My Favourite Annotators. Part Six. Milan Vidmar.

Afternoon everyone. It's been a while. You will see why when you get to the game!!

So, Milan Vidmar.

Amazing man, World leader in his field - Botvinnik studied his academic work - and also number 4 chess player in the World with Alekhine and Capablanca ahead of him. Also - in the context here - quite probably my favourite annotator. 

His Goldene Schachzeiten is a cherished possession of mine. Definitely one which should be translated into English. It's an amazing book! 

My long time readers will have seen a number of my translations of game notes from it. If you are new to my stuff, just google simaginfan vidmar and you will find the earlier efforts. One I never got to - because of the huge amount of work involved ( not just the volume - I admit to not being good enough at German to do the job properly with Vidmar's use of language) - is this extraordinary piece of work. 

A 23 move draw. Vidmar gives virtually no analysis. The whole thing takes up 6 pages of the book! And that is without his follow up discussion of Lasker!

I have done my best with the material - hopefully you will stick with it and enjoy it!

The comments by Alekhine in the tournament book which Vidmar refers to.

Move 12. 

 When White decided on this move, he had to calculate to the end the following sacrificial combinations.

Instead of this, with the retreat of the bishop to g3, he was able to prevent Black's next move (if l 2 . . . N6d7, then 13.Nxf7, etc.), but in any case, after 12.Blg3 the reply 12 . . . c5 - which immediately introduces a counterattack in the centre - appears unpleasant to him, because he would then no longer command (as in the game) a direct kingside attack that includes the advance of his g-pawn.

Move 18.

The point of the first sacrifice, whereby an immediate draw is reached.

I hope ou enjoyed that and understand why I love Vidmar's work so much! Cheers everyone.