Game 5 in the historical World Championship match between Capablanca and Lasker.
Jose Raul Capablanca vs Emanuel Lasker, Queen’s Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, D63
1921 World Championship Match, Havana, Cuba, Game 5
This was one of the most famous world championship matches in chess history. After more than 10 years of trying to arrange the match, it was finally held in 1921. At the time Emanuel Lasker was the official champion. Ever since 1909., Jose Raul Capablanca tried to play him for the title, but Lasker kept declining. In 1920., Lasker finally accepted, but not to play, but he resigned his title to the Cuban, forfeiting without a fight. Capablanca wouldn’t have the title that way, and he managed to persuade Emanuel to play.
Under one condition, though. Lasker insisted that Capablanca should play as defending champion and he should be the challenger. All the terms were accepted and the match finally started in September of 1921!
It was first to 8 points, draws not counting, so the first player to win eight games wins.
This is their round 5 game, after four consecutive draws (including Capablanca’s notes from chessgames):
1.d4 {Notes by J.R. Capablanca} d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Bg5
Nbd7 5.e3 Be7 6.Nc3 O-O 7.Rc1 b6 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Qa4 c5
{Considered up to now the best answer for Black, but I believe
to have had the pleasure of finding over the board in this
game the one way to knock it out.} 10.Qc6 Rb8 11.Nxd5 Bb7
12.Nxe7+ Qxe7 13.Qa4 Rbc8 14.Qa3 {This move might be said to
be the key of White’s whole plan. The main point was to be
able to play Ba6.} Qe6 15.Bxf6 {This exchange had to be made
before putting the plan into execution.} Qxf6 16.Ba6 Bxf3
{Dr. Lasker thought for over half an hour before deciding on
this continuation. It is not only the best, but it shows at
the same time the fine hand of the master. An ordinary player
would never have thought of giving up the exchange in order to
keep the initiative in this position, which was really the
only reasonable way in which he could hope to draw the game.}
17.Bxc8 Rxc8 18.gxf3 Qxf3 19.Rg1 Re8 20.Qd3 g6 21.Kf1 {The
play here was extremely difficult. I probably did not find the
best system of defense. I can not yet tell which was the best
defense here, but it is my believe that with the best play
White should win.} Re4 22.Qd1 Qh3+ 23.Rg2 Nf6 24.Kg1 cxd4
25.Rc4 {The move with which I counted upon to check Black’s
attack.} dxe3 26.Rxe4 Nxe4 27.Qd8+ Kg7 28.Qd4+ Nf6 29.fxe3 Qe6
30.Rf2 g5 31.h4 gxh4 {This was Lasker’s sealed move. It was
not the best. His chance to draw was to play Kg6.Any other
continuation should lose.} 32.Qxh4 Ng4 33.Qg5+ Kf8 34.Rf5 {Not
the best. Rd2 would have won. The text move gives Black a
chance to draw the game.} h5 35.Qd8+ Kg7 36.Qg5+ Kf8 37.Qd8+
Kg7 38.Qg5+ Kf8 39.b3 Qd6 40.Qf4 Qd1+ 41.Qf1 Qd7 42.Rxh5 Nxe3
43.Qf3 Qd4 44.Qa8+ {Not the best.Kh1 offered better chances of
success.} Ke7 45.Qb7+ Kf8 {A blunder, which loses what would
otherwise have been a drawn game. It will be noticed that it
was Dr. Lasker’s forty-fifth move. He had very little time to
think and, furthermore, by his own admission, he entirely
misjudged the value of the position, believing that he had
chances of winning, when, in fact, all he could hope for was a
draw.} 46.Qb8+ 1-0