[Event "New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lasker,Ed"]
[Black "Marshall,F"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Lopez "Battle Royale""]
[ECO "C42"]
[PlyCount "114"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 { Petroff's Defense (also known as the Russian Defense). Black launches an immediate counterattack with his second move. } 3. Nc3 ( 3. Nxe5 { Today it's common for White to take the pawn immediately. } 3... d6 ( 3... Nxe4 { This is very wrong and loses the Knight! } 4. Qe2 d5 5. d3 Qe7 ( 5... Nd6 6. Nc6+ ) 6. dxe4 ) ) 3... Bb4 { Marshall's point is to discourage the d-pawn's advance. If the d-pawn steps forward, a pin is created on the c3-Knight. } 4. Bc4 { The point here is to play Ng5 and set up an attack on the weak f7-pawn. } 4... O-O { In theory, White could still play Ng5 and trade his Knight and Bishop for Black's Rook and pawn. But the Bishop-Knight combination is a much more potent attacking force than a Rook and pawn, especially when there is a lot of material still on the board (due to the Knight's leaping ability). } 5. O-O Nc6 6. Nd5 { Take a look at the piece path for this Knight. If it captures one of the Black minor pieces, it will have moved three times. } 6... Nxd5 { Marshall errs here. The d5-Knight wasn't hurting him in the least and he wasn't forced to capture it. He was better off letting White pick which piece he wanted to capture (the b4-Bishop or the f6-Knight). Had White followed up with a capture, he would have lost time (the Knight making three moves to capture a piece that's only moved once). } 7. Bxd5 { The White Bishop has taken up a strong central post. } 7... d6 8. c3 Ba5 9. d3 Bg4 10. h3 Bd7 { Marshall can't maintain the pin (see the variation). } ( 10... Bh5 11. g4 Bg6 12. Nh4 { The pawn cover in front of the Black King will be compromised after Bxg6 and a pawn recaptures. } ) 11. Bg5 Qe8 { Lasker now enjoys a sizeable space advantage. How can he make use of it? } 12. Nh4 Kh8 { Marshall would like to kick out the Bishop by playing ...f6, but the f-pawn is pinned. That's why he moves his King -- to get rid of the pin. } 13. Kh1 { On the other hand, this move doesn't make much sense. Lasker is wasting time. } 13... f6 14. Be3 Ne7 15. Bxb7 Rb8 16. Ba6 Rxb2 17. Qc1 Rb8 { Marshall is grabbing some space of his own in order to turn the tables on White. He now controls the b-file. } 18. g4 f5 19. f3 fxg4 20. fxg4 d5 21. Qa3 ( 21. exd5 Nxd5 { And this would solve all of Black's space problems. } ) 21... Bb6 22. Bg5 c5 { Shutting out the White Queen. } 23. d4 Rxf1+ 24. Bxf1 exd4 25. cxd4 dxe4 26. dxc5 Bc7 27. Bg2 Nf5 { A startling move! But White can't take the Knight -- see the variation! } 28. Bf4 { Lasker must exchange pieces to block all of the threats. } ( 28. gxf5 Qe5 { Black threatens to mate instantly with Qh2# or win the Exchange with Qxa1+. } ) 28... Bxf4 29. Nxf5 Bxf5 30. gxf5 Bc7 { The material is even, but the board is wide-open and the Black pieces are better-placed. Marshall has not only solved the problem of his cramped position, but come out with an advantage in the bargain! } 31. Qe3 Qe5 { Again threatening mate at h2. } 32. Qg1 e3 33. Re1 e2 34. Bf3 Rb2 35. Qg2 h6 36. f6 { Lasker could actually have gained a draw here, but it's difficult to see this sequence without a computer! See the variation. } ( 36. Bxe2 Qxc5 37. Bc4 Rxg2 38. Re8+ Kh7 39. Bg8+ Kh8 40. Bf7+ Kh7 41. Bg8+ { etc. } ) 36... Qxf6 37. Bxe2 Qc3 38. Rf1 Qxc5 39. Qa8+ Rb8 40. Qg2 { And Marshall manages to hold onto the pawn. } 40... Qc2 41. Bd1 Qc3 42. Bb3 Re8 43. Bc2 Bd6 44. Bb3 Qc8 45. Rg1 { Lasker, after marking time for a couple of moves, withdraws into a defensive shell. It will be hard for Black to break through the defense. } 45... Re7 46. Rd1 { Lasker changes his plan. He decides to play more actively, attacking the Bishop. This course of action is questionable, though, as the Black Bishop has no targets; most of White's pieces are on light-colored squares. } 46... Re3 47. Rxd6 { Lasker has won the Bishop, but look at how scattered and disjointed his pieces have become! They're not working together. } 47... Rxh3+ 48. Kg1 { Now the White King must run out into the open. } 48... Qc1+ 49. Bd1 Qe3+ 50. Kf1 Qf4+ 51. Kg1 Rg3 { White is sunk. The Queen is lost. } 52. Rd8+ Kh7 53. Bc2+ g6 54. Bxg6+ ( 54. Rd7+ Kh8 55. Rd8+ Kh7 { And Lasker gets a draw by repetition if he wants one. The Black King could make a run for it, but the White Rook and Bishop would eventually corral it. } ) 54... Kg7 ( 54... Kxg6 55. Rg8+ Kh7 56. Rxg3 { And White has a winning game. This is what Lasker was hoping for when he declined the chance for a draw by not playing 54.Rd7+. } ) 55. Rd2 Rxg6 56. Qxg6+ { The Queen is lost anyway, so Lasker figures he might as well get some material in exchange. } 56... Kxg6 57. Rg2+ Kf5 { Lasker sees that the endgame will eventually be lost for him, so he throws in the towel. } 0-1