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Emanuel Lasker vs Johann Hermann Bauer
"Emanuel's Labor" (game of the day Oct-02-06)
Amsterdam 1889  ·  Bird Opening: Dutch Variation (A03)  ·  1-0


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Given 65 times; par: 82 [what's this?]

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find similar games 1 more J Bauer/Lasker game
sac: 15.Bxh7+ PGN: download | view Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 5 OF 5 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Feb-16-08   asdrubal1990: What a game!!!!!
Feb-28-08   stupidiot21: awesome game
Mar-01-08   Cibator: Another excellent double-bishop sac came in the following position (Koenig-Cornforth, UK National Club Championship final, London 1952):


click for larger view

21.Bxh7+ Kxh7 22.Qh5+ Kg8 23.Bxg7 Kxg7 24.Ra3 Qc7 25.Rd7 Bd6 26.Qg5+ Kh7 27.Rxc7 Bxc7 28.Qe7 Rac8 29.Rf3 c5 30.Qh4+ Kg7 31.Qg5+ Kh8 32.Rf6 Be4 33.Rh6+ Bh7 34.Qh5 1-0

The opening was a French Defence - I'll PGN the full score when I can track it down.

Imre Koenig was a Hungarian-born IM who spent 15 years in the UK before emigrating again to the US, where he died in 1992. For some reason he doesn't seem to have any games on the CG database as yet.

His opponent Dr John W Cornforth, a strong Australian-born amateur, had a stellar career as a chemist, culminating with a Nobel prize in 1975 and a knighthood in 1977.

Mar-24-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  JG27Pyth: <I would characterize it as a <resign already, you moron> kind of move.>

Indeed.

I actually played Qxd3 in "Guess the Move" thinking -- OH COME ON ALREADY... I know what I'd play here, but Lasker probably found better. Nope... good old Lasker: why show off your QvR technique when you can just brainlessly sac to the easily won pawn ending and (successfully) encourage your opponent to stop dreaming.

Jun-21-08   micartouse: The move 38. Qxd3 other than illustrating the absurdity of Black's playing in an ridiculous position, actually gives us an opportunity to philosophize about the valuation of pieces. As beginner's we are given arithmetic approximations of the piece values such that winning a pawn in the opening gives us a +1 advantage and the advantage is still +1 in the ending.

However, values are better compared as a ratio. Let's just assign the king a value of 3 in terms of its force in the endgame (due to it being close to the minor pieces in mobility). Then Lasker plays 38. cxd3 and the ratio of force would be 18:9. If he plays 38. Qxd3 and Bauer trades heavy pieces, then the ratio of force is 9:4. In this evaluation, Lasker hasn't sacrificed anything - black would be the one sacrificing by playing 38 ... Rxd3.

This ratio of force concept makes more sense to me for practical purposes in less clear situations. For instance, take the starting position minus all the pieces leaving only pawns and kings. Here a 2 pawn handicap would be sufficient for a class level player to beat Anand - whereas with all the pieces, 2 pawns would be of little value against Anand (it would require almost a queen to create such an overwhelming ratio of force).

As for this game, Black should have resigned several moves before.

Jun-21-08   Poulsen: Nimzowitsch once lost to a multiple piece sacrifice: J Enevoldsen vs Nimzowitsch, 1933
Jun-28-08   apexin: perhaps black's position is already resignable by move 22.
Jan-04-09   WhiteRook48: what's up with ...d3?
Jan-18-09   WhiteRook48: 15. Bxh7+!! and 17. Bxg7!! How Lasker ever thought up that brilliancy...
Jan-22-09   WhiteRook48: 38. Qxd3! is clever
Jan-24-09   WhiteRook48: great double bishop sac
Feb-08-09   WhiteRook48: 22. Qd7! should go into "basic tactics"
Feb-16-09   WhiteRook48: Black should have resigned after 14. Nh5
Feb-18-09   WhiteRook48: actually he should have resigned after 1. f4
Mar-06-09   WhiteRook48: sorry to pollute this page, but 5. Bd3 seems a bit erroneous as it blocks the d pawn
Mar-09-09   OnlyBelieve: I don't have anything amazing to contribute. I just wanted to say that this game is awesome regardless of theory.
Dec-17-09   I play the Fred: Wow, sleepyirv, you were quick! Well done!
Dec-17-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  sleepyirv: Whoever wrote Clue 34 is a sick, sick genius.
Dec-17-09   SirChrislov: Jesus!! late by seconds!
Dec-17-09   The HeavenSmile: ditto
Dec-17-09   SirChrislov: "DEN HE GIVES ME TEH OTHER POINTY DOOD"= double bishop sac.
Dec-17-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Domdaniel: Why, why, why, didn't I trust Bauer? He's won one prize for me already, and lightning isn't supposed to strike twice. I even had a book open at this game, but went off to try Nimzo-Tarrasch first.
Dec-17-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Domdaniel: <sleepyirv> Definitely genius, and you're not so sleepy. I reasoned that Nimzo was a more likely victim for a rewriting of his style. Duh.
Dec-17-09   SirChrislov: <domdaniel> Nimzo-Tarrasch was the other game I was thinking of, when I thought checking the original first but, too late. the easiest clue by far.
May-24-10   TheChessVids: This just about inspires me to play the Bird's Opening!
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