White has not yet completed his development, and his first care should be to bring out his KKt. This he could have done without difficulty, thus: 11. BxB, KtxB; 12. Kt-R3. After the move in the text, Black not only occupies the King’s file but gains a move in so doing.
11. … BxBch 12. QxB R-K1 13. Q-Q4 Q-Q3
Black’s course is obvious; he must win the QP. The forces will then be equal in material, but there will remain a
Diag. 101
flaw in White’s position, namely the exposed KBP, and this tells in the ending.
14. P-KR3
Now the square at KKt3 is unprotected, and this is serious in view of a probable Knight’s ending, where, moreover, it will sooner or later be necessary to play P-KKt3 in order to support the KBP. Both the KKtP and KBP would be weak, with the King on the other wing, and be under constant threat of being captured. The game does proceed as indicated, and the simple and logical manner in which Marshall brings home his advantage in a very short time shows convincingly how fatal a shattered pawn position can be for the end-game. Instead of the move in the text, White should have played BxB followed by Kt-B3, which would have completed his development without making another pawn move.
14. … BxB 15. KtxB QR-Q1 16. KR-KI RxR 17. RxR QKtxP 18. KtxKt KtxKt 19. P-KKt3 P-KR3
making a loophole for the King. In this case the move is correct, as the threat of mate ties the Black Rook to his rank. It is wrong to make a loophole, as weak players are fond of doing, as early as possible “in case,” before it is shown that there will be a need for it, or that there will be a Rook ending.