Game 18. Rubinstein—Nimzowitsch, Marienbad, 1925. Introduces a whole assortment of pins, poisonous and harmless ones following in quick succession.

1. 6.c4 The line of play chosen by White is certainly not to be blamed. He holds the Q file with the outpost station belonging to it at Q5, whereas Black’s majority in the centre (the QB, Q, and K Pawns against the QB and K pawns) gives evidence of but slight mobility.
2. 9.O-O Each side castles now with a clear conscience, for not even the most hyper-modern pair of masters can produce more than four bishops developed ‘askew’!
3. 9…Nc6 A normal move which, however, has a deeper meaning. The Kt is better placed at QB3 than at QKt3 (Kt-Q2-Kt3), for White is clearly planning the configuration KtQB3, QQB2, PK4. Black therefore relies on the counter configuration KtQB3, PQ3, PQR4, followed by Kt-Q5 and (when opportunity comes) P-QR5, thus sheltering his QP behind the KtQ5.
4. 12.Ne1 The start of a tiring journey: Kt-K1-B2-K3-Q5. More natural would seem to be 12. Kt-Q5. For instance, 12. Kt-Q5, KtxKt; 13. BxB, KxB; 14. PxKt.
5. 15.Kxg2 To retake with the Kt would mean straying off the road to the goal of the journey (Q5).
6. 16.f3 If 16. K-Kt1, then 16. ....Kt-K5; 17. KtxKt, QxKt; and P-QR5 becomes an actual menace.
7. 16…Bh6 A pin of the harmless order, since obviously this last move implies a serious weakening of his own (Black’s) King’s wing.
8. 17.Ncd1 Now the threat is BxKt, PxB; QxP.
9. 17…a4 See the note to 9. ....Kt-BQ3.
10. 18…Rfe8 This purely defensive move (against the aforesaid threat BxKt etc.) is the more surprising, since, after the energetic thrust at move 17, which had been so eagerly looked forward to for so long, anything but a defensive move was to be expected. This amalgamation of attack and defence stamps the combination as a truly original one.
11. 20.Kf2 Now White plans to break the pin by P-KB4, after which he would at last be in a position to take possession of the point Q5 for good and all.
12. 20…f5 Revealing Black’s plan. Against the double threat of 21. ....P-B5; 22. PxP, BxP, with an enduring pin on the one hand, and 21. ....B-Kt2, followed by B-Q5 with an equally chronic pin on the other, White is defenceless.
13. 22…Bd4 Threatening Kt-Q6 ch.
14. 23.Kg2 The poor Knights! At the 17th move they had to break their journey, and now they actually both have to die without reaching their journey’s end. In reply to 23. R-Kt3, Black, with 23. ....R-K3; 24. Q-B4, Q-K2 (threatening Kt-B7); 25. K-Kt2, QR-K1, would have pushed forward the siege in the most energetic way.
15. 25.Qxc5 Now it is White’s turn to pin.
16. 27.Qxf2 Forced, for 27. KxR, Kt-Q6 ch; followed by KtxQ, thus protecting his own Q at QKt2, would lose at once.
17. 27…Rxa4 The ‘immediate unpinning’ by Q-K2, is avoided, for White can get no profit out of the pin.
18. 28.a3 If 28. Q-QKt2, then 28. ....Q-B1!; for this is the only feasible retreat for the piece behind the pinned one. Q-B2 would be bad because of 29. R-K1, just as Q-B3 would be because of 29. R-Q1. That 28. ....RxP?? would be a gross mistake (because of QxR, KtxQ, RxQ) is obvious.
19. 29…Ra8 Now he goes back home, tired but happy.
20. 30…Qa6 The unpinning.
21. 32.Ra1 A last pin.
22. 32…Nc7 A last unpinning.
23. 33…Nxa8 And White resigned on the 38th move.