[Event "New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bogoljubow,E"]
[Black "Maroczy,G"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Lopez "Battle Royale""]
[ECO "D30"]
[PlyCount "96"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 { Maroczy decides on the Slav Defense -- a variation of the Queen's Gambit. It has some features in common with the Caro-Kann Defense (1.e4 c6). } 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 { Maroczy had to think a bit before playing this. His d-pawn is well-supported, but his c8-Bishop is now blocked. That's the main bugaboo with the Queen's Gambit -- Black usually has to bury his light-squared Bishop behind his own pawns. Chessplayers have been wrestling with this for decades. } 5. Nbd2 Ne4 6. Nxe4 dxe4 7. Nd2 f5 { An interesting pawn formation, but things look a bit drafty around the Black King. There's lots of open space -- can White use it to his advantage? } 8. Qb3 { Bogo puts pressure on the b7-pawn. This roots the c8-Bishop in place. Realistically, though, the Bishop doesn't have anyplace really productive to go. } ( 8. Qh5+ g6 { And the White Queen has no choice but to waste time by scampering back. This is why White didn't play this series of moves. } ) 8... Bd6 9. c5 { Believe it or not, this is what Maroczy had in mind when he played ...Bd6. Bogo has now committed to a f2-c5 pawn chain. His pawn structure isn't as fluid as it once was and Marocy can think about attcking the pawn chain at its base (e3, not f2, since the f-pawn is capable of advancing). } 9... Bc7 10. Nc4 { The Knight has two squares in Black's camp available to it. But Black has the option of trading his dark-squared Bishop. It's more likely that Bogo is thinking of protecting the base of his pawn chain. } 10... Nd7 11. Bd2 Nf6 { Maroczy can drop the Knight into the hole on d5 if he so chooses. } 12. f3 { Bogo starts to waver here. He should have thought about developing his last piece. 12.Be2, followed by castling Kingside, would have been better. } 12... O-O 13. O-O-O b6 { Perfectly safe -- it's attacked three times and defended three times. It's going to be tough for Maroczy to attack the base of the pawn chain, so he attacks its head instead. } 14. Ne5 bxc5 15. Bc4 ( 15. Nxc6 { Bogo could have immediately regained the pawn. Instead he plays a Bishop move that pressure the e6-pawn (which is shielding the Black King). } ) 15... Qe8 { Simultaneously defending two pawns. } 16. g4 fxg4 17. fxg4 a5 18. g5 { Interesting. How will Maroczy respond to the threat? } 18... Bxe5 { He responds to it indirectly... } 19. gxf6 ( 19. dxe5 Ng4 { The idea is to fork both of the White Rooks. } 20. Rdf1 Nxe5 { And Black is two pawns ahead. } ) 19... Bxf6 { ...and winds up (temporarily) two pawns ahead. } 20. dxc5 Qh5 21. Qc2 { Preventing ...Qxc5 (see the next variation). } 21... Kh8 { Getting the Black King out of the Bishop's line of fire. } ( 21... Qxc5 { Black can't take the c5-pawn. } 22. Bxe6+ { Discovering an attack on the Black Queen, but with check (so Black has no time for ...Qxc2). } 22... Bxe6 23. Qxc5 { With a won game for White. } ) 22. Bb3 Ba6 { Heading for d3. } 23. Qxe4 { Bogo scotches that plan. Now he's won back the material, but his pieces are in disarray -- they're scattered and there's no harmony among them. } 23... Be2 24. Bc2 Bf3 ( 24... Bxd1 25. Rxd1 { Black wins the exchange, but he's also created harmony among the White pieces. Though he would be ahead materially, he'd actually be helping White to organize a defense. } ) 25. Qxe6 Bd5 26. Qd6 { The Bishop and pawn defend each other and the Bishop is wonderfully placed: it can easily reach either side of the board. Although Maroczy is down a pawn, his positional advantages more than make up for it:

1) Both Bishops are well-placed on long diagonals and one attacks Black's h1-Rook;

2) His f8-Rook is on an open file;

3) His Rooks are connected;

4) His Queen controls more space than its White counterpart. } 26... Rad8 { Maroczy continues his harassment of the White Queen, giving his opponent no time to save the h1-Rook. } 27. Qg3 Bxh1 28. Rxh1 { Maroczy is ahead a Rook for a Bishop and pawn. What does he do next? } 28... Rxd2 { A surprisng sacrifice! His plan is to draw the White King out to d2... } 29. Kxd2 Qd5+ { ...giving him a devastating double-attack! } 30. Ke2 Qxh1 31. Qh3 { Bogo threatens Qxh7#. } 31... h6 { The mate threat is stopped simply. } 32. Qf5 { Whoops! Now Bogo threatens another mate -- Qh7#. How does Black stop it? } 32... Qg2+ { "Priority of check" -- White must get out of check and doesn't have time to deliver the mate. } 33. Kd1 Qd5+ { And another double-attack saves the day. Maroczy won't win material (the White Queen is defended by the Bishop) but the mate threat is ended. } 34. Qxd5 { The alternative was to move the White King, followed by ...Qxf5 Bxf5. Bogo decides that he might as well trade them off. } ( 34. Ke2 Qxf5 ( 34... Qg2+ 35. Qf2 Qxf2+ 36. Kxf2 Bxb2+ ) 35. Bxf5 ) 34... cxd5 { Bogo now has a passed pawn. But he's down a Rook for a pawn, so Black shouldn't be too troubled by the passer. } 35. Bf5 { The idea is to control the pawn's promotion square. } 35... Bxb2 36. Be6 g5 { Maroczy has promotion ideas of his own. } 37. Kc2 ( 37. Bxd5 { Bogo would have done better by just grabbing the pawn. } ) 37... Rf2+ { Great move! The Rook attacks the King and the h2-pawn, plus defends the Bishop. } 38. Kd3 Rxh2 { Now Maroczy has a pair of connected passed pawns -- very dangerous for White. } 39. Bxd5 { Bogo, too, has two passed pawns (though not connected). But his opponent is a clear Rook ahead. } 39... Kg7 40. Kc4 Be5 41. Kb5 Re2 { The e3-pawn is more dangerous since there's not another pawn blocking its path, so Maroczy decides to concentrate on it first. } 42. Kxa5 Rxe3 43. a4 Bd4 44. Kb5 g4 45. a5 Rc3 46. Bc4 { Blocking the attack on the pawn, but now the Bishop no longer covers g2 (in the path of the advancing Black pawn). } 46... g3 47. c6 g2 48. c7 Rxc4 { Bogo sees the inevitability of defeat (see the variations) and resigns. } ( 48... Rxc4 49. Kxc4 ( 49. c8=Q Rxc8 ) 49... g1=Q 50. c8=Q Qc1+ 51. Kxd4 Qxc8 ) 0-1