[Event "New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Reti,R"]
[Black "Lasker,Em"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Lopez "Battle Royale""]
[ECO "A12"]
[PlyCount "90"]

1. Nf3 { Reti opens the game in hypermodern style by developing from the flank. } 1... d5 2. c4 { Immediately challenging the center. } 2... c6 3. b3 { Reti is just supporting the c-pawn before continuing his development. } 3... Bf5 4. g3 Nf6 5. Bg2 Nbd7 6. Bb2 { Notice how each move by both players is one that exerts some measure of control over the center squares. The White Bishops cut scissors-like across the center. } 6... e6 7. O-O Bd6 8. d3 O-O 9. Nbd2 e5 { Lasker's idea is to play ...Re8 (to back up the e-pawn) and then advance the two center pawns to sweep White's forces away. } 10. cxd5 { Reti plans to open the c-file. The idea is to counter Black's central advance with an attack on the flank. } 10... cxd5 11. Rc1 { As expected, Reti grabs the open c-file with his Rook. } 11... Qe7 { Rather than play ...Re8, Lasker backs the e-pawn up with the Queen in order to connect his Rooks. This will help him oppose White on the c-file. } 12. Rc2 { Reti starts a nice little maneuver to double his Rooks on the c-file. He'll slide his Queen to the side (to get it out of the way) and then place his f1-Rook on c1. } 12... a5 13. a4 { Before moving the Queen, Reti stops the Black a-pawn's advance. } 13... h6 14. Qa1 Rfe8 { With this move, it appears that the focus of Lasker's play will be down the e-file. } 15. Rfc1 { Reti will concentrate on the open c-file. } 15... Bh7 { Lasker wants to make sure the Bishop can cover e4 while being removed from a pawn threat after an exchange of pawns on the square. } 16. Nf1 { Reti doesn't have anything terribly constructive here; all of his pieces are pretty much where he wants them. So he makes a harmless waiting move to see what his opponent will do next. } 16... Nc5 { Lasker increases his control over e4. There are now three pieces and a pawn directly controlling the square, plus the Queen and e8-Rook are ready to add their influence once the e5-pawn advances. } 17. Rxc5 { Reti sacrifices the Exchange in order to draw away the d6-Bishop. } 17... Bxc5 { Notice that the Bishop no longer guards the e5-pawn and that White has two pieces attacking it. } 18. Nxe5 { The e5-pawn looked adequately defended (by two pieces) but this was just an illusion. Both of the defending pieces are more valuable than the attacking ones. Reti has solved the problem posed by the threat of the e5-pawn's advance -- but was the sacrifice of the Exchange too high a price to pay? } 18... Rac8 19. Ne3 Qe6 20. h3 { This is one of those completely inexplicable moves. Most players of even average strength would have played 20.d4 to reinforce the e5-Knight and kick away Black's c5-Bishop. I have absolutely no clue as to what Reti was attempting here. Even Dr. Lasker looks baffled. } ( 20. d4 ) 20... Bd6 21. Rxc8 Rxc8 22. Nf3 { This move is even more baffling than the advance of the h-pawn (see the variation). } ( 22. N5g4 { After the game, Alekhine said that this was the point of the advance of the h-pawn, demonstrating a variation by which White wins a second pawn. (But if this was the plan, why did Reti switch to 22.Nf3 here?) } 22... Nxg4 23. hxg4 Bf8 24. Bxd5 { The e3-Knight supports the whole position. } 24... Qd7 25. Bf3 { White has won back the pawn, everything he has is defended, and now Black must try to find or create another weakness. The game is even once again. (Analysis by Alekhine) } ) 22... Be7 23. Nd4 Qd7 24. Kh2 h5 25. Qh1 { Reti targets Black's d-pawn for destruction. } 25... h4 { Dr. Lasker's plan is to weaken White's Kingside pawns to expose the King. } 26. Nxd5 hxg3+ { Lasker plays a nice in-between move to further his own plans. There's no hurry to take the White Knight on d5 because this in-between move is a check. White is forced to respond, so the d5-Knight isn't going anywhere. } 27. fxg3 Nxd5 28. Bxd5 { Now that the smoke has cleared, let's take a look at the position. White has a Rook for a Knight and two pawns. He has an extra pawn island to defend. His Queen could be a bit better-placed, as could the b2-Bishop (though this Bishop will improve once the White Knight moves). The position looks even. } 28... Bf6 { This makes things tough on White. The d4-Knight is now pinned. } 29. Bxb7 Rc5 30. Ba6 { It looks like the Bishop might be headed for c4, to block off the file for the Black Rook. But this isn't the case -- Reti intends to play Qb7 to try to start trading some pieces. } 30... Bg6 31. Qb7 Qd8 { Lasker doesn't want to trade. He knows that each trade will cause White's pawn superiority to become more of an advantage. After a trade here, he'd have an even position at best. He has another idea. } ( 31... Qxb7 32. Bxb7 Bxd4 33. Bxd4 Rc2 34. Bb6 Rxe2+ 35. Kg1 Bxd3 36. Bxa5 Bc2 ) 32. b4 Rc7 33. Qb6 Rd7 { Reti was hoping for a different move, one that would allow Qxa5. But taking the pawn now loses the d5-Knight. } 34. Qxd8+ Rxd8 { Lasker had no way to prevent the trade. } 35. e3 axb4 { This pawn is going to prove troublesome for White. } 36. Kg2 { Moving the light-squared Bishop to b5 where it and a pawn could support each other would have been a better move. } ( 36. Bb5 Rc8 { Black would have a very slight edge. } ) 36... Bxd4 37. exd4 { Despite the fact that he has more pawns on the board, Reti's at a disadvantage. His d-pawns are hideously weak and one of them will probably fall soon. Although in theory the piece trades should have favored White's pawn majority, Lasker's creative play in causing weaknesses has turned things around. It is now Black who has the edge. } 37... Bf5 { The Bishop is heading for b3 to strike at the passed a-pawn. } 38. Bb7 Be6 39. Kf3 Bb3 40. Bc6 Rd6 41. Bb5 Rf6+ 42. Ke3 { The King moves in to guard the doubled pawns. } 42... Re6+ 43. Kf4 Re2 44. Bc1 Rc2 45. Be3 Bd5 { Now we see what Black's maneuvering was all about. He's now controlling two of the three squares the b4-pawn must traverse on its way to promotion. The promotion square can't be guarded by a White piece (the Bishop is shut out from ever defending b1). Reti sees that the b-pawn is now unstoppable and resigns. } 0-1