[Event "St Petersburg"] [Site "St Petersburg"] [Round "0"] [White "Alekhine"] [Black "Marshall"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C42"] [Opening "Russian Game: Classical"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. c4 Bb4+ 8. Nbd2 Nxd2 {Natural, but inaccurate. Alekhine, in his excellent book, "My Best Games of Chess 1908-1923, stated that 8. ... O-O was correct} (8... O-O 9. O-O Bxd2 $1 10. Bxd2 Bg4 {Black would have good play - Alekhine}) 9. Bxd2 Qe7+ 10. Qe2 Qxe2+ {Black proceeds with his policy of exchanges. According to Alekhine, the exchange of Queens is a decisive mistake.} (10... Bxd2+ 11. Kxd2 Qxe2+ 12. Bxe2 dxc4 13. Bxc4 O-O {keeping White's advantage within bounds}) 11. Kxe2 Bxd2 12. Kxd2 $1 {The difference between this line and the one just now emereges.} 12... Be6 (12... dxc4 13. Rhe1+ $1 {White interpolates}) 13. cxd5 Bxd5 14. Rhe1+ Kd8 15. Be4 $1 Bxe4 (15... c6 16. Bxd5 cxd5 17. Re5 $18) 16. Rxe4 Re8 17. Rae1 Rxe4 18. Rxe4 Nc6 {Black is out ot exchange nearly all the pieces as fast as possible, and if he only had time for ... Kd7 and ... Re8 this plan would have succeeded completely. All these exchanges have left White with a lead in development. True, there is not much material left, but it is enough to keep White in control} 19. Rg4 $1 (19. -- Kd7 20. -- Re8) (19. Ng5 Kd7 $1 20. Nxh7 Rh8) 19... g6 20. Rh4 Ke7 (20... h5 21. g4 $1 Kd7 22. gxh5) 21. Rxh7 Rd8 22. Rh4 Rd5 23. Re4+ Kf8 (23... Kf6 24. Kc3 -- 25. Re8) 24. Kc3 Rf5 25. Re2 a6 26. a3 Ne7 {In order to occupy d5 with the Knight - a stratagem already known to us in the play against an isolated pawn} 27. Re5 $1 Rf6 (27... Rxe5 28. dxe5 { Black has no compensation for his pawn}) 28. Kd3 b6 29. Re2 $1 Nd5 30. Ke4 Nf4 (30... Re6+ 31. Ne5 Nf6+ 32. Kf3 {leads to nothing}) 31. Rc2 Nxg2 { threatening to win a piece} 32. Ne5 $1 (32. -- Rf4+ { White can't take the c-pawn}) 32... Ke8 { Now Black in his turn cannot protect the c-pawn because of the threatened Nd7+} 33. Rxc7 Rxf2 34. Nc4 $1 b5 35. Nd6+ Kf8 36. d5 f6 37. Nb7 $1 { Preparing the decisive advance of the d-pawn} 37... Nf4 38. b4 g5 39. d6 Ne6 40. Kd5 $1 Nf4+ (40... Nxc7+ 41. dxc7 Rc2 42. Nc5 $18) (40... Re2 41. Kc6 Nd4+ 42. Kb6) 41. Kc6 Rxh2 42. Nc5 $1 {This prevents the enemy Knight from opposing the advance of the d-pawn. The rest presents no difficulty} 42... Rd2 43. Rc8+ Kf7 44. d7 Ne6 45. Nxe6 Kxe6 46. d8=Q Rxd8 47. Rxd8 g4 48. Re8+ Kf7 49. Re2 f5 50. Kd5 Kf6 51. Kd4 f4 52. Ke4 Kg5 53. Rc2 f3 54. Rd2 Kh4 55. Kf4 Kh3 1-0