MAJESTIC | Emanuel Lasker vs Jose Raul Capablanca | World Championship 1921, game 10

[@PowerPlayChess]

If you are interested in a complete repertoire for Black with the Queen's Gambit, then do check out my DVD/download available from the ChessBase shop: shop.chessbase.com/en/products/king_power_play_23_queens_gambit_declined

[@happyhornet1000]

Hi Daniel. Thanks for the great work you are doing. I'd like to buy your QGD course on DVD, but it seems to be only available in download form at ChessBase. Is there anywhere I can buy the DVD?

[@henrykaspar3634]

Beautiful video. To me it is striking how many modern chess champions talk about Capablanca as if he was a contemporary, and say how much he influenced their game. A common claim is that modern chess starts with Morphy; however, while many people admire Morphy for his style, creativity and dominance in the 1850s, he is not a player whose games are studied today in order to learn from them. Capablanca seems the better choice to me as the first truly modern chess champion. Lasker is a transitional figure: much closer to modern chess than Steinitz or Tarrasch, and a elite player for some 35 years, but a champion whose style few modern chess players would emulate. His strongest years may ironically have been in his 40s, when Capablanca came up, and Lasker had to find an entirely new level to keep up with this new competitor, who was like nobody he had played before. Amazingly, he kept up very well and was competitive until his mid-50s. Both are clearly among the 5 or 6 most significant chess champions in the history of the game.

[@kencusick6311]

Carlsen’s favorite pawn structure...F7 - E6 - D5. These games of Capablanca’s are a fun memory. One of my first chess books was Capa’s Book of his Championship games with Lasker and Alekhine. I won a Swiss System tournament at the NY Chess Club in Manhattan (OMG that was over 40 years ago) and a choice of books was the prize.

[@muradnnolaki6788]

Great GM commentary and analysis...

[@Socrates...]

Thank you for showing this strategic game, please show more like this

[@JMyepes]

Great Game. Thank you very much! Excellent explanations!

[@bobby2ram]

A 100 years ago game played by the legends and how many games do we see the opening tabiya in these current time. Many many. Wonderful exhibition of clinical precision on the board

[@andreoliveira4018]

A classic from Capablanca, and excellent analysis by Mr. King! Carlsen's win against Firouzja in Norway 2020 reminded me of this game, with Black pressing White's weak pawns in the kingside, center and queenside.

[@komabase]

i like the picture at the beginning from the opponents!

[@user-ts2co4ov5h]

These games are very well known. Covered in many books and videos. There is a little book called unknown Capablanca, where I found some spectacular games in, For example Capablanca playing the black side of two knights defense and then sacrificing and smashing the kingside. Like a magnificent game of Tal. Thanks, as always for Clear, concise analysis. I ENJOY your videos.

[@PowerPlayChess]

The Unknown Capablanca by David Hooper & David Brandreth (Batsford 1975) has details of his playing career and the authors unearthed some unusual games. One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is the record of Capa's simultaneous tours: he was absolutely prolific.

[@BouncyBlast]

Good commentator, thank you. Capablanca could have been world champion long before that match, but they did not give him the opportunity, 3-4 years before the meeting with Lasker he was already invincible at that time. A man who did not have school, does not stop impressing me yet.

[@henrykaspar3634]

Well there was World War 1, this is why they didn’t play earlier. Lasker and Capablanca had met only once before: in 1914 at the St Petersburg tournament, when they drew two matches and Lasker won one. Lasker also won the tournament ahead of Capablanca, but St Petersburg established Capablanca as the #1 contender. Before 1914 this had been Akiba Rubinstein.

[@JM-et1jk]

He could have been World champion in 1918 which is when he was the strongest according to Capa himself, that's the year he played a match against Kostic and after four games and 4-0 no draws Kostic just like Lasker decided to stop the match!

[@amosdraak3536]

It’s probably a myth. Lasker was better positionally and about as tactical as Alekhine and yet Alekhine crushed Capa with a clean 6-3. Capa’s wins were pretty much all early, too, so AA was just getting started. Plus analysis of Capa’s games show he wasn’t that accurate, he just usually played weaker players. Compare that to Lasker who played the top 20 from the 1890s to 1930s. Capa usually just played American players who were nowhere close to Lasker’s regular competition. Yes, Capa was strong, but old, rusty Lasker still managed 10 solid draws, his losses were all single move time pressure blunders, and in the fifth game he gave Capa a real hard time. Kramnik, probably amongst others, wasn’t that impressed with the match and thought Lasker was only a little worse.

[@terrarossa-tk6zu]

@@amosdraak3536 I'm reading Kasparov's telling of the match from his book and you can tell that he thinks Lasker could've caused way more problems to Capablanca

[@melk100]

Pretty sure Capablanca won this because of how unfair it is to have him as an opponent

[@PowerPlayChess]

Haha

[@JM-et1jk]

A great win against an extremely difficult opponent! Fun fact Capa had a plus score vs both Lasker and Alekhine and Lasker had a plus score vs Alekhine, I own several books on them and still enjoy their games like the first day i saw them!

[@henrykaspar3634]

Capablanca’s positive record against Lasker is exclusively because of the 1921 world championship though. In tournament play they were 2-2-6

[@JM-et1jk]

@@henrykaspar3634 Alekhine's decent record against Capa was also because of a match, matches do count, fact is Capa had a plus against both of them and up to this day Capa is the player with the lowest losing percentage ever

[@abhinavbhutada9b484]

You explain, so does agadmator But I love the way you do it, explain strategies ❤ and pawn structures etc

[@rxw5520]

The difference is roughly 500 rating points.

[@LateCloser]

When I dream of playing a perfect game of chess, I always dream of playing the way Capa did in so many games. Just once, that's all I'm asking. :) Sorry Magnus, Gary, Bobby and the rest. It's always Jose Raul Capablanca.

[@PowerPlayChess]

He was simply the coolest dude.

[@DagmarJenner]

This is chess in all its glory. Thanks for sharing this gem, Daniel!

[@dmitryalekseev1999]

Cool game. Capa is so charming in his leisurely aristocratic style :-)

[@chessguru900]

Keep up the good work. Daniel I have some suggestions that would make your channel busier.

[@HunterBelkiran]

I felt stress for Lasker just watching this game.. what torture..

[@AlonsoRules]

one of the greatest black games ever

[@joshthorman5816]

GOAT match

[@PowerPlayChess]

If you ❤️ my videos do *subscribe* bit.ly/powerplaysubscription and do checkout the *supporting* *options* through Patreon: bit.ly/patreondanielking or through *PayPal* (links in the description)

[@philipstevenson5166]

50 something year old Grandmaster King knows only too well how hard it gets going head to head with the kids!

[@PowerPlayChess]

Too right!

[@magic_hotel]

This is exactly why I don't play IQP positions. You nearly always end up defending the lame pawn, when you would rather be doing something else. Great presentation. Thanks.

[@Matthew-bu7fg]

Hi Danny, Any chance you could review the Awonder Liang-Gunay Mammadzada game in the Polgar challenge? Potentially one of the prettiest checkmates I've ever seen

[@miguelgalvan5886]

Capa is at his prime!

[@mikedevlin2048]

I am trying to decide on which of the Classic players to study first...Morphy, Lasker or Capablanca... Any input would be much appreciated... And as always, great content 👌🏻

[@PowerPlayChess]

Thanks Mike. If you study this game in detail along with Capablanca-Janowski NY 1913, then you will have gained an excellent understanding of pawn structures. Let me know how you get on!

[@mikedevlin2048]

@@PowerPlayChess Thanks... I will let you know how I get on 👍🏻

[@mikedevlin2048]

@Oissev Onos Thanks for the input... I will start with Morphy 👌🏻

[@DimitrisAndreou]

Lasker's mind was not really on chess at this point. No german could. Everyone had just lost all savings in the hyperinflation, including Lasker, who had also "invested" everything on german war bonds.

[@PowerPlayChess]

Yes. We shouldn't underestimate the effect of the WWI on Lasker. Apart from anything else, compared to Capablanca he hadn't played much chess at all after 1914.

[@grzegorzracicki756]

Lasker wasn't German, he was Jewish.

[@DimitrisAndreou]

@@grzegorzracicki756 give us all a break

[@grzegorzracicki756]

@@DimitrisAndreou Give yourself a break. After holocaust German Jews shouldn't be called Germans. It's offensive. Even if they lived before WW II.

[@A.mostafavi]

👏👏👏👍👍

[@thomaskember4628]

Not only has the Queen's Gambit has changed in 100 years, Bf4 instead of Bg5, but also chess masters .Does any play wearing a jacket with collar and tie anymore?

[@PowerPlayChess]

Jackets - yes. Collar and tie - rare.

[@northshores7319]

Did not Lasker come back to win the 1925 New York Tournament ahead of Capa? Did not Capa then prevent Lasker from playing in the 1927 New York Tourny? I do not remember if Lasker beat Capa in the 1925 NYC Tourny but I sense that Capa was still a little frightened of Lasker due to the old guys resilience.

[@erikaddy5213]

Lasker was a beast of a cunning player . In my book he was far more creative than Capablanca. It is not coincidence that Tal named Lasker as his all time favourite player .

[@amosdraak3536]

Yes, Lasker won the 1924 NY Tournament. He did not win Moscow 1925 nor did he beat Capablanca in their encounter there but he was 2nd place and Capa third. And I’m not sure it was exactly Capa who prevented Lasker from NY 1927, but he was indirectly involved in that Lasker’s only loss in 1924 was to Capa and it was believed the clocks were faulty and that Capa got a win from a drawn position, so Lasker didn’t want to play under the same organizers and potentially face unfair treatment. As late as 1936* (edit: wrote 193) in response to a 1935 loss to Lasker, Capa admitted Lasker was still his greatest rival in any single game or short match

[@northshores7319]

@@amosdraak3536 Well said.

[@bekanav]

No wonder Lasker had to resign the match later. To lose games like that must have been depressing

[@bekanav]

​@Oissev Onos Lasker didn't have a chance in that game and whole match was quite similar. IDK if Lasker was better in any games - if that is not tough then what is. If they had continued result would have been quite probably 6-0

[@erikaddy5213]

At the risk of offending Capablanca fans , I find the games of Lasker and Pilsbury far more enjoyable when it comes to the old Masters.

[@user-ts2co4ov5h]

Check out unknown Capablanca....Some of his attacks remind you of TAL at his BEST.....incredibly accurate player and the best win loss draw ratio in history of CHESS

[@user-ts2co4ov5h]

@@sulemandaud2144 His score against Lasker was 6 wins 2 losses and a bunch of draws lifetime.

[@Eleuthero5]

@@sulemandaud2144 If you want to see "draw death" then replay the Capa-Alekhine world championship match. Capa, like Fischer and Kramnik, thought the game should be changed due to excessive draws which at super-GM levels is about two-thirds.

[@user-ts2co4ov5h]

@@sulemandaud2144 they played in the evening in a casino by the ocean, when temperatures dropped significantly, not under the sun, But, either way Lasker was a fantastic player obviously.

[@user26912]

9:38 why is g4 (also instead of b3) not a good move? It would chase the knight away and if Nh6 white can play h3 to defend the pawn and later put the rook on c1 to exchange rooks

[@PowerPlayChess]

Pawn takes pawn?

[@hodgey4679]

Isn’t G4 a free pawn? Also it would severely weaken kingside protection

[@user26912]

@@PowerPlayChess and @Hodgey Thanks for the reply :) I meant before black pushed the h-pawn, so at 9:00 in the video, why not play g4.

[@Eleuthero5]

@@user26912 I also wondered why Lasker didn't play g4 when he had the chance for a couple of moves. As things turned out, Capa's entire initiative was based on the unassailable knight and the pawn on h4 absolutely clamping down on Lasker's king side and preventing any possible future attacks on that knight.

[@user26912]

@@Eleuthero5 I checked using the computer, 26. g4 Nh4 with an evaluation dropping a pawn since the knight cannot be removed and a fork is threatened at f3.

[@utki17]

more like modern day vishy vs carlsen

[@FlaminalLow]

Raul* ;)

[@PowerPlayChess]

Changed :)

[@roumenbojilov2461]

Lasker looks like an Unsober Alchoholic! And look at Capablanca!!!