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Capablanca's Rook Offer on e6

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Jose Raul Capablanca lines queen and rook up for an attack, then offers the rook on e6 to Black's f-pawn. The bishop sacrifice that follows draws the king to h6 for a knight fork.

On this page
  1. Critical decisions
  2. Replay with move-by-move board facts
  3. PGN
  4. Sources and checking
  5. Continue with another game
White
Jose Raul Capablanca
Black
Charles Jaffe
Event
New York
Year
1910
Result
1-0
Opening
D46 Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense

Opening reference: Semi-Slav Defense: Chigorin Defense (D46).

In this game, 20 half-moves are labelled opening, 19 middlegame and 0 endgame. The score contains 8 captures and 2 checks or mates; before a recorded move, the position offered a median of 36 legal choices. The source score ends after 20.Nxf7+ with the recorded result 1-0. Its termination tag was not retained, so this record does not infer whether the game ended by resignation, time or another cause.

Critical decisions

The daily trainer uses a short set of positions from this complete score. Each link goes to the exact half-move rather than only the numbered move.

  1. 10.Bxe4 — Recapture on e410.Bxe4 was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.
  2. 14.Qd3 — Moves 14-15 — building the attack14.Qd3 was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.
  3. 19.Bxh6+ — Move 19 — Bxh6+, the bishop sacrifice19.Bxh6+ was a leading choice in the fixed engine check.

Replay with move-by-move board facts

The board, fact panel and transcript use the same legal score. “Fixed engine check” means Stockfish 17.1, one thread, a fixed 25,000-node search and 3 candidate lines. It compares moves under one reproducible setting; it does not claim to reconstruct a player’s thoughts.

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Jose Raul Capablanca vs Charles Jaffe, 1910

Start position

Use Previous and Next on the board, or select a move in the transcript. The board fact and fixed engine check remain visible until you choose another move.

Opening · 1.d4 to 10...Nf6

  1. 1.d4 Claim central space

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from d2 to d4; from there it controls e5 and c5.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · d4 Nf6 Nf3 e6.

  2. 1...d5 Claim central space

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from d7 to d5; from there it controls e4 and c4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · d5 c4 e6 Nf3.

  3. 2.Nf3 Develop the knight

    Board fact: White develops the knight from g1 to f3; from there it controls d4 and e5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nf3 e6 c4 Nf6.

  4. 2...Nf6 Develop the knight

    Board fact: Black develops the knight from g8 to f6; from there it controls d5 and e4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nf6 c4 e6 Nc3.

  5. 3.e3 Advance the e-pawn

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from e2 to e3; from there it controls d4 and f4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · e3 e6.

  6. 3...c6 Advance the c-pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from c7 to c6; from there it controls d5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · c6.

  7. 4.c4 Change the pawn structure

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from c2 to c4; the move changes the central pawn contact; from c4 it attacks Black's pawn on d5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · c4 e6 Be2 Bd6.

  8. 4...e6 Advance the e-pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from e7 to e6; from there it controls d5 and f5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · e6 Bd3 Be7 O-O.

  9. 5.Nc3 Develop the knight

    Board fact: White develops the knight from b1 to c3; from c3 it attacks Black's pawn on d5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nc3 Be7 b3 O-O.

  10. 5...Nbd7 Develop the knight

    Board fact: Black develops the knight from b8 to d7; from there it controls e5, c5 and f6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nbd7 Bd3 dxc4 Bxc4.

  11. 6.Bd3 Develop the bishop

    Board fact: White develops the bishop from f1 to d3; from d3 it attacks Black's pawn on h7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bd3 dxc4.

  12. 6...Bd6 Develop the bishop

    Board fact: Black develops the bishop from f8 to d6; from d6 it attacks White's pawn on h2.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bd6 e4 dxe4 Nxe4.

  13. 7.O-O Kingside castling

    Board fact: White castles kingside, moving the king to g1 and the rook to f1. The move changes king safety and develops the rook in one turn.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · O-O dxc4.

  14. 7...O-O Kingside castling

    Board fact: Black castles kingside, moving the king to g8 and the rook to f8. The move changes king safety and develops the rook in one turn.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · O-O e4 dxc4 Bxc4.

  15. 8.e4 Change the pawn structure

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from e3 to e4; the move changes the central pawn contact; from e4 it attacks Black's pawn on d5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · e4 dxc4 Bxc4 e5.

  16. 8...dxe4 Exchange on e4

    Board fact: Black's pawn takes the pawn on e4; the move changes the central pawn contact; Black accepts doubled pawns on the e-file; from e4 it attacks White's bishop on d3 and White's knight on f3; black is ahead by 1 conventional material point after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · dxe4 Nxe4.

  17. 9.Nxe4 Recapture on e4

    Board fact: White's knight recaptures the pawn on e4; from e4 it attacks Black's bishop on d6 and Black's knight on f6; material is level after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nxe4 Nxe4 Bxe4 c5.

  18. 9...Nxe4 Recapture on e4

    Board fact: Black's knight recaptures the knight on e4; from e4 it attacks White's pawn on f2; black is ahead by 3 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nxe4 Bxe4 Re8 Bg5.

  19. 10.Bxe4 Recapture on e4

    Board fact: White's bishop recaptures the knight on e4; from e4 it attacks Black's pawn on c6 and Black's pawn on h7; material is level after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bxe4 e5 dxe5 Nxe5.

  20. 10...Nf6 Create pressure on e4

    Board fact: Black moves the knight from d7 to f6; from f6 it attacks White's bishop on e4.

    Fixed engine check: Playable; e5 ranked higher · Nf6 Bc2.

Middlegame · 11.Bc2 to 20.Nxf7+

  1. 11.Bc2 Create pressure on h7

    Board fact: White moves the bishop from e4 to c2; from c2 it attacks Black's pawn on h7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bc2 c5 Qd3 cxd4.

  2. 11...h6 Advance the h-pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from h7 to h6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · h6 b3 c5 Bb2.

  3. 12.b3 Advance the b-pawn

    Board fact: White moves the pawn from b2 to b3; from there it controls c4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · b3 c5.

  4. 12...b6 Advance the b-pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from b7 to b6; from there it controls c5.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · b6 Qd3.

  5. 13.Bb2 Develop the bishop

    Board fact: White develops the bishop from c1 to b2; from there it controls d4 and c3.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bb2 c5.

  6. 13...Bb7 Develop the bishop

    Board fact: Black develops the bishop from c8 to b7; from there it controls c6.

    Fixed engine check: Near the leading choice · Bb7 Qd3 Qc7 Rfe1.

  7. 14.Qd3 Reposition the queen

    Board fact: White moves the queen from d1 to d3; from there it controls d4, e4 and c3.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Qd3 Qc7 c5 Be7.

    Moves 14-15 — building the attack14.Qd3 points at h7 and 15.Rae1 brings the a-rook to the e-file. Black's ...h6 and ...g6 have created targets but also given the king an escape square on g7.
  8. 14...g6 Advance the g-pawn

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from g7 to g6; from there it controls f5.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; Re8 ranked higher · g6 Rae1 Nh5 Ne5.

  9. 15.Rae1 Rook on the semi-open e-file

    Board fact: White moves the rook from a1 to e1; the rook now works on a semi-open e-file; from e1 it attacks Black's pawn on e6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Rae1 Nh5 Ne5 Qf6.

  10. 15...Nh5 Reroute the knight

    Board fact: Black moves the knight from f6 to h5; from there it controls f4 and f6.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nh5 Ne5 Ng7 f4.

  11. 16.Bc1 Create pressure on h6

    Board fact: White moves the bishop from b2 to c1; from c1 it attacks Black's pawn on h6.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; Qe3 ranked higher · Bc1 Qf6.

  12. 16...Kg7 Reposition the king

    Board fact: Black moves the king from g8 to g7; from there it controls f6.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; Qf6 ranked higher · Kg7 Rxe6 Nf6 Ne5.

  13. 17.Rxe6 Exchange on e6

    Board fact: White's rook takes the pawn on e6; the rook now occupies the open e-file; from e6 it attacks Black's bishop on d6 and Black's pawn on g6; white is ahead by 1 conventional material point after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Rxe6 Nf6 Ne5 Bxe5.

    Move 17 — Rxe6, the rook offer17.Rxe6 takes the e6-pawn and offers the rook to Black's f-pawn. Black declines with 17...Nf6, but White has removed a central defender and kept the rook near the king.
  14. 17...Nf6 Improve the knight

    Board fact: Black moves the knight from h5 to f6; from there it controls d5 and e4.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nf6 Ne5 Bxe5 Rxe5.

  15. 18.Ne5 Create pressure on c6

    Board fact: White moves the knight from f3 to e5; from e5 it attacks Black's pawn on c6 and Black's pawn on f7.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Ne5 Bxe5 Rxe5 Re8.

  16. 18...c5 Change the pawn structure

    Board fact: Black moves the pawn from c6 to c5; the move changes the central pawn contact; from c5 it attacks White's pawn on d4.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; Bxe5 ranked higher · c5 Bxh6+.

  17. 19.Bxh6+ Capture with check on h6

    Board fact: White's bishop takes the pawn on h6; the move checks Black's king; white is ahead by 2 conventional material points after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Bxh6+ Kh8 Bxf8 Bxe5.

    Move 19 — Bxh6+, the bishop sacrifice19.Bxh6+ Kxh6 is the sacrifice Black does accept. It draws the king to h6, a square attacked by a knight arriving on f7.
  18. 19...Kxh6 Recapture on h6

    Board fact: Black's king recaptures the bishop on h6; from h6 it reinforces the pawn on g6; black is ahead by 1 conventional material point after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Recorded move; Kh7 ranked higher · Kxh6 Nxf7+ Kh5 Qh3#.

  19. 20.Nxf7+ Capture with check on f7

    Board fact: White's knight takes the pawn on f7; the move checks Black's king; from f7 it attacks Black's queen on d8 and Black's bishop on d6; material is level after the capture.

    Fixed engine check: Ranked first · Nxf7+ Kh5 Qh3#.

    Move 20 — Nxf7+, the royal fork20.Nxf7+ forks the king on h6 and the queen on d8. The check must be answered before White takes the queen; the stored score ends here.

PGN

[Event "New York"] [Site "?"] [Date "1910.??.??"] [White "Capablanca, Jose Raul"] [Black "Jaffe, Charles"] [Result "1-0"] 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. e3 c6 4. c4 e6 5. Nc3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. e4 dxe4 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Bxe4 Nf6 11. Bc2 h6 12. b3 b6 13. Bb2 Bb7 14. Qd3 g6 15. Rae1 Nh5 16. Bc1 Kg7 17. Rxe6 Nf6 18. Ne5 c5 19. Bxh6+ Kxh6 20. Nxf7+ 1-0

Sources and checking

Score source: Chess Database, version 1 by Ana Schaigorodsky (2016), licensed under CC BY 4.0. LibreChess selected the exact score identified by sha256:e9abecd3fcce2d8f7579d995625c7b4d5d57732b5df44c5d4d80b3208e008a15 and pins it in the selection manifest.
Exact Figshare tags:
White="Capablanca, Jose Raul"; Black="Jaffe, Charles"; Event="New York"; Date="1910.??.??"; Result="1-0". LibreChess parsed the main line with chess.js and stores normalised SAN. Source comments, side variations and termination detail were not retained.

LibreChess checks every SAN move with chess.js and compares the result and move sequence with a stored reference. The engine comparison was calculated offline from the fixed settings above; it is not a source for historical claims or a substitute for the authored notes. No termination is inferred where the imported score does not preserve one.

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