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Jose Raul Capablanca vs Leonard B Meyer
Rapid-transit t (1908) (rapid), Manhattan CC, New York, NY USA, Mar-05
Spanish Game: Morphy Defense. Mackenzie Variation (C77)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Aug-17-04  Zenchess: I don't have Junior, but I'd like to. None of my engines ventured into this line, but Junior must be a cold-blooded defender.
Feb-22-06  Whitehat1963: Fun little puzzle after 8...Bb7. Enjoy.
Feb-22-06  Whitehat1963: What about 10...Bd5?
Feb-23-06  Whitehat1963: Come to think of it, what about: 10...Nd5
11. Bxd5 Bxd6
12. Nxf7 Qb8 (Qc8? 13. Bxb7)
May-11-07  jellyace: 10. ... Bd5 loses two pieces after 11. Bxd5 Nxd5 12. Qxd5.

On 10. ... Nd5, 11. Qxd7+ Qxd7 12. Nxd7 Kxd7 equalizes. White cannot afford R+N vs Q because he is badly behind in development and will lose a lot of pawns by the endgame.

Oct-25-07  GSankarN: Why did Meyer have to resign?
Oct-25-07  Karpova: <GSankarN: Why did Meyer have to resign?>

After 10.Qxd6 black is down a piece and white threatens checkmate (that's why black can't take the queen: 10...cxd6 11.Bxf7#)

May-10-08  egarcillan: maybe white lose after Nd5!! white queenless
Mar-25-09  WhiteRook48: <egarcillian>
after 10 Qxd6 Nd5 11 Qxd5 Bxd5 12 Bxd5 white has two knights and a bishop for the queen
Nov-25-09  PinName: As a casual player, I'm sure I'm missing something, but why not 10...Qc8?
Nov-25-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Chessical: <Pinname> After <10...Qc8> 11. Bxf7+ Kd8 12. Qd3 White is a Knight up with no problems.
Dec-08-09  PinName: I guess. Black can still pick off the g-pawn. It just seems a little early to throw in the towel.
Feb-18-10  estebansponton: black has not to resign. Interestin position before 10... Nd5 11 Qxd5 Bxd5 12 Bxd5 Bb4+ !? 13 c3 0-0 with advantage for white but the position is no clair
Feb-29-12  Kartagener: what if
.... 10.Nd5
11. Qxd7 Qxd7
12. Nxd7 Kxd7
13. 0-0

Isn“t the game equal then ?

Feb-29-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  maxi: <Kartagener> Yes, it would seem so to me. But, in practice and especially against a player that is playing the position for the first time, Black's position is difficult to play, even if it is not inferior...
Mar-02-13  Whitehat1963: Congratulations!
Feb-06-16  TheFocus: "J.R. Capablanca proved to be the winner in the rapid transit tournament at the Manhattan Chess Club, on March 5, sixteen players having entered the competition which was conducted under a time limit of twenty seconds a move. L.B. Meyer took the second prize. The latter lost to Capablanca in the final round in the following curious fashion: Ruy Lopez 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d4 Nxe4 6.d5 Ne7 7.Nxe5 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7 9.d6 Nxd6 10.Qxd6 threatening mate by Bxf7+. Meyer, who was Black, resigned here, overlooking the fact that he still had a fighting chance by playing ...Nd5, intercepting the Bishop and disclosing on the Queen. In this case, Capablanca either would have had to play Qxd5+ and return the piece or exchange his Queen for three pieces," - <American Chess Bulletin>, June 1908, pg. 117.
Jun-27-17  bla bla: very niceeeeee combinatioooon
Nov-25-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: <Meyer, who was Black, resigned here, overlooking the fact that he still had a fighting chance by playing 10 ... Nd5, intercepting the Bishop and disclosing on the Queen. In this case, Capablanca either would have had to play Qxd5+ and return the piece or exchange his Queen for three pieces>

So they found it in 1908!

This miniature is now around with different names.

Nov-25-17
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: < In this case, Capablanca either would have had to play Qxd5+ and return the piece or exchange his Queen for three pieces," - <American Chess Bulletin>, June 1908, pg. 117.>

I was about to write that this is incorrect, when I thought I'd better check the original source. Turns out <TheFocus> and not the <ACB> was in the wrong - they have <QxQPch>, i.e., Qxd7+, not Qxd5+.

Sep-10-18  romancitog: Black certainly need not resign in this position. I don't see how black didn't notice Nd5 as this move should have been relatively easy to find and would make the position more or less equal.
Nov-11-20  MordimerChess: Little facts about the game.

First of all, Capablanca wasn't even sure about his future chess career. He canceled his studies at Columbia University the same year, the first step to becoming a professional chess player.

Another, it was a rapid time control tournament. Players had 20 seconds for the move. So Meyer could overlook the position easily - time pressure and final game.

Full video analysis:
https://youtu.be/aquApviC61c

Enjoy!

Aug-28-24  EvanTheTerrible: I played this exact game today only to discover Capablanca was ahead of me by a century.
Aug-28-24
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sally Simpson: Hi Evan,

Did you opponent resign?


click for larger view

Black can try 10...Nd5 though I think most of us would like playing White with Two Knights and a Bishop for the Queen after 11.Qxd5.

The move 11.Qxd7+ is also on but the Queen sac is more fun.

Aug-28-24  EvanTheTerrible: My opponent gave up and took on d6. It was a bullet game, so not much at stake. I'll have to look at the line you proposed.
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