Common Sense in Chess by Emanuel Lasker

Common Sense In Chess by Emanuel Lasker Edited by Bruce Alberston Including Seven Additional Annotated Games by Lasker from Hastings 1895 2007 Russell Enterprises, Inc. Milford, CT USA 1 Common Sense In Chess © Copyright 2007 Bruce Alberston All Rights Reserved ISBN: 978-1-888690-40-8 Published by: Russell Enterprises, Inc. P.O. Box 5460 Milford, CT 06460 USA http://www.chesscafe.com [email protected] Cover design by Janel Lowrance Printed in the United States of America 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgments, Symbols and Abbreviations 4 Editor’s Introduction 5 Author’s Preface 7 Chapter One – Opening Principles 8 Chapter Two – Ruy Lopez, Part One 14 Chapter Three – Ruy Lopez, Part Two 19 Chapter Four – Evans Gambit 26 Chapter Five – King’s Bishop’s Gambit 32 Chapter Six – French Defence 36 Chapter Seven – The Attack 44 Chapter Eight – The Defence 62 Chapter Nine – The End Game 73 Chapter Ten – Last Round at Hastings 94 Chapter Eleven – Lasker Annotates 99 Analytical Endnotes 115 Summary of Tournament Results 1889-1936 124 Summary of Match Results 1889-1921 125 Index of Players 126 Index of Openings 127 3 Acknowledgments Thanks to Taylor Kingston for analytical endnotes and to Mark Donlan for edit- ing at the production end. The persistence award goes to Hanon Russell and my agent Julia Lord. Without their efforts this book might never have seen the light of day. Also, thanks to Fred Wilson for analysis and general sound advice. Standard Symbols and Abbreviations K stands for King Q stands for Queen R stands for Rook B stands for Bishop N stands for Knight P stands for Pawn although in practice the “P” is rarely used. - (the dash) means “moves to” x means “captures” 0-0 means “castles kingside” 0-0-0 means “castles queenside” † stands for check # or mate stands for checkmate 1-0 means White wins 0-1 means Black wins ½-½ means tie game, a draw ! indicates a strong move !! indicates an excellent, brilliant move !? indicates an interesting but unclear move ? is a bad or questionable move ?? is a serious blunder 4 Author’s Preface The following is an abstract of twelve very nice differentiation, such as all lectures given before an audience of the questions relating to the manoeuvering London chess players during the spring of the king and the exchange of men. of 1895. It may be regarded as an attempt to deal with all parts of a game The games and positions given in this of chess by the aid of general principles. book are comparatively few, but they The principles laid down are deduced have been selected with care. I there- from considerations concerning the fore would advise the student not to nature of Chess as a fight between two attempt to read the matter only, but to brains, and their conception is based on study it and sink some work into it. The simple facts. Their practical working rules deduced are, I believe, very plau- has been illustrated by positions sible. This need not deceive the student adapted to the purpose, and likely to who will see their significance in a occur over the board. clearer light if he tries to be reasonably skeptical and exacting in the matter of It has been my aim to reduce the differ- proofs. ent rules in number as much as was compatible with clearness. They all will As regards the analytical notes about be found to have a remote likeness, and games or openings, I have tried to be it would therefore not have been very short and to the point. Analytical detail difficult to reduce their number still is therefore not abundant, but I think more. Indeed, they may ultimately be reliable. The method of enumerating all united in one single leading principle, the variations thought possible, or prob- which is the germ of the theory not only able, has been laid aside, and in its place of Chess, but of any kind of fight. This an analysis has been given, which principle is sufficiently indicated here, makes use of both the consideration of but it is so general in its conception, the leading variations and general prin- and the difficulty of expressing the ciples. The diction and style of the work whole compass of its meaning in defi- are those of a lecturer. Feeling that I nite terms so enormous, that I have not have not been able to make them as ventured to formulate it. In a future perfect as I should have desired, I must work, for which the present one shall ask for the lenient judgment of the pave the way, I hope to be able to illus- reader. trate the significance of that principle, and its capacity for showing facts in I take this opportunity for expressing their right relation to one another. For my hearty thanks to Professor Villin that work I have also deferred the dis- Mamery for his kind assistance in look- cussion of some points which require ing over the proofs. Emanuel Lasker 7 Chapter Eight The Defence Gentlemen: You will therefore, first of all, evacu- ate these points if they are occupied by The principles of defence will be the men of great importance, the queen or subject of our lecture tonight. If the at- rook, for instance, and also frequently tack is the process through which ob- a knight and a bishop. Secondly, you structions are brought out of the way, will have to give them support; place the defence is the art of strengthening the support in points which are not eas- them, of giving firmness to your posi- ily accessible by the enemy. The rest of tion, and of averting the blow directed your army is best employed in engag- against you. When your position is not ing the reserve force of the enemy— inferior to that of your opponent, and that is, such force which it will take him he nevertheless makes preparations to time and labor to utilize for the pur- attack you, disregard them altogether, poses of his attack. develop reserve forces, avoid his attack by the slightest defensive movement The object of your opponent’s attack is possible (like a first-rate boxer, who in generally speaking, to change the position of your men in a certain quarter by the nick of time and with an almost im- force. Abstain from changing it volun- perceptible movement evades the tarily, except for the most forcible rea- blow), and institute a quick counter sons. action. This is where most Chess players fail. When you, however, have been unfor- In order for instance to avoid the ap- tunate enough to compromise yourself, proach of a knight or bishop to g5/g4, to give your opponent an undeniable they advance their h-pawns to h3/h6, reason for and tangible object of attack losing a move and besides, as a general (which may occur to the best and most rule, impairing the defensive strength cautious player as the result of an un- of the chain of pawns on the wing. successful attack), you have to act very differently. Or they advance the g-pawn to g3/g6, to drive a knight away posted on f5/f4, Also here common sense tells us ex- which however well placed, is usually actly how to proceed. Every position not half as dangerous as this move it- will comprise points which are exposed self. Or they retire a piece because it to the action of the hostile forces and may be driven away. other points which are well guarded. An attack will direct itself in the first in- Wait with all such moves until your stance against your weakest points— antagonist has expended some time, for instance, against the h- and g-pawn material, position, etc.,—well, call it after castling. Or against a knight on taken altogether, some of the “power” f3/f6, etc. at his disposal—on them. 62 The Defence For the rest your defensive movements shows how unsound all White’s play must of course be subservient to the has been. objects of the enemy’s attack. You may w________w therefore reverse the rules for attack. [rdb1kdw4] Let it be your object to prevent your [0w0wdp0p] opponent from creating strong points [wdpdwdwd] very near your line of defence. That [dwgp)wdw] comprises everything, as we shall see in the instances that are to follow. [wdwdwdnd] [dwdBdwdP] Game #19 [P)Pdw)Pd] Delmar vs. Lipschütz [$NGQdRIw] New York, 1888 w--------w Scotch Game 9. .... Nxe5 10. Re1 Qf6 1. e4 e5 11. Qe2 0-0 2. Nf3 Nc6 12. Qxe5 Qxf2† 3. d4 exd4 13. Kh1 Bxh3 4. Nxd4 Nf6 14. gxh3 Qf3† 5. Nxc6 bxc6 15. Kh2 Bd6 6. Bd3 d5 16. Qxd6 Qf2† 7. e5 .... 0-1 w________w w________w [rdb1kgw4] [rdwdw4kd] [0w0wdp0p] [0w0wdp0p] [wdpdwhwd] [wdp!wdwd] [dwdp)wdw] [dwdpdwdw] [wdwdwdwd] [wdwdwdwd] [dwdBdwdw] [dwdBdwdP] [P)Pdw)P)] [P)Pdw1wI] [$NGQIwdR] [$NGw$wdw] w--------w w--------w Black has followed up to this point the Game #20 rules of development. He has given White vs. Black White no object of attack nor are any Max Lange Attack of his pieces in a weak position. White’s attacking manoeuvre is therefore pre- 1. e4 e5 mature. 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 7. .... Ng4 4. Bc4 Bc5 8. 0-0 Bc5 5. 0-0 Nf6 9. h3 .... 5...d6 would be more in conformity Now follows a clever stroke which with our rules. The text move is slightly 63 Common Sense in Chess inferior and gives White the opportu- 10. Nc3 Qf5 nity to initiate a violent onslaught, 11.

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