Winning like Lasker

by Oliver Reeh
2/1/2025 – In the diagram position, White gains an advantage by basically moving only one piece. An absolute classic - I wish you historic enjoyment!

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1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c6 5.f3 exf3 6.Nxf3 e6 7.Bd3 Be7 8.Ne5 0-0 9.Bxf6 Rxf6 10.Qh5 g6 11.Nxg6 Qe8 12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.0-0-0 d5 14.Rde1 Nd7 15.Re3 Rf7 16.Rg3+ Kh8 17.Bg6 Rg7 18.Rf1 Nf6 19.Qh4 Ng8 20.Qxe7 Rxe7 21.Bd3 Bd7 Winning like Lasker In the diagram position, White gains an advantage by basically moving only one piece. An absolute classic - I wish you historic enjoyment!
White continued Lasker here?
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Lasker,E-Pillsbury,H-1–01900A83Paris15

Oliver Reeh in ChessBase Magazine

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Topics: ChessBase Magazine, tactic column, Tactics
Oliver Reeh has been working for ChessBase for many years as a translator and presenter of the internet show TV ChessBase, and he also looks after the tactics column in ChessBase Magazine, for which he has also been responsible as editor-in-chief since 2019. The International Master has contributed to the CB "MasterClass" series and is the author of the DVDs "Strike like the World Champions" and "Master Class Tactics - Train your combination skills!" Volumes 1 & 2. Oliver Reeh lives in Hamburg.
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Double fianchetto questions

1/18/2025 – Can White play 11.e4 in the diagram position to consolidate his space advantage - or will it backfire because of 11...Nxd4 12.Qxd4 Nxe4? Your verdict, please!
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Video

60m The Two Knights

This entry into the 60 minutes series concentrates on the Modern variation of the Italian game where White opens the centre early : 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bc4 Nf6 4 d4 exd4 5 e5!. This line can be reached by various move orders, most frequently from the Scotch 3 d4 exd4 4 Bc4. It's a sharp variation and Grandmasters such as Evgeny Sveshnikov have used it frequently,with very good results. It's a perfect line for club players to adopt which is relatively easy to learn and which contains many traps. All the main responses are covered here, including 5...d5, 5...Ng4 and 5...Ne4 and the conclusion is that is is difficult for Black to equalize in a straightforward way. Problems are being posed, which over the board might prove tough to solve.

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arzi arzi 2/2/2025 05:27
Well, nowadays it is easy to analyze a chess problem with your chess engine. You just press the start button and then go to the pub for a couple of beers and other drinks. The next day, with a slight hangover, you can make a conclusion about the game. However, I have to admit that Lasker's game was pretty great even though he had no other engine at his disposal than his brain.
Zanoni Zanoni 2/2/2025 10:28
If Pillsbury had found the correct defence with 27...Re7! 28.Bxh7 (28.Re8 h6=) 28...Kg7 29.Bd3 Sf6, he would probably have held it to a draw. The best move earlier was probably 22.Ne2. Interestingly, when I showed the position to a group of children some 40 years ago, they suggested 22.Rg5!?, which also turned out to be very unpleasant for Black.
PhishMaster PhishMaster 2/1/2025 03:05
Definitely an error in the game score otherwise 52.Nxf2 would be over. 50...Rc2 was played.
tip4success tip4success 2/1/2025 11:58
Wow! Tough one today. The whole idea is based on the fact that if White had the knight on f3 in the starting position, the advantage would be crushing.
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