Georg Marco vs Ignatz von Popiel (1900)

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Georg Marco vs Ignatz von Popiel
12th DSB Congress, Munich (1900), Munich GER, rd 10, Aug-04
Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation (B12) · 1/2-1/2

White to move.

ANALYSIS [x]

1/2-1/2

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

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Jan-14-19		KEG: Going into this 10th round encounter, Marco was a point behind the co-leaders Schlechter and Pillsbury and a half a point behind Maroczy (who was in third place). Since all three of these players above him in the standings won their 10th round games, Marco had to win here as White against the lower-ranking von Popiel to have a realistic chance to finish in one of the top spots. But Marco overplayed his hand on the White side of a Caro-Kann Advance Variation and had to struggle just to avoid losing. Since his opponent was seemingly happy with a draw, Marco was faced with the difficult task of trying to win from an inferior position. This he was unable to do, and the resulting draw pretty much assured that the top three spots were beyond Marco's reach at Munich 1900. 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 The Advance Variation, which is theoretically sharper than 3. Nc3 or 3. exd5 and thus perhaps a better way for Marco to play for a win. 3... Bf5 3...c5 is a sharper option. The text and 3...e6 are solid ways to play for equality, which seems to have satisfied von Popiel here. 4. Bd3 This offer to trade Bishops is a known line, but probably not as good as 4. Nc3 or 4. h4 or 4. Nf3 or even 4. Be2 if White is pressing for a win. 4... BxB 5. QxB e6 6. f4?! Premature and unnecessary. 6... Nd7 6...c5 (without a preparatory Nd7) or 6...Nh6 are better ways to seek an advantage for Black in light of White's temerity. 6...Qb6 was also a possibility. But it appears that von Popiel was playing for maximum safety, and the is reasonably solid and safe. 7. Nf3 c5 Better late than never. 8. c3 This deprives the White Knight from getting to c3 anytime soon. It is good for equality, but not much else. Marco, it should be recalled, was a fine endgame player, and he may have thought that he could win from an even position against the lower-ranking von Popiel. But if so, why play the Advance Variation and 6. f4?! 8... Nh6 9. Be3 This likely entails losing his Bishop for von Popiel's h6 Knight (should Black seek that trade). 9. 0-0 seems better. 9... Ng4 von Popiel seized the chance to trade Knight for Bishop, and this got him about even chances. Had he been playing for more, he might have tried something more aggressive such as 9...Qb6 or 9...c4 or 9...Nf5 or 9...Rc8. 10. 0-0 Marco decided not to try to save the Bishop (10. Bg1 or a retreat with 10. Bc1 probably did not seem pleasant for him) and just went about developing his game. 10... NxB He might have considered 10...c4 first. 11. QxB This left: click for larger view Chances were roughly equal here. 11... g6 Not awful, but unnecessary and pretty much useless. Since von Popiel (understandably) had no plans to develop his f8 Bishop on g7, and since f5 by White was hardly a major threat at this point, von Popiel should probably just have worked on developing his own game with 11...Be7 or 11...Qb6. 12. Nbd2 Rc8 13. Rf2 An awkward way to develop the Knight (via f1). 13. Rfc1 or 13. Rac1 or perhaps 13. a4 were better. 13... Qb6 14. Nf1 Marco continued developing at a glacial pace. 14... Be7 The position now was: click for larger view This was not the position Marco was likely aiming for in seeking a win against von Popiel. As I will discuss in my next post on this game, it was here that Marco launched an ill-timed King-side assault that had the merit of sharpening play but also landed him in a difficult position in which he would have to fight to avoid defeat.

Jan-15-19		KEG: Post II 15. g4?! Perhaps feeling he had to "do" something to play for a win to keep pace with the leaders, Marco embarked on a king-side advance and attack that was of questionable soundness. Marco would probably have done better just to make the moves indicated by the position and hope to outplay his less experienced opponent, perhaps eventually in an endgame (being one of the better endgame players on the circuit at the time). 15... h5 A reasonable plan given that Black has not castled yet. 16. h3 Having played 15. g4, Marco should probably have continued 16. g5. He eventually played g5 anyway (on move 19). 16... hxg4 With his Rook on h8, this looks like a good approach for Black (von Popiel). 17. hxg4 The position was now: click for larger view 17... Kd8! A remarkable conception. von Popiel decided to "castle." King-side castling was clearly out here. And his Queen's Rook had moved to c8. So von Popiel decided to march his king to safety by the slow method of Kd8-c7-b8. 18. Kg2 Perhaps looking to be able to play his Rook to h1 to oppose the Black Rook on h8. 18... Kc7 Continuing the march of his King to the Queen-side. 19. g5 Before Black gets a chance to play f6, and preparing for a possible Knight invasion on h6 (or f6). 19... Kb8 The journey of the King was complete...or was it (see Black's next move). von Popiel might have played 19...Nb8 first to avoid having to play Ka8 in order to get his Knight to c6. 20. N3h2 Marco's plan to bring this Knight to g4 and h6 was of doubtful use to his cause. 20... Ka8 "!"--Tournament Book. This looks clever, but having his King on a8 will open him up to back-rank mating themes later on. 20...cxd4 or maybe 20...Qc7 look better. 21. Ng4 Continuing with his plan. 21... Nb8 von Popiel was understandably anxious to get his d7 Knight to c6. But given what was cooking on the h-file, von Popiel might have delayed Nb8 and played 21...Rh7 to be able to double Rooks on the h-file before playing Bf8. He wound up having to play Rh7 on his next move to defend his f7 pawn. 22. Nh6 Rh7 So Marco got his Knight to h6. But had he really accomplished anything useful? click for larger view As I will discuss in my next post on this game, Marco's "attack" was going nowhere and von Popiel (Black) in fact had the better chances. But von Popiel, being satisfied with a draw, did not make the most of his prospects.

Jan-15-19		KEG: Post III 23. Rd1 To be able to respond Rxd4 if 23...cxd4 and thus avoid the trade of Queens. As is apparent, Marco was still bent on playing for a win whatever the theoretical merits of his current position. 23... Nc6 24. Nh2 Planning to support his colleague on h6 in preparation for possible upcoming exchanges on h6. 24... Bf8 Were von Popiel trying to press for a win, he might have tried 24...Na5 or maybe 24...Qa5. But he is looking for simplifying exchanges, seemingly happy to obtain a draw with his well-known opponent. 25. N2g4 Pretty much forced at this stage. 25... cxd4 Continuing with his plan to trade off pawns and pieces rather than play to hold an advantage with something like 25...Rc7. 26. cxd4 BxN Edging closer to the draw he wanted. Otherwise von Popiel might have tried 26...Rc7 or maybe 26...Be7. The position with Marco to recapture was: click for larger view 27. NxB 27. gxB was much stronger, since then the passed pawn would give Marco compensation for his weak pawns and potentially vulnerable King position. 27... Ne7 Here in much of what follows von Popiel ignored the fact that his King was in a position such that--in many upcoming variations--he would have to worry about a back-rank mate. He should just have played 27...Kb8 here and then tried to exploit Marco's last move. 28. Rh1 28. Rc1 was the best way to seek counterplay based on the awkward position of Black's King. 28... Rch8 "!"--Tournament Book. The Tournament Book notwithstanding, von Popiel should still have solved the problem of his King position with 28...Kb8. The position was now: click for larger view 29. Qc3 This was one way to keep back-rank mates in the picture and thus keep Marco from making progress. 29... Nf5 Sorry to sound like a broken record, but in his zeal to have a bunch of trades von Popiel ignores the benefits of 29...Kb8. 30. Rc1? Marco now overdoes the them of back-rank mates, which von Popiel now finally addressed. With 30. Rff1, Marco would have run no risk of losing. 30... a6 30...Kb8 was better, but at least von Popiel has taken care of his King. 31. NxN Now that his Rook was off h1, Marco could initiate this trade. 31... gxN 31...exN 32. Qc5 would have given up all of his advantage. After the text (31...gxN) the position was: click for larger view Beginning here, as I will discuss in my next post on this game, Marco--in light of von Popiel's scary Rook battery on the h-file-- abandoned his efforts to play for a win, and sought a way to draw. But was the game savable with best play by Black?

Jan-15-19		KEG: Post IV 32. Qc5 "!"--Tournament Book. Marco had doubtless concluded that he had no winning chances. The text was his best shot at staving off defeat. 32... Rh2+ 33. Kg1 Of course not 33. Kf1?? RxR+ 34. KxR Qxb2+ and White is dead. 33... Rh1+ von Popiel could have played for a win with 33...QxQ 34.RxQ Rh1+ 35. Kg2 Kb8 with the better game and some chances to seek a win. Magnus Carlsen would almost certainly play this line and try to squeeze White in the double Rook ending. 34. Kg2 R8h2+ von Popiel again could have sought to win in a double Rook ending by trading Queens here. As is discussed below, it is far from clear that Black could win such an ending, but wasn't an effort worth while? 35. Kg3 Rh3+ QxQ was again an option. 36. Kg2 R1h2+ Ditto. 37. Kg1 Rh1+ Again foregoing the chance to seek victory in a double Rook ending by trading Queens. 38. Kg2 The position was now: click for larger view The players here agreed to a draw. 1/2 -- 1/2 von Popiel still had the option of trading Queens and trying to win a double Rook ending. What were the chances. If 38...QxQ 39. RxQ Kb8 40. Rcc2 R1h2+ 41. Kf1 RxR+ 42. RxR Rd3 Black wins a pawn with winning chances. 39. cxQ may be better, e.g., 39...R3h2+ 40. Kg3 seems to let White escape, so 39...RxR 40. KxR Rg1 (40...Rxc5 41. Rh2 seems to give White adequate compensation for the lost pawn) 41. Kh4 Rh1+ 42. Kg3 Kb8 looks like best play for both sides and gives White winning chances, but no clear win I can find. In sum, there may not have been a theoretical win here,but as a practical matter would give Black serious winning chances. So it was certainly worth while for von Popiel to have made the effort.

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