Alekhine, Seated Left Lasker, Center, Observing
Alekhine, Seated Left Lasker, Center, Observing
Emanuel Lasker and Alexander Alekhine met eight times in their career. Seven of the games
were from tournament games. Their first game was considered an exhibition game.
In 1908, Alexander Alekhine, age 15, traveled to Dusseldorf and Munich to observe world
champion Emanuel Lasker defend his title against Siegbert Tarrasch.
Lasker and Alekhine first met in an exhibition game in Moscow on March 28, 1914. The game
was drawn in 16 moves as it led to perpetual check Alekhine had White and played a Scotch
Game. Lasker proposed the draw and Alekhine accepted. In 1914 Lasker was 45 (born in 1868)
and world champion (1894-1921). Alekhine was 21 (born in 1892) and was world champion
from 1927 to 1935 and from 1937 to 1946.
Alekhine – Lasker, Moscow 1914
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 O-O 8.O-O d5 9.exd5
cxd5 10.Bg5 Be6 11.Qf3 Be7 12.Rfe1 h6 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.Rxe6 fxe6 15.Qg3 Kh8 16.Qg6 ½-
1/2
Lasker played Alekhine before he played Capablanca.
The two then met in the great St. Petersberg International tournament in April-May, 1914. Their
first encounter in the preliminary section of the tournament on April 30, 1914, was a draw in 25
moves. Lasker had White and Alekhine played a Center Counter Defense.
Capablanca won the preliminary section with a score of 8 out of 10. Lasker and Tarrasch had a
score of 6.5 out of 10. Alekhine and Marshall had a score of 6 out of 10. These five players
would play in the Finals.
Their next game was played in the finals or Winner’s Group on May 10, 1914. Lasker had
White and won in 35 moves. Alekhine, as Black, played 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5,
the Albin Countergambit, and lost.
A week later, on May 17, 1914, Lasker won again with the Black pieces in a Ruy Lopez,
Exchange variation that lasted 89 moves. Lasker had two rooks and a pawn
against Alekhine’s rook, knight, and pawn. Lasker won the tournament, followed
by Capablanca. Alekhine took 3rd place, Tarrasch took 4th place, and Marshall took 5th place.
In July 1914, Alekhine played in the main tournament in Mannheim, the 19th German Chess
Federation Congress. Lasker was a guest of honor at the event and was there to make plans for
an International Chess Federation. Lasker left the event before World War I broke out on
August 1, 1914.
The two did not play each other for another 10 years. World War I interrupted most major chess
tournaments and Lasker played little until 1923.
Then in March-April, 1924, they both played in the New York 1924 International
tournament. On March 18, 1924, Lasker (age 55) won again with the Black pieces in 36 moves
in a Queen’s Gambit Declined. Alekhine was 31 years old.
Their next game in the same tournament occurred on April 10, 1924, and the game was drawn in
30 moves. Lasker had the White pieces and played a Queen’s Pawn opening. The event was
won by Lasker (16 out of 20), followed by Capablanca (14.5)
and Alekhine (12). Alekhine would become world champion three years later.
Up to 1925, Lasker was the stronger player. Alekhine was in his prime from 1926 to 1936.
In 1925, the tournament organizers in Moscow invited Lasker, but not Alekhine.
The two waited another 10 years before they played again. Lasker was now 65
and Alekhine was 41. On July 25, 1934, Alekhine had the White pieces and finally won in
brilliant style in Zurich, Switzerland (37th Swiss Championship). The game lasted 26 moves
with a queen sacrifice offer. Alekhine was current world champion (1927-1935 and 1937-
1946). The opening was a Queen’s Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, Alekhine Variation.
In 1935, Lasker went to Holland to cover the world chess championship match
between Alekhine and Euwe for the Russian newspapers.
The organizers of the 1935 and 1936 Moscow tournaments invited Lasker, but not Alekhine.
Their final encounter occurred on August 13, 1936 in Nottingham, England. Lasker had White
and the game was drawn in 18 moves. Alekhine played the Nimzo-Indian Defense. At the time,
both players were former world chess champions. The event was won
by Capablanca and Botvinnik, who tied. Alekhine was 6th and Lasker tied for 7th.
Alekhine said this of Lasker, “Lasker was my teacher, and without him I could not have become
whom I became. The idea of chess art is unthinkable without Emanuel Lasker.”