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Chad Lieberman

This week's featured game is a classic from the Lasker era. Emanuel Lasker reigned as World Chess Champion from 1894 to 1921. After attending Erlangen University in his pursuit of a mastery of mathematics, Lasker got his first major chess victory in London in 1892.

Lasker studied hard for the next two years and then decided to go to the United States to challenge Wilhelm Steinitz for the World Championship. Although Lasker certainly won the championship handily against an aging Steinitz, there was some skepticism over whether Lasker really deserved the title.

The general sentiment was that Steinitz lost because of his old age; he was 58. Besides this fact, Lasker had never won any major tournaments; this made his claim as world champion less accepted.

Siegbert Tarrasch, the player with the best tournament record at that point, felt robbed of a title he believed he deserved. He requested the initiation of another position, "World Tournament Champion." When the deciding tournament was played in Hastings in 1895, an unknown American player, Harry Nelson Pillsbury came out of nowhere to win the tournament. Still unsatisfied, Tarrasch and the chess community called for another tournament in St. Petersburg. When Lasker emerged as clear winner, his title was secure. He certainly proved himself by defending it for the following 25 years.

White to mate in two moves.
Link to solution at the bottom.