Bogoljubov vs Alekhine (1922)
- White
- Efim Bogoljubov
- Black
- Alexander Alekhine
- Event
- Hastings
- Year
- 1922
- Result
- 0–1
- Opening
- Dutch Defence (Nimzo-Dutch)
29. Rxa5
29.Rxa5 — White grabs a pawn and attacks the a8-rook. But Alekhine ignores it: the combination is about to begin.
Why this game matters
Hastings, 1922. In a game Alekhine himself rated among his finest, he sacrifices his queen and both rooks, then promotes a pawn to a new queen, sacrifices that one too, and pushes another — all in a single calculated stream. Bogoljubov resigned with a fourth queen about to appear.
The lesson
A passed pawn far from the king can be worth more than the heaviest pieces. Alekhine saw that his connected, advanced pawns and the entombed white queenside meant his three passed pawns would outweigh queen and rooks. He gave up everything because the pawns, counted to the end, simply won.
Move by move
4… Bb4+4...Bb4+ — a Nimzo-Dutch setup. Alekhine trades the dark bishop early and builds a flexible, hypermodern structure rather than rushing.
10. Qc310.Qc3 — White's queen sits on the long diagonal, but Alekhine is quietly preparing ...e5 and a kingside expansion with the queen swinging to h5.
17… e417...e4 — Alekhine locks the centre and claims the kingside, gaining space while White's pieces grow passive on the back ranks.
28… Nd328...Nd3! The knight lands on a dominant outpost deep in White's camp, and Black's a- and b-pawns are about to become a battering ram.
29. Rxa529.Rxa5 — White grabs a pawn and attacks the a8-rook. But Alekhine ignores it: the combination is about to begin.
29… b429...b4! The point. Alekhine ignores the attack on his rook — the b-pawn's advance is worth far more than the exchange.
30. Rxa830.Rxa8 bxc3 — Black has given up a rook and his queen is hanging, but the c-pawn is one step from queening with White's pieces tangled.
31. Rxe831.Rxe8 c2! The queen is gone too. The c-pawn cannot be stopped, and a brand-new black queen is about to appear.
33… c1=Q+33...c1=Q+ — the first new queen, with check. Alekhine has sacrificed his queen and a rook and is now ahead in firepower again.
38… Nf3+38...Nf3+! Another sacrifice to clear the way for the e- and f-pawns. The passed pawns roll forward unstoppably.
49… exf1=Q+49...exf1=Q+! A second promotion. After the smoke clears Black emerges into a winning king-and-pawn endgame.
53… d5+53...d5+ — Bogoljubov resigned. A fourth queen was coming. Alekhine called it one of his greatest games: everything sacrificed, the pawns counted to the end.
Frequently asked
How many queens did Alekhine sacrifice?
Across the combination Black gives up his original queen and both rooks, promotes a pawn to a new queen and sacrifices that one, promotes again, and was pushing yet another passed pawn toward a fourth queen when Bogoljubov resigned. It's often called the 'triple queen' or 'sacrificing the queens' game.
Why does giving up the queen and rooks work?
Alekhine's three connected passed pawns, supported by an active knight, were unstoppable, while White's queenside pieces were boxed in and couldn't help. Counted to the end, the pawns simply outweighed the heavy pieces.
Can I try the combination?
Yes — take the board as Alekhine at the critical moment and try to find ...b4 and the cascade of sacrifices, or replay the whole game, no sign-up.
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