My Chess Career, The Match With Marshall, Chapter IV, part IX + Invisible Chess!
"This game is valuable because it shows my ability at the time to defend an extremely difficult position."
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I have taken a little break from the Capablanca project, where I republish and go through Capablanca’s book My Chess Career, but now the series is back!
But before we go to game 9 of the book I will make an announcement.
Next Monday you will receive the first installment in a series of guest posts with Blindfold Chess Training. A 10-week introductory program aimed at people who’ve never tried blindfold work before. It will be Jonathan or JB (@Berlin_Endgame on Twitter), who will write the posts. I’m excited about this little training program, so I hope you will join and test your blindfold skills! Should you not want to follow this new section just right-click in the top right corner and go to manage subscription and unclick the section Invisible Chess.
Now let us move to My Chess Career. If you want to catch up and read the first 8 newsletters in the series here is the index:
Games in the series
THE MATCH WITH MARSHALL, CHAPTER IV, My Chess Career, part IX
GAME No. 9.
The Eleventh Game of the Match.
F. J. Marshall vs. J. R. Capablanca, 0-1
Link to Lichess study
Year: 1909
Opening: Queen’s Gambit Declined
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 Ne4 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Bd3 Nxc3 8. bxc3 dxc4
This line of play which gives Black a freer game than he should obtain, could not occur had White on his seventh move played: dxc4, as in some of the previous games.
9. Bxc4 b6 10. Qf3 c6 11. Ne2 Bb7 12. O-O O-O 13. a4
Loss of time, since this Pawn cannot later be advanced.
13... c5 14. Qg3 Nc6 15. Nf4
In order to start an attack against the King’s side. The chances of success, however, are very slight, because there are not a sufficient number of pieces mobilised to accomplish the purpose.
15... Rac8 16. Ba2
The ultimate result of this move will be the loss of the Queen’s Rook Pawn.
16... Rfd8 17. Rfe1 Na5 18. Rad1 Bc6 19. Qg4
Threatening Nxe6. Had White played 19. d5, Black could safely reply: 19...Bxa4 20. dxe6 Bxd1 21. exf7+ Kh8; and there seems to be no way for White to recover the lost piece.1
19... c4 20. d5 Bxa4 21. Rd2 e5
As will be seen later on, the continuation adopted by Black is not satisfactory. The situation is such, however, that it is very difficult to point out the proper way to continue, perhaps simply exd5 would be the best.
22. Nh5 g6 23. d6
A very fine move. From now on the position is very difficult to handle properly.
23... Qe6 24. Qg5 Kh8
Not 24...Rxd6; because of 25. Rxd6 Qxd6. Qh6, winning the Queen.
25. Nf6 Rxd6 26. Rxd6 Qxd6 27. Bb1 Nc6 28. Bf5 Rd8 29. h4
White misses his chance here. Had he played Bd7, he would have had a chance to draw the game. Black’s best reply would have been Qf8.
29... Ne7 30. Ne4 Qc7 31. Qf6+ Kg8 32. Be6
This was Marshall’s sealed move. It is not good, but there was nothing better. 32... fxe6 33. Qxe6+ The alternative was Ng5, when Black would have played Nd5.
33... Kf8 34. Ng5 Ng8 35. f4 Re8
A mistake, which gives White some hope for a while. Be8 at once would have avoided all trouble.
36. fxe5 Re7
The only move.
37. Rf1+ Kg7 38. h5 Be8
This move completely checks the attack.
39. h6+ Kh8
Not 39...Kxh6 because of 40. Qg4.
40. Qd6 Qc5 41. Qd4 Rxe5
Better would have been Qxe5.
42. Qd7
More spectacular, but not as good as 42. Rf7, when Black would have continued with 42...Nxh6 43. Rf8+ Ng8 44. Rf7 Nf6 45. Rxf6 Qxd4 46. exd4 Rxg5 47. Rf8+ Kg7 48. Rxe8 Rg3 and wins.
42... Re7 43. Rf7 Bxd7 Resigns.
This game is valuable because it shows my ability at the time to defend an extremely difficult position.
This concludes this week's newsletter. A great defensive win by Capablanca. Remember that you can look at the variation in the study.
/Martin
19. d5 Bxa4 20. dxe6 Bxd1 21. exf7+ Kh8 Capablanca missed 22. Ng6+!! hxg6 23. f3