The funny things is that when Fine annotated the game for Chess Review he was oblivious to his error or even the fact that he had been winning and let it slip away. Instead, he lauded his tactical play that should have resulted in a draw. The game wasn’t drawn though because Grossman had one more blunder up his sleeve.
[Event "Marshall CC Champ., New York"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1933.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Reuben Fine"]
[Black "Nathan Grossman"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D50"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 18"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "1933.??.??"]
{D50: Queen's Gambit Declined} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e3 {
Nowadays white usually plays 5.Nf3, but at the time this was a popular
alternative to the common 5.Qa4+. In addition, Fine played the text to any
prepared analysis.} c6 {Fine was critical of this move, but it has a higher
success rate than the more common 5...Nbd7.} 6. Qb3 Bxc3+ (6... Qa5 {is
frequently played, but it seems unsatisfactory after} 7. Bxf6 gxf6 8. Rc1 Nd7
9. cxd5 Bxc3+ {½-½ (48)} 10. Rxc3 {and white is a bit better.}) 7. bxc3 Nbd7
8. cxd5 {This is the best move, but Fine played it to avoid the exchange of Qs
his somewhat questionable analysis showed would happen after 8.Bd3 dxc4 and
eventually ...Qd5} (8. Nf3 h6 9. Bf4 Qb6 10. Bd3 Qxb3 11. axb3 O-O 12. c5 {
favors white. Berezka,A (2184)-Ugolkov,A Alushta 2008}) 8... cxd5 {This is not
the best recapture. In similar situations it's a good recapture because it
allows black to challenge white on the open c-file or to avoid the Minority
Attack (where white has Ps on the a- and b-files and can advance b4–b5
giving black a backward c-Pawn after bxc6). Here, however, none of that is an
issue and so 8...exd5 freeing the B is theoretically a bit better.} 9. Bd3 O-O
10. Ne2 {White is preparing the advance of his e-Pawn and so avoids the
routine 10.Nf3} Qa5 {This move is often played earlier the QGD, but here it's
not so good. Black should play ...e5, but now that the Q no longer defends the
N and so ...e5 allows Bxf6 after which white is better.} (10... h6 {This is
his best response.} 11. Bh4 e5 {White is a bit better, but at least black has
active play.}) 11. f3 b6 {Too passive and it cuts the Q off, 11...e5 was still
his best try.} (11... e5 12. Bxf6 Nxf6 (12... gxf6 13. Qc2 {White is clearly
better.}) 13. dxe5 {White is up a P.}) 12. O-O {Interesting! Several engines
disapprove of this move and want to play 12.Qb4 trading Qs and giving white a
significanr positional advantage for the ending.} Ba6 {Black has managed to
eliminate his bad B and has play against white's c-Pawn and so gas managed to
equalize after all mostly thanks to white's failure to exchange Qs last move!}
13. Qc2 Bxd3 14. Qxd3 Rfc8 15. Bh4 b5 16. e4 {Finally.} Rc4 {Just a tiny bit
better would have been 16...Qb6 getting the Q back into play.} 17. e5 Ne8 {
The only move, but a good one.} (17... Nh5 {loses.} 18. g4 g5 19. Bxg5 Ng7 20.
Qd2 {and black's shattered K-side will prove fatal.}) 18. f4 g6 (18... f5 {
is the proper way to stymie white's attack.} 19. g4 g6 20. gxf5 exf5 {White is
better, but he no longer has a dangerous K-side attack.}) 19. g4 Qb6 20. Kh1 {
Anticipating the opening of the g-file.} Ng7 (20... f5 {Still offers him
reasonable defensive chances.} 21. exf6 Nexf6 22. f5 Ne4 23. fxg6 hxg6 24. Qe3
Kg7 {and with careful defense black will be OK.}) 21. f5 exf5 $16 22. gxf5 Nxe5
(22... Nxf5 {[%mdl 8192] meets with disaster} 23. Rxf5 gxf5 24. Rg1+ Kf8 25.
Qxf5 Qh6 26. Qxd7 Qxh4 27. Qd6+ Qe7 28. Rg8+) 23. Qh3 {Excellent! White takes
advantage of the weak dark squares.} (23. dxe5 {allows black to equalize with}
Rxh4 24. fxg6 Qxg6 {equals.} (24... hxg6 25. Rxf7 {Fancy, but still equal.}
Kxf7 26. Qxd5+ Qe6 27. Qb7+ Qe7 28. Qd5+ {draws} (28. Qxa8 Qxe5 29. Qxa7+ Kg8
30. Qa8+ Kh7 31. Qg2 {and the position is still drawn.}))) 23... Nc6 {[%mdl
8192] Here is where black loses. This square belongs to the Q, not the N.} (
23... Qc6 $18 {was called for.} 24. dxe5 d4+ 25. Qf3 Qxf3+ 26. Rxf3 dxc3 27.
Bf6 c2 {The twi Ps are nit quite enough compensation for the B, but black is
still in the game.}) 24. Bf6 {Black must now prevent Qh6, but the cost is way
too high.} Nh5 25. fxg6 hxg6 26. Nf4 Nxf6 27. Nxg6 {[%mdl 512] A nice
sacrificial finish.} Kg7 (27... fxg6 28. Qe6+ Kg7 29. Qxf6+ Kh7 30. Rf3 {
ends the game.}) 28. Rg1 {[%mdl 128] This completely ruins the finish because
it allows black to draw.} (28. Nf4 {gives white a winning attack.} Ne7 29. Rae1
Ne4 30. Rxe4 dxe4 31. Nh5+ Kg8 (31... Kf8 32. Nf6 Ng6 33. Qh6+ Ke7 34. Nd5+)
32. Nf6+ {wins}) 28... fxg6 {After this white has no way of forcing a win.} 29.
Rxg6+ {[%mdl 512] Forced. Otherwise white is just two Ns down.} Kxg6 {Now Fime
comes up with am extraordinary drawing move.} 30. Qe6 {Amazing! Black is up a
lot of plastice, but the position is drawn after 30...Ne5!!} (30. Rg1+ {
This only leaves white with a lost game. For example...} Kf7 31. Rf1 Nxd4 32.
Qd7+ Kf8 33. cxd4 Rc1 34. Rxc1 Nxd7) 30... Nxd4 {[%mdl 8192] Black self-mates.}
(30... Ne5 31. Rg1+ Kh6 32. Qxe5 Rg8 33. Qe3+ Kh7 34. Qh3+ Nh5 {[%mdl 512]} 35.
Qxh5+ Qh6 36. Qxh6+ (36. Qf7+ Rg7 37. Qf5+ Kg8 38. Qxd5+ Kh8 {also ends up
drawn.}) 36... Kxh6 37. Rxg8 Rxc3 38. Rd8 {with a likely draw.}) 31. Rg1+ {
White mates in 4.} Kh6 32. Qe3+ Kh7 33. Qe7+ Kh6 34. Qg7+ {Black resigned.} 1-0
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