Ignatz von Popiel vs Geza Maroczy (1902)

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Ignatz von Popiel vs Geza Maroczy
Monte Carlo (1902), Monte Carlo MNC, rd 20, Mar-10
Sicilian Defense: French Variation. Normal (B40) · 0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Jan-29-19		zydeco: Maroczy gets an overpowering position right out of the opening.

Jan-12-25		KEG: A workman like performance by Maroczy who in this penultimate round at Monte Carlo 1902 was battling with Pillsbury for first place. After Pillsbury's two losses in replays prior to this round, Maroczy had regained the tournament lead and was 0.75 points ahead of his American rival. That sounds like a significant edge (as it proved to be), but Pillsbury was to play last-place Mortimer in this round. Although Mortimer put up a far better fight than might have been expected, Pillsbury ultimately won that game. So even a draw and then a win in the replay (where Maroczy would have White) would be potentially problematic given that Maroczy knew he would have to play Tarrasch in the 21st and final round. Thus Maroczy had to win as Black in this game (so that even two draws in the final round against Tarrasch would enable him to win the tournament). While von Popiel might seem to be cannon fodder for Maroczy in such a crucial game, they had played three times previously and von Popiel had drawn two of those games (Maroczy winning the other). Maroczy did win this game fairly easily, thus guaranteeing that only Pillsbury had even a mathematical chance of catching him. 1. e4 c5 Maroczy used the Sicilian when he played for a win against weaker opponents. 2. Nf3 e6 Clearly ready for a fight. 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bd3 Nc6 click for larger view 6. Be3 The other "normal" move here (6. NxN) would seem to be the superior way to draw. The text allows some aggressive play by Black. 6... d5 The more modernist 6...e5 would probably be more popular today. The text, however, is another reasonable and aggressive way for Black to play for complications. 7. exd5 7. Nc3 was the best way for White to play for an advantage. 7... Nxd5 click for larger view 8. 0-0? This can't be best. The text virtually invited Maroczy to play 8...NxB and seize the advantage of the two Bishops. 8. NxN followed by 9. Qf3 was best here. 8... Bd6? Hard to explain why Maroczy didn't seize an immediately advantage with 8...NxB. Perhaps he guessed (correctly!) that von Popiel would give him another chance. 9. Nc3? He should have played 9. NxN to avoid Maroczy's next move. 9... NxB Given a second chance, Maroczy gets the two Bishops. 10. fxN click for larger view 10... Qh4 Terror tactics by Maroczy? Against a stronger opponent he would likely have played the simple 10...0-0 (or maybe 10...NxN and then 11...0-0). The text gave von Popiel a final opportunity to secure the better game. 11. Nf3 With 11. g3! von Popiel would be better. The text gave Maroczy the chance to mess around on the King-side, the position now being: click for larger view Maroczy at this point had at best a modest edge because of the two Bishops and White's isolated e-pawn. But Maroczy was probably pleased, doubtless reckoning that he would be able to out-play von Popiel in this unbalanced position.

Jan-12-25		KEG: Post II One correction to my prior post: Even with Maroczy's win in this game, Teichmann (and not just Pillsbury) had a mathematical chance to catch (in this case, tie) Maroczy for first place had he won he final round game against Janowski and had Maroczy lost to Tarrasch and Pillsbury failed to win against Marshall. In any case, none of these things happened and Teichmann wound up in fourth place 1.5 points behind Maroczy, 1.25 points behind Pillsbury, and 0.75 points behind Janowski. Back to our game: 11... Qh6 A more aggressive choice (as it attacks the White e-pawn) than 11...Qe7, which would seem more in accord with Maroczy's normal play. 12. Qe2 0-0 click for larger view Maroczy had not yet achieved the overwhelming advantage from the opening referenced by <zydeco> in his post on this game. But from here von Popiel began to go seriously astray, and after his 18th move Maroczy did indeed have a winning advantage. 13. Ne4 Already laboring under a mistaken evaluation of the position. 13. Rad1 or 13. Nb5 were far better choices. 13... Bc7 Finding a way to improve his position after von Popiel's clumsy threat. 14. Rae1 Another clumsy move that did more to cramp his own position than to accomplish anything useful. 14... Ne5 Maroczy could also have played 14...f5 immediately here. 15. NxN BxN 16. g3 click for larger view From this position, in which Maroczy was already clearly much better, we can see how fine play by Maroczy and feeble play by von Popiel turned this into a win for Black in just two move: 16... f5! Maroczy is recalled as a positional and defensive player. But when the occasion required, he could also be a fine attacker. 17. Nc3 Bd7 17...a6 was probably objectively best. But Maroczy was ready to pounce by getting his Bishop to c6. 18. Nd1? Just awful. As a result of Maroczy's failure to play 17...a6, von Popiel would still have had a fighting chance with 18. Bb5. After the text, by contrast, he had no way to resist the coming onslaught from Maroczy: click for larger view 18... Bc6! Nicely exploiting the weakness in the White squares in von Popiel's position. From this point on, von Popiel never had a chance to save the game. 19. Qf2 von Popiel was just floundering at this point. 19. e4 was of course better. On the other hand, if Tal were forced to take over von Popiel's position here, I am nearly certain he would try to breathe some life into the White position with an exchange sac: 19. f4?! 19... Rf6 click for larger view Now the Black Rook jumps into action with deadly effect.. I will discuss the ensuing carnage in my next post on this game.

Jan-13-25		KEG: Post III 20. Be2 Useless, but I have found nothing that would save White. The position was now: click for larger view Black to move and win. 20... Bxg3! Not that hard to find when presented as a problem. White is toast and could have resigned right here. 21. QxB Of course if 21. hxB?? Black mates in one with 21...Qh1. 21... Rg6 Winning the Queen. 22. Bf3 RxQ+ 23. hxR click for larger view With Queen and Pawn for Knight and Rook, and with White's mangled position, the result was not in doubt, although von Popiel chose to struggle on for another 10 moves. 23... Rd8 23...BxN looks even simpler. 24. BxB 24... bxB von Popiel thus managed to mess up Maroczy's Queen-side a bit, but this was hardly enough to trouble so precise a player as Maroczy. 25. Rf2 Qh3 26. Rg2 Qg4 27. Nf2 Qb4 click for larger view The following butchery is painful to watch. 28. Re2 28. Rb1 looks better, but then 28...Rd2 would be murder. 28... Qxb2 29. Nd3 Qxa2 Gobble gobble. 30. g4 Desperation 30... fxg4 click for larger view Further commentary would be silly. 31. Nf4 a5 32. Nd3 h5 33. Kb2 Qe6 0-1 click for larger view

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