Black’s kingside, with its weakened light squares, is undefended, and White easily develops the initiative.
21...Qe7 22.e5! Rb8 23.Bc4! Kh8 24.Qh3 Nf8 25.b3 a5 26.f5 exf5 27.Rxf5 Nh7 28.Rcf1 Qd8 29.Qg3 Re7 30.h4!
The Nh7 loses its last hope of coming into the game, and Black has no counterplay at all.
30...Rbb7 31.e6 Rbc7 32.Qe5 Qe8 33.a4 Qd8 34.R1f2 Qe8 35.R2f3 Qd8 36.Bd3 Qe8 37.Qe4! Nf6 38.Rxf6! gxf6 39.Rxf6 Kg8 40.Bc4 Kh8 41.Qf4
Unity Chess Club
Alexander Alekhine Sergei Freiman Cologne 1911 White to move
White’s position is better, but at the moment, the black pieces are harmoniously placed, and are able to hold the defensive lines. The next move is designed to provoke disharmony in Black’s position.
A bad reaction, as now White gets the f5-square, which is too great a concession.
He loses after 23...Rd7? 24.f4+–.
The most tenacious was 23...f6 24.Qc3 Qe6 25.f4 Nf7 26.f5 Qe5 27.Qd3 g5 28.Bg3 Qe7 29.Nc4 Bf8 30.Qe2, although here too, Black’s position looks lost, because of the great number of weaknesses.
The most tenacious was 23...f6 24.Qc3 Qe6 25.f4 Nf7 26.f5 Qe5 27.Qd3 g5 28.Bg3 Qe7 29.Nc4 Bf8 30.Qe2, although here too, Black’s position looks lost, because of the great number of weaknesses.
24.Bg3 Qe6 25.Nf5 Bf8 26.Qc3 f6 27.f4 Ng6 28.Nxh6!+ Bxh6 29.f5 Qe7 30.fxg6 Bf8 31.Qc4+ Kg7 32.Bxd6!
Unity Chess Club
Alexander Alekhine Emanuel Lasker New York 1924 (3) Black to move
The d4-pawn is isolated and needs defending. Black exploits this:
The weakening of a whole group of dark squares, which this move forces, is very significant, especially in view of White’s lack of a dark-squared bishop.