[Event "Capablanca - Marshall"]
[Site "New York, NY USA"]
[Date "1909.06.23"]
[Round "23"]
[White "Frank James Marshall"]
[Black "Jose Raul Capablanca"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "D33"]
[Opening "Tarrasch Defense: Rubinstein System"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ I will leave this endgame study with another practical endgame example.

PRO TIP: Play on the side of the board where you have an advantage. This usually means the side of the board where you have a pawn majority relative to your opponent, or the side of the board where you have more space.

Here is another famous example from Capablanca. Skip to move 26 to see the endgame. } 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Be6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O Nf6 9. Bg5 Ne4 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. Ne5 $6 ( 11. dxc5 Nxc3 ( 11... Qxc5 12. Rc1 $16 ) 12. bxc3 Qxc5 13. Ng5 $1 $16 ) 11... Nxd4 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. e3 Nf3+ 14. Nxf3 exf3 15. Qxf3 O-O 16. Rfc1 Rab8 17. Qe4 Qc7 18. Rc3 b5 19. a3 c4 20. Bf3 Rfd8 21. Rd1 Rxd1+ 22. Bxd1 Rd8 23. Bf3 g6 24. Qc6 Qe5 25. Qe4 Qxe4 26. Bxe4 Rd1+ $1 { Black activates the black rook on the 8th rank, limiting the white rook to only 3 squares: c3, c2, and e2. } 27. Kg2 a5 $1 { Black has more pawns on the queenside, far away from the white king. Therefore, Capablanca pushes his queenside majority in the hopes of creating a queen. } 28. Rc2 b4 $1 ( 28... a4 $4 { With the queenside majority now firmly blockaded, this simple pawn move would have lost all of black's advantage. } 29. Kf3 $10 ) 29. axb4 axb4 { The potential passed c or b pawn is already on the 5th rank and is very close to becoming a queen. } 30. Bf3 Rb1 { Keeping the white rook tied down to the b pawn ensures white cannot get play actively. } 31. Be2 b3 $3 { At first this move seems counter-intuitive. Doesn't it fix the c4 pawn as a backwards pawn? Yes, but also no. If the pawns must stay fixed as they are, then this would be a terrible move for black. However, Capablanca saw a small tactic that ensures the queenside majority will keep pushing: } 32. Rd2 ( 32. Rc3 $2 { Blockading the c pawn loses the b pawn. Black is queening next. } 32... Rxb2 $19 ) 32... Rc1 $1 { With this move, Capablanca was sure he could successfully play c3. The threat is Rc2 which would instantly win the game. } 33. Bd1 { Marshall desperately tries to stop Rc2, but with his pieces so passive, and black's queenside majority so far advanced, black must be winning. Capablanca immediately pushes through. } ( 33. Kf3 $4 Rc2 { [%cal Gc2b2,Gc2d2] } 34. Rxc2 ( 34. Rd4 c3 35. bxc3 b2 36. Rb4 Ba2 $19 { A sample line that shows black's pawn pushing through. [%cal Gb2b1] } ) 34... bxc2 $19 { c1=Q is unstoppable. [%cal Gc2c1] } ) 33... c3 $1 { [%cal Gc3c2] } 34. bxc3 b2 $1 { Black deflects the rook from defense of the d1 bishop, effectively winning the game. [%cal Gb2b1] } 35. Rxb2 ( 35. Bc2 $4 Rxc2 $1 36. Rxc2 b1=Q $19 ) 35... Rxd1 { The smoke has cleared, and black's queenside majority has left him a piece up. As long as white's passed c pawn stays under control, this should be an easy conversion. } 36. Rc2 Bf5 37. Rb2 Rc1 { PRO TIP: Rooks belong behind passed pawns. Whether you're pushing through your own passed pawns or stopping your opponents', it's almost always correct to place your rook directly behind the passed pawn in order to escort it forward or stop its progress. } 38. Rb3 Be4+ 39. Kh3 ( 39. f3 $2 Rc2+ 40. Kg1 Bxf3 $19 ) 39... Rc2 40. f4 h5 $1 { Capablanca shows his understanding of pawn majorities. Notice how the kingside majority is fully blockaded on the light squares. } 41. g4 $2 { Desperate, but Marshall was in Zugzwang. Every move loses a pawn immediately. } ( 41. Ra3 $2 Bf5+ 42. Kh4 Rxh2+ $19 ) ( 41. Kh4 $2 Rxh2+ $19 ) ( 41. Rb1 $2 Rxc3 $19 ) 41... hxg4+ 42. Kxg4 Rxh2 43. Rb4 f5+ 44. Kg3 ( 44. Kg5 $4 Kg7 $1 $19 { The trap that Capablanca set. Rh5# is unstoppable. } ) 44... Re2 45. Rc4 Rxe3+ 46. Kh4 Kg7 47. Rc7+ Kf6 $1 { Capablanca always brings his king up in the endgame, even while up a piece. [%cal Re4c6] } 48. Rd7 Bg2 { Rh3# is effectively unstoppable } 49. Rd6+ Kg7 $19 { 0-1 White resigns. Marshall resigned rather than allow Rh3+ Kg5 Rh5# or the more direct Rh3#, depending where black's king is. } 50. Rd7+ Kh6 51. Rd6 Rh3# 0-1