Emanuel Lasker vs Oldrich Duras (1909)

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Emanuel Lasker vs Oldrich Duras
St. Petersburg (1909), St. Petersburg RUE, rd 15, Mar-07
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense (D26) · 1-0

8

7

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4

3

2

a

1

b

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d

e

f

g

h

White to move.

ANALYSIS [x]

Notes by Lasker.Both players follow approved lines of development.A forcible move. If Qxc4 Nxc4; Black threatens Nxb2 or Nxe4 or Nxa3.20...Rxb2 would be a gross blunder because of 21.Nd3.Black’s c5 and a5 are weak.Black is in a difficulty, and therefore decides on a desperate sacrifice of a pawn, in order to render the Bishop mobile.34.Rxd5 was also feasible. But after the exchanges Black’s King would then have a very favorable position in the center, both for attack on the Queen’s side and defense of the King’s side. 34.Nxa6 is stronger as 34...Ra7 will not do because of 35.Rxd5.A mistake. White ought to have clinched matters. 40.Nxd5 exd5 41.Ne6+ Kc4 42.Nxg7 and in answer to 42...d4 (or 42...Kb3 43.Nf5; the game might then have developed ...Nc6 44.Nd6) 43.Nf5 Nc6 44.Nd6+ Kb3 45.Nxb5 Rxb2 46.Ke2! and whilst the d-pawn would now be paralyzed, White’s Pawns would become very dangerous.He ought to have gone to b6. White would, in this case, have had no alternative but to try for a doubtful win by 45.Nxd5 exd5 46.Nd2 g5; he would probably have had to sacrifice his h-pawn.1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

FEN COPIED

Annotations by Emanuel Lasker. [80 more games annotated by Lasker]

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Oct-15-04		iron maiden: 45. Rxc4! is an attractive concluding combination. Amazingly, Lasker won every one of the nine games in which he had White in this tournament.

Oct-15-04		Calli: On 33...Bd5? I am not sure why "Black is in a difficulty" as Lasker says. He seems perfectly fine with a "normal" move in the position like 33...e5. Gives him d4 for the knight and e4 later. Any comments appreciated.

Oct-15-04		tamar: I'm not sure what Lasker had in mind for 33...e5. I would try to win that pawn, but Shredder 8 shows he can lose it and still be equal because of his active pieces. 33...e5 34 Nb3 Bb7 35 Nd3 Bd5 36 Nbc5 a5 37 Re2 Kd6 38 Rxe5 Rxc5 39 Rxf5 Rc2+ 40 Ke3 Bc4! is even, unless there is some wizardry in the rook ending after 41 b3 Rc3 that I don't fathom.

Oct-15-04		Calli: Thanks! Interesting variation. I think Duras also intended to give up the e pawn with Bd5, but Lasker wisely took the a6 pawn instead. Conclude that Duras' position was not so desperate as he thought. This would indicate Lasker's 32.exf5 which gives Black more freedom is a bit suspect. I tend to think e5 is better.

Oct-24-08		notyetagm: 20 ♘e2-d4! click for larger view With 20 ♘e2-d4! Dr. Lasker (White) ignores the threat to his White b2-pawn of 20 ... ♖c2xb2. Why? (VAR) 20 ... ♖c2xb2?? click for larger view Dr. Lasker: <20...Rxb2 would be a gross blunder because of 21.Nd3.> (VAR) 21 ♘e5-d3! <trapped piece> click for larger view So White did not have to directly defend the White b2-pawn because the Black c2-rook will be <TRAPPED> if it takes this <POISONED PAWN>. That is, after the 20 ... ♖c2xb2?? the Black b2-rook will be left with <NO RETREAT!> and <TRAPPED> by the knight retreat 21 ♘e5-d3!. Just like Weteschnik says in "Understanding Chess Tactics", <YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DEFEND MATERIAL IF THE ATTACKER CANNOT RETREAT!>.

Oct-27-08		notyetagm: 44 ... ♔c5-d4? click for larger view By placing the Black king on the d4-square, Black has just made a <KNIGHT FORK ALIGNMENT (KFA)> with the <UNDEFENDED> Black a1-rook. This means that a <CLEARANCE> combination with 45 ♖c2x♗c4+! is in the air, as the recapture 45 ... b5x♖c4 results in the <KNIGHT FORK> 46 ♘b4-c2+. (VAR) 45 ♖c2x♗c4+! <clearance: c2-square> b5x♖c4 46 ♘b4-c2+ <knight fork> click for larger view But Duras (Black) probably saw that he could play 45 ... ♔d4x♖c4 in response to 45 ♖c2x♗c4+! as 45 ... b5x♖c4 is not forced. 45 ♖c2x♗c4+! ♔d4x♖c4 click for larger view But now comes the move that Lasker saw but Duras missed, the obvious <CHECK> 46 ♘e4-d2+!. 46 ♘e4-d2+! click for larger view The nasty tactical point after 45 ♖c2x♗c4+! ♔d4x♖c4: since the Black c4-king has very few <FLIGHT SQUARES>, the <CHECK> 46 ♘e4-d2+! will <FORCE> the Black c4-king onto either the c5- or d4-square, where it will be <FORKED> with the <UNDEFENDED> Black a1-rook. <<<<So Dr. Lasker playing White used his <COMPUTER EYES>, evaluating all of the <FORCING CHESS MOVES> in the position.>>> Dr. Lasker saw that 45 ♖c2x♗c4+! almost worked but that he needed a response to 45 ... ♔d4x♖c4. Continuing to examine his <FORCING CHESS MOVES>, Dr. Lasker saw that the <CHECK> 46 ♘e4-d2+! would create a <KNIGHT FORK> on the next move.>

Oct-27-08		notyetagm: 33 ... ♗a8-d5 click for larger view 34 ♘b4xa6! click for larger view Can White really play 34 ♘b4xa6!, <LINING UP> his two <UNDEFENDED> knights on a6 and a5 for the <SKEWER> 34 ... ♖c7-a7 ? Dr. Lasker: <34.Rxd5 was also feasible. But after the exchanges Black's King would then have a very favorable position in the center, both for attack on the Queen's side and defense of the King's side. <<<34.Nxa6 is stronger as 34...Ra7 will not do because of 35.Rxd5>>>> (VAR) 34 ... ♖c7-a7? ♖d2x♗d5! <remove the guard> click for larger view click for larger view The fine point of Dr. Lasker's tactical play. 34 ... ♖c7-a7? makes a <KNIGHT FORK ALIGNMENT (KFA)> with the Black e7-king, with c6 the tactical base. 35 ♖d2x♗d5! then <REMOVES THE GUARD> of the c6-tactical base, threatening 36 ♘a5-c6+. Also notice that Dr. Lasker mentions the <RELOADER> 34 ♖d2x♗d5!, with the idea of <RELOADING> on the d5-square with 34 ... e6x♖d5 35 ♘b4xd5+ <knight fork> but declined this variation because his opponent would have <ACTIVE PIECES>, mainly the Black king. (VAR) 34 ♖d2x♗d5! <reload> e6x♖d5 35 ♘b4xd5+ <knight fork> click for larger view click for larger view

Jun-20-19		zydeco: This is what a high-level game looks like. Black has a lot of clever ideas (especially 17....Qc4) but Lasker always manages to find a path through the tactics and preserve a strategic advantage.

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