Capablanca -- Lasker, Game 9

The ninth game of the World Championship Match between José Raúl Capablanca and Emanuel Lasker was played in a single sitting on 6 April 1921. It brought the eighth draw of the match. This post is part 15 in a series recognizing the centennial of this match. Each post is timed to correspond to the anniversary of the featured game or related event. The index tag WCC Havana 1921 links the entire series.

In his exceptional biography of Capablanca, Miguel A. Sánchez has annotations to games 1, 2, and 5, then offers: "After the fifth game there were four draws, and then" [he annotates game ten] (247).* Earlier in the text, he described criticism of the many draws in the 1909 match between Capablanca and Frank Marshall, criticism that included a cartoon published in The Chess Weekly (Brooklyn, NY) on 26 June 1909 after the match had ended. Edward Winter appends the same cartoon to the top of "Chess Draws," Chess Notes (updated 14 August 2020).

At the time, according to Sánchez, Lasker addressed the complaints with a defense of draws:

From Europe, where the match and the criticism of the repeated draws were well known, Lasker wrote that although the public pays to see a chess master play, it has no right to coerce him to do it poorly. Each master plays as he knows and can. Capablanca was playing excellent chess. That's the most he could be asked to do, emphasized Lasker. (119)

I opined in my notes to game 7 that the process of making small changes in the opening is of vital importance in a match of many games. What looks to spectators as an easy draw is often carefully crafted intelligence gathering.

Capablanca,José Raúl -- Lasker,Emanuel [D34]
World Championship 12th Havana (9), 06.04.1921
[Capablanca/Lasker]

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 c5

"This, too, from Dr. Tarrasch strongly recommended, is playable. Of course, Black has to accept the isolation of his queen's pawn." (Lasker)

4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2

Black to move

7...Be6

A more common move order that reaches a position similar to the game continues 7...Be7 8.O-O O-O 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Bg5 d4. Here, I think, having castled may be more useful to Black than having a bishop on e6.

8.0-0 Be7 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Bg5 d4

"The idea for this fine move, or at least the further development of the idea, is due to Dr. Tarrasch." (Lasker)

And so, Lasker presents Capablanca with a small problem. There have been 21 games reaching this position of sufficient quality to merit inclusion in PowerBook 2020. These split almost evenly between the two options that Capablanca considered.

White to move

11.Ne4

"I had never seen this variation before and I therefore thought for a long time in order to make up my mind as to whether I should play 11.Bxf6 or 11.Ne4. I finally decided upon the latter move as the safest course." (Capablanca)

11...Be7 12.Nxf6+

"The continuation of the Bilguer is 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Qa4 Bd5 14.Nxf6+ Qxf6 15.Rfd1 0-0-0 16.Rac1 Kb8 I believe that Black can hold the position." (Lasker)

Lasker's "the Bilguer" must be a reference to Handbuch des Schachspiels, the standard opening reference of the day, edited in early editions by Paul Rudolf von Bilguer.

12...Bxf6 13.Bxf6 Qxf6

White to move

"It is my impression that this position is not good for Black, though perhaps there may be no way to force a win." (Capalanca)

14.Qa4 0-0

"This seemed better to me than Be6-d5. Black is now quite good. The queen's pawn has been threatened, but Black has counter threats." (Lasker)

15.Qb5

"Threatening not only 16.Qxb7 but also 16.Qg5 exchanging Queens." (Capablanca)

Both 15.Rfd1 and 15.Nd2 have been played in the three games to reach this position in Mega 2020.

15...Rab8 16.Rfd1 h6

"Secures the important Be6 against the white knight." (Lasker)

White did get an advantage in Mamoshin,V. -- Olenin,N., Tula 2004, one of the games with 15.Rfd1, continuing 15...d3 16.exd3 Qxb2 17.Ng5 Rad8 18.Qe4 g6 19.Nxe6 fxe6 and White eventually won.

17.Ne1 Rfe8

White to move

18.Rd2

"Of course 18.Bxc6 is inadequate, as the Be6 would then come into its own." (Lasker)

18...Bg4 19.Rc1 Re5 20.Qd3

"If 20.Rc5 Qg5 with a winning game." (Capablanca)

20...Rbe8 21.Bf3

"If 21.Bxc6, then 21...Bxe2 with advantage." (Lasker)

21...Bxf3

"Black could have tried to keep up the attack by playing 21...h5 The text move simplifies matters and easily leads to a draw." (Capablanca)

22.Nxf3 Re4 23.Rc4

Black to move

23...Qe6

"Pity! Black still had a lot of time to draw. With 23...Qg6 Black would have posed a problem for the opponent, since then Re4xe2 threatened. For example 24.Kf1 Qg4 25.Kg2 Qe6 26.Nxd4 Qd5." (Lasker)

24.Nxd4 Nxd4 ½-½

"The game was simply clear here. 24...Qd6 would be bad because of 25.Qc3." (Lasker)

Capablanca 1:55 - Lasker 1:37

*Miguel A. Sánchez, José Raúl Capablanca: A Chess Biography (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2015).

Morphy Defense: First Book Lines

Before Paul Morphy played 3...a6 in response to Adolf Anderssen's Spanish Opening, or Ruy Lopez, published analysis had appeared in Handbuch des Schachspiels (Berlin, 1852).

The Handbuch, often called the German Handbook in English publications set the standard for opening reference in the nineteenth century and was still in use well into the twentieth century. It went through eight editions: 1843, 1852, 1858, 1864, 1874, 1880, 1891, and 1912-1916. It's first editor, Paul Rudolf von Bilguer (1815-1840) died before the first edition was published. Tassilo von Heydebrand und der Lasa (1818-1899) saw the first five editions through publication, retaining Bilguer's name as editor.

The 1852 edition was the first to include what would come to be known as the Morphy Defense. The lines presented in the Handbuch (1852) are reproduced here. There are two notes to line 3 that I have not yet translated, but that I may add later.

After 3...a6

Line 1.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6* 4.Bxc6 dxc6 5.Nxe5 Qd4 6.f4** Qxe4+ =

Line 2.

-- -- -- -- 5.0–0 Bd6 6.d4 exd4 7.Qxd4 f6 8.Re1 Ne7 9.e5 fxe5 10.Nxe5 0–0 11.Bg5*** Qe8 12.Nc4 Nf5

White to move

13.Rxe8 Nxd4 14.Rxf8+ Kxf8 15.Nxd6 Nxc2 16.Nxc8 Rxc8 17.Na3 Nxa1 =/+

Line 3.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 13.Qc3 Qg6 14.Nxd6 cxd6 =

Line 4.

White to move

Position for Lines 4 and 5

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 12.Nd2 Nf5 13.Qc3 Qh5 =

Line 5.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Nd2 Be6 =

Line 6.

[1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6] 4.Ba4 Bc5 5.c3 b5 6.Bb3

After 6.Bb3 in Lines 6 and 7

6...d6 7.d4 exd4 8.cxd4 Bb6 9.Bd5 Nge7 10.Nc3 Bg4 11.Be3 Bxf3 12.gxf3 =

Line 7.

6...Qe7 7.a4 Rb8 8.axb5 axb5 9.0–0 Nf6 10.d4 Bb6 11.Bg5 d6 12.Qd3 Bd7 =

Line 8.

-- -- -- - 4...Nf6 5.d3 b5 6.Bb3 Bc5 7.c3 d6 8.d4 Bb6 +/=

White to move

*This move, described by Anonimo Modenese [that is, Domenico Ercole del Rio; see "Morphy Defense: Early History"] could possibly occur. But if White would take Nc6 immediately, Black then will be a bit better developed with 3. Ng8 to f6 instead a7 to a6 because of his threat towards e4.

** White also can play the knight to d3, f3, or g4 with the same result.

*** Reference to Cozio ending here with the remark that White has a beautiful game. The game, however, as shown in the following lines is not unfavorable for Black.

Learning from Errors: Adolf Anderssen

Prodigal Pawn laments the absence of well-annotated game collections focused on many players of the past, and present. He issues a call to such chess writers as John Nunn, Andrew Soltis, Nigel Davies, Neil McDonald, and others to write books on such chess greats as Adolf Anderssen, Harry Pillsbury, William Steinitz, and others.

My skills are far below Nunn and company, but I did write a pamphlet on Adolf Anderssen last year. Each year for the past several, I put on a brief chess camp for elementary chess players. In order to keep the camp fresh, and to give the participants something to take home, I change the theme each year. In 2010, the theme was "Attacking with Anderssen". I spent many hours poring through Anderssen's games looking for simple skewers, forks, decoys, and other tactical motifs in order to create problem sets. I also sought games to illustrate strategic themes, and other useful elements in Anderssen's chess career.

Last summer, the theme was "Studying with Smyslov" and we did some strong work on the endgame.

What follows was printed in the first three pages of instruction in the 2010 camp workbook.


Learning from Errors

Anderssen's first important match was against Tassilo von der Lasa. Von der Lasa was a Prussian diplomat who spent his spare time with chess. He accumulated an impressive library of chess books and also finished work begun by Paul Rudolf von Bilguer, editing Handbuch des Scachspiels (Handbook of Chess). The Handbuch became the dominant opening reference until the twentieth century.

Anderssen's six game match with Von der Lasa took place 1845-1846. Anderssen suffered some instructive losses in the beginning. As White, he favored the King's Gambit, an immensely popular opening in his day.

Match with Von Der Lasa
Game 1

Anderssen, A -- Von der Lasa, T [C38]
Breslau, 1845

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5

White to move


4.Bc4

For 4.h4 see Anderssen -- Von der Lasa, Berlin 1851 (also included in the workbook).

4...Bg7 5.d4 d6 6.c3 h6 7.Qb3?

7.O-O transposes into a line with some popularity, but that favors Black.


Black to move


White has pressure against f7 with the battery, but Black's kingside is secure. This error looks logical. However, on b3 the queen might become hemmed in by her own pawns--loss of mobility. She also could become vulnerable to attack.

7...Qe7 8.O-O Nd7 9.Na3

Thirty years later, Anderssen would try 9.a4 Anderssen -- Riemann, Breslau 1875.


9...Nb6 10.Bd2 Bd7 11.Rae1 Ba4 12.Bb5+ forced 12...Bxb5 13.Qxb5+ c6 14.Qa5

Black to move


The queen has no scope. Black's problem was not that 14.Qa5 was an error, but that this move is a consequence of a bad plan. 7.Qb3 brought the queen out where its vulnerability led to poor mobility. Even before then, Anderssen played moves that gave him minimal prospects of success.

14...Qd7 15.e5 d5

White to move


16.e6?

Anderssen offers a clever sacrifice that leads to a material imbalance, but one that favors Black. He should have hunkered down and tried to defend. Let Black play the aggressor. He might have sought better squares for his queen and the a3 knight.

16...fxe6 17.Rxe6+ Qxe6 18.Re1 Qxe1+ 19.Nxe1 Nf6

White to move


Black's pieces are better placed; the White queen has far less potential in this position than the Black rooks.

20.Nd3

Alternatives are worse: 20.Qc5 Ne4-+; 20.Qb4 Ne4 21.Bc1 O-O-O-+.

20...Ne4 21.Be1 O-O 22.b3 Rf7 23.Nc2 g4 Black's pawns are potent 24.Qa3 g3 25.Qc1 The misplaced queen arrives back in action too late. 25...Raf8 26.Bd2 f3 27.gxf3 Rxf3 28.Nce1 28.Ne3 might be better.

Black to move


Now, Black converts his advantage. He trades the greater mobility and coordination of his forces for a clear material advantage and an easy endgame.

28...Rf1+ Black has a forcing combination 29.Kg2 Nxd2 29...R1f2+ may be stronger 30.Qxd2 R1f2+ 31.Nxf2 Rxf2+ 32.Qxf2 gxf2 White is down a piece 0-1

Anderssen's positional error in the placement of his queen was as significant as tactical blunders. He squandered the initiative early and never recovered. In the middlegame, he initiated a forcing combination that gave his opponent a clear advantage.