"This was the first round to be played away from the large cities in western Holland. The show went 'on the road,' and the masters travelled to Groningen, a provincial town in northern Holland. Flohr and Reshevsky by train on Friday, Alekhine and Fine by train on Saturday. Dr. Euwe, Capablanca, Keres, Botvinnik and tournament director Landau, with their respective wives, by a special airplane made available for that purpose."

"The first 7 moves are identical with the Dake-Reshevsky game in the last U.S. Championship tournament. Dake vs Reshevsky, 1938 With 8. Re1, Keres improves on Dake's play and leads Sammy into what has all the earmarks of a prepared variation. S.S.C."

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. 0-0 d6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. d4 Nxe4 8. Re1! f5 9. dxe5 d5 10. Nd4 c5 11. Ne2 c6 12. Nf4! g6 <The threat was 13. Qh5+.> 13. c4! d4 <Keres' 13th move had two objectives: to break open the center and give the White Queen access to a4. Reshevsky avoids the former but cannot prevent the latter.> 14. Qa4 Bb7 <Not 14 ... Bd7 15. e6!> 15. f3 Ng5 16. h4! Nf7 17. e6! Qxh4 <Reshevsky must lose a piece and decides to give up the Knight for two Pawns. The alternative was 17 ... Nd6 18. e7! Bxe7 19. Nd5! Nc8 20. Nxe7 Nxe7 21. Bg5!> 18. exf7+ Kxf7 19. Nd3 Bd6 20. f4 Rae8 21. Qd1 g5 22. Nd2 g4 23. Nf1 Re4 24. Nf2 Rxe1 25. Qxe1 Re8 26. Qd1 Qh6 27. Nd3 Bc8 28. Bd2 Qh4 29. Qc2 Re2 30. Re1 Rxe1 31. Bxe1 Qe7 32. Qd2 h5 33. Ne5+ Kg7 <Reshevsky declines the Pawn offered by Keres (33 ... Bxe5 34. fxe5 Qxe5) because it opens the lines for White's pieces to get into the game.> 34. Qe2 h4 35. Nd2 Bd7 36. Nb3 Be8 37. Nc1 Bf7 38. b3 Bh5 39. Ncd3 Kh6 40. g3 h3 41. Qb2 Be8 42. Qa3 Qa7 43. Qa5 Be7 44. Bd2 1-0.

Notes by S.S. Cohen, former "Chess Life and Review" editor, translated into algebraic by myself. Source = "The Best of Chess Life and Review, Volume 1" edited by Bruce Pandolfini. Simon & Schuster, New York, 1988.

<Ruminator> Black is in quite a bind at the end. The Be8 is tied to c6 while the Be7 and the Qa7 are tied to c5. If Black just sits tight, the Bishop maneuver Bd2-c1-a3 wins the Pc5 followed by the Pd4 with an easy win.

The opening is the Modern Steinitz Defense to the Ruy Lopez (... a6 & ... d6) with features similar to the Exchange Doubly Deferred (DERLD) when White trades 6. Bxc6+. Note White made expert use of the d3 blockading square throughout the middlegame.