Frank Marshall vs Isidor Gunsberg (1901)

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Frank Marshall vs Isidor Gunsberg
Monte Carlo (1901), Monte Carlo MNC, rd 3, Feb-07
Queen Pawn Game: Veresov Atack. Alburt Defense (D00) · 1/2-1/2

White to move.

ANALYSIS [x]

1/2-1/2

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Sep-24-19		KEG: Marshall tried an unusual and seemingly exciting opening. But his decision to swap Queens coupled with one or two second-best moves got him into an ending in which his shattered King-side pawn structure gave Gunsberg a small advantage. Gunsberg struggled for nearly 50 moves to try to make something of his advantage, but got nowhere. Neither side was even close to winning, and the last approximately 20 moves were fairly tedious before the game was eventually abandoned as a draw. At the conclusion of this game, Marshall had drawn his first four games: (his first round game with Tchigorin and its replay; his second-round game with Winawer and this third-round game with Gunsberg. Under the rules used at Monte Carlo 1901, each draw yielded 1/4 of a point and had to be replayed. Therefore, after three round, Marshall had 1 point (1/4 times 4) with two games to be replayed (both of which he eventually lost). An exhausting and quite unsuccessful start of Monte Carlo 1901 for Marshall who had performed so brilliantly at Paris 1900 and for whom Monte Carlo was to be a painful learning experience. 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 Marshall tried this unusual Knight move in his first-round draw with Tchigorin. He later lost games with this move against Wolf in 1902 and against Tarrasch in their 1905 match. The move is certainly quite playable, retains a small edge for White, and can have considerable surprise value. Karpov won twice with this move, it became a favorite of Aronian, and was successfully played by Nakamura in 2018 against Xu. 2... Bf5 The more "usual" (to the extent anything can be called "usual" in this off-beat variation) 2...Nf6 is also good. 3. Bf4 Also played by Nakamura in his game with Xu and by Vera Menchik in her 1935 draw with Salo Flohr at Moscow 1935. 3. f3 and 3. Bg5 are also good alternatives. 3... e6 4. e3 Bd6 Thus far identical with the above-cited Menchik-Flohr and Nakamura-Xu games. click for larger view 5. Bg3 As played by Nakamura against Xu. Menchik played 5. Bd3 4. BxBor 5. g4 are two ways for White to fight to retain some advantage. 5... h5 Gunsberg decided to go for broke by advancing his h-pawn on the King-side. Xu played 5...Nf6 against Nakamura. 5...Ne7 or 5...Nc6 are also playable. The choice among these options is primarily one of style. 6. Nf3 h4?! The h-pawn, which was to march on to g2, continued. 7. BxB QxB click for larger view 8. Bd3 8. h3 to prevent 8...h3 looks more prudent. But Marshall was still fine after the text. 8... h3 Gunsberg was not to be distracted! 9. BxB hxg2 click for larger view 10. Rg1 exB 11. Qd3 Ne7 12. Rxg2 g6 click for larger view

Sep-25-19		KEG: Post II After a fascinating beginning, the game cooled down when Marshall decided to allow the trade of Queens: 13. Qb5+ This move can hardly be called "bad," but I would have expected the more venturesome 13. 0-0-0 from an attacking player such as Marshall. 13... Qc6 13...Nd7 or 13...Nbc6 could lead to sharper play, but Gunsberg was happy to play an endgame with Marshall. From his performance at Paris 1900, Marshall at this early stage of his career was known as a dangerous attacking player whose endgame technique was at a lower caliber. 14. Ne5 Less dangerous than it looks. Having played 13. Qb5+, Marshall might as well have played 14. QxQ+ or maybe 14. a4. The text allowed Gunsberg to obtain an endgame in Black had the somewhat better chances because of the weak White pawn on h2. The White Knight on b5 can be quickly driven away: 14... QxQ 15. NxQ Na6 click for larger view 16. 0-0-0 Rd8 17. Nxa7 c6 would obviously not be good for White. 17. Rh1 c6 18. Nc3 Rh6 Gunsberg's plan of loading up on the h-file was already beginning to take shape: click for larger view 19. Rhg1 Marshall's uncertainty at this stage of his career in such a position requiring slow maneuvering is apparent. Given the coming crisis on the King-side, 19. Ne2 immediately made more sense. Marshall would later need the g1 square for his Knight and the Rook on this square only tangled up his forces. 19... Nc7 20. Ne2 Ne6 21. f4 Creating needless weaknesses. 21. Nf3 was simpler and better. The text, of course, didn't put Marshall in much jeopardy, but it made securing the draw a bit harder. 21... Kf8 En route to g7 so he could double his Rooks on the h-file. 22. Ng3 Still confused on how ton align his pieces. 22. Nf3 immediately was better, as was shifting the uselessly placed Rook on g1 to h1 or e1. 22... Kg7 23. Nf3 Rh3 The harassment of the White h-pawn begins. click for larger view 24. Rh1 Effectively conceding that his prior dithering was misguided. 24... Rdh8 25. Ng1 Reh6 26. Nf3 Implicitly offering a draw. 26... Nf8 Gunsberg decided to torture Marshall for a while. The Knight is beginning a journey to g4. 27. Kd2 Nd7 28. Ke2 Nf6 click for larger view

Sep-25-19		KEG: Post III 29. Rc1! Not the computer move (Fritz 15 and Stockfish both recommend 29. h4), but it looks good to me. Marshall decided to stop playing punching board on the King-side and to seek counter-play on then opposite wing. This strategy (against less than ideal play by Gunsberg it must be conceded) allowed Marshall to draw the game. 29... Ng4 Gunsberg had been aiming at this square for his Knight for several moves. 30. Nf1 Triple defending the h-pawn. 30... Nc8 31. c4?! Doubling-down on his 29th move. Safer were 31. Kd3; 31. b3; or 31. a4. But Marshall was apparently tired by this point of being a doormat. 31... dxc4 32. Rxc4 click for larger view 32... Nb6 32...Re8 immediately was more forceful and would force Marshall to justify his efforts at counterplay. 33. Rb4 Re8 34. Ne5 click for larger view 34... NxN This helped relieve much of Marshall's difficulties. 34...Re7 or 34...Nf6 and probably also 34...Rh4 seem much better tries to exploit Black's advantage. 35. dxN f6 36. exf6+ Kxf6 click for larger view 37. Rb3 37. Kf3 looks simpler. 37... Rh3+ 38. Rg3 Rh7 39. Rd4 Missing the better 39. e4. 39... Nd5 Taking advantage of Marshall's last move. 40. a3 Not 40. e4? fxe4+ 41. Rxe4 RxR 42. KxR Rh4! 40... Rhe7 After this, Marshall was able to solve most of his problems. 41. Rd3 click for larger view

Sep-26-19		KEG: Post IV 41... Re4 After this, Gunsberg's chances of victory were pretty much at an end. Moving back to the h-file with 41...Rh8 was his only real chance. 42. h4! Now Marshall was out of the woods. 42... Rh8 Too late. 43. Nd2 Rhe8! A little trick for which Marshall did not fall: click for larger view 44. Kf2 Obviously not 44. NxR+ fxN+ 45. Ke2 exR+ and Black wins a piece and the game. 44... R4e7 Gunsberg could have abandoned his winning efforts here. The result was now not in doubt. 45. Nc4 Rh7 46. Ne5 Rg8 47. Rh3 Ke6 48. Nf3 Ke7 49. Rd1 Nd6 50. Ng5 Rhh8 click for larger view 51. e4 A cute trick by Marshall that made the draw all the more clear. 51... fxd4 52. Re1 Rd8 53. Nxe4 NxN+ 54. RxN+ Kf6 click for larger view 55. Rb3! Rd7 Pretty much conceding that the struggle is over. But even after 55...Rxh4 56. Rxb7 Kf5 57. Ree7 Rxf4+ 58. Ke3 Rfd4 59. Rxa7 Black would have little or no serious winning chances. 56. Kg3 Rh5 57. Rbe3 Rb5 58. b4 Rbd5 59. Kg4 Rd1 60. Re6+ Kf7 61. R6e5 Rg1+ 62. Kf3 click for larger view 1/2 -- 1/2

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