[Event "New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lasker,Ed"]
[Black "Capablanca,J"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Lopez "Battle Royale""]
[ECO "B27"]
[PlyCount "120"]

1. e4 g6 { Capa surprises us here by adopting the hypermodern approach. He's preparing to fianchetto the Bishop. } 2. Nf3 Bg7 3. Bc4 { Taking aim at the weak f7-square. Lasker might have played d2-d4 here with no problem, as the d4-pawn would have been protected by the f3-Knight and the Queen. } 3... c5 { Capa has made d2-d4 a bit less attractive for White. } 4. O-O Nc6 { Now d2-d4 is right out of the question. } 5. c3 { Lasker is preparing to play d2-d4, but his units are already starting to get in each other's way. By advancing the pawn to c3, he deprives his Queenside Knight of its best developing square. } 5... Qb6 { The Queen puts pressure on two squares: indirectly on d4 and directly on b2 (forcing the c1-Bishop to stay at home to defend the b2-pawn). } 6. Re1 d6 7. Bb3 { Blocking the Black Queen's attack on b2. } 7... Nf6 8. d4 { Lasker finally advances the pawn. But it's taken him a lot of work to be able to do this. Why didn't he just do this back at move three? } 8... cxd4 9. cxd4 O-O 10. h3 { The pawn advance weakens the castled King's position, but prevents the annoying pin by ...Bg4. } 10... Nh5 { The pawn needs another defender... } 11. Be3 { ...so Lasker brings up the Bishop. Notice, though, that it's only move 11 and White is already being forced to play a defensive game. } 11... Na5 12. Nc3 Nxb3 13. axb3 { The a-Rook now has an open file, but at the cost of weak doubled b-pawns. } 13... Qd8 { Capa saw Na4 (attacking the Queen) was on the way, so he decides to reposition his Queen before the threat is made. } 14. e5 f5 15. Bg5 d5 { Both sides are slowly increasing the amount of space they control. } 16. Qc1 Be6 17. Ne2 Rc8 18. Qd2 { And Capa has won the open c-file. } 18... a6 19. Qb4 Qd7 20. Qxe7 Qxe7 21. Bxe7 Rfe8 22. Bb4 ( 22. Bc5 { Closing off the file to the c8-Rook would certainly have been better. } ) 22... Rc2 { A bold move by Capablanca... } 23. Bc3 { ...but perhaps a bit too bold. The Black Rook is now trapped behind enemy lines. } 23... Bh6 24. g3 Bd7 { The Bishop begins a maneuver that will increase the amount of space it controls. } 25. Rad1 Bb5 26. Nc1 Ng7 27. Nh2 Ne6 { Notice that Capa has changed blockading pieces -- first the Bishop was the piece blockading the e5-pawn. Now the Knight becomes the blockader. } 28. Nd3 Bxd3 29. Rxd3 Bc1 30. Nf1 Ng5 { Capa slowly works his pieces into White's position. Now he threatens to win back his pawn with check. } 31. Kg2 Ne4 32. Rf3 Kf7 33. g4 Ke6 { Centralizing the King and blockading the pawn. } 34. Ne3 Bxe3 35. Rexe3 Rc8 36. Kf1 b5 37. gxf5+ gxf5 38. Rf4 h5 39. Re2 Rc1+ ( 39... Rxe2 40. Kxe2 Nxc3+ 41. bxc3 Rxc3 42. Rh4 Rxb3 43. Rxh5 ) 40. Re1 ( 40. Kg2 Rg8+ 41. Kf3 Rh1 ) 40... Rxe1+ 41. Bxe1 Rc1 42. Rh4 Rb1 43. Rxh5 f4 { The idea is to play ...f3 and cut off the White King's flight squares. } 44. Ke2 f3+ 45. Kxf3 { Forced. White must lose his Bishop, but the alternative variation would be much worse for him. } ( 45. Kf1 Nd2+ 46. Kg1 Rxe1+ 47. Kh2 Nf1+ 48. Kh1 Ng3+ 49. Kh2 Nxh5 ) 45... Rxe1 46. Rh6+ Kf5 47. Rxa6 Ng5+ 48. Kg2 Ne6 49. h4 Re4 50. Rb6 Rg4+ { This move looks very strange, but there's a method to Capa's madness. } 51. Kf1 Nxd4 { The Knight does double-duty, attacking the b3-pawn while defending the b5-pawn. } 52. e6 Re4 53. h5 Rxe6 54. Rb8 ( 54. Rxe6 { Believe it or not, trading off the Rooks might have been White's best chance. The Knight is still a pretty large advantage for Black, but it's not as large a threat alone as it is in conjunction with the Rook. } 54... Nxe6 55. Ke2 ) 54... Rh6 55. Ke1 Rxh5 56. Kd2 Rh3 { The Rook and Knight pile up on the b3-pawn, while the Rook also prevents the White King from entering the third rank. } 57. Rf8+ Ke5 58. b4 Rb3 59. Re8+ Ne6 60. f4+ Kf5 { And Lasker gives up the ghost. He's already down a Rook for a pawn and is about to lose the pawn back. } 0-1