I was a witness to the playing of this game. My part was to carry radiograms from the Henry Hudson's Grand Ballroom mezzanine, where the MacKay Radio operators were to the catering room, half a floor up, where the American players were.

In his comments for this game, Duras vs Maroczy, 1906, Emanuel Lasker stated: <The preceding moves are part of a well known book variation. Here, however, 17.Re1 is the usual continuation.>

Another early game in this variation was B Fleissig vs Mackenzie, 1882. However, in this game Fleissig varied first with 15.Bb3.

Which line?

Smyslov: "A very interesting position has arisen. Black has a queen against White's rook and two bishops and an avalanche of pawns on the queenside. Whose chances are better in the coming sharp struggle is a question that still awaits a definitive answer."

Kasparov: "Alas, I have the feeling that this variation is avoided by both sides nowadays. Instinctively it seems to me that White should be better, although the computer confers a gigantic advantage on Black. In general, the situation is unclear, but playing White is more interesting: there is the possibility of attacking!"

23..c5 was played twice against Boleslavsky; By Ragozin (Moscow 1942, White won) and Botvinnik (Sverdlovsk 1943, drawn). 24..c5? was a serious error; 24..d4 holding on to his d-pawn was necessary as played by Tal in his win over Tseshkovsky at Leningrad 1974. 26..Qd4 27 Be4..Rd8 28 Bxg3 would not have helped Black. 28..Qxa2 29 Bxc4..Rxd1 30 Rxd1 would have won for White.

Boleslavsky-Ragozin is Boleslavsky vs Ragozin, 1942

Boleslavsky-Botvinnik is Boleslavsky vs Botvinnik, 1943

Did Reshevsky miss the memo? Smyslov wasn't too bad when they went at it over the same board. This just sounds like more sour grapes.

<In our country, chess has always evolved under the influence of Chigorinian traditions, and Soviet masters have raised chess art to new heights. I believe that the result of the match showed that our American friends underestimated the strength of the Soviet team. An example is the first game between Smyslov and Reshevsky. Up until the 18th move, it followed the game between Duras and Maroczy from the Ostend tournament in 1906. Relying on it, Reshevsky undertook the same knight sacrifice as Maroczy. But Reshevsky did not know the Boleslavsky-Ragozin game, played in the Moscow championship in 1942, in which Boleslavsky found a brilliant refutation of Maroczy's plan. When in March 1943 I learned of the Boleslavsky-Ragozin game, I spent several days and nights trying to improve the defense for Black. In the same year at the tournament in Sverdlovsk, I employed the "improved" defense against Boleslavsky. Although our Sverdlovsk meeting ended in a draw, I was in a difficult situation. The idea of Boleslavsky again triumphed.>

Here is the 1906 game Botvinnik refers to:

Duras vs Maroczy, 1906

Obviously I was much too tired when I first posted last night, and after seeing how bad my aim was, I went immediately to bed.