Lasker arrived in Havana on 7 March 1921 (link to part 1). While Lasker gets his bearings in Havana and we await the beginning of this much anticipated World Championship, it seems worthwhile to reflect back on their previous encounter. Due to the disruptions of the First World War, their last game prior to the 1921 World Championship Match was at the tournament in St. Petersburg in 1914. Capablanca annotated this game in 1920 for his introductory text, Chess Fundamentals, published after the match with Lasker. Authorship of comments that are not Capablanca's are indicated in parentheses.
Lasker,Emanuel -- Capablanca,José [C68]
St. Petersburg, 1914
José Capablanca
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6
The object of this move is to bring about speedily a middlegame without queens, in which White has four pawns to three on the kingside, while Black's superiority of pawns on the other side is somewhat balanced by the fact that one of Black's pawns is doubled.
Lasker had played this move in 22 prior games, winning 15, drawing 6, and losing one. Capablanca had played this move against Janowski earlier in the event, winning with White. He had defended the Black side twice prior to this game with a win and a draw. The draw was a consultation game. (Stripes)
4...dxc6
On the other hand Black has the advantage of remaining with two bishops while White has only one.
4...bxc6 had been played by Lasker at Cambridge Springs (1904) and against him in a simul. Lasker won both games. (Stripes)
5.d4 exd4
5...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 and it is clear that White already has a clear advantage. 1-0 (42) Lasker,E -- Pollock,W Baltimore 1892. (Stripes)
6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Bd6
Black's idea is to castle on the kingside. His reason is that the king ought to remain on the weaker side to oppose later the advance of White's pawns. Theoretically there is very much to be said in favour of this reasoning, but whether in practice that would be the best system would be difficult to prove. The student should notice that if now all the pieces were exchanged White would practically be a pawn ahead and would therefore have a won ending.
8.Nc3 Ne7
A perfectly sound form of development. In any other form adopted the black knight could not be developed either as quickly or as well. e7 is the natural position for the black knight in this variation, in order not to obstruct Black's pawns, and also, in some eventualities, in order to go to g6. There is also the possibility of its going to d4 via c6 after ... c5.
9.0-0 0-0 10.f4
Black to move
This move I considered weak at the time, and I do still. It leaves the e-pawn weak, unless it advances to e5, and it also makes it possible for Black to pin the knight by ...Bc5.
Lasker's move was a novelty in the position, but not wholly new, having appeared a move earlier in 1906. In that game, it preceded castling and was followed by opposite side castling a couple of moves later. 9.f4 f6 10.Be3 0-0 11.0-0-0 ½-½ (62) John,W -- Leonhardt,P Ostend 1906. (Stripes)
10.Be3 has been played in a few games since 1914, as has Lasker's 10.f4. (Stripes)
10...Re8 Best.
10...Re8 threatens 11.-- Bc5 12.Be3 Nd5; 10...Re8 also prevents 11.Be3 because of 11...Nd5 (or 11...Nf5)
10...f6 was played several months later. 11.Be3 b6 12.Rae1 c5 13.Nde2 Re8 ½-½ (58) Selezniev,A -- Maliutin,B Mannheim. 1914 (Stripes)
Later Dr. Tarrasch suggested 10...f5 11.e5 Bc5 12.Be3 Bxd4 13.Bxd4 b6 and despite White's strong passed pawn Black has enough defensive resources. So strong was the impression of Lasker's original plan that the commentators tried to improve Black's play at the earliest possible stage! But Capablanca was right in his assessment: Black had little to worry about. (Kasparov)
11.Nb3 f6
Preparatory to ... b6, followed by ... c5 and ... Bb7 in conjunction with ... Ng6, which would put White in great difficulties to meet the combined attack against the two centre pawns.
12.f5
It has been wrongly claimed that this wins the game, but I would like nothing better than to have such a position again. It required several mistakes on my part finally to obtain a lost position.
12...b6 13.Bf4
Black to move
13...Bb7
Played against my better judgement. The right move of course was 13...Bxf4 . Dr. Lasker gives the following variation: 14.Rxf4 c5 15.Rd1 Bb7 16.Rf2 --
a) 16...Rad8 17.Rxd8 Rxd8 18.Rd2 Rxd2 19.Nxd2 and (Dr. Lasker) claims that White has the best of it. Taking Dr. Lasker's variation, however, whatever advantage there might be disappears at once if Black plays 19...Nc6 threatening ... Nb4 and also ... Nd4, neither of which can be stopped...In fact, after 19 ... Nc6 Black threatens so many things that it is difficult to see how White can prevent the loss of one or more pawns. If White answers 20.Nd5 then 20...Nd4 for Black will at least draw;
b) But, as Nimzowitsch pointed out immediately after the game, 16...Rad8, given in Dr. Lasker's variation, is not the best. If 16...Rac8! then White will have great difficulty in drawing the game, since there is no good way to stop Black from playing ... Nc6, followed by ... Ne5, threatening ... Nc4. And should White attempt to meet this manoeuvre by withdrawing the knight at b3 then the black knight can go to d4, and the white pawn at e4 will be the object of attack.
14.Bxd6 cxd6 15.Nd4
It is a curious but true fact that I did not see this move when I played 13 ... Bb7, otherwise I would have played the right move 13 ... Bxf4.
15...Rad8
The game is yet far from lost, as against the entry of the knight.
16.Ne6
Black can later on play ... c5 followed by ... d5.
16...Rd7 17.Rad1
Black to move
Suddenly I became ambitious and thought that I could play the text move.
17...Nc8
and later on sacrifice the exchange for the knight at e6, winning a pawn for it, and leaving White's e-pawn still weaker. I intended to carry out this plan either before or after playing ... g5, as the circumstances demanded.
I now was on the point of playing 17...c5 to be followed by ... d5, which I thought would give me a draw. Now let us analyse: If 18.Nd5 (18.Rf2 d5 19.exd5 Bxd5! 20.Nxd5 best [since if 20.Rfd2 Bxe6 gives Black the advantage] 20...Rxd5 21.Rxd5 Nxd5 and there is no good reason why Black should lose) 18...Bxd5 19.exd5 b5 , and a careful analysis will show that Black has nothing to fear. Black's plan in this case would be to work his knight around to e5 via c8, b6 and c4 or d7.
18.Rf2 b5 19.Rfd2 Rde7 20.b4 Kf7 21.a3
Black to move
21...Ba8
Once more changing my plan and this time without any good reason. Had I now played 21...Rxe6 22.fxe6+ Rxe6 as I intended to do when I went back with the knight to c8, I doubt very much White would have been able to win the game. At least it would have been extremely difficult.
Stockfish 13 favors sacrificing the exchange 21...Rxe6 as Black's best choice, giving White's odds of winning as 70%; 21...h5 was also worth considering. (Stripes)
22.Kf2 Ra7 23.g4 h6 24.Rd3 a5 25.h4 axb4 26.axb4
Black to move
Black's cramped position prevents making any use of the opened a-file for counterplay. Richard Réti, Masters of the Chessboard discusses Black's lack of space in some detail with a note at move 23
26...Rae7
This of course, has no object now. Black, with a bad game, flounders around for a move. It would have been better to play 26...Ra3 to keep the open file, and at the same time threaten to come out with the knight at b6 and c4.
27.Kf3
He should have played his rook to 27.Rg3.
27...Rg8 28.Kf4
White's last two moves were weak, since the white king does nothing here.
Black to move
28...g6
Black should now have played 28...g5+ . After Black misses this chance White has it all his own way, and finishes the game most accurately, and Black becomes more helpless with each move.
The game needs no further comment, excepting that my play throughout was of an altogether irresolute character. When a plan is made, it must be carried out if at all possible. Regarding the play of White, I consider his 10th and 12th moves were very weak; he played well after that up to the 27th move, which was bad, as well as the 28th move. The rest of his play was good, probably perfect.
29.Rg3 g5+ 30.Kf3 Nb6 31.hxg5 hxg5 32.Rh3 Rd7 33.Kg3! Ke8 34.Rdh1 Bb7
White to move
35.e5
This move, which had been long threatened, now allows penetration by a second knight and decisive win of material. (Stripes)
35...dxe5 36.Ne4 Nd5 37.N6c5 Bc8 38.Nxd7 Bxd7 39.Rh7 Rf8 40.Ra1 Kd8 41.Ra8+ Bc8 42.Nc5 Black Resigns 1-0
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