Chess Strategy · Chapter 16Game No. 8
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White: Blackburne. Black: Em. Lasker.
Scotch Game.
1. P-K4 P-K4 2. Kt-KB3 Kt-QB3 3. P-Q4 PxP 4. KtxP B-B4 5. B-K3 Q-B3
The threat KtxKt and BxB must be met in some way. P-Q3 is not satisfactory, for Black remains with a trebled pawn after the double exchange. An alternative to the text move is B-Kt3. Q-B3, however, has the advantage of developing a piece, and although it is the Queen, White has no early opportunity of driving the same off, such as he often obtains when the Queen comes out so soon in the game.
6. P-QB3 KKt-K2 7. Kt-B2
In order to develop the QKt.
7. … P-QKt3!
Out of three possible moves, Lasker selects the one which contributes most to development. B-Kt3 does nothing in that direction, and BxB would bring the White Knight further into play. The text move prepares the development of the B at Kt2 with the option of Castles QR. If White exchanges Bishops he gives up the command of his Q4. Black’s P-Q3 might have had the same result, but then the exchange would have given White a majority of pawns on the K side, whilst White’s three Q side pawns would have held the black Q side pawns, one of the latter being doubled.
8. Kt-Q2 Q-Kt3
The exchange of Bishops allows White to play Kt-K3, thus avoiding the weakening move P-K Kt3. 9. B-KB4 is answered by P-Q4!.
9. BxB PxB 10. Kt-K3 R-QKt1 11. P-QKt3 Castles 12. B-B4
To prevent Black’s P-B4.
At first sight it seems as if the QBP ought to move to B4, as the advance of the QKtP has weakened it. But White dares not allow a Black Knight to settle at Q5.
Black threatens to play K-R1 in order to play P-B4. White’s position would then be very bad, and therefore he rightly decides to anticipate the move, even at the cost of a pawn. In order to gain the QBP Black must waste a number of moves with the Q, and White gains time for a King’s side attack. The pawn sacrifice is very promising indeed.
13. … Q-B3 14. Castles QxQBP 15. R-B3
There seem to be many threats here, and the position is a difficult one to fathom. After disentangling his Queen, Black tries very hard to force his P-B4. As soon as he succeeds in this he has a won game, for the open file is available both for defence and counter-attack.
15. … Q-Q5 16. K-R1 B-K3 17. R-QB1 BxB 18. RxB Q-Kt7
Q-B3 is impossible apart from the fact that it would block the KBP, e.g. 18. … Q-B3; 19. P-K5, PxP; 20. Kt-K4, etc.
Now the attack shown in the last note could be answered with Q- R5.
20. Kt-Kt4
Here P-KKt4 could be answered by Kt-Q5, e.g. 21. P-Kt5, Q-Kt3; 22. R-Kt3, P-B4.
20. … Q-Kt3 21. R-Kt3 P-B4 22. Kt-K5 Q-K3 23. KtxKt KtxKt 24. P-K5 Kt-Kt5!
This prevents the Rook from occupying the Q file which is about to be opened.
25. R-B4 PxP 26. Q-R1 Q-Q2!
If now QxP, Black plays R-B2 with unanswerable threats of R-K1 or Q1.
27. Kt-B3 PxP 28. Kt-K5 Q-K2 29. RxKBP QR-K1 30. Kt-B4 Q-K8ch 31. R-B1 QxQ 32. RxQ KtxP 33. P-R3 P-B5 34. R-Q3 Kt-Kt5 35. R-Q7 P-B6! 36. PxP RxP 37. RxRP Kt-Q6
threatens mate in six.
38. R-R1 Kt-K8
mate is again threatened.
39. Kt-Q2 RxPch 40. K-Kt1 R-Kt6ch 41. K-R2 R-Q6! 42. RxKt RxKtch 43. RxR RxR 44. R-Q7 R-K6 45. RxP RxP 46. RxP P-R3 47. R-B6
A few more moves “for fun.”
47. … K-R2 48. K-Kt2 P-R4 49. R-R6 P-Kt3 50. R-R4 K-R3 51. R-QB4 R-Kt7ch 52. K-Kt3 K-Kt4 53. R-B3 P-R5ch 54. K-R3 K-R4 55. R-B4 R-Kt6ch 56. K-R2 P-Kt4 57. R-R4 R-Kt7ch 58. K-Rsq P-R6 59. R-QB4 P-Kt5 60. K-Ktsq P-Kt6 61. R-B5ch K-Kt3 62. R-Bsq K-B4 63. R-Rsq R-Q7 64. R-Ksq K-B5 65. R-Rsq K-K6 66. R-R3ch R-Q6 67. R-Rsq K-K7 Resigns.