Play Chess Against Emanuel Lasker

Emanuel Lasker (1868-1941), the second world champion, who held the crown for a record twenty-seven years, sits across the board. Set the strength, clock, color and starting position, then press Start game.

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Portrait of Emanuel Lasker — Emanuel Lasker, 1868-1941.

Black · Emanuel Lasker10:00

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White · You10:00

Emanuel Laskerhistorical player

Preparing the board.

Set the game on the right. Start unlocks the board and starts the side-to-move clock.

Set up your game against Emanuel Lasker

Emanuel Lasker stays selected. Choose the playing strength, clock, color and starting position.

OpponentEmanuel LaskerStrength1500Clock10+5You playWhite

Opponent

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Emanuel Lasker1868-1941

Playing strength

Legend playing strength100-point steps

1500

1500Lasker, 1500 Elo target2600

Time control

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About Emanuel Lasker

Emanuel Lasker seated at a chessboard in 1928

Emanuel Lasker (1868-1941) held the world championship longer than anyone before or since, twenty-seven years from 1894 to 1921. A doctor of mathematics, he played a fighting, psychological chess that defenders of the classical school found unsettling and modern historians find simply strong. He survived every challenger of his generation, from Steinitz to Schlechter, and at fifty-five still won New York 1924 ahead of Capablanca and Alekhine. No champion has matched his combination of longevity and stubbornness.

Champion for 27 yearsHeld the world title from 1894 to 1921, a record that still stands

Six successful defensesRepelled Steinitz, Marshall, Tarrasch, Janowski and Schlechter from 1896 to 1910

New York 1924 winnerAt fifty-five he won the elite New York tournament ahead of Capablanca and Alekhine

Doctor of mathematicsHis algebra research at Erlangen fed into the result now called the Lasker-Noether theorem

1868
Born in Berlinchen
Born on 24 December 1868 in Berlinchen, Prussia, now Barlinek in Poland. His older brother Berthold taught him the game.
1889
Master title
Won the secondary tournament at Breslau, earning the German master title and starting a professional career.
1894
Takes the crown
Beat Wilhelm Steinitz 10-5 with 4 draws across New York, Philadelphia and Montreal, becoming the second world champion at twenty-five.
1900
Doctorate in mathematics
Earned his PhD at Erlangen. His work on ideals was later extended by Emmy Noether in the theorem that bears both names.
1907
Marshall swept aside
Defended against Frank Marshall in the United States without losing a game, 8-0 with 7 draws.
1910
The Schlechter escape
After beating Tarrasch and Janowski, he trailed Carl Schlechter before the last game, won it and kept the title with a drawn match.
1914
Wins St Petersburg
Won the great St Petersburg tournament half a point ahead of Capablanca, his last triumph before the war.
1921
Loses the crown
Lost the title to Jose Capablanca in Havana after fourteen games, four losses and ten draws, resigning the match early.
1924
New York masterpiece
At fifty-five, won New York 1924 a point and a half ahead of Capablanca, with Alekhine third.
1935
Undefeated in Moscow
At sixty-six, finished third at Moscow 1935 without losing a game, half a point behind the winners.
1941
Death in New York
Having fled Nazi Germany by way of the Soviet Union, he died in New York on 11 January 1941.