Annotated Games

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Bd3 c5 7.dxc5 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Qxd1+ 9.Kxd1 Nc6 10.a3 Bxc5 11.b4 Rd8+

Materially different from the eleventh game of the present match, where Black here continued 11...Bb6.

12.Ke2 Bf8

Quite a new plan; with the object of bringing the knight into more attacking play via e7, but possibly a waiting, defensive policy like 12...Be7 is fully as good, especially as it leaves the king untrammeled.

13.Bb2 Bd7 14.Rhd1 Rac8 15.Bb3 Ne7 16.Nd4 Ng6 17.Rd2 e5

Hardly a commendable plan, as it weakens the center. Far superior was 17...Ne5 18.Rad1 Be7 ( not 18...Nc4 19.Bxc4 Rxc4 20.Nf3 followed by Ne5 and pawn to g4 with a winning attack) 19.Ndb5 Ne4 with an excellent game.

18.Nf3 Bg4 19.Rxd8 Rxd8 20.h3 Bxf3+

After this capture troubles increase for Black, mainly due to the strength of the adverse combined bishops. 20...Bd7 21.Rd1 Be7 preserved equality with greater ease.

21.gxf3 Be7 22.Rc1 Kf8 23.Na4 b6 24.Nc3 Bd6 25.Rd1 Ne8 26.Nb5 Rd7

A fatal error, which utterly ruins his game.  26...a6 was now the only correct move for Black to preserve material equality, and by careful play on both sides the balance of position could have been well defended and White's broken pawns on the king's wing would have deterred him from adopting attacking measures.

27.Bc2 Ke7 28.Bf5 a6 29.Bxd7 Kxd7 30.Nc3 f5

Also very bad.  If anything were yet to be done 30...Ne7 followed by 31...f6 furnishes undoubtedly a much better defense.  The weakness of the e-pawn leaves a mark for the breaking in by White's combined forces, which soon renders resistance hopeless.

31.b5 axb5 32.Nxb5 Ke6 33.Bc3 Ne7 34.Nxd6 Nxd6 35.Bb4 Nd5 36.Rc1 Nf7 37.Bd2 Nd6 38.Kd3 Kd7 39.e4 Nf6 40.Be3 fxe4+ 41.fxe4 b5 42.f3 Nc4 43.Rc3 Ne8 44.Bc1 Ncd6 45.Rc5 Nc7 46.Rxe5 Ne6 47.Rh5 h6 48.Re5 g5 49.h4 gxh4 50.Rh5 Kc6 51.Rxh6 Nc5+ 52.Kc2

Ed. Note: And with Steinitz's resignation at this point, the match and the World Championship belonged to Lasker.

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