Saturday, October 19

Ed. Lasker-H.G. Cole match: Opening game drawn after 60 moves

The name of Herr Edward Lasker has appeared often in these pages during the current year as that busy young Master strives to establish himself in London chess circles and on the international stage.  We have now learned of a match between Herr Lasker and Mr. Harold G. Cole, second-place finisher behind Mr. George Thomas in the most recent City of London Chess Club Championship.  The match is likely to be a short one, with victory going to the first man to tally three wins.  The score of the opening game, a hard-fought draw in 60 moves, is presented below.  Herr Lasker as second player in a Ruy Lopez adopted a fashionable variation involving the sacrifice of the exchange for a pawn, trusting that the two Bishops and solid position Black obtains thereby would provide adequate compensation for his small material deficit.  In the present encounter this proved to be the case, although one suspects that White's play may well have been susceptible of improvement at certain points along the way.  

  

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