Here we are, about 50 years after Morphy’s famous move you saw in the last puzzle. It’s the Janowski-Marshall match in 1912 and it’s Marshall’s move. You, of course, know the first move, but how do you know, if you were over the board, if it works. Can you figure it all out? You’ll see that even the great Marshall had some difficulties.

Solution:

1...Qxf3 2.cxb4 [Clearly not 2.gxf3 Bh3+ 3.Kg1 Re1+ 4.Bf1 Rxf1#] 2...Nc6 3.Bb2 Nxb4 [He also had 3...Bh3 4.Rg1 Nxb4 5.Qd1 Qxd3+ 6.Qxd3 Nxd3 7.gxh3 Nxb2 but Marshall was more interested in mating Janowski.] 4.Bxh7+ Kh8 5.gxf3 Bh3+ 6.Kg1 Nxc2 7.Bxc2 Re2 8.Rc1 Rae8 [He misses 8...Rxc2 9.Rxc2 Re8 10.Rc1 Re6] 9.Bc3 [Black mates after 9.Be4 f5 10.Bc3 fxe4 11.f4 Rf8 12.d5 Rxf4 13.Bxg7+ Kg8 14.Be5 Rfxf2 15.Bd4 Rf1+ 16.Rxf1 Rg2#] 9...R8e3 [Marshall notes that he missed 9...Rxc2 10.Rxc2 Re6 but I think he was carried away by the spectacular rook move as he may have not only seen it first, but saw that it worked and had no need to look further.] 10.Bb4 Rxf3 11.Bd1 Rf6 [This retreat ends the game. Mate is unavoidable. A great lesson in just how trapped that White king is!]

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