Thanks to the power of the former's writings, this is often thought of as a clash between the old school, represented by Tarrasch, and the hypermoderns, represented by Nimzowtisch, and there is a lot of truth in this.
Their lifetime score favoured Nimzowitsch by the fairly convincing margin of +5=5-2, although it should be noted Tarrasch had white in just four of the 12 games.
Interestingly, both Tarrasch's wins came with the black pieces, including this excellent endgame performance at San Sebastian 1911.
Notes in italics are algebraicised from 500 Master Games Of Chess by Tartakower and du Mont.
Aron Nimzowitsch - Siegbert Tarrasch
Scotch Game
The following game, which very soon enters upon the endgame phase, skipping, so to speak, the middlegame, is impressive in its almost geometric character, reserving to the very end, in a king-and-pawn ending, a most thrilling surprise.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6
The modern defence, which tends to avoid fluctuation and thereby the pitfalls of the opening.
I am not sure what to make of this comment (the book was originally published in 1952 by G Bell & Sons - I have the 1975 Dover reprint), but I do not believe that people today play 4...Nf6 to avoid opening complications.
5.Nxc6
An impatient continuation, instead of 5.Nc3 with greater expectations. An amusing draw occurs after 5.e5 Nxe5 6. Qe2 Qe7 7.Ne5 Qe6 (or 7...Qb4+) 8.Nd4 Qe7 etc.
The text is today the main continuation, while the pawn-sac line given by Tartakower is considered dubious (because of 7...Qb4+).
5...bxc6 6.Bd3
Logical play. If 6.Nd2, 6...Bc5 seeking to assume the initiative.
Today's mainline runs 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 Ba6 9.b3 g6, with a position that occurs more than 1,000 times in ChessBase's 2019 Mega database.
6...d5
More straightforward than 6...d6.
7.exd5
If 7.Nd2, 7...Bc5, and if 7.e5, 7...Ng4.
7...cxd5 8.0-0
The tension would be relieved after 8.Bb5+ Bd7 9.Bxd7+ Qxd7 10.0-0 Be7 etc.
8...Be7 9.c4
White tries, in too dogmatic a fashion, to reduce the number of pawns. 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Bg5 c6 etc would lead to equality.
Armand Blackmar, of Blackmar-Diemer Gambit-fame, twice played 9.Bf4 at an 1891 New York state tournament.
9...0-0
Of doubtful value would be 9...d4 10.b4. In spite of its energetic appearance, White's last move only enable(s) all the hostile minor pieces to get into action.
10.cxd5 Nxd5 11.Be4 Be6 12.Nc3
Trying to speed up his backward development, but his pawns lose contact with each other.
12...Nxc3 13.bxc3 Qxd1 14.Rxd1 Rad8
Now it is Black who, with good reasons, seeks exchanges.
15.Be3
Hrvoje Stevic (2512) - Alexander Beliavsky (2650), 2002 Slovakian Championship, saw 15.Bf4, with a draw in 24 moves.
15...c5 16.Bf3
More to the point would be 16.h3, but he tries to make things complicated for his opponent.
16...Rxd1+ 17.Rxd1 Rb8
Occupying a more favourable file than that occupied by White's rook. If 17...Bxa2, 18.Rd7, easily recovering his pawn (not 18.Ra1 Rb8 19.Be4 Rb2 etc).
18.h3 Rb2 19.Bd5
The first attempt to save the loss of a pawn.
19...Bxd5 20.Rxd5 Rxa2 21.c4
The first disillusionment. If 21.Bxc5, 21...Ra5 and wins.
21...Ra1+ 22.Kh2 Ra5
Clearly not 22...Ra2, as White could play 23.Bxc5.
23.f4
With one pawn less, White cannot afford to remain inactive.
The analysis engines Komodo9 and Stockfish10 reckon White should start centralising his king with 23.Kg3.
23...f6 24.Kg3 Kf7 25.Kf3 a6 26.h4 Ra4
Having secured his weak points (the bishop by the king's proximity and the a pawn by moving it), Black can go on simplifying.
27.Bxc5 Rxc4 28.Bxe7 Kxe7
A rook-ending is now reached, which at first sight promises a drawn result, but some rare finessing is yet to enliven the game.
29.Rh5 h6 30.Ra5 Rc6 31.Kg4 Rb6
Now if 32.Kf5, 32...Rb5+ wins - a far more convincing way to prevent the white king getting into the game than 31...g6, which allows liquidation by 32.h5.
32.f5 Kf7 33.Kh5
Barring a miracle, White thinks himself safe, but the miracle occurs.
33...g6+
Accurately thought out. The result hangs by a thread.
The engines prefer 33...Rb5 34.Rxa6 Rxf5+ 35.Kg4 Kg6, but, with pawns on only one flank, White must have good drawing chances.
34.Kxh6
Or 34.fxg6+ Kg7 35.Ra2 Rb5+ 36.Kg4 h5+ 37.Kf3 a5, followed by ...Kxg6, and Black's advantage is definite.
The engines reckon Black only has a slight edge after the continuation 38.g4 hxg4+ 39.Kxg4 Kxg6. Earlier in this line, they assess 35.Kg4 Kxg6 36.Kf4 as dead equal, and it is indeed hard to see how Black makes progress. But it seems Nimzowitsch's choice should also draw.
34...gxf5 35.Rxf5 Rb8
The point being to force the exchange of rooks after 36.Kh5, as in the (game), or also after 36.Kh7.
Despite Tartakower's comment, White is not lost.
 |
| White to play and draw |
*****
*****
*****
*****
36.Kh5?
This loses, although it takes beautiful play by Tarrasch to prove it. The engines show White draws with 36.Kh7, as it turns out in this case the exchange of rooks is not decisive, viz 36...Rb5 37.Rxb5 axb5 38.g4 (the point is that White will queen as well as Black) b4 39.g5 fxg5 40.hxg5 b3 41.g6+ Kf6 42.g7 b2 43.g8=Q b1=Q+ 44.Kh8 (the only move, but it draws).
36...Rb5 37.Kg4
Trying to get into the "square."
37...Rxf5 38.Kxf5 a5 39.Ke4
 |
| Black to play and win |
*****
*****
*****
*****
39...f5+! 0-1
A beautiful final point.
This must have been what Nimzowitsch missed at move 36. White cannot capture the f pawn as his king would no longer be able to stop Black's a pawn, and after 40.Kd3, Black plays 40...f4!, preventing White's g pawn from protecting the h pawn. Black's king then has enough time to capture both of White's pawns before White's king can capture the a pawn and get back to the kingside. A "miracle" indeed.
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