Monkey Business in Chess

[Event "New York"] [Site "New York"] [Date "1924.??.??"] [Round "4"] [White "Tartakower, Saviely"] [Black "Maroczy, Geza"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "A00"] [Annotator "Alekhine, A."] [PlyCount "113"] [EventDate "1924.??.??"] [EventType "tourn"] [EventRounds "7"] [EventCountry "USA"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceDate "1999.07.01"] 1. b4 {[An old move, the chief drawback of which is the fact that White discloses his intentions before knowing those of his opponent. He need not necessarily be at a disadvantage, thereby, but is not that altogether too small a satisfaction for the first player?]} e6 ({It is not clear why Black at the very start should close the diagonal to his Queen's Bishop. More logical at all events seems to be} 1... d5 {at once.}) 2. Bb2 Nf6 3. b5 d5 4. e3 Be7 5. f4 {[White has a definite opening purpose - the command of the black square. To neglect development on that account, however, is surely unsound strategy, which, too, with more energetic counter-play, would have met with its punishment.]} O-O 6. Bd3 ({Why post the Bishop on a bad spot when first of all the Knight may be developed} 6. Nf3 {to a good one?}) 6... a6 ({More energetic utilization of the adversary's eccentricities here would have been} 6... c5 { for then (apart from 7.bxc6 bxc6, which clearly would have been equivalent to an avowal of bad play) White would have had only a choice between 7.c4 and further development by means of 7.Nf3. In the first case} 7. c4 ({In the second, however, after} 7. Nf3 a6 8. a4 c4 9. Be2 axb5 10. axb5 Rxa1 11. Bxa1 Qa5 12. Nc3 Bb4 13. Qb1 Nbd7 14. O-O Nc5 {etc., the opening of the a-file would in any case have given promise of greater initiative than before the move 6.c5.}) 7... dxc4 8. Bxc4 Nbd7 {etc., White's backward d-pawn would be a clear positional disadvantage.}) 7. a4 axb5 8. axb5 Rxa1 9. Bxa1 Nbd7 (9... c5 {was still strong, even though in the variation} 10. bxc6 bxc6 {etc., the disappearance of the a-pawns and the Rooks would hve been rather a relief for White. The leap of the Knight to e4, prepared by the text-move, leads to nothing, as the Knight may easily be dislodged.}) 10. Nf3 Ne4 11. O-O f5 12. Be2 {[Now Black as a matter of fact has no adequate compensation for the weakness of his black squares.]} Nd6 13. Qc1 Bf6 14. Na3 ({The Knight will remain here for a long time inactive and exposed. After the immediate} 14. Ne5 {however, Black would have been able to reply with} Bxe5 15. fxe5 Nc4 $1 16. Bxc4 dxc4 17. Na3 Nb6 {[%cal Yd8d5] followed by 18...Qd5, etc.}) 14... c6 15. bxc6 bxc6 16. Ne5 ({After} 16. Nd4 {there could have followed} Nb8 {and after} 17. c4 {then} Ba6 {etc. After the text move, through the forced sequel of which the square e5 is yielded to Black, the game takes on a drawish character. }) 16... Bxe5 17. fxe5 Nf7 18. d4 Ng5 19. c4 Ba6 20. Re1 Qa8 21. Bc3 ({White wrongly hesitates to strike out and in consequence is placed slightly at a disadvantage, e.g.} 21. cxd5 cxd5 (21... Bxe2 22. dxe6) 22. Nb5 Bxb5 23. Bxb5 { followed by} Rc8 {and 24...Nb6, would have made the peace pact easier for him.} ) 21... Rb8 22. Qc2 Ne4 23. Bd3 Rb7 ({If} 23... Nb6 {at once, then} 24. Ra1 { and if} Nxc3 25. Qxc3 Na4 26. Qa5 {etc.}) 24. Rc1 Nb6 25. Be1 ({Now} 25. Ra1 { could have been answered by} Ra7) 25... h6 26. Bxe4 ({He should have perpared for this exchange, which could not have been avoided in the long run, with} 26. h3 {for now Black can obtain a decisive advantage.}) 26... dxe4 ({Correct would have been} 26... fxe4 27. cxd5 ({if} 27. c5 Bd3 {etc., and the black pieces would force an entrance}) 27... Qf8 $1 28. Bf2 Qxa3 {whereupon neither} 29. Qxc6 ({nor} 29. dxe6 Bb5) ({nor} 29. dxc6 Rc7) 29... exd5 {need have been feared by Black. The text move not alone permits the victory to slip out of hand, but even affords the opponent a chance in the center, which, with a little care, however, attains no decisive significance.}) 27. Qc3 Nd7 28. Rb1 Rxb1 29. Nxb1 Qb7 30. Na3 Qb6 ({Inasmuch as Black connot avoid and exchange of Queens, he would have done best to prepare for counter-play on the Kingside with} 30... Kf7 {[%cal Yg7g5] followed by ...g7-g5, etc.}) 31. Bd2 Kf7 32. g3 Nf8 ({Loss of time!} 32... g5 {could have been played without hesitation. Thereupon White would have been obliged to exchange Queens, as the complications associated with} 33. g4 {would have been in favor of Black, for instance:} fxg4 34. Qc2 Nf8 35. Qxe4 Qb3 {etc.}) 33. Qb4 Qxb4 34. Bxb4 Nd7 35. Ba5 g5 36. Kf2 Ke8 ({Here there is nothing for the King to do. With} 36... Kg6 {the game could have been easily drawn, as the White King, on account of the possible ...f5-f4, could not then wander off to the Queenside of the board.}) 37. Ke2 c5 ({Hereupon Black actually gets a lost position, because the White King will at last come into play. After} 37... Kf7 {the game would still not have been lost.}) 38. Nb5 Kf7 ({Black dare not take this intruder, for, after} 38... Bxb5 39. cxb5 {and 40.Bc7, his Knight would be captured through the advance of the b-pawn. Consequently, there remains nothing for him except to seek safety on the Kingside.}) 39. Kd2 cxd4 40. exd4 f4 41. Nd6+ Kg6 42. Kc3 e3 43. Kd3 {[Threatening to win a pawn with 44.Ke4, which is first of all prevented by the next move of Black's Knight.]} Nb8 44. Ke4 Nc6 45. Bc3 e2 { [As easily to be seen, Black's line of play is dictated.]} 46. gxf4 gxf4 47. Bd2 ({White, who until now has conducted the interesting endling faultlessly, permits victory to slip from him here. Correct would have been} 47. Be1 $1 { whereupon the advance of the center pawns would have been decisive:} f3 48. d5 exd5+ 49. cxd5 Ne7 50. e6 Kf6 51. Bh4+ Kg6 52. Ke5 Kh5 53. Be1 Kg6 54. Nf7 { etc. With the text move the opponent is presented with the tempo he needed for a draw.}) 47... f3 48. Kxf3 ({Likewise} 48. Be1 {no longer leads to the goal after} Nb4 $1 49. Kxf3 Nc2 {followed by} 50. Kxe2 Nxd4+ {and White's remaining extra pawn would not suffice for a win.}) 48... Nxd4+ 49. Ke3 Nf5+ 50. Kxe2 Nxd6 51. exd6 Bxc4+ 52. Ke3 Bb5 53. Kd4 h5 54. Kc5 Ba4 55. Kb6 Kf7 56. Kc7 Ke8 57. Bf4 1/2-1/2