Annotated chess game: Marshall - Capablanca...No not that one!

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ANNOTATED GAME

Marshall - Capablanca...No not that one!
Frank Marshall vs. Jose Capablanca
Annotated by: teardrop34 (2197)

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In my studying of the greatest players of our time, a fraction of games stand out to the crowds as spectacular, and many others are thrown in a vault somewhere just sitting there begging to be studied. So how about a look back at a famous one between a couple of greats: Frank Marshall and Jose Capablanca? Both notable grandmasters, Capablanca a world champion player, these 2 put one an amazing 1918 match in New York, USA. Let's have a gaze into that game shall we? ...Nah this annotation is about their earlier encounter: New York 1909. It's a classic gem in itself: the innovator of the Marshall gambit uses a interesting pawn sac to dissect black's queen side.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 Ne4	A freeing maneuver designed to exchange.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 28-Mar-17: J. R. Capablanca had a great deal of success over Frank Marshall, yet had a lot of respect for him. If he had one criticism to make, it was Marshall's preference for knights over bishops. Almost in the same breath, though, he remarked upon Marshall's strength in the end game. Coming from the end game maestro himself, that was very high praise indeed. (See 'Last Lectures') charleshiggie (2197) on 05-Apr-17: This is the QGD (D53), Lasker variation. Black tries to free the position by exchanging minor pieces.


6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Bd3	Marshall did not fear doubled pawns. He looked on the bright side. There's a ½ open file to attack with.
	3 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 28-Mar-17: Good man. The impression I have formed of Marshall is that he was a very uncompromising sort of player. That was his strength. It was also his weakness. One of my favourites. kenneth_fiore_3 (2113) on 28-Mar-17: Marshall, himself, criticized this move in his notes to this game, calling it not the most exact. He preferred 7.cxd5 with which he won a nice game against Geza Maroczy. charleshiggie (2197) on 05-Apr-17: Besides white's doubled pawns can easily be undoubled by simply exchanging on d5.


7... Nxc3 8. bxc3 Nd7 9. Nf3 O-O 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Qb3	The Queen settles on the ½ open file. Marshall is going to attack full force towards the Queenside.



11... Nf6 12. a4	A foot soldier advances to weaken the enemy camp.



12... c5 13. Qa3	Marshall give this move pinning the c-pawn a ! Not going to argue.



13... b6	The weakness the White Queenside attack needed. Send that foot soldier further into no man's land.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 28-Mar-17: Would 13...Bg4 be any sort of improvement? Of course Capablanca might have been in a 'bring it on' mood... charleshiggie (2197) on 05-Apr-17: If 13...Bg4 then 14. Ne5 looks good...


14. a5 Bb7 15. O-O Qc7	Breaks the pin on the c5 pawn.



16. Rfb1	The forces slide across to the Queenside. It is where the game will be decided.



16... Nd7	This is the mistake from which Black never really recovers. Capablanca said he missed White's next move.
	2 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 28-Mar-17: I guess 16...c5 is anti-positional, though it seems to narrow White's options; but how about 16...Ne4, instead? kenneth_fiore_3 (2113) on 28-Mar-17: 16...Rfb8 was considered best


17. Bf5	The c5 pawn is in trouble. If 17....c4 18.Qe7 pinning the d7 Knight to an undefended Queen on c7. Nf3-e5 is coming with hits on d7 and f7.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 28-Mar-17: White certainly has the initiative now.


17... Rfc8 18. Bxd7 Qxd7 19. a6 Bc6 20. dxc5 bxc5 21. Qxc5	White is a pawn up. Black has no good discovered attack on the White Queen.
	1 comment kenneth_fiore_3 (2113) on 28-Mar-17: 17..Nf6 is the try here according to Marshall.


21... Rab8	Black bases his defense on an intriguing trap.



22. Rxb8 Rxb8 23. Ne5	Looking grim Capablanca. Time to resign?



23... Qf5	No! 24.Qxc6 or 24.Nxc6 meets 24...Qb8+ and mate.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 28-Mar-17: I found this after noticing that but for the White a-pawn, ...Qb7 would have been feasible.


24. f4	Holding the Knight and creating luft for the White King.



24... Rb6	This is Capablanca's trap; can White play Nxc6? Question posed to the audience.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 28-Mar-17: 25.Nxc6 Rb1ch draws. But... hasn't the mighty Capa overlooked something...?


25. Qxb6	Black resigned. After 25... axb6 26. Nxc6, the threats of a6-a7-a8=Q+ and Ne7+ winning the Queen are too much even for the great Capablanca.
	3 comments archduke_piccolo (2355) on 28-Mar-17: Great to see one of Marshall's rare wins over the mighty Capablanca. kenneth_fiore_3 (2113) on 28-Mar-17: Marshall was a fine player and US champ for quite a while, but this game was Marshall's only win in the 1909 match, won by the future world champ, Capa, by a score of 15-8 charleshiggie (2197) on 05-Apr-17: If I remember rightly Capa only lost 35 serious matches - this must have been one of them.