[Event "Lasker - Capablanca World Championship Match"]
[Site "Havana, CUBA"]
[Date "1921.04.08"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Emanuel Lasker"]
[Black "Jose Raul Capablanca"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "6k1/5p2/2r1p1p1/3p1n2/3P3p/1P5P/3RNPP1/6K1 b - - 0 35"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.08.01"]
[UTCTime "17:27:52"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ We join another game of Capablanca's, this time in his bid against Lasker to become World Champion in 1921. The full game without annotations can be found here: https://lichess.org/pzFN4Yog.

White is already in trouble, as both the b3 and d4 pawns are isolated and therefore permanent weaknesses, whereas black has a perfect pawn structure. } 35... Rb6 $1 { The threat of Rb4, targeting both the b3 and d4 weaknesses, forced white's next move - leaving white in a passive state. [%cal Gb6b4,Bb4d4,Bb4b3] } 36. Rd3 Ra6 $1 { Now that white is less active, black switches to an open file in order to penetrate the position. } 37. g4 { This had to be played eventually... otherwise black's knight on f5 is allowed to stay on an amazing square hitting the d4 weakness forever. } 37... hxg3 38. fxg3 Ra2 $1 { Decisive penetration. With the rook on the 7th rank, white will never be able to activate his king. } 39. Nc3 ( 39. Kf2 $17 { Walking into a pin does not ease white's suffering at all. } ) 39... Rc2 ( 39... Rb2 $6 40. Na4 $1 $15 { The rook simply gets kicked if Capablanca immediately targeted the b3 weakness. } ) 40. Nd1 { Stops Rb2, but such a passive move is only making white's position worse. } 40... Ne7 $1 { The knight reroutes to c6/a5 where it can further pressure the d and b pawns. It was about to get kicked from f5 anyway. } 41. Ne3 Rc1+ $5 { Capablanca only allows Lasker the chance to activate his king once he sees the following combination, winning a pawn: } 42. Kf2 Nc6 { Nb4 followed by Rc3 is the game-winning threat. } 43. Nd1 Rb1 $1 { The rook targets the b pawn from behind and there is no longer any reasonable defense. } ( 43... Nb4 $5 { Also winning, but Capablanca was unconvinced by the following line: } 44. Rd2 Rb1 45. Nb2 Rxb2 $2 ( 45... Kg7 $17 { However, without committing to any fireworks, black's active pieces give him a winning game. Black can continue to play slowly here as well. } ) 46. Rxb2 Nd3+ 47. Ke2 Nxb2 48. Kd2 $1 $10 { And the knight is trapped. } ) 44. Ke2 $6 { There was no longer any way to defend b3 because Na5, hitting the pawn twice was unstoppable } ( 44. Ke1 $1 Na5 45. Kd2 Rxb3 46. Rxb3 Nxb3+ 47. Kc3 Na5 $17 { Lasker's best try. Black's up a pawn, but at least there is no active rook dominating white's remaining pieces. White could hope for a draw here if all the pawns get traded off. } ) 44... Rxb3 $1 45. Ke3 ( 45. Rxb3 $2 Nxd4+ 46. Kd3 Nxb3 $19 { Up two pawns, this should be an easier conversion than in the game. } ) 45... Rb4 $1 { The threat on the rook was renewed. Rather than trade his active rook for white's passive rook, Capablanca re-coordinates on the last remaining d4 weakness.
PRO TIP: Never trade! Even if you're up material, you should not be trading pieces just because it's possible. Instead, you should be trading passive pieces for active pieces, or winning further material. } 46. Nc3 Ne7 47. Ne2 Nf5+ 48. Kf2 g5 $3 { Black's knight is clearly dominant, and must be kicked. This last move ensures that white cannot follow up an eventual g4 with h4, leading to a passed h pawn. In essence, g5!! freezes the kingside pawn majority (as in https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/4ZziFqOE ) and kills the last of white's "counterplay." } 49. g4 Nd6 50. Ng1 { A sad move, but otherwise black is coordinated on the 2nd rank with Ne4+ and Rb2 coming. } 50... Ne4+ 51. Kf1 $1 ( 51. Ke3 $2 Rb1 52. Nf3 Rh1 $19 { The h pawn could not be defended. } ) ( 51. Kf3 $2 Rb2 52. Ne2 Ra2 $1 $19 { Zugzwang! Either the black knight gets in on f2, the rook gets in on f2, or the rook gets behind the d pawn on the d file. } ) 51... Rb1+ 52. Kg2 Rb2+ 53. Kf1 Rf2+ 54. Ke1 Ra2 { By triangulating due to threats of Ra1+->h1 (which wins the h pawn), Capablanca takes control of the 2nd rank with tempo. A nice, but ultimately unnecessary, finesse since black no longer needs every tempo in this dominant position. } 55. Kf1 Kg7 { PRO TIP: Get your king up in the endgame! } 56. Re3 Kg6 57. Rd3 { Lasker has found the best defensive setup, but his play has been reduced to hoping there's no breakthrough. } 57... f6 $1 { With this move, black prepares the e5 pawn break, and reminds Lasker that he will not be denied a passed pawn. } 58. Re3 Kf7 59. Rd3 Ke7 60. Re3 Kd6 61. Rd3 Rf2+ { This check accomplishes nothing except to remind Lasker that he is completely paralyzed. Psychologically, this is a tough move to meet. } 62. Ke1 Rg2 63. Kf1 Ra2 64. Re3 e5 $1 { Capablanca's pieces are on their best squares, the king is as far advanced as possible, and the passed pawn will no longer be denied. } 65. Rd3 ( 65. Nf3 Ng3+ 66. Ke1 e4 67. Nxg5 Ra1+ 68. Kf2 Nh1+ 69. Kg2 fxg5 $19 { To show how hopeless white's position is, I've included best play according to the engine. This final position is obviously resignable. } ) ( 65. dxe5+ $2 fxe5 $19 { Now Capablanca has two connected passed pawns and is immediately winning. } ) 65... exd4 66. Rxd4 Kc5 67. Rd1 d4 { This passed d pawn is now a winner. [%cal Gd4d1] } 68. Rc1+ Kd5 $19 { White resigned rather than than deal with this extra d pawn supported by every active black piece. After this win, Capablanca basically clinched the title of World Champion.
The game could have continued Rd1 Nf2, Rb1, d3. At that point, Ne4 followed by d2-d1 is unstoppable unless black sacrifices a full piece. [%cal Gd4d1] } 0-1