In our series ‘World Champion Born On This Date’, today we will learn about a champion who reigned in the chess world for as many as 27 years. He is Dr Emanuel Lasker.

Dr Emanuel Lasker- Decades ahead of his time

I would call Dr Emanuel Lasker the ‘most objective annotator’ and also an ‘extremely subjective player’, who took over the board decisions based on the style and character of the opponents rather than the ‘objectivity’, i.e. correct evaluation of the positions.

He was decades ahead of his contemporary players in dynamic aspects of Chess. For example, his invention ‘Pelikan variation of the Sicilian Defence’ is now considered to be one of the most dynamic openings. His psychological strategy, coupled with courage and alertness, enabled him to be the World Champion for 27 years- from 1894 to 1921.

The champion with enormous intellectual energy

Dr Emanuel Lasker, a Doctor (PhD) of Mathematics, and a philosopher, was born at Berlinchen in Neumark, Germany (now Barlinek is in Poland) on December 24, 1868. During his long regime of 27 years as the World Chess Champion and even in his later years, Lasker contributed to moulding the modern Chess strategy with dynamism and creativity.

Players like David Bronstein, Ruben Fine and a few others, who had the privilege of watching Lasker’s thinking process, were always amazed by the enormous intellectual energy and clarity of mind while discussing Chess positions objectively.

Lasker was a research mathematician who was known for his contributions to commutative algebra which included proving the primary decomposition of the ideals of polynomial rings. His dictum “Education in Chess has to be an education in independent thinking and judging” is the chief basis of my Chess Coaching.

Lasker became the world champion for the first time by defeating the strategist Wilhelm Steinitz, also known as ‘Austrian Morphy’ in his youth. In his prime, Lasker was one of the most dominant champions, and he is still generally regarded as one of the strongest players in history.

It was generally believed that Lasker used a “psychological” approach to the game, and even deliberately played inferior moves to confuse opponents. Recent analysis by computers, however, indicates that he was ahead of his time and used a more flexible approach than the contemporary players. Lasker knew contemporary analyses of openings well but disagreed with many of them.

Effect of World War I and Lasker’s comeback

During World War I, Lasker invested all of his savings in German war bonds, which lost nearly their entire value with the wartime and post-war inflation. His poor result in his match against Capablanca (1921) was due to his depression caused by the loss of lifetime savings.

However, Lasker was a great fighter. In just a couple of years, he made a great comeback by winning the Moravská Ostrava 1923 Chess tournament without a single loss. He then finished ahead of the then-World Champion Capablanca at the famous New York 1924 Chess tournament. He also finished ahead of Capablanca at  Moscow in 1925.

However, due to the inability to raise funds for a return match against Capablanca, Lasker effectively retired from serious Chess.

Due to his intelligence, imagination, creativity and clarity of mind, Dr Emanuel Lasker will be forever remembered. His creativity in adverse and inferior positions was remarkable. In the erstwhile Soviet Union, the annual Award for Best Defence in a game of Chess was called ‘The Lasker Award’.     

In 1933 there began a campaign of discrimination and intimidation against Jews, depriving them of their property and citizenship. Lasker and his wife Martha, were forced to leave Germany the same year. Lasker died of a kidney infection on January 11, 1941 in New York. 

Learn from the Champion

Today I have chosen an unknown game of Dr Emanuel Lasker, played in his initial years. Though Lasker is famous as the ‘Master of Defence’, he, too, began his career as an attacking player. There is often a misconception amongst youngsters that studying positional Chess rather than learning about king-side attack would make them stronger players quicker. It must be kept in mind that no player has succeeded in reaching the top without learning the skills of Kingside attack.

1.f4 e5 2.fxe5 f6!?

A risky opening. Black wants to play the Staunton Gambit with one tempo less, a bold decision.

3.exf6?!

It is not easy to resist accepting such an absurd-looking gambit but Black has more trumps up his sleeves than one would expect! White should have chosen 3.d4! fxe5 4.dxe5 with advantage.

3…Nxf6 4.Nf3 d5 5.e3 Nc6 6.Bb5?! Bd6 7.Bxc6+?

Typical errors are committed by club-level players, who are often unable to resist the temptation of exchanging pieces.

7…bxc6

Black already has an upper hand now.

8.0–0 0–0 9.b3 Ng4!

9…Bg4! was probably even stronger, launching a dangerous attack against White King. For example, 10.Bb2 Ne4! etc.

10.h3 Qf6! 11.c3?

11.Nc3 – a developing move – was better though Black has a winning attack after 11…Qg6! 12.hxg4? Bxg4 13.Qe2 Rxf3! 14.Rxf3 Bxf3 15.Qxf3 Rf8 16.Qh3 Qf6 17.Bb2 17…Qf2+ 18.Kh1 Qf1+! 19.Rxf1 Rxf1#

Dr Emanuel Lasker

Reif

Position after White’s 11th move. The game went

11…Nh2! 12.Nxh2

12.Rf2? allows 12…Bxh3! 13.Qe2 Bg3! when White suffers heavy material losses.

12…Bxh2+ 13.Kxh2 Qxf1

White resigned given the following forced variation14.Qxf1 Rxf1 15.Na3 Bf5 16.Bb2 Rf2! when White loses Pawns after Pawns.0–1