Lasker - Bauer, Amsterdam, 1889

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

The chess game between Emanuel Lasker and Johann Bauer played in Amsterdam in 1889 is one of the most famous of all time on account of Lasker's sacrifice of both bishops to blow away the pawn cover around his opponent's king and win material.

The same sacrificial pattern as seen in this game has been echoed in a number of later games, notable examples including Nimzovich-Tarrasch, St Petersburg 1914; Miles-Browne, Lucerne 1982; and Polgar-Karpov, 7th Essent 2003.

The game was played right at the beginning of Lasker's career in the first round of the 1889 Amsterdam tournament, the first high-level closed tournament Lasker participated in. Lasker finished the tournament in second place with 6/8, a point behind the winner Amos Burn and ahead of James Mason and Isidor Gunsberg among others. Bauer finished sixth of the nine participants with 3.5/8.

It is interesting that a similar sacrifice occurred already in Burn-Owen, 1884^[1], but in this case the sacrifice was not correct and Owen, who conducted it, lost the game. Nevertheless it may have been an inspiration for Lasker.

[edit] The game

White: Emanuel Lasker
Black: Johann Bauer
Opening: Bird's Opening, A03

After 14...Nxh5

1.f4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.b3 e6 4.Bb2 Be7 5.Bd3 b6 6.Nc3 Bb7 7.Nf3 Nbd7 8.O-O O-O 9.Ne2 c5 10.Ng3 Qc7 11.Ne5 Nxe5 12.Bxe5 Qc6 13.Qe2 a6 14.Nh5 Nxh5 (see diagram)

Now the simple recapture 15.Qxh5, threatening 16.Qxh7# is met by 15...f5, when it is not easy for white to prove an advantage. Instead, Lasker unleashes his famous double sacrifice, winning material and the game by force.

15.Bxh7+! Kxh7 16.Qxh5+ Kg8 17.Bxg7! Kxg7

Refusing the second bishop does not save Black: 17...f5 loses to 18.Be5 Rf6 19.Rf3 with Rg3 to follow, and 17...f6 loses to 18.Bh6.

18.Qg4+ Kh7 19.Rf3

Black must give up his queen to avoid mate.

19...e5 20.Rh3+ Qh6 21.Rxh6+ Kxh6 22.Qd7

Were it not for this move, forking the two bishops, Black would have adequate compensation for his queen, but now Lasker has a decisive material advantage. Now Lasker converts this advantage into the win.

22...Bf6 23.Qxb7 Kg7 24.Rf1 Rab8 25.Qd7 Rfd8 26.Qg4+ Kf8 27.fxe5 Bg7 28.e6 Rb7 29.Qg6 f6 30.Rxf6+ Bxf6 31.Qxf6+ Ke8 32.Qh8+ Ke7 33.Qg7+ Kxe6 34. Qxb7 Rd6 35. Qxa6 d4 36. exd4 cxd4 37. h4 d3 38. Qxd3 Black resigns (Hooper & Whyld 1992) (under "Bauer").