[Event "New York"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1924.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lasker,Ed"]
[Black "Reti,R"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Lopez "Battle Royale""]
[ECO "C97"]
[PlyCount "71"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { The Ruy Lopez. White pressures the e5-pawn by attacking its protector. } 3... a6 4. Ba4 ( 4. Bxc6 dxc6 { This is the Exchange Variation, which will become popular in the 1970's. } ) 4... Nf6 { As we've seen in the notes to a previous game, this is a sham threat (Black can't hold on to the pawn). } 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 { Opening a pocket for the light-squared Bishop. } 8... O-O ( 8... Bg4 { Pinning the f3-Knight was another possibility. } ) 9. h3 { Preventing the Bishop from pinning the Knight. } 9... Na5 10. Bc2 c5 { Reti starts a Queenside flank attack (which is fairly common in the main line Ruy Lopez). } 11. d4 { The best response to an opponent's flank attack is a counterattack in the center -- and that's what young Lasker does here. } 11... Qc7 12. Nbd2 Nd7 { Reti continues with his theme of a Queenside attack; he's maneuvered his Queen and Kingside Knight toward that side of the board. } 13. d5 { Lasker locks the center. The game will now stay in a positional mode until one of the players decides to break it open. } 13... f5 { Reti opts for an immediate central pawn break. He wants to trade one of his flank pawns for a more valuable central pawn. This will also strand White's d-pawn. } 14. exf5 { Note that the d5-pawn is now unsupported. White can't prop it up by c3-c4, since Black can just reply ...bxc4. } 14... Nb6 { Reti goes after the pawn. } 15. Ne4 { Lasker responds by shifting the Knight to allow the Queen to cover the pawn. But guarding pawns is not the best use of one's Queen. Furthermore, the f5-pawn is no longer protected by the c2-Bishop (the Knight blocks the Bishop's path). } 15... Bxf5 { Reti has evened the material balance. } 16. Neg5 { The Knights defend each other. } 16... Qd7 { Reti puts pressure on the White Kingside defenses and overprotects his Bishop. } ( 16... Bxg5 { Black could easily have traded a Bishop for a Knight; the dark-squared Bishop wasn't doiing much on e7 anyway. } 17. Nxg5 ) 17. g4 Bxc2 18. Qxc2 { Completing the trade and setting up mate on the move. } 18... g6 19. Qe4 { Centralizing the Queen while continuing to defend the d5-pawn. } 19... Bxg5 20. Nxg5 Qb7 21. f4 Qxd5 22. fxe5 Rae8 { Pinning the e5-pawn, preventing exd6. } ( 22... Qxe4 { Trading Queens just hands the initiative to White. } 23. Nxe4 dxe5 24. Be3 ) ( 22... Qxe5 23. Qxe5 dxe5 { Black's isolated pawn will become a target. } ) 23. Qxd5+ Nxd5 24. e6 { Protecting the pawn by advancing it. Notice that Black's Queenside attack has stalled. This is why a central counterattack is the best way to meet a flank attack; if you give the opponent something to think about in the center, it prevents him from carrying out his plans for the flank. } 24... Rf6 25. Rd1 { Despite the fact that the e6-pawn now has one less defender, Black doesn't have the time to capture it: White's is the stronger threat. The Knight is menaced and there's a x-ray attack on the d6-pawn. } 25... Nc7 26. Rxd6 { A nice maneuver! White picks up a pawn and the Rook once again defends the e6-pawn. } 26... h6 { Reti kicks at one of the pawn's defenders. The problem is that he kicks at the wrong defender. Now he'll lose the exchange instead of just losing a pawn. } ( 26... Nc4 { If Black wanted to attack a defender, he should have done it this way. } 27. Rc6 Nxe6 28. Rxa6 { The move ...Nxg5 is impossible because of Rxf6. } ) 27. Ne4 Rfxe6 28. Nf6+ { Priority of check means that the double-attack fails -- Black has no time to win the Rook. } 28... Rxf6 { Relatively best; Black must lose the exchange either way. } 29. Rxf6 Kg7 30. Rd6 Re7 31. b3 c4 32. Ba3 { Preparing to win a pawn by Rxa6, uncovering the Bishop's attack on the e7-Rook. } 32... cxb3 33. axb3 Nxb3 34. Rb1 Na5 35. Rxa6 Nxa6 36. Bxe7 { And Reti can't prevent the loss of more material, so he resigns. } ( 36. Bxe7 Nc4 ( 36... Kf7 37. Rxb5 ) 37. Rxb5 { In both variations, White is up the exchange and a pawn, forcing Black into a hopeless endgame. } ) 1-0