David Janowski vs Geza Maroczy (1902)

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David Janowski vs Geza Maroczy
Monte Carlo (1902), Monte Carlo MNC, rd 3, Feb-08
Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation (D50) · 1/2-1/2

ANALYSIS [x]

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Aug-30-21		KEG: This was a replay of their third-round draw. As yet, that earlier game was the only blemish on the records of either player, Janowski having won his first, second, and fourth round games and Maroczy having won his first and fourth round games (and having had a bye in round 2). This game ended in another draw after the players reached a Bishops of opposite colors ending. Both sides seemed satisfied with this result; both having passed up opportunities to seek more and try to play for some serious advantage. 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 b6 Playing b6 this early in the QGD has been out of fashion for quite a while (though still occasionally tried). The move had been played by Zukertort, Tarrasch, Lasker, and by Maroczy himself before this game. 6. Nf3 Bb7 7, Rc1 0-0 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Bd3 a6 The sort of move Janowski relished on the Black side of the QGD. Its adoption here by Maroczy may have been a bit of a psychological ploy. It left: click for larger view 10. Ne5 Nfd7 11. Bf4 11. BxB is objectively better. But Janowski loved his Bishops and, as usual in his play, tried to keep both his Bishops on the board even if it made it easier for Maroczy to equalize. 11... NxN 12. BxN Nd7 13. Bg3 Re8 A bit of over-refinement by Maroczy. 13...c5 immediately looks slightly better. 14. 0-0 c5 click for larger view 15. Bb1 Taking his love of having Bishops on long diagonals to an extreme! 15... Nf8 15...c4 looks simpler. But Maroczy decided to keep the center fluid for a while yet to see what developed. Maroczy did not fear Janowski; having a significant edge in their games both before and after this encounter. He knew that Janowski, if given a bit of rope, could hang himself (though that didn't happen here). The text is passive but sound, and Maroczy no doubt believed he could hold the Black position. 16. Qg4 16. dxc5 followed by 17. Qb3 seems to give White a small edge. Janowski, for reasons I can't discern, seemingly thought he could get more with the text. 16... cxd4 "After 16...c4 it is easier for White to reach a safe ending." (Tournament Book) I fail to understand the above comment. White is not in any danger on either 16...c4 or the text. What is notable about 16...cxd4 is Maroczy's willingness to handle an isolated d-pawn. He perhaps preferred to be the one with the isolated pawns but more active play against a strong attacker such as Janowski. 17. Qxd4 The battle lines were now drawn. click for larger view If offered a choice of playing Black or White here, the decision--on which I guess there might be strong disagreement--looks to me to be primarily one of style. If playing against Janowski, I would definitely want to be Black here. 17... Bb6 18. Qb4 Rc8 click for larger view The jockeying for position that commenced here was interesting. Both sides--from where I sit--missed some opportunities while pursuing other goals.

Aug-30-21		KEG: Post II 19. Rfd1 19. Ne2 looks a bit more enterprising. Instead, Janowski decide to gang up on the d-pawn. Not the worst of ideas. 19... b5 Instead of this move, which gave Janowski chances on the Queen-side, we might have expected 19...Ne6 from Maroczy with a view to a later d4. click for larger view 20. Qb3 Janowski seems to have been so focused on going after the Black d-pawn (a plan that would have been utterly doomed to failure had Maroczy responded more vigorously), otherwise he would likely have played the indicated 20. a4. After the weak text, Maroczy seemed to have good prospects of seizing the initiative and a serious advantage: click for larger view 20... Qa5 Missing the very strong 20...d4, which seems to solve most of Black's problems. Perhaps Maroczy wanted to play the text first to have an answer against 21. e4 (after 20...d4). 21. Bd6 Janowski generally made better use of his Bishops. Here, 21. Bf5 was much better and would have given White the better game. 21... Qb6 Missing yet another chance to play d4. After the text, Janowski was in a position to simplify through exchanges down to a drawn ending. 22. BxN Having said "A" (21. Bd6) Janowski pretty much had to go ahead with B (the text) to avoid getting the inferior game. After 22. BxN, the position was: click for larger view 22... RxB It is hard to understand why Maroczy did this rather than 22...KxB (bringing the King into play in the endgame that could result) and keeping his Rook on the e-file). Even 22...BxN was better than the text. Now, Janowski was able to trade off some wood and get a somewhat superior endgame. 23. Nxd5 BxN 24. QxB RxR 25. RxR click for larger view 25... Bxb2?! Maroczy no doubt thought that with Bishops of opposite colors he could hold the position with ease. But the text was courting trouble, the opposite color Bishops notwithstanding. 25...Rd8 looks much better. The Tournament Book disagreed, and thought that with the text Maroczy now had an easy draw in the following position (after 25...Bxb2): click for larger view 26. Qc6 This gave Janowski the better ending, but 26. Rc6 looks even stronger. 26... QxQ 27. RxQ click for larger view Maroczy probably thought he could draw from this position with ease. In practice, he was entirely correct, but as I will discuss in my next post on this game Janowski could have made Maroczy's task far more difficult.

Aug-30-21		KEG: Post III 27... Ra8 "!"--(Tournament Book) Black has to be on his toes to hold the position, and the text is definitely best. The Tournament Book devotes time to discuss the admittedly inferior (but not necessarily losing) 27...a5. But it's analysis is flawed: 27...a5 28. Rb6 (this pretty much lets Black off the hook. Much tougher to meet would be 28...Bd3 o5 28. Ra6--though Black with the opposite color Bishops should likely still survive) b4 (28...Rc8 followed by 29...b4 would also be good) 29. Rb5 (29. Ra6 might pose slightly more difficult problems for Black to solve) Ra8 (this could give White chances. Better would be 29...Rc8) 30. Be4 and White is indeed now better, though probably nowhere near winning. 28. Be4 Kf8 28...Ba3 to protect against any back-rank problems looks better. After 28...Kf8, the position was: click for larger view 29. Kf1 Maybe Janowski was in time trouble (so maybe he wanted to avoid any risks of a back rank mate or of back-rank mating threats. The text makes it easy for Black. 29. Rb6 would keep Black pinned down and make Maroczy work for a while to save the game. The Tournament Book, while not criticizing the text, was correct that 29. Rc2 would allow Black to solve most of his problems with 29...Rc8 (because of the back-rank mate threats). 29... Ra7! A fine defensive move by Maroczy. The draw was now very much in sight. 30. Ke2 30. Rc8+ Ke7 31. Bxh7 was called bad in the Tournament Book because of 31...g6 temporarily trapping the Bishop. But then 32. h4 saves the Bishop and gives White a better position than he got with 30. Ke2. Of course, in the given variation, Black can get into trouble after 32. h4 if he plays 32...Kf6 33. h5 Kg7? (33...gxf6 should allow Black to hold the game) 34. hxg6 fxg6 35. Bg8 leaving White a passed pawn up. Black might survive because of the Bishops of opposite colors, but he would have his work cut out for him. 30... g6 No more threats based on Bxh7! click for larger view 31. Rd6 Janowski seems to have abandoned any real hope of winning. 31... Be5 32. Rc6 Ke7 32...Bb2 would be simpler. 33. f4 A final effort by Janowski. 33... Bc7 34. g4 34. Bd5 would be somewhat better. After the text, Janowski drew with ease, the position now being: click for larger view 34... a5! 35. Bd3 b4! 36. Bc4 a4! If anyone had an edge now, if was Black: click for larger view 37. Kd3 37. Bd5 was slightly better, but Maroczy opted not to waste effort trying to win from here, and so... DRAWN Play might have gotten a tad interesting with 37...b3 38. axb3 a3! 39. b4 Bd6 40. Ba2 Bxb4 but the result would almost certainly have been the same.

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