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Lasker,Em — Steinitz,W
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(11)
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| D40/01 |
Queen’s Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch
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| 1894.04.21 |
USA Philadelphia, PA (Union League
Club)
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Annotations by Lasker & Jackson
Showalter
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Bd3 c5
7.dxc5 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Qxd1+ 9.Kxd1
| ** |
Showalter: The sacrifice of
the castling privilege is of little moment in this opening, generally
speaking,
while in the present instance the position of the king in the center
even
proves of great advantage to White in the later stages of the game. The
newly crowned king of chess evidently approves of the Steinitzian maxim
that “the king is also a fighting piece.” It is
significant that
the overthrow of the apostle of the “modern school” was
accomplished by
that disciple who has shown in his play the keenest appreciation of
“modern
school” principles and who has adhered to those principles with
more tenacious
consistency than any other master who has yet appeared, not even
excepting
the great founder of that “school” himself. |
9...Nc6 10.a3 Bxc5
| ** |
Lasker: With the one
exception
of White leaving his king in the center, the opening is played up to the
tenth move on conservative and well-known lines, resulting in an even
position. |
11.b4 Bb6
| ** |
Showalter: Probably
reserving
the square at e7 for the retreat of the knight. |
12.Ke2 Bd7 13.Bb3 Rac8 14.Bb2 a5
| ** |
Showalter: Creating
subsequent
difficulties. 14...Rfd8 looks much better and more
consistent. |
15.b5 Ne7
[0:32-0:45]
| ** |
Lasker: On his fifteenth
move
Black, as the sequel shows, made a premature move, and got into a rather
difficult game; for instance, if he had played 15...Kh8, White would
have
answered 16.Na4 Bc7 17.Nc5, with a decided advantage. |
16.Ne5 Be8
| ** |
Showalter: For now this
bishop,
which Black is loath to give up for the opposing knight, temporarily
blocks
the development of the f-rook. |
17.a4
| ** |
Showalter: Black threatens
now to win the pawn by ...Ned5, etc. |
17...Bc7 18.Nc4 Bd7 19.Rac1
| ** |
Lasker: Of course, when I
had
to consider my nineteenth move, I did not proceed with 19.b6 Bd8 20.Nxa5
Bxb6 21.Nxb7 on account of 21...Rb8 22.Nd6 Bxe3 recovering his
material.
Showalter: If 19.b6 Bd8 20.Nd6 Rc6,
winning
the pawn at least; or 20.Nxa5 Bxb6, and Black presently gets an
advantage. |
19...Ned5
| ** |
Showalter: Which turns out
badly, ...Rfd8 is now out of the question, however, on account of pawn
to b6, etc. We believe that the proper course was 19...b6. |
20.Nxd5 Nxd5 21.Ne5 Bxe5
| ** |
Showalter: The only
alternative
was 21...Nf6, and that seems to give Black a bad game by 22.Nxd7 Nxd7
23.Rhd1
or 23.Rc2. 21...Be8 loses at once by 22.Bxd5 exd5 23.Ba3 etc., or by
22.Ba3
Nb4 23.b6; while 21...Rfd8 is bad on account of 22.Nxd7 Rxd7 23.Bxd5
Rxd5
or 23...exd5 24.b6. |
22.Bxe5 f6 23.e4 fxe5
| ** |
Lasker:
Black’s
twenty-third move was forced; if, for instance, 23...Ne7 24.Bc7 Ra8
25.Bd6,
followed by 26.Rc7. On his next turn Black played the best possible
variation,
for, if 24...Rxc1 25.Rxc1 Re8 26.dxe6 Bxe6 27.Rc8 and wins the
exchange.
Showalter: This is certainly bad, but
Black’s game is already somewhat
compromised.
His best chance, however, was certainly 23...Ne7. If, then, 24.Bd6,
Black
seems to come off with an even game by either 24...Kf7 or 24...Rxc1
25.Rxc1
Rc8 etc.; and if 24.Bc3 Ra8 (not 24...b6 25.Rhd1 to which there is no
defense,
as the bishop cannot be supported by either rook without the loss of a
piece) 25.Rhd1 Bc8, and though Black has the inferior position he may
yet
hope to draw. Of course all other moves with the knight are weak and
lose
at least a pawn. |
24.exd5 Kf7 25.Rhd1 Ke7
| ** |
Lasker: Many people thought
that Steinitz could have proceeded on his twenty-fifth turn with
25...Rxc1
then the following variation would have been the result: 26.Rxc1 Rc8
27.dxe6+
Ke7 28.Rxc8 Bxc8 29.Ke3 Bxe6 30.Bxe6 Kxe6 31.Ke4 and White would have
probably
won. For instance, let us continue 31...b6 32.h4 g6 33.h5 Kd6
34.hxg6
hxg6 35.g4 Ke6 36.f3 Kd6 37.f4 exf4 38.Kxf4 Ke6 39.Kg5 Kf7 40.Kh6 Kf6
41.Kh7
Kg5 42.Kg7 Kxg4 43.Kxg6 Kf4 44.Kf6 Ke4 45.Ke6 Kd4 46.Kd6 Kc4 47.Kc6 Kb4
48.Kxb6 Kxa4 49.Kc5 and wins.
Showalter: He should now have played
25...Rxc1
by all means. The next move increases his difficulties most
seriously. |
26.d6+ Kf6 27.Ke3 Rxc1
| ** |
Showalter: Again bad. The
position
is peculiar and simplification aids White materially.
Black’s
only hope to draw was in keeping the rooks on the board, or at least one
of them. |
28.Rxc1 Rc8 29.Rxc8 Bxc8 30.Bc2
(Adjourned)
| ** |
Showalter: A beautiful move,
against which Black has no defense. |
30...Kf7
[1:09-1:05]
| ** |
Lasker: My opinion is that
at his thirtieth move Steinitz’s best
play
was 30...e4, but should lose after 31.Bxe4 e5 32.d7, etc.
Showalter: If 30...h6 31.Be4 Kf7
(31...g5
32.g4 or 31...h5 32.h4) 32.Bf3 Kf6 33.Kd3 Kf7 (33...Kf5 34.Bxb7 and
wins,
or if 33...b6 34.Bc6 and wins.) 34.h4 Kf6 35.Kc4 Kf7 36.Kc5 Ke8 37.Kb6
Kd7 38.Bxb7 and wins. |
31.Bxh7 b6
| ** |
Lasker: If 31...g6 32.Ke4
Kg7
33.Kxe5 Kxh7 34.Kf6 e5 35.Ke7 and wins.
Showalter: 31...g6 32.Ke4, and Black
dare
not win the bishop, as the white king meanwhile marches to d8 and wins
the other bishop and the game. |
32.Ke4
| ** |
Showalter: Here White, who
has played with consummate skill throughout, misses his shortest course
to victory, viz., 32.Be4 Ke8 (forced) 33.Bc6+ Kd8 or 33...Bd7 34.Ke4,
etc. |
32...Kf6
| ** |
Lasker: About
Black’s
thirty-second move little can be said. The remaining moves are not of
special
interest, as White’s superior forces
must
win. |
33.g4 g5 34.Kf3 Kf7 35.Be4 Ke8 36.h4 Kd7 37.h5 Ke8
38.Ke3
1-0.
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The Sun, New York,
1894.04.22
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New-York Daily Tribune,
1894.04.22
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New York Recorder, 1894.04.23
&
07.15
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