Lasker, Emanuel VS Steinitz, William 1895.??.??

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Hastings, 16 August 1895 (Ruy Lopez). The reigning World Champion defeats his predecessor: Steinitz regroups his pieces to the back rank and Lasker breaks through with a Knight sacrifice. Notes by I. Gunsberg.

1. 4…d6 If a census were taken of the games played with the P to Q 3 defence as against any other defence to the Ruy Lopez, it would be found that this move has up to the present produced the worst proportionate results.
2. 10…Qe8 Somehow or other we do not believe in the manoeuvre of bringing the White Queen's Knight over on to the King's side; we think too much time is lost thereby, and it is advisable for Black to adopt an aggressive policy before White has time to fully develop his Pieces. The point is to do something while the Knight is on B sq, and before it can get to Kt 3.
3. 12…Bg4 We do not see how anything can come from this move; anyway it would have been stronger if P x P had preceded it.
4. 14…Bc8 The fact that the Bishop ought not to have gone to Kt 5 at all must now be clear. B x Kt would have been an improvement, as that would bring White's Queen into play.
5. 15…Bd8 Black has now completed his strategic movement towards the rear. If this is good strategy, then the modern theory of development must be all wrong. One fact, however, must be borne in mind. Black, having all his Pieces concentrated on his base, is certainly less assailable, and should White rashly advance against that formation, Black might probably be able to break up the White line with advantage to himself.
6. 18.Kg2 Considering that Black's only hope lies in an advance of the King's Bishop's Pawn, we should have preferred to play K to R 2, so as to be able to occupy the King's Knight's file with the Rook, which would effectively prevent P to K B 4 at any future time. And, after developing his Rooks, White could take his own time about cautiously turning on the pressure.
7. 19…Nb6 There seems little prospect of Black being able to harass White by a flank attack on the Queen's side. Yet it is the only way at present that promises some relief.
8. 24…f5 It was pointed out by Mr. Steinitz that he would have done much better if he had played P to R 3 first.
9. 26.Qxe5+ White's play is extremely interesting. If he had simply contented himself with 27. P to K 5, Black might have replied in several ways; though these moves may be varied, we still think that line would have been profitable for Black.

Horace F. Cheshire, The Hastings Chess Tournament 1895 (1896) · Public domain · source