Chess Strategy · Chapter 42Game No. 34
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White: Em. Lasker. Black: Niemzowitsch.
Caro-Kann Defence (compare p. 50).
1. P-K4 P-QB3 2. P-Q4 P-Q4 3. Kt-QB3 PxP 4. KtxP Kt-B3 5. KtxKt KtPxKt 6. B-K2 B-B4 7. B-B3 Q-R4ch 8. P-B3 P-KR4!
A deep conception. If White accepts the proffered sacrifice of a pawn, he loses time, as he must retire his B before bringing out his Kt, and, moreover, the KR file being open, he can only castle on the Q side. But there the Black Queen is ready for the attack. If he refuses the sacrifice, the text move is still of value, as even then it is hardly advisable for White to castle on the K side, whilst Black can play B-R3 as soon as it might be desirable to exchange White’s QB.
9. BxP Kt-Q2 10. B-Kt4 BxB 11. QxB Castles 12. Kt-K2 P-K3 13. B-B4 Q-QKt4!
Black is the first to complete his development, and he assumes the offensive.
14. Castles QR!
This is much stronger than the alternative P-QKt3, which would fatally disturb the pawn skeleton, particularly as castling is only possible on the Q side. Although Black can now gain two pawns, White obtains an attack and Black only just manages to escape with a draw.
14. … Kt-Kt3 15. Kt-Kt3
intending Q-K2 in answer to Kt-B5. Again P-QKt3 is not to be thought of, and R-Q2 also fails because of Kt-B5; 16. R-B2, KtxP.
15. … Q-Q4 16. K-Kt1 QxKtP 17. QR-Kt1 QxBP 18. Kt-K4 Q-R5 19. Q-B3 Kt-B5!
Whilst Black was busy capturing two pawns by moving the Queen four times, White was concentrating the whole of his forces, and now threatens to win back the pawn with R-Kt4. The move in the text anticipates the threat, for now the answer to 20. R-Kt4 would be Q-R4; 21. KtxP?, Q-B4ch; 22. Kt-K4?? Kt-Q7ch, winning the Q.
20. K-R1 P-KB4 21. Kt-Kt5 B-Q3 22. B-B1 R-Q2 23. R-Kt2 B-B2
intending to get rid of the awkward White Knight by Kt-Q3-K5.
24. KR-Kt Kt-Q3 25. Q-K2 Kt-K5 26. Kt-B3 Q-R6 27. P-R3
White appears to be in “time” difficulties, or else he remains passive, in order to give Black an opportunity for making the risky attempt to hold the extra pawn by P-B3 and P-K4.
If Black wants to play for a win, he must play P-B3. In view of the favourable position of the White pieces, he prefers to risk nothing and to avoid the weakening of position which follows upon practically every pawn move.
30. K-R1 KR-Q1 31. K-R2 R-K1 32. R-Kt8 RxR 33. RxRch R-Q1 34. R-Kt7 R-Q2 35. R-Kt8ch
As long as Black plays steadily, White cannot hope for more than a draw.
35. … R-Q1 36. R-Kt7 R-B1 37. P-B4 Kt-B3
In order to drive off the Rook; White now enforces the draw by a fine combination.
38. B-Kt5! Kt-R4 39. RxP! RxR 40. QxPch R-Q2
Not K-Kt1 on account of 41. Q-K8ch, K-R2; 42. QxR, QxKt; 43. QxB, threatening B-K7.
41. Kt-K5! Draw.
For after BxKt there follows 42. Q-K8ch, K-B2; 43. QxBch, with perpetual check.
Both players have shown a deep positional insight, and the game shows in an interesting manner how a preponderance of material can be counterbalanced by the greater mobility of the pieces.