Fine, at the time rated (on paper at least) as one of the workd’s top players, jas his fans (if he had any) worried that he wouldn’t be able to live up to his reputation. For this tournament, at least, they need not have worried. According to Chessmetric’s December 1948 rating list Najdorf was rated #2 in the world behind Botvinnik. Fine was ranked #11 and former World Champion Euwe was still doing pretty well being ranked #18.
This tournament was Najdorf’s first appearance in the United States and ieven though he finished second. Chess Review called it “an artistic fiasco.” In the early going it looked like he was going to run away with first place, but he had been lucky.
In his game against Najdorf, Arnold Denker had achieved a winning position and Horowitz’ draw against him had been a lucky one. Horowitz was in bad time pressure and am excited Najdorf missed the win several times and got himself into a lost position, offered a draw, and a keyed-up Horowitz accepted. After that hair raising encounter Najdorf cooled off. A half point behind at the start of the sixth round, he played recklessly and lost to Fine. His last two games were lifeless draws.
[Event "New York 1948/49"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1949.01.02"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Reuben Fine"]
[Black "I.A. Horowitz"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D30"]
[Annotator "Dragon by Komodo"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "1948.??.??"]
{D35: Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5
4. Bg5 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. cxd5 exd5 {White has a P-majority in the center, black
on the Q-side. Often white will play the Minority Attack by playing Rb1,
followed by b2–b4–b5, then bxc6 in order to create a weak P on c6. Here
Fine eschews that plan in favor of a durect attack on black's K.} 7. Nc3 Bd6 8.
Bd3 O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Qc2 Nf8 11. Rfe1 {It might have been a wee bit better
to prevent black's next move and play 11.h3} (11. Rab1 {is the alternative
plan.} Ng6 12. b4 h6 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. b5 {with equal chances. Iashvili,A
(2390)-Machulsky,A (2555) Moscow 1991}) 11... Bg4 12. Nd2 Be6 13. Nf1 {With
this move Fine offered a draw. Horowitz refused in order to preserve Najdorf's
chances.} Ng6 14. f4 {His draw offer refused, Fine gets mean.} Bd7 15. Ng3 Rc8
{This is too passive; he never gets the chance to play ...c5.. Bolstering up
his K-side with 15...Be7 was called for.} 16. f5 Nf8 17. e4 {Black should now
eliminate an attacker and play 17...Bxg6} dxe4 {A rather surprising tactical
error from a player of Horowitz' strength.} 18. Ncxe4 Be7 19. Bxf6 {Removing
the guard from d6.} Bxf6 20. Nd6 Rxe1+ (20... Bxd4+ {is met by} 21. Kh1 Rxe1+
22. Rxe1 Rc7 {is met by} 23. Qc4 Bf6 24. Qxf7+ Kh8 25. Re8 Qxe8 (25... Bxe8 26.
Qxf8#) 26. Nxe8) 21. Rxe1 Qa5 22. Kf1 Rb8 {Now Fine could have played 23.Bc4
first. He could then play Nxf7 and then bring up the other N with Nge4. He
would then have a dominating position, Instead he gets a bit fancy.} 23. Nxf7 {
[%mdl 512]} h6 (23... Kxf7 24. Qb3+ Be6 25. Rxe6 {The R cannot be taken/} Qb6 (
25... Nxe6 26. Qxe6+ Kf8 27. Bc4 {mates on f7}) 26. Qc4 Qb5 27. Re5+ Qxc4 28.
Bxc4+ {with a decisive advantage.}) 24. Qb3 Kh7 $2 (24... Qd5 {is refuted by}
25. Nxh6+ Kh7 26. Ng4 Qxb3 27. Nxf6+ gxf6 28. Re7+ Kh6 29. axb3 {White has a
routine endgame win.}) 25. Nh5 Bxf5 {Pointless, but there was no saving the
game. Howeverm he could have dragged it oout with 25...Qd5} (25... Qd5 26.
Nxf6+ gxf6 27. Qxd5 cxd5 28. Re7 Re8 29. Rxe8 Bxe8 30. Nd6 Bc6 31. b4 a6 32. b5
axb5 33. Bxb5 Bxb5+ 34. Nxb5 Nd7 35. Nc7 Nb6 36. Kf2 {White has a won N+P
ending. A sample line...} Kg7 37. Ne6+ Kg8 38. Nc5 Nc4 39. Nxb7 Na3 40. Nc5 Nb5
41. Ke3 Nd6 42. Kf4 Nb5 43. Nd7 Kg7 44. a4 Nxd4 45. Nb6 Nb3 46. Nxd5) 26. Nxf6+
gxf6 27. Re7 Kg6 28. Ne5+ {[%mdl 512]} Kg5 (28... fxe5 29. Qf7+ Kg5 30. Qxf5+
Kh4 31. g3#) 29. h4+ {[%mdl 512] Black resigned.} (29. h4+ Kxh4 30. Rg7 Ng6 31.
Nxg6+ Bxg6 32. Bxg6 Qa6+ 33. Kg1 {White will mate...} Rf8 34. Qh3+ Kg5 35. Qg3#
) 1-0
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