Emanuel Lasker, The International Chess Congress, St. Petersburg, 1909 (1910)
Game 103 of 175
Opening Explorer
Explorer is loading.
Site
St Petersburg
Date
1909.03.01
Round
11
White
Black
Mieses, Jacques
Result
0-1
- 2.e4 The sound move is 2) P - Q 4.
- 4…Nd4 Since P - Q 4 for Black is now prevented, he does not wish to allow it for White either.
- 5…g6 But here 5) .... P - Q 3, followed by Kt - K B 3, should have been done first. The move actually made only weakens the King's wing.
- 6.Nxd4 He takes the Knight now, so as to stop the hole at Q 4, where Black's pieces might be posted, with a Black Pawn, which is, relatively, less dangerous.
- 16.Rc1 Though rather undeveloped, Black makes an attack on the King, as the centre is closed and his own King's wing was weakened. White, in the nature of things, takes little or no defensive measures, and directs his attention towards a counter stroke, such as P - B 5, or Kt - Kt 5 - Q 5.
- 21.Qxg4 After 21) Kt - Q 5, Q x Q; 22) P x Q, R - Q B sq the game would have had a drawish character, in spite of the strong position of the Knight. White plays, without concerning himself with the open K R file, to obtain a strong passed K R P.
- 26.c5 This important dissolving move remained at his disposal. For the moment he should have executed the excellent manoeuvre which he undertakes with his next move. After 26) P - Kt 3, P x P; 27) P - K R 3 followed by K - Kt 2 Black would have been doomed to inactivity, while White would have won eventually, after methodical preparations, such as Kt - B 6 - R 5, or P - Kt 4 and P - B 5.
- 28.Rxf7 If 28) .... R x P, then follows 29) R x P ch, K - Kt sq; 30) R (B 5) - B 7, and now 30) .... P - Kt 7 ch; 31) K - Kt sq, B - B 7 ch; 32) R x R, R x R P would not be feasible, as the Black King has no flight square.
- 29.h3 29) R x P would be met by B - Q sq.
- 31.Rc1 The sacrifice of the Pawn was not justified; White should simply have captured the Pawn. For after 31) R x P, R - Q sq; 32) B - Q 7, nothing would have happened to him. If 32) .... B - Kt 3; 33) Kt x B, P x Kt; 34) R x K P, R x P; 35) R x P and wins as he likes.
- 33.Rg7 After 33) R (B sq) - B 3 the Bishop could not have moved.
- 39.g6 If 39) P - R 5, P - B 5; 40) P - R 6, P - B 6; 41) P - R 7, P - B 7; 42) R - Kt 8, R - Kt 8 or R x P and White can draw at the best.
- 46.Kf5 If 46) Kt - Kt 4 then 46) .... B - B 3. After this only Black would have chances of winning; e. g.: 47) Kt x Q P, B x P; 48) P x B, R x P ch; 49) K - B 3, R - R 2; 50) R - B sq, R - R 4; 51) Kt - K sq, P - Kt 5; 52) R x P, R x R; 53) Kt x R, K - B 2; 54) K - Kt 4, K - Q 3; 55) K - B 5, P - Kt 6; 56) Kt - R 3, P - R 5; 57) Kt - Kt sq, Kt - Kt 5; 58) K x P, P - R 6.