The Chess Mind

In a recent post, I presented a Marshall-Capablanca game and offered readers a challenge; to wit, figure out where, in an otherwise dismal, one-sided loss, Marshall had the chance to turn the tables with a brilliant tactical shot. I hope that where Marshall failed, you succeeded, but if you haven't worked it out yet, keep trying.

If you're ready for the solution, click below.

While browsing the "Chess Stars" volume on Capablanca covering his game with Sultan Khan, I chanced upon a diagram from the following game:

Marshall,Frank James - Capablanca,Jose Raul [E16]
New York New York (9), 1931

1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 e6 3.c4 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5.Bg2 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Bxd2+ 7.Nbxd2 0-0 8.0-0 c5 9.dxc5 bxc5 10.Rc1 Qc7 11.Nb3 d6 12.Qd2 Nc6 13.Rfd1 Rfd8 14.Nh4 a5 15.a4 Rab8 16.Rc3 Ba8 17.h3 Nb4 18.Bxa8 Rxa8 19.Qf4 Qc6 20.Rf3 Rd7 21.g4 Qxa4 22.Rxd6 Nbd5 23.Qe5 Rxd6 24.Qxd6 Ne4 25.Qe5 Qxc4 26.Rd3 a4 27.f3 Nef6 28.Nd2 Qc1+ 29.Kf2 h6 30.f4 c4 31.Rd4 c3 32.bxc3 a3 33.g5 a2 34.Nb3 Qxc3 35.gxf6 Qxb3 36.Rd1 Qxd1 0-1

This game seems like so many others between the American champion and the Cuban legend; to wit, a one-sided positional crush going Capa's way. Marshall was a great player in his own right, especially renowned as a trickster who could pull a rabbit out of almost any hat, but against Capablanca his tactical dreams almost never came true.

It is ironic, therefore, that in this otherwise typically convincing game, Capablanca allows Marshall a vicious, table-turning shot - and Marshall misses it!

Can you do better? Don't use your computer or look for annotations, please - that would violate the whole spirit of the thing. Likewise, for those few so far who have been approved to comment, please don't spoil it for others by posting the answer. (Those who are stumped need not suffer too long - the answer will be provided in a day or two.)