[Event "New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Alekhine,A"]
[Black "Lasker,Ed"]
[Result "1/2"]
[Annotator "Lopez "Battle Royale""]
[ECO "E76"]
[PlyCount "105"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. d4 g6 3. Nc3 { Note that even though Alekhine opened with the c-pawn, the opening has transposed back to a d-pawn opening (the King's Indian Defense). This transposition from a c-pawn  to a d-pawn opening is pretty common. } 3... Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f4 { The Four Pawns Attack. This is White's most aggressive option in the King's Indian Defense and the most dangerous (for Black!). } 5... O-O 6. Nf3 { Take a look at White's space advantage! } 6... e5 { Black has to break the center before the White pawns become overwhelming. } 7. fxe5 dxe5 8. d5 { Now the center is blocked. } 8... Nbd7 9. Bd3 Nc5 10. Bc2 a5 11. O-O Qd6 12. Qe1 Bd7 13. Qh4 { Note the way both players are maneuvering for position. This is a characteristic of closed positions (ones in which the center is blocked by pawns) -- there are no immediate tactics, so both players try to get their pieces to good squares. } 13... Rae8 14. Kh1 { Alekhine later explained this seemingly mysterious move in his notes in the tournament book (see the variation). } ( 14. Bg5 Nh5 15. g4 Nf4 16. Bxf4 exf4 17. e5 Qb6 $1 { Now White has to lose a tempo by moving the King to h1 (since the Black Queen is on the same diagonal). Alekhine didn't want to lose the tempo at a critical point in the game, so he decided to spend the tempo to move the King at move 14. (Variation by Alekhine). } ) 14... h5 { Lasker cuts off the Queen's communication with h6, making Bh6 impossible for White. } 15. b3 Nh7 16. a3 f5 { Since the center is blocked, both players must concentrate on the flanks. Black makes his play on the Kingside, while White plays on the Queenside. } 17. b4 Na6 18. c5 Qf6 19. Qxf6 Nxf6 { Note how quickly the pawns have expanded White's space on the Queenside. } 20. c6 bxc6 21. dxc6 Bxc6 22. b5 { Now we see the point of Alekhine's pawn sacrifice. But lasker has a trick up his sleeve. } 22... Nxe4 23. Nxe4 ( 23. Bxe4 fxe4 24. Nd2 e3 25. Rxf8+ ( 25. Rg1 { Modern day computer analysis prefers to avoid the exchange of Rooks. } 25... e4 26. Ndb1 Bxb5 27. Bxe3 Bd3 ) 25... Rxf8 26. Nf3 e4 { Variation by Alekhine. } ) 23... fxe4 24. bxc6 exf3 25. Be4 fxg2+ 26. Kxg2 Rxf1 27. Kxf1 Kh7 { The game very quickly became a tactical melee once the center opened up. Now we see the importance of getting your pieces positioned on good squares during the early maneuvering phase. } 28. Be3 Bf8 29. Rd1 Bxa3 30. Rd5 Bb4 31. Rd7+ Kh8 32. Bg5 ( 32. Bxg6 { Alekhine claimed later that this would lead to a draw, but I'm not convinced. } 32... Re6 33. Be4 { Blockading the e5-pawn and defending the pawn on c6. } ( 33. Bxh5 Rxc6 34. h4 { To provide an anchor for Bg5. } ) 33... a4 34. Rd8+ Kg7 35. Ra8 Nc5 36. Bxc5 Rf6+ 37. Kg2 Bxc5 38. Rxa4 Rf2+ 39. Kg3 { There's still a long way to go in this game, and Black still has an extra pawn. } ) 32... Rf8+ 33. Ke2 a4 ( 33... Bc5 34. Bxg6 Rf2+ 35. Kd1 a4 36. Bh6 Bf8 37. Rd8 Kg8 { White's attack turns the tables, giving White a slight advantage. } ) 34. Bxg6 Nc5 35. Re7 ( 35. Rxc7 Ne6 36. Rb7 Nxg5 37. Rxb4 ) 35... a3 36. Rxc7 Ne6 37. Bh6 Kg8 38. Bc1 a2 39. Ra7 Nd4+ 40. Kd3 Rf3+ 41. Ke4 Rf1 42. Bb2 Nxc6 43. Rxa2 Rf4+ { Black now has a chance to go after White's King on the wide-open board. } 44. Ke3 Bc5+ 45. Ke2 Rf2+ ( 45... Nd4+ 46. Kd3 h4 ) 46. Ke1 Rxh2 47. Be4 Nd4 48. Bxd4 Bb4+ 49. Kf1 Rxa2 50. Bd5+ Kf8 51. Bxa2 exd4 52. Bb1 Kg7 53. Kg2 { Black can easily protect his d4-pawn by using the Bishop, but won't be able to promote it (the White light-squared Bishop is the same color as the promotion square). He won't be able to force the h-pawn past the White King either (plus that promotion square, too, is guarded by the White Bishop). Despite being ahead a pawn, Lasker can't force a win. } 1/2