At San Sebastian 1911, his first European tournament, Capablanca met Akiba Rubinstein in the Queen's Gambit Declined. Capablanca lost, and afterwards called the ending “rather a sad exhibition for two masters,” praising only Rubinstein's fine middle-game combination. His own public-domain notes from Chess Fundamentals (1921) follow.
6…Be6Kt - B 3 is the normal move in this variation. White's development was first introduced by Schlechter and elaborated later on by Rubinstein. It aims at the isolation of Black's Q P, against which the White pieces are gradually concentrated. In making the text move I was trying to avoid the beaten track. Being a developing move there should be no objection to it in the way of general principles, except that the Knights ought to come out before the Bishops.
8…Rc8In pursuance of the idea of changing the normal course of this variation, but with very poor success. The move in theory ought to be unsound, since Black's K Kt is yet undeveloped. I had not yet learned of the attack founded on Kt - Kt 5 and the exchange of the B at K 3. Either Kt - B 3 or P - K R 3, to prevent either B or Kt - K Kt 5, was right.
13…O-OThis is a mistake. The right move was R - Q 1 in order to get the Rook away from the line of the Bishop at R 3 and at the same time to support the Q P. Against the text move White makes a very fine combination which I had seen, but which I thought could be defeated.
14…Qxf6I considered P x B, which it seemed would give me a playable game, but I thought White's combination unsound and therefore let him play it, to my lasting regret.
16.Kg2This is the move which I had not considered. I thought that Rubinstein would have to play B - Kt 2, when I had in mind the following winning combination: 16 B - Kt 2, Kt - K 4! 17 Kt - B 4 (if R - B 1, Q x R!! Q x Q, B x P ch wins), Kt - Kt 5; 18 P - K R 3 (if Kt - R 3, B x P ch wins the exchange), Kt x P; 19 R x Kt, B x R ch; 20 K x B, P - K Kt 4, and Black should win.
16…Rcd8After White's last move there was nothing for me to do but submit to the inevitable.
22.Bg4This gives Black a chance. He should have played K R - K 1.
30…a6A bad move, which gives away any legitimate chance Black had to draw. It loses a very important move. The proper way was to play K - Q 3.
38.Bd5With these last three moves White again gives Black a chance. Even before the last move B - B 4 would have won with comparative ease, but the text move is a downright blunder, of which, fortunately for him, Black does not avail himself.
38…b3R x P would make it practically impossible for White to win, if he can win at all.
42.Rh6+As an end game, this is rather a sad exhibition for two masters. The redeeming feature of the game is Rubinstein's fine combination in the middle game, beginning with 14 B x Kt.
José Raúl Capablanca, Chess Fundamentals (1921) · Public domain · source