Siegbert Tarrasch vs Ignatz von Popiel (1902)

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Siegbert Tarrasch vs Ignatz von Popiel
Monte Carlo (1902), Monte Carlo MNC, rd 9, Feb-17
Sicilian Defense: Closed Variation. Traditional (B25) · 1-0

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Given 11 times; par: 117 [what's this?]

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Jun-02-22		KEG: Tarrasch had gotten off to a miserable start at Monte Carlo 1902, with three loses and a draw in the first four rounds. But after that, he slowly worked his way into up the standings. With this 9th round win over von Popiel, Tarrasch--who had a negative score going into this game--finally broke into positive territory, and now was plus .05 under the weird scoring system in use in this event. For while, as his wins began to climb up, it even appeared that Tarrasch might obtain a high score, and had he defeated Maroczy and Pillsbury in his late round games, he might have ended in first or second places. Even with his late round faltering, Tarrasch ended up with a respectable tie for 5th place, setting up his victory at Monte Carlo 1903. The instant game gives the impression of being a case of chess expert against chess amateur. It was a positional triumph, with Tarrasch finally doing in this tournament what he before had done so well, ruthlessly exploiting weaknesses and building a strong and ultimately winning position. The final stages seemed inevitable, with Tarrasch carefully ending resistance. But even here, Tarrasch temporarily lost his way on move 31. But von Popiel failed to capitalize, and after his errors on moves 38 and 39, was efficiently dispatched by the precise play of his celebrated opponent. 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 g6 Opting for a Dragon formation. In the ensuing complications, Tarrasch outplayed von Popiel slowly and meticulously. 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 d6 6...Nf6 is normal, but the move order made no difference here. 7. Be2 Nf6 8. h3 0-0 9. 0-0 Bd7 10. Qd2 click for larger view A normal-looking Dragon position. What was remarkable is this very position occurred in von Popiel's Round 4 game against Pillsbury---except with colors reversed. Pillsbury, as Black, had defeated von Popiel who decided to repeat what Pillsbury had played against him. But von Popiel failed to recognize that Pillsbury's opening line against him was not good, and had only prevailed because of later weak play by von Popiel. The upshot of all this is that von Popiel managed to lose both sides of this opening at Monte Carlo 1902, losing first as White to Pillsbury and here as Black against Tarrasch! 10... NxN 11. BxN Bc6 12. Bf3 click for larger view Thus far, White had only a tiny edge. Black here has a number of good plans, and 12...Nd7; 12...Re8; and 12...b5 all have their merits. But, here von Popiel repeated Pillsbury's move, perhaps not realizing that Pillsbury had beaten in in spite of rather than because of his next move: 12... Qc7 13. Rfe1 Repeating von Popiel's move from the earlier game rather than playing the stronger but more commital 13. Nd5. 13... Rfd8? von Popiel repeated Pillsbury's presumptuous move that could have gotten him into trouble. Better were 13...Rac8; 13...e6; or 13...e5. I wonder if Tarrasch played 13. Rfe1 in expectation that von Popiel would repeat Pillsbury's doubtful move here. The position was now: click for larger view Now White has a clear path to a major advantage,still following the course of the earlier game: 14. Nd5 BxN 15. exB Ne8 click for larger view Still tracking the 4th round von Popiel-Pillsbury game.

Jun-02-22		sudoplatov: Tarrasch's procedure reminds one of the Lasker-Capablanca game from St. Petersberg 1914. Both illustrate what Nimzovich called "alternating attacks." By switching targets, Tarrasch finally forces his opponent to compromise his position.

Jun-03-22		KEG: <sudoplatov>Well put!

Jun-03-22		KEG: Post II 16. BxB Varying from von Popiel's 16. c4 in his 4th round game against Pillsbury. Both moves seem entirely reasonable, as does 16. a4. 16... NxB 16...KxB followed by 17...Nf6 was better. 17. c3 click for larger view 17... e5?! This solved the problem of his backward e-pawn but at the cost of getting saddled with two center pawns that could themselves be attacked. Tarrasch's method of exploiting this weakness is fascinating. 18. dxe6 e.p. fxe6 19. Re3 19. c4 or an immediate 19. Bg4 were other possibilities, but Tarrasch from here proceeded with a studied calm. His plan was to force Black to advance his d-pawn or his e-pawn and then go after the straggler. click for larger view 19... Rd7 Perhaps von Popiel should have bitten the bullet and played 19...d5. But he was understandably loathe to fall in with Tarrasch's intentions. 19...Rf8 was another possibility for Black. Probably nothing von Popiel played here would have prevented Tarrasch's patient tightening of the screws on Black from eventually denting the mini-pawn phalanx. 20. Bg4 Piling up on the e-pawn. 20... Re7 21. Rae8 Creating a third attack on the Black e6 pawn. 21... Rae8 22. Rd1 Switching to pressure on the d-pawn. 22. h4 was a lively possibility. But Tarrasch was determined to follow his idea and press von Popiel relentlessly. 22... Rd8 von Popiel should probably have yielded to the inevitable and just played 22...d5. 23. Rd1 Still by-passing h4 (or maybe 22. c4) in order to pursue his pressure tactics. 23... d5 click for larger view "Dr. Tarrasch has forced this advance by masterly maneuvering. If Black protects the pawn again by 23...Red7 or 23...Ne8, then White wins a pawn with 24. Qe3." (Tournament Book) 24. Re1 "Dr. Tarrasch will now press systematically against the e-pawn." (Tournament Book) 24... Rde8 25. Rde3 Qf4 26. g3 Qd6 27. Re5 Pillsbury would no doubt have played 27. h4 here. But Tarrasch remained true to his plan, and to his style. But even he finally got around to h4 (two moves later). The position was now: click for larger view 27... Rf7 28. Qe3 Still deferring h4 in favor of tightening the screws another notch. 28... Rf6 Daring Tarrasch to try to snatch the pawn on a7. click for larger view

Jun-03-22		KEG: Post III 29. h4! Finally playing h4 and not going in for 29. Qxa7 h5 30. Bd1 Ref8 (much better than the Tournament Book's suggested 30...b6) which, while leaving White with some edge (being up a pawn) would give Black fine (and almost equalizing) counterplay. 30. Kg2 An excellent multi-purpose move. 30... Qc6 click for larger view The move-30 time control had been reached, and Tarrasch--though hardly enjoying a decisive advantage--since had a vise on von Popiel's position. It is strange that it was at this point that Tarrasch faltered: 31. f4? "?"--(Tournament Book) "Not good as now Black could now isolate a pawn on c3 by 31...d4+" (Tournament Book) Much better for White were 31. f3 or 31. Qd4. But von Popiel missed his chance: 31... Qa4+ The Tournament Book's 31...d4+ would have eliminated most of Tarrasch's pressure (31...d4+ 32. Q4 QxQ+ 33. R5xQ dxc3 34. bxc3 after which White's isolated pawn on c3 is about a big a problem as would be Black's isolani one e6. Now, Tarrasch was back in business. 32. a3 Qb5 33. Re2 Qc6 click for larger view 34. Kh2! Essential if White is to retain his bind on the Black position. 34... Qd6 35. Rd2 Giving Black no respite. 35... Qc6 36. Bf3 Qc8 37. Re2 "!"--(Tournament Book) "Threatening Bxd5." (Tournament Book) 37... Rf5 click for larger view 38. RxR? In my introductory remarks on this game, I forgot that this--like Tarrasch;s 31st move--was a mistake that almost forfeited his edge. 38. h5 was the logical continuation of his earlier play. The text gave von Popiel a chance for near equality: 38... gxR? Missing 38...NxR which would simplify his defense. 39. Qe5 "Black has no satisfactory defense." (Tournament Book) A gross overstatement. click for larger view The Tournament Book notwithstanding, Black had good chances to hold--despite Tarrasch's continuing pressure--with 39...Qb8 or 39...Qd8. But here von Popiel fell apart: 39... h5? Giving Tarrasch the sort of chance from which there was little chance of escape. The Tournament Book is correct that 39...Kf7 would have been a serious mistake in light of 40. g4. But the text was even worse. 40. Qf6! Of course! click for larger view Now indeed the Black position may be beyond salvation. Whether that was the case we will never know, since from here von Popiel played two bad moves followed by three blunders after which Tarrasch--who probably did not need such help--ran von Popiel off the board.

Jun-03-22		KEG: Post IV 40... Qd7 40...Qc4 was better. 41. Qg6 Tarrasch continued to grab every key square he could and restrict Black. click for larger view 41... Qf7? 41...Kf8 was perhaps von Popiel's last chance at any chance of effective resistance. From here, what followed was a massacre, and von Popiel's following panicked moves only made matters worse for him. 42. Bxh5 After almost an entire game of pressuring Black, Tarrasch won a pawn. The game, though it continued for another 22 moves, was over: click for larger view 42... QxQ? von Popiel was lost anyway, but going into an ending was utterly hopeless. If he wanted to continue and suffer on, von Popiel had to try 42...Qe7. 43. BxQ click for larger view 43... Rf8? Sheer surrender. 43...Rd8 might at least have given him a shot at counterplay. 44. h5 click for larger view 44... Rf6? Opting for a slow death. If he didn't want to resign, von Popiel might as well have tried for some type of counterplay (futile as this almost surely would have been against Tarrasch. 45. Kh3! click for larger view From here it was just a matter of counting. Tarrasch by this point probably had calculated the finale just about to the end. 45... Kf8 46. Kh4 The King is a fighting piece in the endgame. 46... Ke7 47. Kg5 Rf8 48. h6 click for larger view Ouch! 48... Ne8 49. BxN The simplest. 49... RxB click for larger view von Popiel might have spared himself the rest. Since he chose to play this out to the bitter end--getting down to a dead lost King and pawn ending--I will have another post for the finale.

Jun-03-22		KEG: Post V 50. h7 One way of another, Tarrasch will now be able to pick off Black pawns and win easily. 50... Kf7 Forced. 51. Rh2 click for larger view Tarrasch would be delighted to shed his h-pawn as part of a Rook trade, since this would allow the White King to gobble up the Black pawns. 51... Rh8 Else 52. h8(Q) followed by the aforementioned winning trades for White (i.e., 51 Kg7 52. h8(Q) RxQ 53. RxR KxR 54. Kf6 etc.). 52. Rh6 There are, needless to say, numerous other winning moves (e.g., 52. a4). 52... b5 Hopeless, but so was sitting back and watching Tarrasch march to victory. 53. Rf6+ 53. b4 was another killer move. 53... Ke7 53...Kg7 54. Rxe6 is also no fun for Black. 54. Kg6 click for larger view 54... Rxh7 This leads to a completely lost King and Pawn ending forBlack. 55. Rxe6+ Did von Popiel miss this obvious intermediate move? 55... KxR 56. KxR click for larger view The rest was child's play for Tarrasch. 56... Kf6 57. Kh6 a5 58. Kh5 58. b4 was perhaps even simpler., but by this stage Tarrasch may have been bored to tears. 58... b4 59. axb4 axb4 click for larger view 60. Kh6 Precise to the last. An amusing example of endgame zugzwang 60... Ke6 61. Kg6 d4 A final desperate try: click for larger view 62. cxd4 Kd5 63. Kxf5 Kxd4 64. g4 click for larger view 1-0

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