The Match With Marshall, Chapter IV, My Chess Career, Part X
The Twenty-Third and Last Game of the Match
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It is time for another game from my republication of Capablanca’s My Chess Career. If you have missed the first 9 games here is the index.
Games in the series
Game 10 is the last game from the match against Frank Marshall in 1909. After a lot of decisive games at the beginning of the match, Capablanca only needed one win, but after 9 straight draws, the match was still going. This made some speculate if the match would ever end! But as we will see game number 23 was the nail in the coffin.
GAME No. 10
The Twenty-Third and Last 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 c5
Before this game was played Rubinstein and Mieses had engaged in a series of games which were shown to me by some of my friends desirous of knowing my opinion with respect to them. I liked Mieses' ninth move, Ne4, and decided to play it against Marshall, who I hoped had not seen the games, Such was the case, and I was able to wind up the match with one of the most accurate games I have ever played.
4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Be6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O Nf6 9. Bg5
Not good. dxc5 is the correct continuation.
9... Ne4
A very good reply which frees Black’s game.
10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. Ne5
Of course, if 11... cxd4 12. Nxc6 with an excellent game.
11... Nxd4 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. e3
Naturally, if 13. Bxe4 Bh3.
13... Nf3+ 14. Nxf3
Better would have been 14. Bxf3 exf3 15. Qa4+. I had the intention at the time to play Kf1 against this check and not Bd7, which would have simplified the game, taking away all chances of winning.
14... exf3 15. Qxf3 O-O
Black has the better game, since White cannot play QXP because of 16. Qxb7 Qxb7 17. Bxb7 Rab8 followed by Rxb2; holding all the lines and having a free Pawn to boot, which should win.
16. Rfc1
He should have advanced his King side Pawns at once to counterbalance the advance of Black on the Queen’s side. White’s inactivity on his stronger wing took away all the chances he had of drawing the game.
16... Rab8 17. Qe4 Qc7
To avoid the exchange of Bishops, the more so, as mine was better posted than his.
18. Rc3 b5 19. a3 c4 20. Bf3 Rfd8 21. Rd1 Rxd1+ 22. Bxd1 Rd8
Commenting on this game, Dr. Emmanuel Lasker, the World’s Champion, says: “Black has now full command of the board. His play is an example of how slight advantages should be utilized". No better compliment is required. 23. Bf3 g6 24. Qc6 Qe5
I could not yet exchange Queens because my Knight’s pawn would be attacked.
25. Qe4 Qxe4 26. Bxe4 Rd1+
Very important. Black must stop the approach of the White King by means of Bc2 followed by Kf1, etc.
27. Kg2 a5 28. Rc2 b4 29. axb4 axb4 30. Bf3 Rb1 31. Be2 b3 32. Rd2
Of course, if 32. Rc3 Rxb2 33. Bxc4 Rc2; winning a piece and the game.
32... Rc1 33. Bd1 c3 34. bxc3 b2 35. Rxb2 Rxd1 36. Rc2 Bf5 37. Rb2 Rc1 38. Rb3 Be4+ 39. Kh3 Rc2 40. f4 h5
Threatening Bf5+, followed by Rxh2+, and Kg7. As White’s only defence must lose a Pawn his game becomes hopeless. He could well have resigned at this point. The rest requires no further comment.
41. g4 hxg4+ 42. Kxg4 Rxh2 43. Rb4 f5+ 44. Kg3 Re2 45. Rc4 Rxe3+ 46. Kh4 Kg7 47. Rc7+ Kf6 48. Rd7 Bg2 49. Rd6+ Kg7
Resigns.
Shortly after the conclusion of the match I returned home. I had been away five consecutive years and had nearly forgotten Spanish — my mother tongue. In the winter of the same year, 1909-1910, I made my second tour of the U. S.
In the summer of 1910, I was invited to take part in the International Tournament at Hamburg. I accepted the invitation, and was ready to start when my physical condition prevented my making the voyage to enter such a strenuous contest. Many comments were made at the time with respect to my withdrawal at the last hour, some of the masters making the silly remark that I had simply been scared away by the strong entry of the tournament. The real reason was, as I have already stated, that I was not in condition to stand such a strain. That I was not afraid, and had no reason to be, I soon proved to the satisfaction of all, when the following year I won the first prize in the strongest tournament that has ever been held: the first San Sebastian tournament.
Before going any further I will narrate an incident which proves that my good sense was not impaired by my surprising victory over Marshall. Soon after the match some of my new admirers talked to me about arranging a match with Dr. Lasker for the championship of the world, and I told them that I would not consider it, for the simple reason that he was a much better player, and that I had to improve a great deal before I contemplated such a thing. In the winter of 1910-1911 I made another tour of the U. S. A tournament was arranged in New York, which I entered with the idea of practising for the coming tournament at San Sebastian. The New York tournament started in January. I rode on a train twenty-seven hours straight from Indianapolis, the last city of my tournee, to New York. I arrived at nine in the morning and had to start at eleven the same day, and play every day thereafter, I was so fatigued that I played badly during the first part of the contest. Half of it was over and I was yet in fifth place, though the only opponent of real calibre was Marshall. I finally began to play better, and by winning five consecutive games finished second to Marshall.
A few days later I started for Europe, where I was to surpass Pillsbury’s feat at Hastings in 1895.
If you are wondering how long a transatlantic crossing took back in the 1910s I have found a chart for the liner crossing times. So around 5 days for the voyage. Plus the additional travel time on land.
That was all for this episode.
/Martin