Alexander Alekhine defeated Stepan Levitsky in the second game of their match at St. Petersburg, achieving victory in a struggle lasting 28 moves. Alekhine, who likewise prevailed in the first contest, now leads the race to seven wins by the score of 2-0.
Alekhine, playing White, chose the Bishop's Gambit, the same opening adopted by his opponent in their first encounter, with Levitsky on this occasion leaving the path of the earlier game at the third move, preferring 3...Nf6 to 3...d5. Alekhine's selection of the rare 5.Nge2 in place of the more usual 5.Nf3 prompted his opponent to set in motion a vigorous counter-attack via the sacrifice of two pawns, a stratagem whose correctness will surely be subject to much analytical examination. In the present contest, White successfully warded off Black's early aggression and soon seized the initiative himself, breaking through Black's defenses with the sacrifice of a Knight at his 18th turn, and forcing resignation 10 moves later. The reader will find several attractive variations in the notes to the game, which have been graciously supplied by the winner:
The third game is scheduled for today.
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