Thursday 20 August 2009

Analytical Revisionism

Having mentioned historical revisionism in relation to Alekhine, it is worth noting that Alekhine himself wasn't above analytical revisionism. Variations that existed only as part of post game analysis found themselves promoted to the game continuation when published at a later date. Brilliant finishes found in the silence of the study became stunning victories in the heat of the battle.
The most notorious case would undoubtedly be the Grigoriev - Alekhine game which in later years became the Alekhine - NN game. Not only did Alekhine create most of the game as analysis, he also moved himself from Black to White so as to emerge the victor. Here is the original game, with the invented game included in the notes. Interestingly Fritz 9 doesn't think much of Alekhine's final few moves, although the continuation it suggests seems to have been overlooked by both Alekhine and later commentators.

Grigoriev,N - Alekhine,Alexander A [C12]
Moscow, 1915

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 5.e5 h6 6.exf6 hxg5 7.fxg7 Rg8 8.h4 gxh4 9.Qg4 Be7 10.g3 c5 (D)
11.0-0-0 [11.gxh4 cxd4 12.h5 dxc3 13.h6 cxb2 14.Rb1 Qa5+ 15.Ke2 Qxa2 16.h7 Qxb1 17.hxg8Q+ Kd7 18.Qxf7 Qxc2+ 19.Kf3 Nc6 20.Qgxe6+ Kc7 21.Qf4+ Kb6 22.Qee3+ Bc5 23.g8Q b1Q 24.Rh6!! Qxf1 (Fritz suggests 24...Bg4+ 25.Qgxg4 Bxe3 26.Qxe3+ Qc5 with a small advantage to White) 25.Qb4+ Qb5 26.Qd8+ Ka6 27.Qea3++- Analysis Aljechin] 11...Nc6 12.dxc5 Qa5 13.Kb1 e5 14.Qh5 Be6 15.Nxd5 Bxd5 16.Rxd5 Nb4 17.Rxe5 Qxa2+ 18.Kc1 0-0-0 19.Bd3 Qa1+ 20.Kd2 Qxb2 21.Ke3 Bf6 22.Qf5+ Kb8 23.Re4 Rxd3+ 24.cxd3 Bd4+ 25.Kf4 Qxf2+ 0-1

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