Annotated chess game: Split Decision

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ANNOTATED GAME

Split Decision
J. R. Capablanca vs. Frank Marshall
Annotated by: last_archimedean

(1564)
Chess opening: Petrov (C42), Cozio (Lasker) attack

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Another Capa-Marshall game, this one with Capa on the winning side. Capa himself only annotated about the first third of the game, so I had to do the rest by myself. I will put (JC) for a Capa annotation and (LA) for one of my own.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6	(LA) This was in the exact center of the 10 year stretch where when Marshall had the Black pieces and Capa opened with P - K 4 as White, Marshall would always play the Petroff Defense to avoid the Ruy Lopez. We now know that he was working on and exhaustively researching the Marshall Attack for Black in the Ruy, which he would unleash against Capa for the first time five years after this game.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: Personally, I've never liked the Petroff. A while back I played in a Mini-T with the Petroff the theme opening. I scored 100% with the White pieces: 4 wins out of four. I also scored 100% with the Black: 4 draws...


3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. d3 Nf6 7. Bg5	(JC) Played by Morphy, and a very fine move.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: 7.Nc3 is a good alternative, too.


7... Be6	(JC) Marshall thought at this time that this was the best move, and thus played it instead of ... Q x Q ch.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: Seems that Capa thought different.


8. Nc3 h6 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. d4 Be7 11. Qb5+ Nd7 12. Bd3	(JC) It is now time to examine the results of the opening. White's position is free from danger and his pieces can easily maneuver. On Black's side we find his pieces bunched together too much and the Queen in danger of being attacked without having any good square to go to. Consequently we must conclude that the opening is greatly in White's favor.



12... g5	(JC) To make room for his Queen.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: Aggressive - but strategically compromising if and when White takes on b7.


13. h3 O-O	(JC) Black gives up a Pawn in an attempt to free his game and seize the initiative.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: 'A pawn's a pawn for a' tha'. Black hasn't much - if anything at all - for its loss.


14. Qxb7 Rab8 15. Qe4 Qg7 16. b3 c5	(JC) In order to break up White's center and lay the foundation for a violent attack against White's King.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: One senses that Capablanca is paying his opponent a great deal of respect - playing with an excess of caution. Instead of 15.Qe4, 15.Qxc7 was playable: 15...Rxb2 16.0-0, and what is to be done about the pawn on a7?


17. O-O cxd4 18. Nd5	(JC) A simple move, which destroys Black's plan. Black will now have no concerted action of his pieces, and as his Pawns are all weak, he will sooner or later lose them.



18... Bd8 19. Bc4 Nc5 20. Qxd4 Qxd4	(JC) The fact that he has to exchange Queens when he is a Pawn behind shows that Black's game is lost.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: 19...Nc5 must have been desperation already, as White simply picks up a pawn, and the queens come off. Black might instead have kept 'in touch' with 19...Rc8 20.Nxd4 Bxd5 21.Bxd5 Nf6, when at least the queens would have remained on the board. After 19...Rc8 20.Qxd4(?) Nf6, the threat of ...Nxd5 would have brought Black back into the game. Even after 19....Nc5 20.Qxd4, Black ought probably to have kept the queens on: 20...Qh7.


21. Nxd4 Bxd5 22. Bxd5 Bf6 23. Rad1 Bxd4	(JC) The Knight was too threatening. But now the ending brought about is one where the Bishop is stronger than the Knight, which makes Black's plight a desperate one. The game has no further interest, and it is only because of its value as a study of this variation of the Petroff that I have included it [in my book].
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: But all these exchanges go to leaving Black a losing game. He's left a pawn down, a compromised structure, and the knight facing a bishop on a fairly open board. Capa once remarked upon Frank Marshall's considerable endgame skill, but with the rider: Marshall was overfond of his knights. In this game, Black hasn't a prayer.


24. Rxd4 Kg7 25. Bc4 Rb6 26. Re1	(LA) I disagree with Capa. I think there is great interest in seeing how to convert a winning position into an actual win. Here, White seizes the open file.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: Fair comment, LA. But already White owns the centre, his pieces the more active.


26... Kf6 27. f4 Ne6 28. fxg5+ hxg5 29. Rf1+ Ke7 30. Rg4	(LA) White now forces Black to use a heavy piece to defend a Pawn.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: Much stronger would have been 30.Re4, with dire threats down the e- and f- files. The immediate threat would have been 31.Bxe6, but after 30...Rc6, then 31.Rfe1 would have been certain to have picked up a pawn on the d- or e-file (after Bxe6). Now Black could have counter-attacked with 30...f5 - with at least the ghost of some counter-play.


30... Rg8 31. Rf5 Rc6 32. h4 Rgc8 33. hxg5 Rc6c5 34. Bxe6	(LA) Now that he is two pawns ahead, White neatly simplifies the position.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: No shilly-shallying about!


34... fxe6 35. Rxc5 Rxc5 36. g6	(LA) "Passed Pawns must be pushed."
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: Going for the throat. Black hasn't the time for ...Rxc2.


36... Kf8 37. Rc4 Ra5 38. a4 Kg7 39. Rc6 Rd5 40. Rc7+ Kxg6 41. Rxa7	(LA) White now has two passed Pawns, one on each side of the board.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: Black has a passer, too, but in the centre of the board where it may easily be intercepted.


41... Rd1+ 42. Kh2 d5 43. a5 Rc1 44. Rc7 Ra1 45. b4	(LA) Black's Rook has no targets.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: Dashing hither and yon, Black's rook is simply overwhelmed.


45... Ra4 46. c3 d4 47. Rc6 dxc3 48. Rxc3 Rxb4 49. Ra3 Rb7 50. a6 Ra7	(LA) Blockading.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: White had several winning ways to go. His method is certainly the most obvious and clearest: nailing down the Black rook. Guess where the White King is headed... b6


51. Ra5 Kf6 52. g4 Ke7 53. Kg3 Kd6 54. Kf4 Kc7 55. Ke5	(LA) Tying down Black's King.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: The e-pawn is a goner anyhow.


55... Kd7 56. g5 Ke7 57. g6 Kf8 58. Kxe6 Ke8 59. g7	(LA) Forcing away Black's Rook.



59... Rxg7 60. a7 Rg6+ 61. Kf5	(LA) Black resigns, as the Pawn is unstoppable.
	1 comment archduke_piccolo (2355) on 17-Nov-25: Not a game that Capa needed unduly to exert himself. Marshall liked to play on even in the most hopeless positions, but he must have known he was busted the when he decided to swap queens.