All the 
best 
in chess.
(TM)

 The ratings of each of the players. 

1. Alexander A. Alekhine - 2754  (World rank - according to Jeff Sonas: # 3)  

2. Jose R. Capablanca - 2748  (World rank - according to J. Sonas: # 4)  

3. Aaron Nimzowitsch - 2742  (World rank - according to J. Sonas: # 5) 

4. Milan Vidmar - 2680  (World rank - according to J. Sonas: # 7) 

5. Frank Marshall - 2680  (World rank - according to J. Sonas: # 8) 

6. Rudolf Spielmann - 2655  (World rank - according to J. Sonas: # 12)  

In my opinion, you could tack on at least another fifty-to-seventy-five points to all of these players ratings ... in order to get post-2000 equivalent (rating) results. This would have made this a very high-ranking tournament, indeed. 

  GM Jose R. Capablanca (2748) - GM Rudolf Spielmann (2655)  
  [D38]  
  ICT, All-Master (Invitational)  
  New York, NY (USA) / Round # 03 / 18,02,1927.  

I believe this to be one of Capa's finest and best played games, it also won FIRST brilliancy prize at this tournament! 

In this event, six of the world's very best players gathered in one place and played a quadruple round-robin. By today's standards, this event would have been at least a category 19 or even 20 ... and Capa ran away with it. In fact, at the end of the tournament, he began to offer draws from positions where he clearly stood better. If not for this, his winning margin of 2.5 points (with no losses) could have easily been much greater. 

   **********************************************************************************************   

 1.d4 d5;  2.Nf3 e6;  3.c4 Nd7;  4.Nc3 Ngf6;  5.Bg5,  
By an unusual move order, we have arrived at a standard position for the Queen's Gambit Declined.   

[ The move of  5.e3,  leads to the ever popular Meran System. ]   

 

 5...Bb4!?;   
The Manhattan Variation, a sub-variant of the Ragozin System.  
(Unusual back then, today this would not even raise an eyebrow.)  

 6.cxd5 exd5;  7.Qa4!?,  (TN?)    
This was given an exclam by Reinfeld, but it is not the main line of this system today.   
(Of course it is also perfectly playable, and even pretty good for White.)  

  r1bqk2r/pppn1ppp/5n2/3p2B1/Qb1P4/2N2N2/PP2PPPP/R3KB1R b  

However, Capa is improving on his own play - earlier in this same event - where he only drew that game.  [Review that game.] 

[ The main line today would be:  
  7.e3 c5;  8.Bd3 Qa5;  9.Qc2 c4;  10.Bf5 0-0;  11.0-0, "+/="  {D?}  
   with a small plus for White.   

   A. Karpov - J. Hjartarsson;  / ICT, World Cup (Round # 5)   
   Reykjavik, Iceland; 1991.   {White won in 48 moves.}  

   [ See also MCO-14, page # 422; all columns and notes.  
     (This game - and my note - is closest to column # 77.) ] ]  

 

Here Black surrenders his dark-squared Bishop. While even some authors do not question this idea here, Black might have considered playing something like ...a5 instead.  

 7...Bxc3+;  8.bxc3 0-0;  9.e3 c5!?;  10.Bd3 c4!?;   
The first choice of many programs in the year 2005, the correctness of this play is being debated - even today. I will only comment that even 2000+ players will play this move after long reflection, and that it appears to shut down White's KB. (See GM John Nunn's long discussion of this move in the Mammoth book of ... "The World's Greatest Chess Games.")  

 11.Bc2 Qe7;  12.0-0 a6;   
Black appears to have a solid position, most of my students and chess players that I have tested ... believe that Black is equal or even slightly better in this position.   

  r1b2rk1/1p1nqppp/p4n2/3p2B1/Q1pP4/2P1PN2/P1B2PPP/R4RK1 w  

You may take a look for yourself, and decide which side you believe has the better game here. 

Now through a series of forcing moves and exchanges, the great Cuban slowly increases his edge.  
 13.Rfe1! Qe6;  14.Nd2! b5!?;  15.Qa5! Ne4;  16.Nxe4! dxe4;  17.a4! Qd5!?;   
The computer shows that PxP was nearly forced for Black, but White was clearly better in any case. 
(Spielmann believes he is gaining time by attacking Capa's unprotected Bishop on g5.)  

  r1b2rk1/3n1ppp/p7/Qp1q2B1/P1pPp3/2P1P3/2B2PPP/R3R1K1 w  

Take a look at this position.  {See the diagram, just above. - ye olde editor}  

     *** *** *** *** ***      *** *** *** *** ***      *** *** *** *** ***      *** *** *** *** ***   

It is White to move in this position, what move would you play here? 
 18.axb5!!,   (Maybe - '!!!' or '!!!!')    
Like a move of the great Tal, none of the gallery understood this move, many onlookers thought that Capa had simply blundered a piece.  

It took real courage to play this move, especially as Capa also had another move, (which he saw); that also gave him a tremendous game.  

[ After the simple moves:  
  (</=)  18.Be7! Re8;  19.axb5! Bb7[];  {This is forced.}   

       ( But not </= 19...Rxe7??;  as 20.Qd8+,    
         is clearly winning  ("+/-")  for White. )    

  20.bxa6,  '±'   and White stands clearly better. ]  

 18...Qxg5;  19.Bxe4! Rb8;   
This is 100% forced.   

[ After the cute variation: 
  </=  19...Ra7?!;  20.b6! Qxa5;  21.bxa7!!,  "+/-"   
  White is easily winning. ]