Lasker - Capablanca, St. Petersburg 1914
The game Lasker - Capablanca was played as part of the 1914 Grand Masters tournament in Saint Petersburg between world champion Emanuel Lasker and the Cuban José Raúl Capablanca . It was the game that decided who won the tournament. After Lasker finished second with Tarrasch in the preliminary round with 6.5 points , half a point ahead of Alekhine and Marshall , and 1.5 points behind Capablanca, Lasker played in the final round much more energetically than in the preliminary round to win the tournament to become. Just a second place would have been a big loss of face for the world champion and would have forced Lasker to fight for the title with Capablanca. Lasker had to try for better or worse to win this game, otherwise his chances of winning the tournament would have been bad, especially since Capablanca had not yet suffered a defeat, while Lasker had lost in the preliminary round to Bernstein . Winning against Capablanca in particular was no easy feat, as it was literally known as the chess machine. In his entire tournament career, he lost only 37 of 578 games. The game is also considered a prime example of the psychological style of play that Lasker repeatedly implies , because the Spanish exchange variant is not an opening that would have suited such a game. Lasker finally won the game thanks to a very fine concept of inhibiting the black kingside with a move that completely contradicted the general principles of chess.
Course of the game
- 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6 3. Bf1-b5 a7-a6 4. Bb5xc6
A very astonishing choice: According to the theory, the exchange variant is not dangerous for black. The only advantage that White may have here is that if he manages without concessions in terms of pawn structure , the pawn ending to come, which is obtained for him. However, this was not easy against Capablanca, especially since its endgame technique was very feared.
- 4.… d7xc6 5. d2 – d4 e5xd4 6. Qd1xd4 Qd8xd4 7. Nf3xd4 Bf8 – d6
In the first game of the 1908 World Chess Championship , Tarrasch drew 7th… c7 – c5. Lasker replied 8. Nd4 – e2 Bc8 – d7 9. b2 – b3 (In the 13th game of the 1894 World Chess Championship , Lasker drew 9. Nb1 – c3. Wilhelm Steinitz drove 0–0–0 10. Bc1 – f4 Bd7 – c6 11 0-0 Ng8-f6 12. f2-f3 Bf8-e7 13. Ne2-g3 g7-g6 cont) Bd7-c6 10. f2-f3 Bf8-e7 11. Bc1-b2 Be7-f6 12. Bb2xf6 Ng8-xf6 13. Nb1 – d2 0–0–0 14. 0–0–0.
- 8. Nb1 – c3 Ng8 – e7 9. 0–0 0–0 10. f2 – f4 !?
This move sets White's pawn majority on the kingside in motion, but weakens e4. Capablanca was not at all convinced of this move and the one after that.
- 10.… Rf8 – e8 11. Nd4 – b3 f7 – f6 12. f4 – f5 !?
Position after White's 12th move |
According to Steinitz's teachings, a dubious idea: the farmer majority is devalued and the e-farmer backward. Lasker, however, has long since turned his eye to e6, with which he restricts Black's kingside. It also narrows the Bc8.
Luděk Pachman wrote in Modern Chess Strategy 3 (1st edition 1958) p. 217:
"A surprising move with which White completely gives up the advantage of his pawn majority on the kingside and voluntarily leaves the base e5 to the opponent. With this move Lasker wants on the one hand to limit the effectiveness of the black pieces (Bc8!) And on the other hand to prepare the development of the f4 bishop. At the same time he expects to carry out the maneuvers Nd4 and Nce2 – f4 – e6 later. "
Alexander Koblenz wrote in The Path to Success :
"Here Lasker played unexpectedly: 12. f5! From a purely static point of view, a serious strategic mistake! With one blow, the e4-pawn is hopelessly backward and at the same time White leaves the point e5 to the opponent. But if we dig deeper into position, we come to the insight that White did not admit these positional weaknesses to the opponent without dynamic counter trumps.
White has the following options:
1. The activity of the black-squared bishop is increased 2. The performance of the black knight and bishop is considerably reduced 3. White can later try to establish his knight on e6 "
- 12.… b7 – b6 13. Bc1 – f4 Bc8 – b7?
A fundamental mistake: Capablanca would like to resolve the c- double pawn, but afterwards (after the bishop swap) the d6 pawn suffers from weakness. Better according to Kasparov: 13.… Bxf4! 14.Rxf4 c5 15.Rd1 Bb7 16.Rf2 (16.Rd7 Tac8 17.Rf2 Nc6) Rad8 17.Rxd8 Rxd8 18.Rd2 Rxd2 19.Nxd2 Nc6 with the same game.
- 14. Bf4xd6 c7xd6 15. Nb3-d4
Capablanca later stated that he had not seen this move and therefore played 13.… Bb7.
- 15.… Ra8 – d8 ?! 16. Nd4 – e6 Rd8 – d7 17. Ra1 – d1 Ne7 – c8 ?! 18. Rf1 – f2 b6 – b5 19. Rf2 – d2 Rd7 – e7 20. b2 – b4 Kg8 – f7 21. a2 – a3 Bb7 – a8?
Capablanca plans to open the a-file for his rooks , but this is a mistake because the open a-file can only be used effectively by White. As better Capablanca later gave 21.… Re7xe6! 22. f5xe6 + Re8xe6, and White has the more comfortable position, but probably no win.
- 22. Kg1 – f2 Re7 – a7 23. g2 – g4! h7 – h6 24. Rd2 – d3 a6 – a5 25. h2 – h4 a5xb4 26. a3xb4 Ra7 – e7 ?!
Better still 26.… Ra7 – a3 with the idea of Nc8 – b6 – c4.
- 27. Kf2 – f3 Re8 – g8 28. Kf3 – f4 g7 – g6 ?! 29. Rd3-g3 g6-g5 +
29.… gxf5 doesn't help because of 30. exf5! d6 – d5 31. g4 – g5 Nc8 – d6 (31.… hxg5 + 32. hxg5 fxg5 + 33. Ne6xg5 + Kf7 – f8 34. f5 – f6 Re7 – a7 35. Kf4 – e5 White wins) 32. g5 – g6 + Kf7 – e8 33. Rd1 – a1 and White wins.
- 30. Kf4 – f3 Nc8 – b6 31. h4xg5 h6xg5 32. Rg3 – h3!
White implements his plan without alteration, the greedy move 32. Rd1xd6 might give Black a break: 32.… Nb6 – c4 33. Rd6 – d8 (Rd6 – d1 Rg8 – h8) Rg8xd8 34. Ne6xd8 + Kf7 – e8 35. Nd8– e6 Re7 – h7!
- 32 ... Re7 – d7 33. Kf3 – g3! Kf7 – e8 34. Rd1 – h1 La8 – b7 35. e4 – e5 !!
Position after White's 35th move |
The total triumph of white strategy: The e-pawn , who had become backward due to Lasker's 12. f5, sacrifices himself and paves the way for Nc3 into the opposing camp. Now the end of the game is very close.
- 35.… d6xe5 36. Nc3 – e4 Nb6 – d5 37. Ne6 – c5! Bb7-c8 38. Nc5xd7 Bc8xd7 39. Rh3-h7 Rg8-f8 40. Rh1-a1 Ke8-d8 41. Ra1-a8 + Bd7-c8 42. Ne4-c5 1: 0
After 42. Nc5, Capablanca, who had been unbeaten in the tournament until then, gave up the game. In the further course of the competition he lost a second game against Tarrasch, which led to Lasker winning the tournament by half a point over Capablanca.
swell
- Emanuel-Lasker-Gesellschaft: The Lasker part of the 05./06. Calendar week 2009
- Emanuel Lasker Society: Publications: Johannes Fischer: Decision-making parts
- http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1258181