Jun-28-18
 | | KEG: Although this game had many fascinating moments, it is frustrating to analyze. Maroczy obtained a won game several times but repeatedly let Bardeleben off the hook until the latter's fatal endgame blunder with 44...Bd2. The finish was pretty.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. 0-0 Nxe4
6. d4 b5
7. Bb3 d5
8. dxe5 Be6
9. c3 Bc5
Both the text and 9...Be7 are known and highly playable lines. 10. Nbd2 NxN
Until this move, the game followed a well-known variation of the Open Ruy Lopez. The text, however, is not best as it only helps White's development. Normal and best here is 10...0-0. 11. QxN 0-0
Or 11...Qd7
12. Bc2 d5
"Something new." (Tournament Book).
New it was, but hardly best. 12...Qd7 (one of several alternative moves suggested by the Tournament Book) was much better. Perhaps best of all here is 12...Bg4. The flaw in 12...d5 will be apparent from the note on Maroczy's reply. The position was now:
click for larger view13. Rd1
Both sides overlooked the very strong (and probably winning) 13. Ng5! (threatening Bxh7+). If in reply Black plays 13...g6 (13...Re8, though not very pleasant, if probably Black's best here) White would have a spectacular win with 14. Nxh7! and if 14...Kxh7 [the unsavory 14...Nxe5 was "best"] Black gets killed with 15. Qh6+ Kg8 16. Bxg6!! (sacrificing a second piece!) fxB 17. Qxg6+ Kh8 18. Qh6+ Kg8
19. QxB+ Rf7 (19...Kh7 is even worse) 20. Qg6+ Rg7 21. Qxc6--leaving White up two pawns with an overwhelming position. 13... Bd5
14. Nxd4 Nxe5
This left:
click for larger view15. Nf5
This is sufficient to give White the better game, but 15. Nxb5! was far stronger. 15... Bb7
Best for Bardeleben here was 15...c6.
16. Qf4 Qf6
17. Qg3 Kh8
18. Bg5 Qg6
19. Nd4 f5
Creating a needless weakness in his pawn structure. 19...Qh5 was best. 20. Bf4 QxQ
The alternative was 20...Rae8. In either case, White is for choice. 21. hxQ
The position now was:
click for larger viewWhile White has the better chances in this endgame, Bardeleben's position was playable at this point. He could simply have traded with 21...BxN. But, as I will discuss in my next post on this game, Bardeleben erred here and lost a pawn. Maroczy should have thereafter won the game in short order, though--as will be shown--that is hardly how it worked out. |
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| Jun-28-18 | | MelvinDoucet: <11. ♕x♘ 0-0
Or 11...♕d7
12. ♗c2 d5> --> d4 |
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Jun-28-18
| | KEG: <MelvinDoucet>Thank you for catching this typo. Bardeleben's 12th move was indeed d4, not d5. Sorry for any confusion my typo may have caused. |
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Jun-28-18
| | KEG: Post II
No sooner had the endgame been reached, Bardeleben erred: 21... Ng4?
As noted in my last post, he should have played 21...BxN. Perhaps he feared this--like the text--would lose a pawn. But after 21...BxN 22. cxB [22. RxB would have been better] Ng6 23. Bxc7?? [23. Bd2 or 23. Bg5 would be better]not only does not win a pawn, but loses a Bishop to the 23...Rfc8 skewer. After the text, Bardeleben simply loses a pawn.
22. Bxc7 Rae8
23. Bd3 Rf7
24. Bf4
The position was now:
click for larger viewIs this position a win for Maroczy? He is up a pawn, but it is a doubled pawn. However, he has a Queen-side pawn majority. Fritz rates the position 1.15 for White. Stockfish rates it 1.36. This all means little or nothing. The position may or may not be a theoretical win, but White has plenty of work to do and Black's well-situated Bishops give him counterplay. 24... h6
This creates a dangerous hole on the Black king-side. Better was 24...g6. 25. Re1 Rd8
This left:
click for larger viewBardeleben's position has gone downhill, but the win for White (assuming my assessment is correct) requires great care. But here, Maroczy seems to have momentarily lost his mind: 26. Be3?
A horrible move. Bardeleben is now able to shatter Maroczy's King-side. There were many better alternatives for White: e.g., 26 Rad1; 26. Bc2; and 26. f3. 26... NxB
27. fxN g6
The position now was:
click for larger viewThe deterioration in Maroczy's fortunes since the prior diagram is obvious. He still has his Queen-side pawn majority, but his King-side is now a mess. So many weaknesses! 28. Be2 Re7
29. Bf3 Be4
30. Rad1 Rde8
31. Kf2 Kg7
Bardeleben might have tried 31...h5 here.
32. BxB RxB
33. Rd3 Bb6
33...Kf6 was a good alternative. The position was now: 
click for larger viewMaroczy still has somewhat the better of the struggle, but Bardeleben's Bishop is better than Maroczy's Knight and he should probably have been able to hold this ending. In what followed, as I will discuss in my next post on this game, Maroczy allowed most of his advantage to slip through his fingers, but then two blunders by Bardeleben (the first of which Maroczy failed to exploit but the second of which was fatal) decided the game. |
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Jun-28-18
| | KEG: Post III
34. Rh1
A flawed plan. As of now, White has nothing on the h-file. Much better was 34. Nc2 immediately, untangling his pieces. 34... R4e5
Bardeleben could most easily have addressed Maroczy's "threat" by playing 34...h5 immediately. 35. Nc2 R8e7
36. Kf3 h5
37. Re1 a5
38. Rd6 Bc7
The position now was:
click for larger view39. Rc6?
Another misguided plan. The Rook does nothing useful here. 39. Rd4, 39. Rd3, 39. Rd2, or even 39. Ra6 were better. 39... Bb8?
Making White's last move look good. 39...Re4 should have been played. 40. Rd1
This left:
click for larger view40... b4?
White's Queen-side pawn majority was his main (and perhaps only) advantage. By offering this pawn exchange, White's advantage on that wing becomes more powerful. 40...Re4 was best. 41. cxb4 axb4
The position was now:
click for larger viewMaroczy now has his dream position...and immediately blows it. With 42. Rd4 (or 42. Rd3) White's edge should be overwhelming. Instead, Maroczy overlooks a simple Bishop skewer: 42. Rb6? Ba7!
Did Maroczy really miss this?
43. Rxb4 Bxe3
44. Re1
This left:
click for larger viewBardeleben has now solved most of his problems. His edge on the King-side balances Maroczy's Queen-side passed pawns. Yet, and as I will discuss in my next post on this game, with just one bad move Bardeleben handed the game to Maroczy. Incredible as it might appear looking at the position at this point, White ultimately won this game by...on the King-side. |
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Jun-28-18
| | KEG: Post IV
After 44. Re1, Bardeleben could have forced an equalizing liquidation with 44...Bc5! Instead, he became transfixed by what he apparently thought was a strong Bishop fork: 44... Bd2?
45. RxR
Bardeleben now realized that 45...BxR 46. RxR BxR gives White an easy win with 47. a4! So... 45... RxR
46. Rd4
This left:
click for larger viewMaroczy now had a won game. His two Queen-side pawns are little killers, while Bardeleben had little or nothing doing on the King-side. 46... Ba5?
46...Bg5 was the only real chance. Now White's King-side pawns have a target, and Maroczy cleaned up. 47. b4! Bb6
Beginning here and through move 56, Maroczy tried to gain some time on the clock by repeating the position. Did he handle this properly? Let's see: 48. Rd6 Bg1
49. Rd1 Bb6
50. Rd6
50. a4 seems indicated. But the text is fine, unless triple repetition is a potential problem. 50... Bg1
51. Rd1 Bb6
52. a4
So no triple repetition...yet.
52... g5
53. Rd6
53. Rd7+ is the simplest way to win.
53... Bg1
54. Rd1 Bb6
54...g4+ looks better. But...
55. Rd6 Bg1
56. Rd1 Bb6
Isn't this triple repetition? Were the rules on this different back in 1900? The Tournament Book passes over this position without comment. So I am guessing that either nobody noticed or for some reason Black could not claim a draw here. In any event, Maroczy from here went back to a workmanlike overrun of the now hopeless Black position: 57. Rd7+! Kf8
The position now was:
click for larger view58. a5!
Here comes Maroczy!
58... Bg1
59. Rd1 Ba7
60. Re1 g4+
The Tournament Book's 60...Rd5 was better, but it would not have changed the outcome. 61. Kf4
All of a sudden, Bardeleben has given Maroczy new targets on the King-side, and the alert Maroczy goes for the jugular on that wing. 61... Rd5
62. Ne3 Rd4+
The position was now:
click for larger viewThe relentless manner in which Maroczy closed out the game from here will be covered in my next post on this game. |
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Jun-28-18
| | KEG: Post V
63. Kg5
"!" -- (Tournament Book).
63. Kxf5 also wins, but the text allows Maroczy to build up decisive mating threats. 63... Rxb4
64. Nxe5 Rb5
65. Kg6!
Maroczy is happy to give up his last Queen-side pawn in order to weave a mating net around Black's King. 65... Bb8
66. Re6
66. Ng7 immediately was faster, but the text is also crushing. 66... Rxa5
This left:
click for larger viewSo Bardeleben has managed to wipe out Maroczy's Queen-side pawns. But now his King is defenceless 67. Ng7! Re5
Bardeleben would like to trade Rooks, which (while not saving the game) would have allowed him to hold on a bit longer. But Maroczy is not interested. 68. Rb6 Ba7
69. Rc6
Sufficient, but 69. Rf6+
69... Bg1
70. Rc7!
Locking Black's King up tight:
click for larger view70... Re2
71. Rf7+ Kg8
72. Rd7 Kf8
The position was now:
click for larger viewMaroczy could win immediately here with 73. Rd8+ (73...Ke7 74. Re8+). His actual move was far less forcing, but it proved sufficient to get Bardeleben to resign: 73. Nxh5
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Kibitzing
