Lasker -- Capablanca, Game 14 (concluded)

Readers of the New York Evening Post on 22 April 1921 were informed that in game 14 José Raúl Capablanca had "improved his prospects by breaking up Dr. Lasker's pawn formation" (9). Hartwig Cassel, reporter for the paper and for American Chess Bulletin on the scene in Havana, had judged Emanuel Lasker's position at the time of adjournment as somewhat better than his opponent. Lasker and Capablanca, in contrast, viewed Capablanca's position as winning, although their comments were published after Cassel filed his story. Lasker's assertion that Black's 29th move was the game winner would be included in his dispatch to Amsterdam's De Telegraaf on 30 April, and Capablanca's assessment would appear in the summer.

American Chess Bulletin published Amos Burn's annotations from The Field. Burn noted that the Brooklyn Daily Eagle stated that Lasker's move that invited a check and then the fork that lost the exchange, "was not a blunder, but was deliberately planned." Burn continues, "If so, it is inexplicable, as White obtains no compensation whatever for the sacrifice" (106). Herman Helms wrote the article for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 

Analysis by the players, as well as journalists Helms, Cassel, and Burn, was featured in "Lasker -- Capablanca, Game 14" yesterday. Now, in post number 24 of this centennial series, we conclude the game. Today is the 100th anniversary of the conclusion of the last game of the match. However, Capablanca expected the match to continue and showed up for game 15 only to be disappointed.

The game was adjourned with this position and Capablanca's move recorded and sealed.

Lasker,Emanuel -- Capablanca,José Raúl [C66]
World Championship 12th Havana (14), 20.04.1921
[Capablanca, Lasker]

Black to move

32...Qf6!

Helms's and Cassel's insights into the game may lack the understanding of the players, but their journalism is how we know which move was sealed. 

33.a4

"To prevent b5. There are a number of variations where White would regain the quality in exchange for a pawn had he played 33.g4, to be followed by e5 and Ne4, but the ensuing ending would be so much in favor of Black that the course pursued by White may be considered the best" (Capablanca, 29).

33...g6!

Clearly, the "none too comfortably placed" queen, as Helms or Cassel judged it,  has taken up a strong position that can apply pressure to White's center.

34.fxg6 fxg6 35.Re3 Bf5!

White to move

36.Qd3

A variation beginning with 36.Rd3 was Lasker's sole annotation to the second day's play. 36...Bxe4 37.Rxd6 Qg7 38.Nh4 Bf5 39.g4 (Capablanca offered 39.Nxf5 gxf5 40.Rxh6 Re1+ 41.Kh2 Qe5+ 42.g3 and White is lost (29) 39...Re3! and Black wins (Lasker 30).

36...g5 37.Nd2 Bg6 38.b4

"White's idea is to change off as many pawns as possible, hoping to reach an ending where the advantage of the exchange may not be sufficient to win" (Capablanca, 29).

38...Qe6 39.b5 axb5 40.axb5

Black to move

40...Ra8 41.Qb1 Qe5 42.Qe1 Kh7 43.bxc6 bxc6 44.Qg3

Black to move

44...Qxg3

Helms/Cassel noted that Capablanca never refused the opportunity to exchange queens in this match.

45.Rxg3 Ra3 46.Kh2 Rb7

White to move

47.c5

"Forced, as Rb2, winning a piece, was threatened" (Capablanca, 29).

47...dxc5 48.Nc4 Ra1 49.Ne5 Rc1!

White to move

"The moves of this rook are worth studying. I believe that Black had no better way to play" (Capablanca, 29).

The Capablanca and Lasker Master Class DVDs insert piece path images here and at move 55 for this rook.

50.h4

"This brings the game to a climax, for which Black is now ready" (Capablanca, 29).

50...Re7 51.Nxc6 Re6 52.Nd8 gxh4 53.Rd3 Rf6

White to move

"The key to Black's defense. The holding of the f-file" (Capablanca, 29).

Capablanca's use of the word defense is interesting. White's king seems hardly more secure, and the rook prepares as much to connect with the other on the first rank as to protect the Black monarch.

54.Rd7+ Kh8 55.Nd5 Rff1 56.Kh3 Bxe4 0-1

Lasker 3:30 Capablanca 3:40

In his 30 April 1921 dispatch, Lasker offered an explanations of his difficulties:

I liked his chess very much, I was happy to have a steel opponent, but the circumstances did not allow me to play the way I had planned. Due to the conditions of the climate and the way of life, my skills melted. My positional judgment, the accuracy of my combination, even the simple seeing of the position were weakened and confused and almost nullified in the contemplation. I could not escape this, although I never demoralized. The effect had physical causes: sweating, loss of body weight, inability to sleep well, and therefore inability to concentrate for long periods of time. Although the effect extended to my mentality, it did not affect my character nor my determination nor my self esteem. (31) 

Capablanca leads 4-0 with 10 draws. The likelihood of turning the match around with ten games left to play appeared quite remote to Lasker, and the weather was not cooling as April neared its end.

Edit (correction): I have credited assessments published in the newspapers to Hartwig Cassel, but that appears inaccurate. Lasker complained about Cassel's journalism, and others have noted that Cassel was on the scene in Havana. Cassel certainly provided the moves, but who wrote the commentary? Further research has shown that the unsigned articles in the New York Evening Post, which I relied upon for my narrative, are nearly identical to articles in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Herman Helms, publisher of American Chess Bulletin, and an accomplished player who had defeated both Frank Marshall and Harry Pillsbury is the author. Collaboration between Cassel and Helms go back to the first issue of American Chess Bulletin in 1904.

Sources

Burn, Amos. "Fourteenth Game--Ruy Lopez." American Chess Bulletin, vol. 18, no. 5 (May-June 1921), 105-106.

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

"Capablanca Takes Fourth Chess Game." New York Evening Post (22 April 1921), 9.

Chess Base. José Raúl Capablanca: Master Class, vol. 04 (2015). DVD.

_______. Emanuel Lasker: Master Class, vol. 05 (2015). DVD.

"Dr. Lasker Resorts to Favorite Opening," New York Evening Post (21 April 1921), 6.

Helms, Herman. "Capablanca Exchange Ahead in Fourteenth Chess Game." Brooklyn Daily Eagle (21 April 1921), 1.3.

_______. "Lasker Defeated for Fourth Time." Brooklyn Daily Eagle (22 April 1921), 1.3.

Lasker, Emanuel. Mein Wettkampf mit Capablanca. Berlin and Leipzig: Walter de Gruyter, and Co., 1922.