chessgames.com

Lasker 
 
Emanuel Lasker
Number of games in database: 1,082
Years covered: 1881 to 1940
Overall record: +353 -95 =178 (70.6%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      456 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Ruy Lopez (174) 
    C68 C62 C66 C67 C64
 French Defense (76) 
    C11 C12 C13 C01 C14
 French (54) 
    C11 C12 C13 C00 C10
 King's Gambit Accepted (47) 
    C39 C33 C38 C37 C35
 Sicilian (47) 
    B45 B34 B40 B32 B58
 King's Gambit Declined (31) 
    C30 C31 C32
With the Black pieces:
 Ruy Lopez (104) 
    C65 C66 C67 C79 C77
 Orthodox Defense (51) 
    D53 D63 D52 D50 D60
 Queen's Pawn Game (32) 
    D05 D02 D00 D04 A46
 Giuoco Piano (31) 
    C50 C53 C54
 Sicilian (28) 
    B34 B73 B33 B45 B32
 Four Knights (21) 
    C49 C47 C48
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Lasker vs J Bauer, 1889 1-0
   Lasker vs Capablanca, 1914 1-0
   Pillsbury vs Lasker, 1895 0-1
   Lasker vs Steinitz, 1894 1-0
   Lasker vs W Napier, 1904 1-0
   Marshall vs Lasker, 1907 0-1
   Euwe vs Lasker, 1934 0-1
   Lasker vs Schlechter, 1910 1-0
   Steinitz vs Lasker, 1896 0-1
   Tarrasch vs Lasker, 1908 0-1

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: [what is this?]
   Lasker-Steinitz World Championship (1894)
   Lasker-Steinitz World Championship Rematch (1896)
   Lasker-Marshall World Championship Match (1907)
   Lasker-Tarrasch World Championship Match (1908)
   Lasker-Schlechter World Championship Match (1910)
   Lasker-Janowski World Championship Match (1910)
   Lasker-Capablanca World Championship Match (1921)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Match Lasker! by amadeus
   The Lion King by chocobonbon
   lasker best games by brager
   Why Lasker Matters by Andrew Soltis by keypusher
   Selected Lasker by LaBourdonnaisdeux
   the informal Lasker by ughaibu
   All Hail Emanuel by iron maiden
   World Champions A-Z part 2 Lasker by kevin86
   Lasker vs the World Champions Decisive Games by visayanbraindoctor
   Lasker by vidra
   fav Lasker & Steinitz games by guoduke
   Match Steinitz! by amadeus
   4-Ruy Lopez by classicalwin2
   Garry Kasparov on My Great Predecessors Part 1 by MetalPlastic

GAMES ANNOTATED BY LASKER: [what is this?]
   Rubinstein vs Lasker, 1909
   Rubinstein vs Salwe, 1908
   Spielmann vs Rubinstein, 1909
   Tartakower vs Schlechter, 1909
   Rubinstein vs Mieses, 1909
   >> 81 GAMES ANNOTATED BY LASKER

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Emanuel Lasker
Search Google® for Emanuel Lasker


EMANUEL LASKER
(born Dec-24-1868, died Jan-13-1941) Germany

[what is this?]
Emanuel Lasker, born December 24, 1868 in Berlinchen, Germany, was the second official World Chess Champion. After winning that title from Wilhelm Steinitz in 1894, he held onto it for 27 years, which is still a record.

By today's standards, Lasker played relatively little during his time as champion, routinely taking lengthy sabbaticals to pursue his other interests in mathematics and philosophy. But when he did play, his defensive ability and his handling of complicated positions always earned him great respect. Lasker won seven of the eight major tournaments in which he competed between 1895 and 1925. These included London 1899 (by a full 4.5 points over Harry Nelson Pillsbury), Paris 1900 (scoring thirteen wins out of fifteen games), and the St. Petersburg event in 1914. He defended his title a record six times, but finally lost it to Jose Raul Capablanca in 1921. However, he continued to record further competitive successes for fifteen years: he won the 1924 New York tournament by 1.5 points over Capablanca, and, at the age of sixty-seven, he finished third at Moscow 1935, again ahead of Capablanca.

His contributions to mathematics are also considered notable. Lasker published several influential papers in the area of abstract algebra, and his 1906 book <Kampf> (Struggle) had some influence on the later development of game theory.

Lasker's final years were difficult. As Jews, he and his wife fled Germany in 1933, eventually settling in the Soviet Union, where Lasker renounced his German nationality and took Soviet citizenship. In the wake of the Stalin purges the Laskers decided to flee once again, ultimately settling in the United States. He died in the Mount Sinai Hospital, New York.

On May-06, 2008, Dr. Lasker was among the first 40 German sportsmen to be elected into the "Hall of Fame des Deutschen Sports".

notes: Lasker played on the consultation chess teams of Em. Lasker / MacDonnell, Lasker / Taubenhaus, Em. Lasker / Maroczy, Em. Lasker / I Rice, Em. Lasker / Barasz / Breyer, Lasker / Pillsbury, Lasker/Chigorin/Marshall/Teichmann, W Lasker Em / Ward Higgins, H Lasker Em / Wolf, H Lasker Em / Keidanski & L Lasker Em / Lasek.


 page 1 of 44; games 1-25 of 1,082  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Lasker vs Tarrasch 0-130 1881 consultationC50 Giuoco Piano
2. Lasker vs Von Bardeleben 0-141 1884 casualC77 Ruy Lopez
3. Lasker vs J Mason  ½-½38 1889 AmsterdamC47 Four Knights
4. Gunsberg vs Lasker 0-135 1889 08.-- R-- NED AmsterdamC65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense
5. Mieses vs Lasker 0-128 1889 Berlin (Germany)C25 Vienna
6. Burn vs Lasker ½-½15 1889 AmsterdamC01 French, Exchange
7. V Tietz vs Lasker 0-140 1889 German Chess Congress, Hauptturnier AC79 Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred
8. Lasker vs A Van Foreest 1-050 1889 AmsterdamA04 Reti Opening
9. Lipke / Seger / Steif vs Lasker  ½-½29 1889 Breslau consC66 Ruy Lopez
10. Lasker vs Von Popiel 0-121 1889 Berlin gameC26 Vienna
11. R Leather vs Lasker  0-156 1889 AmsterdamA07 King's Indian Attack
12. L Van Vliet vs Lasker 1-024 1889 AmsterdamC41 Philidor Defense
13. Lasker vs J Bauer 1-038 1889 AmsterdamA03 Bird's Opening
14. E von Feyerfeil vs Lasker  0-147 1889 Hauptturnier play offD00 Queen's Pawn Game
15. Von Bardeleben vs Lasker 1-050 1889 BerlinC26 Vienna
16. Lasker vs Lipke 1-047 1889 Breslau (Poland)C26 Vienna
17. Lasker vs Mieses 1-037 1889 MatchA84 Dutch
18. Loman vs Lasker 0-122 1889 AmsterdamC79 Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred
19. Mieses vs Lasker  ½-½33 1890 MatchC25 Vienna
20. Lasker vs Bird ½-½59 1890 02.-- G02 GBR LiverpoolB26 Sicilian, Closed, 6.Be3
21. Bird vs Lasker 1-069 1890 02.-- G11 GBR LiverpoolA13 English
22. Scha / Schneppe / Schone vs Lasker 0-127 1890 Berlin consC67 Ruy Lopez
23. Lasker vs N Miniati  1-048 1890 Manchester mC25 Vienna
24. Lasker vs Von Bardeleben 1-047 1890 Berlin m 8990B06 Robatsch
25. Lasker vs Bird 1-057 1890 02.-- G06 GBR LiverpoolB34 Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto
 page 1 of 44; games 1-25 of 1,082  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Lasker wins | Lasker loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 45 OF 45 ·  Later Kibitzing >
May-09-10   gogulko: visayanbraindoctor: I find it hard to believe that Pillsbury never approached Lasker on preliminary talks.

Pillsbury must have disagreed with the conditions, and if he did, why issue a formal challenge that he knew would be rejected anyway?

At any rate, if Lasker had gone on to play Pillsbury, Maroczy, and Rubinstein, IMO he would have won two and lost one WC match. Let us suppose that Lasker's chances of winning against each one of them was an optimistic 75%.

----
Pillsbury may have missed his chance because first Lasker had granted Steinitz a return match and then Lasker took time off from chess to get his Ph.D. By the time Lasker returned to active play, Pillsbury may have had to contend with other strong players for the right, as well as his own illness.

Those who wanted to play for the WC had no problem conducting negotiations - or their frustrations with them - in the press. Pillsbury had enough friends in the chess world - including Lasker(!) - that I doubt that the conditions would have been draconian, or Pillsbury would have been silent had they been.

Regarding the matches: Lasker dominated Maroczy and probably would have beaten him as easily as he did Janowsky. Rubinstein was a serious challenge to Lasker for a two or three year period - 1909-1912. By 1912 Capablanca was on the rise and Lasker had taken the measure of Rubinstein. Even during that period Lasker probably would have won a match; he excelled at them.

Pillsbury in the 1895-7 period probably was Lasker's equal. A match then would have been a toss-up. AFter 1900, Lasker probably wins, but not by much. Maybe another tied match.

May-14-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: "Chess is only a game and not to be classed with business, science, technology, not to speak of religion, philosophy or the arts. No one desires to see players devote to chess such time as they need for serious purposes."

-- Emanuel Lasker

May-14-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: <"Without error there can be no brilliancy">

— Emanuel Lasker

Jun-01-10   laurenttizano: 27 years!
Jun-01-10   FHBradley: I put it here as well. A quotation from http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail...: <Mr Pillsbury writes that he intends to sail about 4 January for Europe, and will probably be away 18 months. During that time he will participate in all international tournaments (including, of course, Monte Carlo), and give exhibitions of blindfold chess, <<and very likely arrange a match with Dr Lasker.>> At the end of that time he will give up chess as a profession, and take to that of law. The Stratégie doubts whether he will be able permanently to leave his first love, and so do we. Dr Lasker is remarkably reticent with regard to any match between himself and Pillsbury, but, we believe, has made an informal acknowledgment of the challenge.> Do we know anything of the match arrangements? Why dit it fell through?
Jul-14-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Caissanist: The link given by <FHBradley> is dead, here is a new link: http://www.chessbase.com/newsprint..... The cited magazine article is from December 1901.
Jul-14-10   Wrong: a mistake in third paragraph of <his> biography:

<Hiss> contributions to mathematics are also considered notable. Lasker published several influential papers in the area of abstract algebra,...

i don't think the word "hiss" is applicable in the paragraph

<
intransitive verb
: to make a sharp sibilant sound (the crowd hissed in disapproval) (hissing steam) transitive verb

1 : to express disapproval of by hissing (hissed the performers off the stage)

2 : to utter or whisper angrily or threateningly and with a hiss — hiss noun http://mw4.merriam-webster.com/dict... >

correct me if i'm wrong but im the real Wrong.

Jul-14-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Caissanist: Fixed, thankss.
Jul-14-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Bridgeburner: Good to ssee.
Jul-30-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Russian Grandmasters: <<keypusher>: "Re Pillsbury and Marshall the main reason Marshall got a match is that he raised money and challenged Lasker, while as far as I know Pillsbury never did. Whether Pillsbury couldn't raise the money or some other reason, I don't know. I'd like to find out.">

The following information doesn't directly address your question, but it does give some tantalizing hint that Pillsbury was approached (by whom I wonder) to play a Match with Lasker as early as 1895:

<New York Daily Tribune on September 22, 1895:>

(quoting a letter Pillsbury sent)

<Pillsbury>: "I have been approached with regard to a chess match with Lasker for the championship, and have stated that I would say nothing till I could see my American friends. Such a match must of necessity be played in England, and the Hastings Chess Club has already requested first consideration for its financial arrangement for at least half of the games. In case the arrangements are concluded the match would hardly be commenced before March 1, 1896, and therefore I give it to you simply as news, as I shall do nothing definite about it till I see you."

In case you hadn't seen this already.

Jul-31-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: 1905 photo:

http://memory.loc.gov/ndlpcoop/ichi...

Jul-31-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  jessicafischerqueen: <Graham Clayton> Fantastic!

Thanks so much for that. Where on earth did you find this great photo? I've never seen it before and I've been hunting Lasker photos for months now.

Anyways thanks for posting it.

Jul-31-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  TheFocus: Nice. I have seen other photos of Lasker in this same room, but not this one.
Jul-31-10   lolpossum: <Wrong> You are right.
Jul-31-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: <jessicafischerqueen>Thanks so much for that. Where on earth did you find this great photo? I've never seen it before and I've been hunting Lasker photos for months now.

<jessicafischerqueen>, Thanks for the compliment. I can't remember where I got it. I was searching for something else, and started following a few links.

The same photo is available at www.gettyimages.com, but with a big copyright caption right across it.

Jul-31-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: Here is another Lasker photo:

http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id...

Aug-01-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: Another early Lasker photo plus signature:

http://www.isanhalt.de/home/sportau...

Aug-01-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  jessicafischerqueen: <Graham Clayton>

Thanks! I saved them both with your name attached so I'll remember where I got them from.

I already had the third one.

They are meant for a chess history documentary I'm working on at the moment.

Aug-13-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: Quote of the Day

< The losing side has the greater part of his army in positions where they had no bearing whatever upon the questions at issue. They might have been just as well anywhere else but on the board. >

-- Em. Lasker

How true!

Aug-13-10   eightsquare: < The losing side has the greater part of his army in positions where they had no bearing whatever upon the questions at issue. They might have been just as well anywhere else but on the board. >

-- Em. Lasker

This is a very good Quote. Iam am surprised how many good quotes these old masters - capa , alekhine and em. ome up with1

Aug-13-10   eightsquare: i meant <come> not ome,. and not 1 , but <!>
Aug-13-10   eightsquare: Whenever i'm black against 1.d4 , i play the Lasker defense , Always. - unless they play the Catalan , of course.
Aug-21-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: Quote of the Day

" The delight in gambits is a sign of chess youth... In very much the same way as the young man, on reaching his manhood years, lays aside the Indian stories and stories of adventure, and turns to the psychological novel. "

-- Em. Lasker

Does that mean I'm currently metamorphing?

Aug-24-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: "Learn carefully to work out strategic plans like <Capablanca>, and you will laugh at the plans told to you in ridiculous stories."

-- Emanuel Lasker

Aug-24-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: <He who wants to educate himself in Chess must evade what is dead in Chess...the habit of playing with inferior opponents; the custom of avoiding difficult tasks; the weakness of uncritically taking over variations or rules discovered by others; the vanity which is self-sufficient; the incapacity for admitting mistakes; in brief, everything that leads to standstill or to anarchy.>

<Emanuel Lasker>

From his book:
Lasker's Manual of Chess

Jump directly to page #    (enter number from 1 to 45)
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 45 OF 45 ·  Later Kibitzing >
NOTE: You need to pick a username and password to post a reply. Getting your account takes less than a minute, totally anonymous, and 100% free--plus, it entitles you to features otherwise unavailable. Pick your username now and join the chessgames community!
If you already have an account, you should login now.
Please observe our posting guidelines:
  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, or duplicating posts.
  3. No personal attacks against other users.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
Blow the Whistle See something which violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform an administrator.


NOTE: Keep all discussion on the topic of this page. This forum is for this specific player and nothing else. If you want to discuss chess in general, or this site, you might try the Kibitzer's Café.
Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
Spot an error? Please suggest your correction and help us eliminate database mistakes!


home | about | login | logout | F.A.Q. | your profile | preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | new kibitzing | chessforums | new games | Player Directory | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Little ChessPartner | privacy notice | contact us
Copyright 2001-2009, Chessgames.com
Web design & database development by 20/20 Technologies