Chess Strategy · Chapter 15Game No. 7
This chapter is not translated yet. You are reading the original.
White: Marshall. Black: Tarrasch.
Max Lange Attack.
1. P-K4 P-K4 2. P-Q4 PxP 3. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3 4. B-QB4 B-B4 5. Castles Kt-B3
Black can avoid the complications of the Max Lange attack by 5. … P-Q3. In that case White cannot recover the pawn, and in order to develop his QKt effectively, would have to play P-B3, aiming at rapid development in return, after 6. … PxP; 7. KtxP. But Black can frustrate this plan either by pushing his pawn to Q6, so that the QKt is barred from the square B3, or by playing B-KKt5 with this probable continuation: 7. Q-Kt3, BxKt; 8. BxPch, K-B1; 9. PxB, Kt-B3, and Black has the better game, for White’s King’s side is broken up and his pieces undeveloped, while Black has prospects of attack on the open KB file.
6. P-K5 P-Q4 7. PxKt PxB 8. R-K1ch B-K3 9. Kt-Kt5 Q-Q4
This is the typical position in the Max Lange attack. With his ninth move White threatened to win a piece by KtxB and Q-R5ch. Black could not parry the threat by 9. … Q-Q3, on account of PxP followed by Kt-K4-B6ch. The position in the diagram appears to be favourable for Black, as all his minor pieces are in play, whilst White’s development is somewhat restricted by Black’s strong pawns at QB5 and Q5. For a long time this opening has not been played in tournaments, being considered unsatisfactory for White. With the present game, and his new move of 15. B-R6, Marshall has reopened the question as to whether White’s attack on the K file plus the pawn at KKt7 is sufficiently tempting.
10. Kt-QB3 Q-B4 11. QKt-K4 Castles QR
This is imperative. If Black retires the Bishop from his unsafe position, White permanently prevents Black from castling, which is bound to be fatal in view of the open K file—e.g. 11. … B- Kt3; 12. PxP, R-KKt1; 13. P-KKt4, Q-Kt3; 14. KtxB, PxKt; l5. B- Kt5, RxP; 16. Q-B3 with a violent attack.
12. KtxQB
If White tries to win the exchange in the following way: 12. P- KKt4, Q-K4!; 13. Kt-KB3, Q-Q4; 14. PxP followed by Kt-B6, Black can initiate a promising counter attack by 14. … BxP!!; 15. PxR-Q, RxQ; 16. Kt-B6, QxKt; 17. QxQ, BxQ. In this case White exposes his King’s side by P-KKt4 in order to benefit from the unstable position of the Black KB, but unless care is taken, he can easily fall a victim to an attack on the open KKt file
12. … PxKt 13. P-KKt4 Q-K4
Not Q-Q4, on account of PxP and Kt-B6.
14. PxP KR-Kt1 15. B-R6
This is Marshall’s innovation. It gets the Bishop out of play, as P-Kt5 must necessarily follow, yet the pawn at Kt7 holds the Black Rook, and there is a permanent threat of Kt-B6 either winning the exchange or, if the Knight is taken, giving White a pair of formidable passed pawns.
This is quite to White’s liking, since he wishes to advance Ids centre pawns. Black’s only chance of escaping disaster would be: B-K2, with R-Q2, Kt-Q1-B2. Instead of this, his next few moves do not reveal any concerted plan, and he loses in a surprisingly short time.
17. P-B4 Q-Q4 18. Q-B3 B-K2 19. P-Kt5 Q-B4 20. Kt-Kt3 Q-B2
In manoeuvring his Q, Black has achieved nothing either for counter attack or defence. Now White has numerous attacking chances. He first turns his attention to the KP.
21. Q-Kt4 QR-K1 22. R-K4! P-Kt4 23. P-QR4
and now even the QR takes part in the assault. Black’s game is hopeless.
23. … P-R3 24. PxP PxP 25. K-Kt2
attacking the KP by avoiding the check.
25. … Kt-Q1 26. Q-B3 Q-Kt3 27. R-Q4 P-B3 28. RxKtch KxR 29. QxP Resigns.
After this, no master has tried to defend a “Max Lange” in an international tournament.