FoxyChess › Grandmasters › José Raúl Capablanca

José Raúl Capablanca

1900s – 1930sWorld Champion 1921 – 1927Peak rating Pre-FIDE240 games

The third World Champion, celebrated for exceptional endgame technique, natural positional judgement and remarkably clear, economical play.

How Capablanca plays

Capablanca made chess look simple. He played natural, economical moves, rarely calculated long variations, and almost never lost: from 1916 to 1924 he went eight years without a defeat. His endgame play and his feel for which pieces to exchange are still the model every player is taught.

What to learn from Capablanca

Capablanca's games are the best place to learn technique: simplify when you are ahead, improve your pieces when nothing is happening, and keep your king safe. Play through his endings and try to guess each move.

A game to play through

Capablanca,J vs Marshall,F - New York 1918 1-0 — the final position. Capablanca vs Marshall, New York 1918: Marshall unveiled his prepared gambit, the Marshall Attack, and Capablanca calmly defended it over the board and won.

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 Nf6 12.Re1 Bd6 13.h3 Ng4 14.Qf3 Qh4 15.d4 Nxf2 16.Re2 Bg4 17.hxg4 Bh2+ 18.Kf1 Bg3 19.Rxf2 Qh1+ 20.Ke2 Bxf2 21.Bd2 Bh4 22.Qh3 Rae8+ 23.Kd3 Qf1+ 24.Kc2 Bf2 25.Qf3 Qg1 26.Bd5 c5 27.dxc5 Bxc5 28.b4 Bd6 29.a4 a5 30.axb5 axb4 31.Ra6 bxc3 32.Nxc3 Bb4 33.b6 Bxc3 34.Bxc3 h6 35.b7 Re3 36.Bxf7+ Rxf7 37.b8=Q+ Kh7 38.Rxh6+

José Raúl Capablanca games on FoxyChess

Watch each game move by move, or play the winner's moves yourself and see how close you get.

• Nimzowitsch, Aaron vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - San Sebastian 1911 0-1
• Nimzowitsch, Aaron vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - St Petersburg prel 1914 0-1
• Nimzowitsch, Aaron vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - New York 1927 0-1
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Nimzowitsch, Aaron - New York 1927 Draw
• Nimzowitsch, Aaron vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - New York 1927 0-1
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Nimzowitsch, Aaron - New York 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Nimzowitsch, Aaron - Bad Kissingen 1928 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Nimzowitsch, Aaron - Berlin Tageblatt 1928 Draw
• Nimzowitsch, Aaron vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - Berlin Tageblatt 1928 Draw
• Nimzowitsch, Aaron vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - Karlsbad 1929 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 0-1
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 1-0
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 1-0
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 0-1
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 1-0
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 0-1
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw
• Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Alekhine, Alexander - World Championship 13th 1927 1-0
• Alekhine, Alexander vs Capablanca, Jose Raul - World Championship 13th 1927 Draw

…and 200 more inside FoxyChess.

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