The Lasker-Steinitz Match,
World Championship 1894
Researched by Nick Pope
|
| W. Steinitz, the champion of the world, and
Emanuel
Lasker, the young and celebrated expert of Berlin, began their match for
the championship of the world and $2,000 a side at the Union Square
Hotel
yesterday. Wesley Bigelow, the Vice-President of the Manhattan
Chess
Club, introduced the players to the spectators who had assembled to
witness
the beginning of a contest which was looked forward to by chess
enthusiasts
all over the world as a struggle which promised to be the most exciting
chess event since Morphy made a brilliant showing in Europe thirty-four
years ago. |
| Mr. Bigelow expressed himself as follows:
“To you.
Mr. Steinitz, whose brow has been decorated with the laurels of many
victories,
the chess world will look with confidence for the highest illustration
of our noble pastime, and to you, Mr. Lasker, who have also garnered
distinguished
laurels, both on the other side of the water and in this country, chess
players will feel assured that your share in this match will be one to
excite the keenest interest and admiration. I wish you both
excellent
health, not only for all time, but especially during this contest as
upon
your physical condition depends much of your mental powers, and
therefore
the quality of your play. Whoever wins can feel assured of
receiving
the hearty plaudits of the entire chess community, and he who loses will
have the satisfaction of knowing that he lost only to a
master.” |
| The umpires, J.W. Baird and J.W. Showalter, drew
for the move, and on the latter (Lasker’s umpire) winning the toss,
the
Teuton selected the whites and opened the first game of the match with
a Ruy Lopez. |
| As a matter of course Steinitz selected his own
defence 3...P-Q3, a move which has not been endorsed by many living
experts,
but which has won the champion many games. The game proceeded on
well-known lines until Lasker, with 6.B-QB4, introduced a novelty, which
seemingly intended to put black on his guard as far as the king’s
side
of the board was concerned. Later on Lasker assumed a threatening
attitude with 12.P-KR4 after having prepared to retire with his king
into
safety on the queen’s side by means of castling. |
| The game was now beautifully and correctly played
on both sides, each at times introducing fine and telling strokes.
At 6 o’clock the game was adjourned in a pretty position.
Steinitz
having left his move. The game was resumed at 8 o’clock, and
it soon
became apparent that Lasker had the best of the bargain, inasmuch as he
succeeded in isolating a pawn of his antagonist. He also had a
knight
against a bishop for the end game. |
| Little by little he improved his position, and he
finally won a pawn at the forty-first move. After this the
position
became very complicated indeed, and after fifty moves the game stood
adjourned,
to be resumed to-day at 3 P.M. |
|
The Sun, New York,
1894.03.16
|
|
| When Steinitz and Lasker resumed play in
the
chess match for the championship of the world at the Union Square Hotel
yesterday afternoon there was a large attendance of spectators.
Neither
Lasker nor Steinitz, when seen by THE SUN reporter, cared to forecast
the
result. |
| It will be remembered that Lasker left his
fifty-first
move sealed, and it was well known that this move would be the capture
of the rook and that Steinitz would take the knight. The
fifty-second
move, P-QB5, set Steintiz to thinking a great deal, and, although he
fought
on gamely, he could not prevent a defeat. When he had to make his
sixtieth move he resigned. In speaking about the game and chess in
general the champion said: |
| “I saw an article in a paper recently, in
which
a sort of parallel was drawn between these matches and prize fighting,
and it was pointed out, in a manner derogatory to chess players, that
the
art of fighting in the ring seemed to be more popular. Although I
am a friend of athletic sports and to a certain degree, not oppoesed to
prize fighting. I cannot admit that chess is less popular.
A game of chess between masters, if well commented upon, attracts more
general attention, though not of a local character, than any kind of
exhibition
in common sports. |
| The public, however, scarcely realizes that the
mental strain required for hard match play at chess taxes the physical
capacity of the contestants to a greater extent than heavy athletic
exercises.
An eminent physician, whom I consulted during my last match at Havana,
said this to me: ‘You have overworked yourself, both at chess and
at the
gymnasium, I cannot imagine anything that so affects simultaneously all
the vital organs as the excitement of playing hard chess.’ It
cannot,
therefore, be wondered at that the early part of a great chess contest
very rarely draws out the best form of both players, and this was the
case
with the game that has just been finished. |
| Nevertheless, some of the plays, especially on
the
part of my opponent, are entitled to rank among the finest
exhibitions.
My belief is that I had the best of the game up to my twenty-ninth move,
namely, R-K4. The time limit might have expired at the thirtieth
move, and as it often occurs before the players work themselves into
condition,
one or the other will get rattled under the apprehension of getting
short
of time, even if he is not actually in that danger. This is what
happened to me in this instance, for I had several minutes to
spare.
I made a hasty move with the view of saving some more time, and I
overlooked
a grand coup of Lasker’s, his thirtieth move, P-KKt3, whereby he
consolidated
and compromised the king’s side. |
| Under the influence of disappointment I made a
bad
move on my thirty-fourth turn, isolating the queen’s pawn instead
of retaking
with the rook, which would have made a clear draw. |
| Mr. Lasker then broke into my game in the most
skillful
manner. He won a pawn, blocking my pieces, and he had things
almost
all his own way. He, however, gave me another chance of a counter
attack by dislodging his rook, but after the adjournment he recovered
ground,
and the first move he made in answer to mine was one which completely
disorganized
my game.” |
| Lasker naturally feels elated over his victory,
but prefers not to speak much about it. To THE SUN reporter he
said:
“I am willing to give you my notes, but please pardon me for not
saying
anything further about the game.” |
|
The Sun, New York,
1894.03.17
|
|
|
Lasker,Em — Steinitz,W
|
(1)
|
| 1894.03.15 & 16 |
USA New York, NY (Union Square
Hotel)
|
|
Annotations by Lasker &
Steinitz
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6
| ** |
Lasker:
Steinitz’s
well-known defense.
Steinitz: The revival of this defense
met with much opposition, but I have seen nothing as yet to vitiate the
equalizing effect, which, in my opinion, it possess. |
4.d4 Bd7 5.Nc3 Nge7
| ** |
Steinitz: An important key
move to this defense which I first adopted in my match against
Gunsberg. |
6.Bc4
| ** |
Lasker: Apparently loss of
time, but the good position of that bishop seems ample
compensation. |
6...Nxd4 7.Nxd4 exd4 8.Qxd4 Nc6 9.Qe3 Ne5 10.Bb3 c6
11.Qg3
Ng6
| ** |
Steinitz: Of doubtful
merit.
11...Be7 at once was preferable. |
12.h4
| ** |
Lasker: 12.Be3 was strong
enough
in this position. However, the text move embarrasses
Black’s
development of pieces. |
12...Be6 13.Bxe6 fxe6 14.Bg5 Be7 15.0-0-0
e5 [0:45-0:50] 16.Be3 0-0
| ** |
Lasker: If 16...Bxh4 17.Qg4,
and now Black cannot play 17...Qc8, as 18.Rxh4 would follow, and he
cannot
stir the bishop on account of 18.Rxh7.
Steinitz: If 16...Bxh4 17.Qg4 Be7
18.Rxh7,
and should win. |
17.Ne2 Rf7
| ** |
Steinitz: Again Black would
expose himself to great danger by 17...Bxh4 18.Qg4, followed soon by
Qh5. |
18.h5
| ** |
Lasker: It would have been
risky to leave the pawn on its fourth, and to proceed with an attack by
means of 18.Kb1. It might, however, have been promising
enough. |
18...Nf4 19.Bxf4 exf4 20.Qf3
| ** |
Steinitz: Obviously if
20.Nxf4
Rxf4, and the queen dare not retake. |
20...Qa5 21.Kb1 Qe5 22.Nd4 Bf6 23.c3 Re8 24.Rhe1 Bd8
25.Qg4
Bc7 26.Nf3 Qf6 27.Nd2 Rfe7 28.f3 d5 29.Rh1 Re5
| ** |
Steinitz: 29...Qf7 was by
far
better. |
30.g3
| ** |
Steinitz: A masterly coup,
which relieves his position on the kingside, no matter what Black
reply. |
30...Rg5
[1:45-1:59]
| ** |
Lasker: Of course if
30...fxg3
31.f4, and Black would do best to sacrifice the exchange. |
31.Qd7 Qf7 32.Qxf7+ Kxf7 33.g4 Bb6
| ** |
Steinitz: Inferior to
33...Rge5. |
34.exd5 cxd5
| ** |
Steinitz: 34...Rxd5 is
preferable,
leading to a natural draw position, with which I should have been
content
under the circumstances. |
35.Nb3 Re6 36.Rhf1 Rge5 37.Nc1
| ** |
Lasker: This forces the win
of a pawn. |
37...Bc7 38.Nd3 Rg5 39.Nb4 Ree5 40.Rd4 Bb6
| ** |
Lasker: A very fine move,
which
nearly would have turned the tables. |
41.Rxf4+ Kg8 42.Nd3
| ** |
Steinitz: Much inferior to
42.Nc2, which wins easily. |
42...Re2 43.Rd1 Be3 44.Rb4 b6 45.Ra4 a5
46.b4
| ** |
Steinitz: This gives Black
a chance for a counter-attack, which I believe should have equalized the
game at least. |
46...d4 47.c4
| ** |
Lasker: White has nothing
better
as 47.cxd4 would be neutralized with 47...Rb5. |
47...Bd2 48.b5 Bc3 49.Rg1 Rd2
| ** |
Lasker: Black intends to
sacrifice
his exchange and very nearly succeeds in scoring the game thereby. As
will
be seen by the subsequent play, Black excels in detecting means of
attack,
which could only be met by a series of difficult and forced moves on the
part of his antagonist.
Steinitz: Ill-judged. 49...Kf7 seems
better,
with the following probable continuation: 50.f4 Rc5 51.Nxc5 bxc5, with
better drawing chances. |
50.f4 Rxg4 (Adjourned)
[2:43-3:00]
51.Rxg4 Rxd3 52.c5
| ** |
Steinitz: Black cannot
recover
from the effects of this splendid move. |
52...Re3
| ** |
Steinitz: If 52...Rd1+
53.Kc2
Rd2+ 54.Kb3 (54.Kb1 drives by 54...d3) 54...bxc5 55.Kc4, and
wins. |
53.Rc4 d3 54.Rg1 d2 55.Rd1 bxc5 56.b6 Bd4 57.b7 Re8
58.Kc2
Rb8 59.Rb1 Kf7 60.Ra4 [2:55-3:55]
1-0.
|
The Sun, New York,
1894.03.17
|
|
New-York Daily Tribune,
1894.03.17
|
|
New York Recorder, 1894.03.17
&
18
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Return to Match
Index
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