Rules for the World Chess Championship 1921

Part 3 of a series recognizing the Centennial of Capablanca -- Lasker, World Chess Championship, Havana 1921.

On 9 March 1921, Emanuel Lasker and José R. Capablanca met at the Union Club of Havana. They agreed upon the selection of Judge Alberto Ponce as referee. Dr. Rafael Pazos consented to act as Lasker's second, while Capablanca's second was Dr. Portela.

The players in consultation with Judge Ponce agreed to the following rules:

1. The match to be one of eight games, drawn games not to count, but if, after 24 games, neither player had scored eight games, then the player having the greater number of points to be declared the winner.
2. One session of four hours' duration. ... five play days per week.
3. Time limit: fifteen moves an hour.
4. Referee: Judge Alberto Ponce
5. The $20,000 purse to be divided as follows: Dr. Lasker to receive $11,000, Capablanca $9,000, win or lose or draw.
As presented in José Raúl Capablanca, World's Championship Matches, 1921 and 1927 (35).

These rules represent fulfillment of certain aspects of the agreement signed 23 January 1920 at The Hague, but with some modifications. The number of games are reduced to 24 from the original 30. This reduction had been made in the new agreement at The Hague, 10 August 1920 (see below). The original agreement had play six days per week.

Hartwig Cassel, who wrote this section of The World's Championship Chess Match Played at Havana between José Raúl Capablanca and Dr. Emanuel Lasker 1921 (New York, 1921),* states "the original agreement called for a second session of two hours after an interval of at least three hours." This requirement was not in the text of the January 1920 agreement as published by American Chess Bulletin (March 1920). There was some dispute regarding whether there should be one daily session or two in the discussions between Lasker, Capablanca, and Rubinstein in the years prior to the First World War. As the scheduled playing time for Capablanca -- Lasker was 9:00 pm - 1:00 am, a second session would be a burden to all.

However, the new agreement reached 10 August 1920 after Lasker's June 1920 concession of the title to Capablanca did specify two sessions per day.

Presumably, in the agreement worked out on this date one hundred years ago, such rules remain as the players retaining the rights and responsibilities to publish the games of the match. Indeed, Edward Winter cites a Cuban paper, Diario de la Marina (14 April 1921) as stating after game 11 of the match, "This game is the property of Lasker and Capablanca and cannot be reproduced" (Winter 1989, 111). Nonetheless, American Chess Bulletin and British Chess Magazine published the games as soon as they had copies of them. BCM regarded it as an obligation, even though the games were dull.

These games are perhaps models of accuracy, but are mainly incredibly dull, but as a matter of record we will publish them in the Magazine, beginning next month.
"The World's Chess Championship" BCM (May 1921)

The January rules also provided for three additional rest days at the request of either player.

Sources

Capablanca, José Raúl. World's Championship Matches, 1921 and 1927. New York: Dover, 1977.

Cassel, Hartwig. "Arrival of Dr. Lasker in Cuba." American Chess Bulletin 18, no. 3 (March 1921), 47-48.

"The Championship Match at Havana." American Chess Bulletin 18, no. 2 (February 1921), 21.

"The World's Championship." British Chess Magazine 40, no. 9 (September 1920), 283.

"The World's Championship." British Chess Magazine 41, no. 5 (May 1921), 184.

Winter, Edward. Capablanca: A Compendium of Games, Notes, Articles, Correspondence, Illustrations and Other Rare Archival Materials on the Cuban Chess Genius Jose Raul Capablanca, 1888-1942. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1989.

_______. Chess Facts and Fables. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2006.


*This limited edition book of 600 copies is reprinted in the 1977 Dover edition of Capablanca's two World Championship Matches.

Note: Sarah (aka Batgirl on Chess.com) published a new article on Capablanca that summarizes the events leading to this match. See "Lasker--Capablanca" (8 March 2021) at Sarah's Chess Page.