(1) Marshall,Frank James - Reti,Richard [E90]
New York 1924 New York (1), 16.03.1924



1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Bd3 Bg4 7.h3 Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Nfd7 9.Be3 c5 10.d5 Ne5 11.Qe2 Nxd3+ 12.Qxd3 Nd7 13.0-0 Qa5 14.Bd2 a6 15.Nd1 Qc7 16.Bc3 Ne5 17.Qe2 b5 18.cxb5 axb5 19.f4 Nc4 20.Bxg7 Kxg7 21.Nc3 Qa5 22.a4 Qb4 23.Nxb5?
[Alekhine: "Likewise after 23.axb5 Rxa1 24.Rxa1 Nxb2 25.Rb1 Qxc3 26.Qxb2 Qxb2 27.Rxb2 Rb8 , etc., the Rook ending because of the protected passed pawn would be in Black's favor, for instance: 28.Kf2 Kf8 29.Ke3 Ke8 30.Kd3 Kd7 31.Kc4 Kc7 32.Ra2 Kb7 33.Ra6 Ra8 34.Rxa8 Kxa8 , and now Black, moving his King from a8 to b8 and back again, merely waits until White's pawn moves in the center and on the King's side have been exhausted, whereupon White faces the alternative of moving either the b-pawn or the King. In the first case would follow b6, ...Ka8 (or vice versa [Kb8] and only after Kb5, ...Kb7 winning; in the second place, at once ...Kb7, followed by ...Kb6, with the same result." Following Alekhine's directions, the game would go 35.g4 Kb8? (35...f6!! looks like a draw) 36.h4! Ka8 37.g5 Kb8 but now 38.e5!! wins for White, not Black. The denouement might be 38...Kb7 39.e6!! fxe6 40.dxe6 Kb6 41.h5!! d5+ 42.Kxd5 gxh5 43.f5 h4 44.f6 h3 45.fxe7 h2 46.e8Q h1Q+ 47.Kd6 Qh2+ 48.Ke7 Ka5 49.Qc6 Qh4 50.b6 Qxg5+ 51.Kd7 Qd2+ 52.Kc8 Qh6 53.b7 Qf8+ 54.Kd7 Qg7+ 55.e7 Qg4+ 56.Kc7 Qg3+ 57.Qd6 Qg8 58.b8Q and mate shortly.]

23...Rxa4 24.Rxa4 Qxa4 25.Rc1?
[This puts the draw in jeopardy. Much more solid is 25.Nc3 Qb3 26.Rb1 Rb8 27.Kh2 and White may be able to hold this inferior position . Black cannot win the pawn with 27...Nxb2? since 28.Nd1 wins the knight.]

25...Qxb5 26.Rxc4 Rb8 27.Rc2 Qxe2?
[Alekhine does not see that 27...Qa4! would put White under great stress. For example: 28.Kf2 Rb4 29.Kf3 f5 30.exf5 Rxf4+ 31.Kg3 Rxf5 32.Rc4 Qe8 33.Re4 e5!! 34.b4! (34.dxe6? d5! and Black wins, just like that. For example: 35.Re3 (or 35.Re5 Qb8! ; also 35.Rh4 Qb8+ ) 35...Qb8+! 36.Kh4 Qf4+ 37.Qg4 Rh5# ) 34...cxb4 35.Rxb4 Qf7 36.Qd2 Rf1 and Black certainly has winning chances.]

28.Rxe2 Rb4 29.Kf2 Kf8 30.Kf3 Rd4 31.g4 Ke8 32.Re3 Rb4 33.Ra3 Rxb2 34.Ra8+ Kd7 35.Ra7+ Kd8 36.e5 dxe5 37.fxe5 c4 38.Ke3 c3 39.Ra8+ Kc7 40.Ra7+ Kd8 41.Ra8+ Kc7 42.Ra7+ Rb7 43.Ra3 c2 44.Rc3+ Kd7 45.Rxc2 Rb3+ 46.Kd4 Rxh3 47.Ra2 Rg3 48.Ra7+ Kd8 49.Ra8+ Kc7 50.Ra7+ Kd8 1/2-1/2