[Event "New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Maroczy,G"]
[Black "Reti,R"]
[Result "1/2"]
[Annotator "Lopez "Battle Royale""]
[ECO "C99"]
[PlyCount "115"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { Maroczy opts for the Ruy Lopez, instead of a more open game (such as the Scotch). This suits Maroczy's style well, as the Ruy often leads to battles of maneuver rather than tactics. } 3... a6 { The Morphy Defense. The intent is to drive away the Bishop that's putting indirect pressure on the e5-pawn (the pressure comes from the Bishop's attack on the pawn's sole defender). } 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 ( 5... Nxe4 { This is certainly possible, but the pawn can't be held. } 6. Re1 Nd6 ) 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 { This opens a pocket for the light-squared Bishop's retreat plus supports the future advance of the d-pawn to d4. } 8... O-O 9. h3 { This prevents Black from using g4. } 9... Na5 10. Bc2 c5 { This is fairly typical for Ruy Lopez positions. Black gets a lot of Queenside space, but White can counterattack in the center or on the Kingside. } 11. d4 Qc7 { Reti's Queen is now poised to command the c-file in the event of a pawn exchange. } 12. Nbd2 { Another typical Ruy Lopez plan: the Queenside Knight is headed for f1. } 12... Bd7 13. Nf1 { The point of this Knight move is to allow it to go from here to either d3 or g3. From those squares it can take up a post at either f5 or d5. } 13... cxd4 14. cxd4 Rfc8 { Reti doubles up on the open c-file and threatens to win a Bishop.. } 15. Bd3 Nc6 16. Be3 Qb7 { Reti starts a plan to replace the Queen and Rook battery with doubled Rooks. } 17. Ng3 Rc7 18. Rc1 Rac8 19. Bb1 { Allowing the Queen to support the d-pawn. } 19... Ne8 { Reti may be intending to play ...g7, followed by Ne8-g7-e6 to put still more pressure on the d4-pawn. } 20. Qd2 { Maroczy responds by clearing d1 for a Rook. We're seeing how closed positions in the Ruy lead to wars of maneuver. } 20... g6 21. Red1 f6 22. Ne2 { Yet another piece comes to the support of the d4-pawn. } 22... Bf8 { Reti has switched his plan. Now the e8-Knight supports the f- and d-pawns, while the Bishop is headed for g7 when the center opens up. } 23. Bc2 Na5 24. Ng3 Nc4 { An outstanding fork, but White has a clever defense. } 25. Bb3 { The pin on the Knight prevents it from capturing any material. } 25... Kh8 26. Qe2 Nxe3 { And now the tactical fun begins. } 27. Rxc7 Nxc7 28. Qxe3 Ne6 29. Ne2 { The piece path diagram doesn't show it, but this Knight keeps bouncing back and forth between g3 and e2. Maroczy's new plan for the Knight is to bring it to d5 via c3. } 29... b4 { Reti takes c3 away from the Knight. } 30. Rc1 { Maroczy decides to put the Knight to another use: to defend the Rook on c1. } 30... Rxc1+ 31. Nxc1 Qb6 { Once again, d4 comes under fire. } 32. Ne2 Bg7 33. Qd2 Nf8 { This looks odd, but there's a point to it. Reti expects White to play dxe5. After this, he'd like to take back with the d6-pawn (to keep from having an extra pawn island), but this would leave the d7-Bishop undefended. Reti moved the Bishop to g7 to clear f8 for the Knight -- a square from which the Knight defends the d7-Bishop. } 34. Qd3 h6 35. Bc4 { The Queen and Bishop battery strikes at the a-pawn. } 35... a5 36. dxe5 dxe5 37. Nd2 f5 38. Kf1 Bf6 39. b3 Bh4 40. g3 Bf6 41. Qd5 Be6 42. Qa8 { More tactics suddenly erupt. } 42... Qd8 43. Qxd8 Bxd8 44. Bxe6 Nxe6 45. exf5 gxf5 { And just that quickly the players have reached an endgame. Reti has the advantage of a Bishop vs. a Knight, but the disadvantage of an extra pawn island (three islands to two). The position looks even. Reti's plan will be to trade off a pair of Knights, while Maroczy will try to keep him on the defensive by attacking his pawn islands. } 46. Nc4 Bc7 47. Ne3 Ng7 48. f4 exf4 49. Nxf4 { Now the f5-pawn is pretty weak, as it has no support from an adjacent pawn. } 49... Bxf4 50. gxf4 { Reti hated to do this, but now White's ability to threaten him is limited. It's Knight vs. Knight in a symmetrical pawn structure -- the game is dead even. } 50... Ne6 51. Nxf5 Nxf4 52. Nxh6 Nd3 { Reti surprises everyone with this move. His plan is to eliminate the White Queenside pawns and promote one of his own. } 53. Nf5 Nc1 54. Nd6 Nxa2 55. Nc4 { Unfortunately for Reti, he comes up a tempo or two short. } 55... Nc1 56. Nxa5 Kh7 57. Nc6 Nxb3 58. Nxb4 { There's no way Maroczy's going to promote this outside pawn, so the players agree to a draw. } 1/2