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Emanuel Lasker vs Francis Lee
London (1899), London ENG, rd 3, Jun-02
Caro-Kann Defense: Classical Variation (B18)  ·  1-0

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White to move.
ANALYSIS [x]
1-0

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

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-18-06  notyetagm: Gee, no one has commented on this magnificent king hunt by Dr. Lasker.
Jan-18-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  offramp: <notyetagm: Gee, no one has commented on this magnificent king hunt by Dr. Lasker.>

Nor have you.

Jan-18-06  notyetagm: Didn't I just call this game a magnificent king hunt? That's not a comment?
Jan-18-06  ughaibu: Gee, you were a member for 22 months before doing so.
Nov-15-06  syracrophy: 39.♘e5+ <39...Kh5 40.Qf3+ Ng4 41.Qxg4#; 39...Kh3 40.Qf5+ Kg2 41.Qf3+ Kh2 42.Rh1#>
Nov-15-06  Steppenwolf: No sillycrophy. 39...Kh3; 40 Qf1! Kh2; 41 Qh1 mate.
Nov-15-06  syracrophy: <<Steppenwolf: No sillycrophy. 39...Kh3; 40 Qf1! Kh2; 41 Qh1 mate.>>

It's the same! I'm syracrophy

Nov-27-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: Or 39...Kh3 40. Qf1+ Kh2 41. Nf3#. Or 39...Kh3 40. Rh1+ Kg2 41. Qf3#. Or 39...Kh3 40. Rh1+ Kg2 41. Qf1#.

And if 39...Kh5 then 40. Qe2+ Ng4 41. Qxg4#. Or 40. Qf3+ Ng4 41. Qxg4#. Or . . .

Nov-27-06  TrueFiendish: I just love seeing people bicker for the sake of it, and no pointless bickering is funnier than pointless chess bickering. 'Cept for you al wazir, you're all business. (BTW, I don't think Qf1 deserves a !)
Nov-27-06  TrueFiendish: And syracrophy, it's not the same, as Steppenwolf's solution was a move shorter. Steppe, you must be very proud of yourself.
Nov-29-06
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: <TrueFiendish: al wazir, you're all business.> I do comedy on my website. You can see a sample of my unique sense of humor at my CG profile.
Nov-29-06  syracrophy: <TrueFiendish> It's just the same! It's just a move larger. Jesus!
Nov-26-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  KEG: After a remarkably modern handling of the Caro-Kann (this was only the second time anyone played 4...Bf5, and the theme in which White attacks with h4 and later c4 had few if any prior precedents), Lasker got the edge after Lee's questionable decision to open up the position with 20...e5 (20...a6 seems best) and his questionable capture 21...Nxe5 (instead of the better 21...Bxe5).

The major issue is whether Lasker had a won game after 22. Be3. While I am loathe to disagree with the combined wisdom of the Tournament Book, Reuben Fine, Andrew Soltis, and Garry Kasparov (!), I still think Lee had reasonable prospects of holding the game after 22...a6 (instead his 22..Nxc4 which clearly loses). If 22...a6, White does have the powerful move 23. RxB, but Black must respond 23...NxN (and not 23...RxR which some have proposed and which plainly loses to 24. NxN). Then, if 24. Bf4 which Reinfeld and Fine claim wins, Black plays RxR and if then 25. Q-d1 (the move championed by Reinfeld and Fine) Black can draw with either 25...Qe6 or 25...Rh8d8 (and not their horrendous 25...Nh2). The best chance for White after 23...NxN is Soltis' 24. Qd1, but even then I don't see anything even approaching a win for White.

After Lee's poor 22...Nxc4 the game was indeed won for Lasker. Lasker's knight sacrifice (25. Nxb5 check) was pretty and devastating. After Lee's 28...BxB (28...Qc6 was the only possible chance) the game became a massacre, with Lasker hunting down Lee's king to a mating net. As syracrophy and al wazir have conclusively shown, White had mate in two after 39. Ne5 check.

A very impressive performance by Lasker, who usually won without the need for such fireworks but whose tactical abilities were second to none.

Oct-11-18  graphvariety: @KEG: My first reaction to 20... e5 was "How modern! Meet a wing attack by opening the center!" But the tactics clearly favor White.

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