New York 1924, Round 12: Lasker wins after stubborn defense

by Klaus Besenthal
5/16/2020 – In round 12 of the tournament in New York Emanuel Lasker won again and he again won a bad position. In the course of his career Dawid Janowsky had a lot of promising positions against Lasker and he has spoilt most of them. In New York he continued this "tradition". For a long time Janowsky was clearly better but found no way to overcome Lasker's stubborn defense, and in the end he blundered and lost. Lasker now leads with 8½/11 and is 1½ ahead of Alekhine who drew with Capablanca and Reti, who won brilliantly against Bogoljubow.
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Stubborn defense

Does the former World Champion Dr. Emanuel Lasker sometimes play badly, perhaps even deliberately, in order to lull his opponents into a false sense of security? At any rate, in bad positions Lasker is amazingly tenacious and resourceful. As he showed once again in round 12 against Dawid Janowsky. After the opening Lasker soon drifted into a very bad position but he then was careful to parry all threats by his opponent until Janowsky finally lost patience and blundered. Lasker then gained the upper hand and converted his advantage without too much trouble.

 
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1.e41,165,57054%2421---
1.d4946,47455%2434---
1.Nf3281,31256%2441---
1.c4181,93756%2442---
1.g319,68856%2427---
1.b314,23654%2427---
1.f45,88648%2377---
1.Nc33,79651%2384---
1.b41,75348%2380---
1.a31,19754%2403---
1.e31,06848%2408---
1.d394850%2378---
1.g466246%2361---
1.h444653%2374---
1.c342651%2425---
1.h327956%2416---
1.a410860%2468---
1.f39147%2431---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 d6 6.Re1 Bg4 7.c3 Be7 8.h3 Bh5 9.d3 Qd7
With his next moves Lasker surprisingly exchanges both his bishops against the enemy knights. 10.Bxc6 But after a seemingly natural move such as 10.Nbd2 Black might have started an attack with g5!? . 10...Qxc6 11.Bg5 Bg6 12.Nbd2 h6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nf1 0-0 15.Ne3
Perhaps Lasker had this kind of position in mind when he took the black on knight on c6 on move ten. The white knights indeed make a good impression while Black has difficulties to open the position to give his bishops more space. 15...Rae8 16.Qb3 Bd8 17.Qd5?! But this does not look like a good move. White's queen was well enough placed on b3 and was more active than her black counterpart. Qxd5 18.Nxd5 f5! Black seizes the initiative. 19.Nd2 Bf7 20.Ne3 f4 21.Nec4 Bf6 22.a4 Rd8 23.Na5 Rb8 24.Nf3 g5 25.Nh2 h5 26.Nc4 Be6 27.f3 Rfd8 28.Re2 Kf7 29.a5 Rg8 30.Ra4 Rbd8 31.Rb4 Bc8
Black is clearly better and it is only a question of time until he will manage to open the position. 32.b3 Rh8 Here Black could have played 32...d5! with a very promising position. 33.Nb2 d5! 34.exd5 Rxd5 35.Rc4 c6 36.b4 Bf5 37.Rd2 Rhd8
It is hard to imagine that White is able to hold in this position. 38.Kf2 Rb5?! Refraining from the simple (and good) 38...Bxd3! 39.Ke2! White defends the weak pawn on d3 again. Rbd5 Black's rook returns with having achieved much. Maybe Black had intended to play 39...Be6 ? But after 40.Rc5 Black still has to find a way to win. 40.Kd1 Ke6 It again remains a mystery why Janowsky did not take the pawn with 40...Bxd3! 41.Kc2 Be7 42.Nf1 c5 43.bxc5 Bxc5 44.Ra4 R8d7 45.Rd1 Ba7 46.Ra3 g4 47.hxg4 hxg4 48.c4 R5d6 49.Nd2 Be3 50.Rh1 gxf3 51.gxf3 Rg7
Black is still clearly better but Janowsky still has trouble to get something tangible. 52.Rh2 Bg1 53.Re2 Rg3 54.Nd1 Rd7 55.Rb3 Rdg7 Black is starting to stumble. A good alternative was 55...Bg6! to continue with Bh5. After 56.Ne4 Bxe4 57.dxe4 Rh7 Black is still better. 56.Nc3! Suddenly the knights are active again. Be3? Black should have brought this bishop to d4. 57.Nd5 Rg2 58.Rxe3! fxe3 59.Rb6+ Kd7 60.Nxe3
60...Kc7 Now Black is lost. More stubborn was 60...Re2! e.g. 61.Rxb7+ Kc6 62.Rxg7 Rxe3 63.Ra7 Rxd3 64.Rxa6+ Kc5 65.Rb6 Rxf3+ 66.Kb2± and Black can hope for a draw. 61.Nxf5 Rh7 62.Nd6 Rhh2 63.N6e4 Rh1 64.Kc3 Rc1+ 65.Kb4 Rd1 66.Nb3 Rxd3 67.Rxb7+ Kc8 68.Rf7 Rb2 69.Nec5 Rd6 70.Rf5 Re2 71.Ne4 Rd3 72.Rxe5 Rb2 73.Nec5 Rxf3 74.Re8+ Kc7 75.Re6 Rc2 76.Nxa6+ Kb7 77.Nac5+ Ka7 78.Re7+ Ka8 79.Na4 Rh2 80.Nbc5 Kb8 81.Rb7+ Kc8 82.a6 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Lasker,E-Janowski,D-1–01924C87New York International Masters-0112

Or do his beloved cigars help Lasker to concentrate better?

Before the game Dr. Lasker likes to take a walk in New York's Central Park to relax. He is often joined by Edward Lasker, who also plays in the tournament and who is a distant relative of Emanuel. However, the two Laskers fare quite differently in the tournament: Emanuel is sole first with 8½/11 while Edward is last with 3.0/11 – in round 12 he lost against Frederick Yates, who until then was half a point behind him.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c3 Bg7 4.Qc2 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Nbd2 Nd7 8.Nc4 e5 9.Bg5 Qe8 10.d5 Ne7 11.0-0-0 Nc5 12.h4 f5 13.exf5 Nxd3+ 14.Qxd3 Bxf5 15.Qe2 a5 16.Ne3 Bd7 17.h5 Nf5 18.hxg6 Qxg6 19.Nxf5 Bxf5 20.Qd2 Qf7 21.Bh6 Bg6
Setting a little trap which White fails to notice. 22.Bxg7?! 22.Nh4! 22...Qf5! 23.Qd3 Kxg7 Even better was 23...Qxd3! 24.Rxd3 Bxd3 25.Bxf8 Rxf8 and Black's bishop is much better than White's knight. 24.Qxf5 Rxf5 25.Rd2 Raf8 26.Rh4 h6 27.Rc4 R8f7
28.b4 axb4 29.cxb4 Rf4 30.Rxf4 Rxf4 31.a3 Kf6 Black has a clear advantage. 32.Kb2 h5 33.Ne1 Rd4 34.Rxd4 exd4 35.g3 Ke5 36.Kb3 Kxd5 37.f3 Bf7 38.Ng2 c5 39.b5 Ke5+ 40.Kc2 Bd5 41.Ne1 c4 42.b6 Bc6 43.Kd2 Kd5 44.Nc2 c3+ 45.Kc1 Kc4 46.f4 d3 47.Ne3+ Kb3 48.Nf1 Be4 49.Nd2+ cxd2+ 50.Kxd2 Kxa3 0–1
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Lasker,E-Yates,F-0–11924A48New York International Masters-0112

Edward Lasker

But it was Richard Reti who played the best game of the round – if not the tournament: he defeated Efim Bogoljubow with seemingly easy, elegant play which he crowned with a fine and pleasant combination. After this win Reti now shares place two with Alexander Alekhine who quickly drew with World Champion José Raúl Capablanca.

 
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1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Nf6 4.Bg2 Bd6 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3 Re8 7.Bb2 Nbd7 8.d4 c6 9.Nbd2 Ne4 10.Nxe4 dxe4 11.Ne5 f5 12.f3 exf3 13.Bxf3 Qc7 14.Nxd7 Bxd7 15.e4 e5 16.c5 Bf8 17.Qc2 exd4 18.exf5 Rad8 19.Bh5 Re5 20.Bxd4 Rxf5 21.Rxf5 Bxf5 22.Qxf5 Rxd4 23.Rf1 Rd8 24.Bf7+ Kh8 25.Be8 1–0
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Reti,R-Bogoljubow,E-1–01924E01New York International Masters-0112

Richard Réti's pet opening 1.Nf3!? brought him another fine victory.

Results of round 12

Em. Lasker 1-0 D. Janowsky
Ed. Lasker 0-1 F. Yates
G. Maroczy ½-½ S. Tartakower
A. Alekhine ½-½ J.R. Capablanca
R. Reti 1-0 Efim Bogoljubow

Bye: Frank Marshall

Standings after round 12

Rk. Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pts.
1 Emanuel Lasker   1  1  ½  ½  1  ½  1  ½  11 ½  8.5
2 Alexander Alekhine 0    1  ½½ ½  1  ½  ½  1  1  ½  7.0
3 Richard Reti 0  0    1  1  ½  ½  01 1  1  1  7.0
4 Jose Raul Capablanca ½  ½½ 0    1  ½  ½  1  1  ½  ½  6.5
5 Savielly Tartakower ½  ½  0  0    ½½ ½  1  1  ½  ½  5.5
6 Geza Maroczy 0  0  ½  ½  ½½   1  0  1  1  ½  5.5
7 Frank James Marshall ½  ½  ½  ½  ½  0    0  ½  1  1  5.0
8 Efim Bogoljubow 0  ½  10 0  0  1  1    1  0  ½  5.0
9 Frederick Dewhurst Yates ½  0  0  0  0  0  ½  0    ½  11 3.5
10 Dawid Markelowicz Janowski 00 0  0  ½  ½  0  0  1  ½    1  3.5
11 Edward Lasker ½  ½  0  ½  ½  ½  0  ½  00 0    3.0

Games

 
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1.e4 Alechin:New York 1924. e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Be2 d5 4.exd5 Nf6 5.c4 c6 6.d4 cxd5 7.Bxf4 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Bb4+ 9.Nc3 0-0 10.Nge2 10.Nf3 Re8+ 11.Ne5 Be6 12.0-0 Bxc4 13.Nxc4 Nc6 14.a3 Bf8 15.d5 10...Bg4 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Qb3 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Nb6 14.Bd3 Nfd5 15.Bd2 Bxe2 16.Bxe2 Rc8 17.Rf3 Qc7 18.Raf1 f6 19.Bd3 Nc4 20.Rh3 g6 21.Re1 Nxd2 22.Qxd5+ Qf7 23.Qxf7+ Rxf7 24.Re2 Nc4 25.Re8+ Rxe8 26.Bxc4 h5 27.Kf2 Rc8 28.Bxf7+ Kxf7 29.Re3 b5 30.Ke2 Rc6 31.Kd3 h4 32.Re2 g5 33.Rb2 Rb6 34.d5 Ke7 35.Kd4 g4 36.Kc5 Rb8 37.Kd4± 37.Rxb5 Rxb5+ 38.Kxb5 Kd6 39.Kc4 39.c4 f5 40.c5+ Kxd5 39...f5 40.Kd3 Kxd5 41.Ke3 Kc4 42.Kf4 Kxc3 43.Kxf5 g3 44.hxg3 hxg3 45.Kg4 a5 46.Kxg3 Kb2 47.Kh4 a4 48.g4 a3 49.g5 Kxa2 50.g6 Kb2 51.g7 a2 52.g8Q a1Q= 37...Rb6 38.h3 38.Re2+ Kd7 39.Rf2 Ke7 40.Kc5± 38.a3 38...g3 39.a3 39.Kc5 Rb8 40.Re2+ Kd7 41.Re6 Rc8+ 42.Kb4 Rc4+ 43.Kxb5 Rxc3 39...Kd7 39...Kd6 40.Re2 Kd7 41.Kc5 f5 40.Kc5 Rb8 40...f5 41.Rb4 f5 41...a5 42.Rxh4 Rc8+ 43.Kxb5 Rxc3 44.Rh6 f5 45.a4 Rc2= 42.a4 a6 43.Kd4 43.d6 Rc8+ 44.Kd5 Rxc3 45.axb5 axb5 46.Rxb5 Rd3+ 47.Ke5 Rd2 48.Rb7+ Kc8 49.Rc7+ Kd8 50.Rh7 Rxg2 51.Rxh4 Re2+ 52.Kxf5 g2 53.Rg4 Kd7= 43...Re8? 43...a5! 44.Rb1 44.Rxb5 Rxb5 45.axb5 f4-+ 44...b4 45.c4 f4 46.Ke4 Rc8-+ 47.Rc1 Rf8 48.Kf3 Kd6 49.Rc2 Kc5 50.Rd2 Rf6-+ 44.Kd3 bxa4 44...Re5 45.c4 bxc4+ 46.Rxc4 Re1 47.Rxh4 Rg1= 45.Rxa4 Re1 46.Rxa6 Rg1 47.Ra2± Kd6 48.c4 Ke5 49.Re2+ Kd6 50.Rc2 Kc5 51.Rd2 Rf1 52.Ke2 Rg1 53.Ke3 Kd6 54.c5+ Kxc5 55.d6 Re1+ 56.Kf4 Re8 57.d7 Rd8 58.Kxf5 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Tartakower,S-Bogoljubow,E-1–01924C33New York International Masters-011
Lasker,E-Maroczy,G-½–½1924B08New York International Masters-011
Yates,F-Alekhine,A-0–11924C76New York International Masters-011
Janowski,D-Capablanca,J-½–½1924D67New York International Masters-011
Marshall,F-Reti,R-½–½1924E90New York International Masters-011
Lasker,E-Capablanca,J-½–½1924C66New York International Masters-012
Marshall,F-Tartakower,S-½–½1924A85New York International Masters-012
Lasker,E-Bogoljubow,E-½–½1924C41New York International Masters-012
Yates,F-Janowski,D-½–½1924C79New York International Masters-012
Maroczy,G-Alekhine,A-0–11924B02New York International Masters-012
Tartakower,S-Yates,F-1–01924C33New York International Masters-013
Capablanca,J-Lasker,E-½–½1924D52New York International Masters-013
Reti,R-Maroczy,G-½–½1924A37New York International Masters-013
Alekhine,A-Lasker,E-0–11924D35New York International Masters-013
Bogoljubow,E-Marshall,F-1–01924D02New York International Masters-013
Janowski,D-Lasker,E-0–11924B83New York International Masters-014
Yates,F-Lasker,E-1–01924C91New York International Masters-014
Capablanca,J-Alekhine,A-½–½1924C12New York International Masters-014
Bogoljubow,E-Reti,R-1–01924C12New York International Masters-014
Tartakower,S-Maroczy,G-½–½1924A00New York International Masters-014
Marshall,F-Yates,F-½–½1924B07New York International Masters-015
Lasker,E-Tartakower,S-½–½1924B43New York International Masters-015
Reti,R-Capablanca,J-1–01924A15New York International Masters-015
Maroczy,G-Bogoljubow,E-0–11924D05New York International Masters-015
Lasker,E-Janowski,D-0–11924A50New York International Masters-015
Alekhine,A-Janowski,D-1–01924A53New York International Masters-016
Maroczy,G-Marshall,F-1–01924C42New York International Masters-016
Lasker,E-Lasker,E-½–½1924C99New York International Masters-016
Reti,R-Yates,F-1–01924A13New York International Masters-016
Capablanca,J-Tartakower,S-1–01924A85New York International Masters-016
Maroczy,G-Lasker,E-0–11924C11New York International Masters-017
Capablanca,J-Yates,F-1–01924D00New York International Masters-017
Bogoljubow,E-Janowski,D-0–11924D28New York International Masters-017
Reti,R-Lasker,E-1–01924A13New York International Masters-017
Alekhine,A-Marshall,F-½–½1924E76New York International Masters-017
Tartakower,S-Lasker,E-½–½1924C45New York International Masters-018
Bogoljubow,E-Lasker,E-0–11924C65New York International Masters-018
Capablanca,J-Maroczy,G-½–½1924D02New York International Masters-018
Alekhine,A-Reti,R-1–01924E62New York International Masters-018
Janowski,D-Marshall,F-0–11924A48New York International Masters-018
Bogoljubow,E-Capablanca,J-0–11924D05New York International Masters-019
Yates,F-Maroczy,G-0–11924C14New York International Masters-019
Janowski,D-Reti,R-0–11924A48New York International Masters-019
Marshall,F-Lasker,E-½–½1924D10New York International Masters-019
Tartakower,S-Alekhine,A-½–½1924C36New York International Masters-019
Janowski,D-Tartakower,S-½–½1924D43New York International Masters-0110
Lasker,E-Reti,R-1–01924C12New York International Masters-0110
Lasker,E-Alekhine,A-½–½1924C78New York International Masters-0110
Yates,F-Bogoljubow,E-0–11924C91New York International Masters-0110
Marshall,F-Capablanca,J-½–½1924A48New York International Masters-0110
Maroczy,G-Janowski,D-1–01924C50New York International Masters-0111
Reti,R-Tartakower,S-1–01924B74New York International Masters-0111
Lasker,E-Marshall,F-0–11924C42New York International Masters-0111
Lasker,E-Yates,F-½–½1924C87New York International Masters-0111
Alekhine,A-Bogoljubow,E-½–½1924A13New York International Masters-0111
Lasker,E-Yates,F-0–11924A48New York International Masters-0112
Lasker,E-Janowski,D-1–01924C87New York International Masters-0112
Maroczy,G-Tartakower,S-½–½1924B03New York International Masters-0112
Alekhine,A-Capablanca,J-½–½1924D13New York International Masters-0112
Reti,R-Bogoljubow,E-1–01924E01New York International Masters-0112

 

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Klaus Besenthal is computer scientist, has followed and still follows the chess scene avidly since 1972 and since then has also regularly played in tournaments.

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