 31.Rd1 Nf8, Black attacks the bishop and controls the square d7 gaining a tempo.
More elegant is 31.Rf1! Rf8 (otherwise 31...Bb6 32.Rf7 is over), and only now 32.Rd1. Black resigned as the threat is unavoidable.
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