[Event "New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Marshall,F"]
[Black "Capablanca,J"]
[Result "1/2"]
[Annotator "Lopez "Battle Royale""]
[ECO "A48"]
[PlyCount "131"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. e3 { If Marshall really wanted to play this, he should first have developed his dark-squared Bishop (perhaps to f4). Now the Bishop is blocked in. } 3... Bg7 4. Nbd2 b6 5. Bc4 O-O 6. Qe2 c5 7. c3 Bb7 8. O-O d5 { Capablanca gains a tempo by forcing the Bishop to retreat. } 9. Bd3 Ne4 10. Bxe4 { When your position is cramped, free it by exchanging pieces. Of course, it's even better to not play passively (as Marshall has) and avoid the cramped position to start with! } 10... dxe4 11. Ng5 e5 12. Ngxe4 { A convoluted maneuver, but it was the only way to try to regain the center. } 12... exd4 13. exd4 Ba6 { This is a bit questionable. White can obviously block the attack by c3-c4 and the resulting pin on the c-pawn doesn't mean anything. Positionally speaking, it would be better to leave the Bishop on b7. } 14. c4 Qxd4 15. Rb1 Nc6 16. b3 Rad8 17. Bb2 { Marshall finally completes his development, seventeen moves into the game (see the note to White's third move). } 17... Qd3 18. Qxd3 Rxd3 19. Nf3 { The Knight goes to a square where it enjoys more mobility while still covering the Black Rook's penetration square on d2. } 19... Bxb2 { Capa gives up the Bishop pair, but still enjoys the advantage of Bishop + Knight vs. two Knights. } 20. Rxb2 f5 21. Neg5 Re8 { Now Black's Rooks domintate the open center files. } 22. Nh3 Bb7 { Back to the long diagonal (from which it should never have left). } 23. Nf4 Rd6 24. Nd5 Ne7 { Capa is trying to bait Marshall into playing Nxe7, which will increase Capa's advantage by simplifying the minor piece tally (Bishop vs. Knight as opposed to Bishop + Knight vs. two Knights). } 25. Nc7 Red8 26. Re2 R6d7 27. Ne6 { Keeping Black off-balance. The threat of Nxd8 prevents ...Rd1. } 27... Bxf3 { Capa decides to trade his material advantage for a positional one: he gives up his Bishop in order to destroy the White Knigside pawn structure. } 28. gxf3 Rd2 29. Rfe1 Rxe2 30. Rxe2 Rd7 31. Nd8 Kf8 ( 31... Rxd8 32. Rxe7 Rd1+ 33. Kg2 a5 ( 33... Rd2 34. Rxa7 ) 34. Rb7 Rd2 35. Rxb6 Rxa2 36. Rb5 ) 32. Ne6+ Kf7 33. Ng5+ Kg7 34. Ne6+ Kf6 35. Kg2 h6 36. h4 Kf7 37. Nf4 Rd1 38. Re3 Rd4 39. Nd3 { Marshall decides it's better to give up a pawn now (see the variation). } ( 39. Kg3 Rd2 40. Re2 Rxe2 41. Nxe2 { White has a distinct disadvantage in this endgame due to his bad pawn structure on the Kingside. } ) 39... Rxh4 40. Ne5+ Kf8 ( 40... Kg7 { This would have been much better, as it defends the Kingside pawns. } ) 41. Nd7+ Ke8 42. Ne5 Kd8 { This is a rare example of an endgame error by Capablanca. He should have kept his King on the Kingside, concentrating his forces where the enemy is weakest. Instead, he heads for the Queenside to attempt a breakthrough there. } 43. Nf7+ Kd7 44. Ne5+ Kc7 45. Nf7 Nc6 46. Re6 { Now Marshall will win back the lost pawn. } 46... Rd4 47. Rxg6 Rd2 48. f4 ( 48. Nxh6 { An interesting move, but one that winds up immobilizing the White Kingside. } 48... f4 49. Rg7+ Kb8 50. Nf7 { White's pawns are frozen and his King is tied down to their defense. Capa may have been looking for a position like this when he began moving his King to the Queenside. } ) 48... Rxa2 49. Rg7 Nd4 50. Nxh6+ Kc6 51. Nf7 Kd7 ( 51... Nxb3 52. Ne5+ Kd6 53. Rg6+ Ke7 54. Rg7+ Kf8 55. Rf7+ Ke8 56. Rg7 { Fritz finds this variation, which looks to be better for Black (though the Black King is very exposed!) } ) ( 51... Ne6 { Alekhine later discovered a clever mate from this position: } 52. Ne5+ Kd6 53. Rd7# ) 52. Ne5+ Ke6 53. Rg6+ Ke7 54. Rg7+ Kf8 55. Rb7 Nxb3 56. Rf7+ Ke8 57. Rxf5 { Both sides have passed pawns, but White's is more advanced and can stay a step ahead of Black's pawn. } 57... Nd2 ( 57... a5 58. Rh5 a4 59. f5 a3 60. f6 Kd8 { Avoiding the threatened Rh8#. } 61. Rf5 { And White will promote first (with check!). } ) 58. Rh5 Rc2 59. Rh8+ { Marshall would have been better off playing f4-f5 (with a result similar to the variation to Black's 57th move). } 59... Ke7 60. f5 Ne4 { gives the opponent new chances } 61. Kf3 Nd6 62. Rh7+ Kf6 63. Ng4+ Kxf5 64. Ne3+ { Marshall, having scattered Black's forces with the threat of the f-pawn's promotion, now goes to work on the Queenside. } 64... Kg6 65. Rxa7 Rc3 66. Ra6 { And the rest is just a demolition derby with both sides gobbling up the pawns to then be left with even material. The players pack it in and call it a day. } 1/2