The Skittles Room

Lasker and the Exchange Variation of the
Ruy Lopez

Part Two

by Steve Wrinn

V. The Sincerest Form of Flattery

Few players dared try Lasker’s Variation against him. Perhaps with good reason,
as Lasker won all three games in which he had to defend against it – vs.
Ettlinger, Game 1, match, New York 1893; vs. Fox, Cambridge Springs 1904;
and vs. Alekhine, St. Petersburg 1914. The Alekhine game is one half of a
historical curiosity, Lasker beat Alekhine with the Black side of the Variation on
one day, and then defeated Capablanca with the White side of it on the next.

Here is one example of Lasker’s play against his own weapon:

Fox-Lasker, Cambridge Springs, 1904

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 bxc6 No one ever attempted this playable
alternative recapture in a serious game versus Lasker. It did occur in Lasker-
Morgan, simul, Philadelphia 1892, as given in the appendix. 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4
d6 7.0–0 Ne7 8.Nc3 Ng6 9.Re1 f6 10.Ne2 Be6 11.Ng3 c5 12.Qc3 Be7 13.Nf5
0–0 14.Ng5 Bxf5 15.exf5 fxg5 16.fxg6 hxg6 17.Qd3 Rf5 18.g4 Rf7 19.Qxg6
Bf6 20.c3 Rb8 21.Re3 Qd7 22.Qh5 Re7 23.Rxe7 Qxe7 24.Bd2 Rxb2 25.Re1
Be5 26.Bxg5 Qf8 27.Bh4 Qf7 28.Qxf7+ Kxf7 29.Re3 Rc2 30.Bd8 Bxc3
31.Re7+ Kf8 32.Rxc7 Be5 33.g5 Ke8 34.Be7

34...d5 A typical Lasker endgame surprise.
After 35.Rxc5 Rd2 White’s bishop is lost.
36.Ra5 Kxe7 37.Kg2 Ke6 38.Rxa6+ Kf5
39.h4 Bd4 40.Ra8 Kg4 41.Rf8 Rxa2 42.Rf7
Rxf2+ 43.Rxf2 Bxf2 44.Kxf2 Kxh4 45.Ke3
Kxg5 0–1

Appendix

Here is a list of all known occasions when
Lasker played (or faced) the Variation. The
scores of those games not given in the body

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of the article are supplied below.

Tournament and Match Games with White

Lasker-Mortimer, BCA tournament, London 1892, ½-½.

(Lasker-Pillsbury, New York 1893, 1-0. Not strictly an example of the Variation,
but close enough for inclusion.)

Lasker-Steinitz, WCh Game 13, Montreal 1894, 0-1.

Lasker Tarrasch, Nuremberg 1896, 1-0.

Lasker-Steinitz, WCh, Game 10, Moscow, 1896-7, 1-0.

Lasker-Steintiz, WCh, Game 14, Moscow, 1896-7, 1-0.

Lasker-Schlechter, London 1899, ½-½. A quiet draw. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3 f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4 c5 8.Nde2 Qxd1+ 9.Nxd1 Bd7
10.Bf4 0–0–0 11.Ne3 Bc6 12.f3 Ne7 13.Kf2 g6 14.Rad1 Bg7 15.b3 Rxd1
16.Rxd1 Rd8 17.Rxd8+ Kxd8 18.Bg3 Be8 19.Bh4 g5 20.Bg3 Bg6 21.Ke1 f5
22.exf5 Nxf5 23.Nxf5 Bxf5 24.Kd2 c4 25.b4 Kd7 26.Bf2 Ke6 27.Bd4 Bf8
28.c3 Bd6 29.Be3 Kf6 30.Bf2 Bf4+ ½–½

Lasker-Chigorin, Cambridge Springs 1904, rd 9, 1-0.

Lasker-Showalter, Cambridge Springs 1904, rd 14, ½-½. Lasker didn’t always
win the endgame after an early queen exchange. Yet note that this is the last time
he ever played the Variation in serious chess without winning – see the next six
games. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4
7.Nxd4 Nf6 8.f3 Bd7 9.Be3 0–0–0 10.Nd2 Re8 11.Kf2 g6 12.Rad1 h5 13.h4 c5
14.Ne2 b6 15.Rhe1 Bc6 16.Bf4 Bg7 17.Nc4 Nd7 18.c3 Bb5 19.Ne3 Ne5
20.Bxe5 Bxe5 21.g3 Bg7 22.Nf4 Rd8 23.Nh3 Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Rd8 25.Rxd8+
Kxd8 26.Ng5

26...Be8 27.f4 c6 28.e5 b5 29.b3 Bf8 30.c4
Be7 31.f5 Bxg5 32.hxg5 Bd7 33.e6 fxe6
34.fxg6 Ke7 35.Kf3 Be8 36.g7 Kf7 37.Kf4
Kxg7 38.Ke5 Bg6 39.Kd6 Bb1 40.a4 Ba2
41.Kxc6 Bxb3 42.axb5 axb5 43.cxb5 Ba4
44.Kxc5 Bxb5 45.Kxb5 Kg6 ½–½

Lasker-Tarrasch, WCh, Game 1, Düsseldorf,
1908, 1-0.

Lasker-Janowsky, Game 4 (of 4), Paris, May
1909, 1-0.

Lasker-Janowsky, Game 3 (of 10), Paris, October 1909, 1-0. Those pawns on e4
and f5 would appear again in Lasker’s game versus Capablanca five years later.

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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Bg4 7.Nc3 Qxd4
8.Nxd4 0–0–0 9.Be3 Bb4 10.Nde2 Bxe2 11.Kxe2 Bxc3 12.bxc3 Nf6 13.f3 Nd7
14.Rad1 Ne5 15.Rd4 b6 16.f4 Nd7 17.Rhd1 c5 18.R4d3 Nb8 19.Kf3 Rde8
20.f5

20...f6 21.g4 Re7 22.Bf4 Rhe8 23.Re3 Nc6
24.g5 Na5 25.h4 Nc4 26.Re2 Rf7 27.Rg1
Kd7 28.h5 Nd6 29.h6 fxg5 30.Rxg5 g6
31.fxg6 hxg6 32.Rxg6 Ref8 33.Rg7 Rxg7
34.hxg7 Rg8 35.Rg2 Ne8 36.Be5 Ke6
37.Kf4 Kf7 38.Kf5 1–0

Lasker-Janowsky, Game 5 (of 10), Paris,
October 1909, 1-0. According to the Weiner
Schachzeitung, Janowsky declined a draw
offer on move 44, and went on to lose. 1.e4
e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4

exd4 6.Qxd4 Bg4 7.Nc3 Qxd4 8.Nxd4 0–0–0 9.Nde2 Bc5 10.f3 Be6 11.Bd2
Ne7 12.0–0–0 f6 13.Nf4 Bc4 14.b3 Bf7 15.Nd3 Bd6 16.Bf4 Ba3+ 17.Kb1 Ng6
18.Bc1 Bd6 19.g3 c5 20.Nd5 Rhe8 21.Bb2 Bxd5 22.exd5 Re2 23.Rde1 Rde8
24.Kc1 Kd7 25.Rxe2 Rxe2 26.Kd1 Re3 27.Rf1 b5 28.Kd2 Re8 29.c4 c6
30.Rc1 b4 31.dxc6+ Kxc6 32.Re1 Ra8 33.Ra1 Rd8 34.Ke2 a5 35.a3 Bc7 36.a4
h5 37.Rd1 h4 38.f4 hxg3 39.hxg3 Rh8 40.Nf2 Ne7 41.Kf3 Nf5 42.Rd5 Ne7
43.Rd1 Nf5 44.Rd5

44...Nd6 45.Bc1 Bb6 46.Be3 Re8 47.f5 Nc8
48.Ne4 Rh8 49.Bxc5 Bc7 50.Nf2 Rh2
51.Bf8 Bb6 52.Ne4 Rh7 53.Nc5 Bc7 54.Ne6
Be5 55.Rc5+ Kd7 56.Rxa5 Rh3 57.Rd5+
Kc6 58.Nf4 Bxf4 59.Kxf4 Nb6 60.Rd6+
Kc7 61.Rd3 1–0

Lasker-Capablanca, St. Petersburg, 1914, 1-
0.

Lasker-Marshall, New York 1924, 1-0.

Simultaneous, Blindfold, and Consultation Games

Lasker-Pollock, both blindfold, Baltimore, 1892, 1-0 White’s 41st move is a nice
surprise, though admittedly he is a rook up at the time. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5
a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 Bg4 6.dxe5 Qxd1+ 7.Kxd1 Bc5 8.Ke2 0–0–0 9.Be3 Be7
10.h3 Bh5 11.Nbd2 f6 12.Rhd1 fxe5 13.g4 Be8 14.Nxe5 Nf6 15.f3 h5 16.Nf1
hxg4 17.hxg4 Nd7 18.Nxd7 Bxd7 19.Kf2 Rdf8 20.Kg2 Bd6 21.Ng3 Rf7
22.Nf5 Bxf5 23.exf5 Rh2+ 24.Kg1 Rxc2 25.Rd2 Rxd2 26.Bxd2 Rd7 27.Bc3
Bc5+ 28.Kg2 Bd4 29.Bxd4 Rxd4 30.Rh1 b5 31.Rh7 c5 32.Rxg7 c4 33.Kg3 b4
34.f6 c3 35.bxc3 bxc3 36.f7 Rd8 37.Rg8 c2 38.Rxd8+ Kb7 39.f8Q c1Q
40.Qb4+ Kc6

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41.Qd6+ Kb7 42.Qd5+ 1–0

Lasker-Hoban, simul, Philadelphia, 1892, ½-
½ This is an odd game. Why does Lasker
refuse the exchange on move 18, and why
does he agree to split the point at the finish?
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6
5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Bd7 8.Be3
Bc5 9.Nd2 0–0–0 10.0–0–0 Nf6 11.f3 Ne8
12.Rhe1 Nd6 13.Nxc6 Bxc6 14.Bxc5 b6
15.Bxd6 Rxd6 16.Nb3 Re6 17.Nd4 Rhe8
(see next diagram)
18.Nf5 Re5 19.Nxg7 Rg8 20.Nf5 Rxg2
21.Rd2 Rg8 22.b3 Rge8 23.Red1 Rxf5
24.exf5 Bxf3 25.Rf1 Bg4 26.f6 Bh5 27.Kb2
Re6 28.Rff2 Kb7 29.Rd8 Bg6 ½–½

Lasker-Morgan, simul, Philadelphia, 1892, ½-½. The only recorded instance of
an opponent playing 4...bxc6 versus Lasker. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6
bxc6 5.Nxe5 Qe7 6.d4 d6 7.Nxc6 Qxe4+ 8.Qe2 Qxe2+ 9.Kxe2 Bb7 10.d5 Bxc6
11.dxc6 Ne7 12.Re1 Nxc6 13.b3 g6 14.Bb2 Rg8 15.Nd2 f5 16.Nf3 Bg7
17.Kd2+ Kd7 18.Bxg7 Rxg7 19.Re2 Re8 20.Rxe8 Kxe8 21.Re1+ Re7
22.Rxe7+ Kxe7 ½–½

Lasker-Gittins, simul, Birmingham, 1898, 1-0 Lasker prevails in the endgame.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.d3 Bg4 7.Be3 Bxe3
8.fxe3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Qh4+ 10.Kd2 0–0–0 11.Qxf7 Nf6 12.Raf1 Nxe4+ 13.Nxe4
Qxe4 14.Qxg7 Qb4+ 15.Kc1 Rhg8 16.Qxh7 Rxg2 17.Qh3+ Qg4 18.Qxg4+
Rxg4 19.e4 Rdg8 20.Rf2 b5 21.h4 c5 22.h5 c4 23.dxc4 Rxe4 24.h6 Reg4 25.h7
Rh8 26.cxb5 axb5 27.Rf5 e4 28.Rxb5 e3 29.Re5 Rxh7 30.Re1 Rh2 31.R5xe3
and wins. 1–0

Lasker-E. Cohn, simul, Berlin, 1902, 1-0. This is another powerful attacking
performance with the Variation. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3
f6 6.d3 Bg4 7.Be3 c5 8.h3 Bh5 9.g4 Bf7 10.Nd2 Bd6 11.Qf3 Ne7 12.g5 Nc6
13.gxf6 gxf6 14.Nd5 Be7 15.c3 Qd6 16.Nc4 Qd8 17.Rg1 f5 18.Rg7 f4 19.Rxf7
Kxf7 20.Qh5+ Kf8 21.Nxe5 Nxe5 22.Qxe5 Rg8 23.Bxf4

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1–0 In the final position, 23...Rg1+ 24.Ke2
Rxa1 25.Qh8+ leads to a winning attack.

Lasker-C.E. Wood, simul, London, 1908. ½-
½ This is an example that a pawn ending
characteristic of the Variation is not always
won for White. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6
4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4
7.Nxd4 Bc5 8.Be3 Nf6 9.f3 0–0 10.Nd2 Bb6
11.Nc4 Re8 12.Nxb6 cxb6 13.0–0–0 c5
14.Ne2 Be6 15.Nc3 Rac8 16.Rd6 b5
17.Rhd1 h6 18.Kb1 Kh7 19.Ne2 b4 20.Nc1

Rc7 21.Nd3 Nd7 22.Nf4 Ne5 23.Nxe6 fxe6 24.Rd8 Rxd8 25.Rxd8 Rd7
26.Rxd7 Nxd7 27.Kc1 b5 28.Kd2 Kg6 29.Bf4 e5 30.Bg3 Kf6 31.f4 exf4
32.Bxf4 Ke6 33.Ke3 Ne5 34.Bxe5 Kxe5 35.b3

½–½

Lasker-B. Leussen, simul, Utrecht, 1908. ½-
½ Lasker gets nowhere with the Variation
in this game. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6
4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4
7.Nxd4 c5 8.Ne2 Bd6 9.Nd2 b5 10.Nb3 c4
11.Nbd4 Bb7 12.f3 Ne7 13.Bf4 0–0–0
14.Bxd6 Rxd6 15.c3 c5 16.Nc2 f5 17.exf5
Nxf5 18.Rd1 Rd3 19.Nf4 Rxd1+ 20.Kxd1
Nh4 21.Rg1 g5 22.Ne2 h5 23.Ne1 Ng6
24.Rf1 Ne5 25.Nc1 (see next diagram)
25...Rf8 26.h3 g4 27.hxg4 hxg4 28.Ke2 Re8
29.fxg4 Nxg4+ 30.Kd2 Rd8+ ½–½

Lasker-Dyckhoff, simul, Augsburg, May 1908, ½-½ This game was played three
months before Lasker’s first match game with Tarrasch, given above. Had the
latter seen it, perhaps he would have played 35...Bxe4 in that game. 1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.d3 f6 7.Be3 Bxe3 8.fxe3 Nh6
9.Qe2 Qe7 10.0–0–0 b5 11.h3 Be6 12.d4 Bc4 13.Qf2 0–0 14.g4 a5 15.Qg3 Nf7
16.g5 Nxg5 17.Nxg5 fxg5 18.b3 Bf7 19.Rdg1 a4 20.Qxg5 Qxg5 21.Rxg5 axb3
22.axb3 Rfe8 23.Rhg1 g6 24.b4 Ra1+ 25.Kd2 Rxg1 26.Rxg1 Bc4 27.Ra1 Rd8
28.Ra7 exd4 29.exd4 Rxd4+ 30.Ke3 Rd7 31.e5 Be6 32.Ne4 Re7 33.h4 Bf5
34.Kf4

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34...Bxe4 35.Kxe4 Kf7 36.Ra6 Re6 37.Ra7
Re7 ½–½

Lasker & Taubenhaus-Janowski &
Soldatenkov, Paris, January 1909. An article
could be written about this game alone; a
very interesting tactical struggle. 1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bd6
6.Be3 Bg4 7.Nbd2 Qe7 8.h3 Be6 9.d4 f6
10.Qe2 0–0–0 11.0–0 g5 12.dxe5 Bxe5
13.Nxe5 fxe5 14.Nf3 g4 15.Nxe5 gxh3
16.Nxc6 Qh4 17.Rfd1 Rf8 18.Na7+ Kb8

19.Nc6+ Kc8 20.Na7+ Kb8 21.Nc6+ Ka8 22.Qd3 Nf6 23.Qd4 b6 24.g3 Rhg8
25.Qe5 Ng4 26.Qxe6 Nxe3 27.Nd8

27...Rxd8 (on 27...Rxg3+ White replies
28.Kh1!) 28.Rxd8+ Qxd8 29.fxe3 Ka7
30.Qe5 Kb8 31.Kh2 Rg5 32.Rd1 Qxd1
33.Qxg5 ½–½

Lasker-Knapp, simul, Washington, DC, 1910.
Black’s game falls apart over the last ten
moves. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6
dxc6 5.Nc3 Bg4 6.d3 Bd6 7.Be3 Nf6 8.d4
Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Qe7 10.0–0–0 0–0–0 11.Rhe1
Rhe8 12.Bg5 h6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6 14.Qxf6 gxf6
15.d5 c5 16.Ne2 Rg8 17.g3 Rg5 18.h4 Rg6

19.c4 a5 20.Kc2 b6 21.Rd3 Be7 22.Rf3 Kb7 23.Nc3 Rgg8 24.Nd1 h5 25.Rf5
Rh8 26.Ne3 Rdg8 27.Rd1 Rg6 28.Rf3 Bd6 29.Nf5 Rhg8 30.Re3 Re8 31.Re2
Ka7 32.f3 Reg8 33.Rg2 Kb7 34.Rdg1

34...Rh8 35.Kd3 Kc8 36.g4 Rh7 37.gxh5
Rxg2 38.Rxg2 Rxh5 39.Rg7 Kd8 40.Rxf7
Rh8 41.Rxf6 Be7 42.Re6 Bxh4 43.Nxh4
Rxh4 44.Rxe5 1–0

Lasker, Müller & Hennefeld-Teichmann,
Weyland & Zimmermann, Zurich, June 1919.
This is a fairly quiet draw, in which the
queens stay on the board. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 f6 6.Be3 Bg4
7.Nbd2 Qd7 8.h3 Be6 9.d4 exd4 10.Nxd4
Bd6 11.Nxe6 Qxe6 12.Qg4 Qf7 13.0–0 Ne7

14.Qe2 0–0 15.c4 c5 16.Rac1 Nc6 17.Qd3 Nb4 18.Qb3 b6 19.Rfd1 a5 20.a4
Qe6 21.f3 Rad8 22.Nf1 Rd7 23.Bf2 Rfd8 24.Ne3 c6 25.Kf1 Bf4 26.Rxd7 Rxd7
27.Rd1 Rxd1+ 28.Qxd1 Bxe3 29.Qd8+ Kf7 30.Bxe3 Qxc4+ 31.Kg1 Qd3 ½–½

Tournament and Match Games with Black

Ettlinger-Lasker, Match Game 1, New York, 6 September 1893. White wins a
pawn, but leaves his king wide open in the process. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6

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4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Qf6 6.Be3 h6 7.h3 Be6 8.Nbd2 0–0–0 9.Nb3 Bd6 10.Qe2
Ne7 11.Nfd2 Ng6 12.g3 Rhe8 13.0–0–0 Qe7 14.d4 exd4 15.Nxd4 Bxa2
16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.Qxa6+ Kd7 18.Qxa2 Ra8 19.Qb1 Reb8

20.Nb3 Ke8 21.f4 Qxe4 22.Rhe1 Kf8
23.Ba7 Qg2 24.Bxb8 Qxg3 25.Bxc7 Bxc7
26.Nd2 Bxf4 27.c3 Ne5 28.Qh7 Bxd2+
29.Kxd2 Qf2+ 30.Re2 Nf3+ 0–1

Fox-Lasker, Cambridge Springs 1904, 0-1.

Alekhine-Lasker, St. Petersburg 1914. The
game before The Game – Lasker, playing the
Black side of the Variation, defeats Alekhine
here, and then defeated Capablanca with the
White side of it on the following day. 1.e4 e5

2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3 f6 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 Qxd4 8.Nxd4
Bd6 9.Be3 Ne7 10.0–0–0 0–0 11.Nb3 Ng6 12.Bc5 Bf4+ 13.Kb1 Re8 14.Rhe1
b6 15.Be3 Be5 16.Bd4 Nh4 17.Rg1 Be6 18.f4 Bd6 19.Bf2 Ng6 20.f5 Bxb3
21.axb3 Nf8 22.Bxb6 Bxh2 23.Rh1 cxb6 24.Rxh2 b5 25.Re1 Nd7 26.Nd1 a5
27.Rh3 b4 28.Nf2 Nc5 29.Rhe3 a4 30.bxa4 Nxa4 31.e5 fxe5 32.Rxe5 Reb8
33.Ne4 b3 34.Re2 Nb6 35.cxb3 Nd5 36.g4 h6 37.g5 hxg5 38.Nxg5 Nf6 39.Re7
Rxb3 40.Rg2 Nd5 41.Rd7 Rd3

Winning the exchange through the various
threats associated with 42...Rd1+ or
42...Nc3+. Although victory is still far off.
42.Rxd5 Rxd5 43.Ne6 Kf7 44.Rxg7+ Kf6
45.Rc7 Rd6 46.Nc5 Kxf5 47.Rf7+ Ke5
48.Kc2 Rh6 49.Nd3+ Kd6 50.Rf5 Rb8
51.Kc3 Kc7 52.Rf7+ Kb6 53.Rd7 Rh3
54.Rd4 Rbh8 55.Rb4+ Kc7 56.Kc2 R8h4
57.Rb3 Rh2+ 58.Kc3 R4h3 59.Rb4 Rh5
60.Rg4 R2h3 61.Kc2 Rd5 62.Nf4 Rc5+
63.Kb1 Rh1+ 64.Ka2 Ra5+ 65.Kb3 Rb5+
66.Kc3 Kb6 67.Nd3 Rh3 68.Kc2 Rd5

69.Rb4+ Kc7 70.Rb3 Rh2+ 71.Kc3 Kd6 72.Ra3 Rg2 73.Ra1 Rg3 74.Rd1 Kc7
75.Rd2 Kb6 76.Rd1 Kb5 77.Kc2 Kc4 78.b3+ Kb5 79.Rd2 Rh3 80.Rd1 Rh2+
81.Kc3 Rd8 82.Rg1 Rh3 83.Rd1 Rdh8 84.Rg1 R8h5 85.Kc2 Rd5 86.Rd1 Rg5
87.Rd2 Rhg3 88.Nc1 Rg2 89.Ne2 Kb6 0–1 Black forces a decisive exchange of
rooks.

Simultaneous and Exhibition Games

F.W. Sieber-Lasker, simul, Nuremberg, 1913. Aside from the game vs. Steinitz
given at the beginning of this article, this is the only other recorded instance of
Lasker losing on either side of the Variation. White’s play would do credit to the
Master himself. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.d4 exd4 6.Qxd4
Qxd4 7.Nxd4 c5 8.Ne2 Nf6 9.Nbc3 Bd6 10.Bf4 Bxf4 11.Nxf4 Be6 12.Nxe6
fxe6 13.Rd1 Ke7 14.e5 Nd7 15.f4 Raf8 16.0–0 Nb8 17.b3 Nc6 18.Ne4 b6 19.c3
Rd8 20.Kf2 Rd5 21.Ke3 Rhd8 22.Rd2 Na5 23.Rfd1 c4 24.b4 Nc6 25.a4 h6

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26.h4 Kf7 27.g4 Ne7 28.h5 Rxd2 29.Rxd2 Rxd2 30.Kxd2 Nd5 31.f5 Ne7 32.f6

32...Nc6 33.g5 Nxe5 34.g6+ Kf8 35.f7 Nd3
36.Ke3 Ke7 37.Nf2 Ne5 38.Kd4 Nd7
39.Ng4 Nf8 40.Kxc4 Nd7 41.Kd4 Nf8 42.c4
Nd7 43.c5 Nb8 44.Ne5 1–0

Golmayo-Lasker, exhibition game, Madrid,
1921. This is a rather quiet draw. 1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3 f6
6.d3 Ne7 7.Be3 Ng6 8.Ne2 c5 9.0–0 Bd6
10.Nd2 0–0 11.Nc4 Be6 12.Nxd6 cxd6 13.f4
f5 14.Qd2 Qd7 15.Ng3 fxe4 16.dxe4 exf4
17.Bxf4 d5 18.exd5 Nxf4 19.Rxf4 Qxd5

20.Qxd5 Bxd5 21.Rxf8+ Rxf8 22.a3 Bc6 23.Rd1 Re8 24.Kf2 Rf8+ 25.Kg1
Re8 26.Kf2 Rf8+ ½–½

Grigoriev-Lasker, exhibition game, Moscow, February 1924. White seems to
overreach in the endgame. After, say, 38.Rd2, it is very hard to see how Black
could have won. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nc3 f6 6.d4 exd4
7.Qxd4 Qxd4 8.Nxd4 Bd6 9.Be3 Ne7 10.0–0–0 c5 11.Nde2 Bd7 12.Bf4 Bxf4+
13.Nxf4 0–0–0 14.f3 Rhf8 15.h4 Nc6 16.Rd5 b6 17.Rhd1 Rf7 18.a3 Re8
19.Nfe2 f5 20.exf5 Bxf5 21.Ng3 Nd4 22.Nce4 Be6 23.Re5 h6 24.Nd2 Bd7
25.Rde1 Rxe5 26.Rxe5 Kd8 27.c3 Nc6 28.Re4 Rf6 29.Nh5 Rf7 30.Nc4 Bf5
31.Ne5 Nxe5 32.Rxe5 Bg6 33.Kd2 Rd7+ 34.Ke3 Bxh5 35.Rxh5 Rd1 36.Ke4
Ke7 37.Rd5 Rb1

38.Kf5 Rxb2 39.g4 Rc2 40.Kg6 Rxc3 41.f4
Rg3 42.g5 hxg5 43.hxg5 Rg4 44.Re5+ Kd6
45.Re4 b5 0–1

All the above games can be found in Ken
Whyld’s The Collected Games of Emanuel
Lasker, The Chess Player, Nottingham, 1998,
a true labor of love, years in the making,
which contains nearly 1400 of the great
man’s efforts. Aficionados of fascinating,
fighting chess will find them a feast.

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