Game 21. Prof. Becker—Nimzowitsch, Breslau, 1925. The following game illustrates my idea of the two theatres of war in a particularly striking manner. The book-specific score preserves the printed rook route 50.R-KB6 and 54.R-B8; the archive uses 50.Re6 and 54.Re8.

1. 3…Nc6 The ‘odds-giving style’ to use Dr. Lasker’s expression. Lasker means by this that one chooses a variation which one considers inferior, with the idea of setting the opponent a difficult problem to solve. Lasker plays by preference—and with inimitable virtuosity—this style. It is this that might make people believe that the heel of Achilles lay for Lasker in his treatment of the opening. But such a judgment rests on an entire misconception. The move 3. ....Kt-QB3 was introduced by Alapin. It, however, obstructs the QBP, and therefore in the event of P-K5 there is a very dark side to Alapin’s innovation.
2. 7.a4 Not very intelligible. Better was 7. Kt-Q2, Kt-K2; 8. Q-Kt4, Black would then have had laboriously to defend himself by 8. ....Kt-KB4; 9. B-Q3, R-KKt1; 10. Q-R3, P-KR3.
3. 8…b6 Preparing to attack the White Base (Q4) by P-QB4.
4. 10.Qg4 How is Black to defend his KKtP?
5. 10…c4 The answer is not at all, for all direct defences would here be compromising.
6. 11.Be2 If QxKtP then R-Kt1 and PxB.
7. 11…Nf5 The KKtP is protected, but the pressure on White’s Q4 is removed and White now again gets a free hand to make play on the right wing.
8. 12…h6 In order to be able to maintain the KtB4 at his good post. The threat was B-Kt5, Q moves, Kt-R4. Lasker prefers, and rightly, the elastic defence 12. ....Kt-QB3 and if 13. B-Kt5, then 13. ....P-KB3. An interesting possibility would be 12. ....Kt-QB3; 13. P-QR5!?, KtxRP; 14. B-Kt5, P-KB3; 15. PxP, PxP; 16. B-R4, for now 16. ....KtxB would fail against 17. Q-Kt7!; on the other hand 16. ....Q-K2 would seem to consolidate the position sufficiently.
9. 13.Qh3 How can Black counter the following elegant threat to break through? i.e., the threat 14. P-KKt4, Kt-K2; 15. P-Kt5, P-R4; 16. P-Kt6, KtxP; 17. Kt-Kt5, followed by R-KKt1.
10. 13…Kd7 My King likes going for walks.
11. 15.Nd2 Threatening Q-B3 followed by QxBP or KtxP!
12. 15…Qe8 The Q takes possession of the throne, which the K has vacated! Moreover, she has her eye on the QRP for which she seems to have a fancy.
13. 16.f4 The scene shifts! The old theatre of war vanishes as in a flash, and new plans of attack appear. White intends to attack the base of the chain by P-KB5.
14. 16…Kc7 The K proceeds on his walk.
15. 18…h5 White’s King’s wing provides him with a terrible instrument of attack. To blunt this was the object of Black’s last move. 18. ....B-B3, to counter the other threat (KtxP) would, however, not have sufficed. E.g., 18. ....B-B3; 19. P-B5, followed by P-B6, and the wedge would have been unendurable.
16. 19.Nxc4 If 19. PxP then Kt-B4, and the King’s wing, which had been all ready to march to the attack, is crippled. But if 19. P-KR3, then 19. ....PxP; 20. PxP, RxR ch; 21. QxR, Q-KR1, and White finds all his attention occupied.
17. 20…hxg4 Naturally not PxB?? because of B-Q6 ch, and QxR.
18. 22…Bxa4 A lunch under dangerous conditions!
19. 24.Qxd5 24. P-QB4 would also have been difficult to parry. The defence would be found in 24. ....Q-B3; 25. QxQP (not PxP because of Q-B6 ch); 25. ....QxQ!; 26. PxQ, B-Kt4!!; for then the establishment of the B at Q4 (via B5) could not have been prevented.
20. 24…Bc6 Black’s King’s position is threatened on all sides, but the situation is not hopeless.
21. 25…Kc8 Having regard to the planned combination; but 25. ....K-Kt2; 26. P-Q5, B-Kt4 was also possible.
22. 27…Bxd5 This was afterwards pronounced the ‘only move.’ Black had, however, another one, namely 27. ....RxP ch; 28. PxR, BxR; 29. O-O-O, B-B6! (not B-K5 because of P-K7 and then Q-K5 and the White Q has now new squares for decisive operations); 30. PxP, QxP; 31. Q-Q8 ch, K-Kt2; 32. R-Q7 ch, K-R3, and Black is safe.
23. 29…Rxe6+ White now has a piece for two pawns, but his own pawns are weak.
24. 34…g3 Anything but a passive Rook position (RR3?).
25. 35.Rg1 After 35. RxP, P-KKt4!; 36. PxP, P-Kt7; White’s PKKt5 would prove an obstruction.
26. 35…Rh3 Much better than P-Kt7 for, as will shortly appear, it is important to have a clear road to Q-B7.
27. 39…Rxc2 Cf. the last note.
28. 49.Rb6+ Prof. Becker is absolutely bent on winning, and so it comes about that in the end he loses. The game continued 49. ....K-R4; 50. R-KB6, P-R7; 51. B-Q2 ch, K-Kt4; 52. B-B3, R-Q4 ch. After six hours of hard fighting to get such a problem check is hardly pleasurable! 53. K-K2? (Right was 53. K-B2, R-B5; 54. K-Kt2, RxB; 55. RxP), 53. ....RxP; 54. R-B8, K-B5; 55. B-R1, R-K5 ch; 56. K-Q2, P-B5. Now White may be said to be lost. 57. R-QB8 ch, K-Q4; 58. R-Q8 ch, K-K3; 59. R-K8 ch, K-B4; 60. R-KKt8, P-B6; 61. Resigns.