World Chess Championship 1908

At the Chess World Cup 1908 world champion Emanuel Lasker defended his title successfully against Siegbert Tarrasch.

Prehistory

Shortly after Lasker's victory in the rematch 1896/97 against Wilhelm Steinitz Tarrasch, Lasker had challenged. Lasker but had declined. An already agreed for the fall 1904 competition could not take place because Tarrasch had been injured in an accident.

Tarrasch had placed his outstanding strength through various successes demonstrate how the clear victory ( 8 -1 = 8) in the match against the challenger in the championship fight in 1907, Frank Marshall ( 1905) and winning the tournament in Ostend summer, 1907.

Organization and rules

The match threatened to fail first Lasker's financial demands. So he asked for a fixed fee regardless of the outcome and finally got it even while Tarrasch refrained. The Mayor of Dusseldorf and Munich, Wilhelm Marx and William of borscht, brought to larger funds; therefore took the funded primarily through donations competition held in these cities. Winner should be the one who had won the first eight games. As a prize money of 4,000 marks was awarded, while the loser received compensation of 2,500 marks. Furthermore, Lasker won a game fee of 7,500 marks. Tarrasch gave up and played as a fee only for the prize money. Proceeds through any entrance fees were initially to cover the shortfall guaranteed by Tarrasch and then used in an amount of up to 500 marks for the cost of the German Chess Federation. Excess revenue is then distributed evenly among the two players. Before the competition, each one Reuegeld of 2,000 marks was paid by both parties, that would be forfeited in case of cancellation of a player and was refunded after the first game.

The start of the competition was set to Monday, August 17, 1908 at 14:45 clock in Dusseldorf and found from the 31 August 1908 in Munich. If a game would be terminated on 26 August 1908 should be started no new on 27 August, but a played in Wiesbaden. Each week evening was played six days of six hours in the afternoon and, with no further match was started on the same day that another had been completed. Each player was five times to the right to a leave which had to be notified no later than one hour prior to game start. Seasons in Dusseldorf were on the first day 15 to 19 clock, otherwise von 12:30 bis 16:30 clock clock and 18:00 clock bis 20:00 clock.

Under credit of saved time, a cooling off period of one hour for each 15 trains had been agreed. With four hours of continuous play, the first time control took place after 30 moves, the timeout had the game loss. The referee was jointly chosen by both parties Otto Rosenfeld, Chairman of the chess club Stuttgart, who accepted the election. As point 12 of the Treaty, the 50-move rule was expressly mentioned. Suspension parts could not be analyzed or considered in the presence of third parties. It was "present " is defined as " the active participation of a recognized good player ." A violation of this prohibition had the game in loss of sufficient evidence. Ownership of the games was according to the contract with the players, with Tarrasch renounced his favor of the German Chess Federation. Otherwise, the "rules of the German Chess Federation, published in Ranneforths chess calendar " were.

At each venue 's second one from each player had to be selected, where up to two opposing secondary Danten could be rejected. The Sekundant had the task to " ascertain the facts in cases of disagreement ." He had also before each round verify that the chess clock was set correctly. Tarrasch chose for the entire competition the Nuremberg physician Heinrich Renner 's second. Lasker chose in Dusseldorf the Coburg Mr. Appun and in Munich alternately Mr. Engineer and Mr. Schropp privateer Kollmann from Munich.

Preparation

Before the duel Siegbert Tarrasch undertook a swimming trip to Ostend. A competition for three consulting games against players from the Cologne Chess Club ( civil society ), the Tarrasch on June 7, 1908 "en passant played " lost Tarrasch with only one draw.

Course

The competition took place from 17 August to 20 September and ended with a clear 8:3 for Lasker. The residual in Munich the first four games were played in the Art Palace of Dusseldorf. The 3-1 residue, the Tarrach had recorded after the four Düsseldorf games, he led her back to the rather short preparation time. Fourteen days previously he had not known, in contrast to his opponent, whether the competition would take place. Moreover expressed Tarrasch, that he had the embossed by sea breezes climate Düsseldorf do not like.

Reception in the press

According to Max Hofschläger was already long known "that the Mens counterparty did not love each other," why the chess players would split into the trailer Tarrasch and Lasker, while the competition was also followed by many non- chess players from sporting interest. The tournament and duel results Tarrasch and Lasker were " equal " have been so Tarrasch was considered the most dangerous opponents Lasker. To the actual competition Hofschläger wrote that although Tarrasch in the eighth to twelfth game was the better game, but at this time due to the large points difference already possessed no real chances of winning more have. Through a multi-day mountain excursions Lasker did after the twelfth game, although never a dip in form showing, gathered new strength to win a Queen's Gambit in the thirteenth game. Tarrasch had still resisted and had in the fourteenth game of " the reins in his hands ," but only a draw reached after 15 hours and 119 trains despite winning trials. After another draw Lasker ruled in the sixteenth round of the duel itself. Hofschläger said that Tarrasch good chances would have had if he had played from the beginning, as in the second half of the competition. There have, as Tarrasch also noted in an interview, lack of exercise. However, Lasker was the stronger players, the Tarrasch had to defeat.

In a report on the competition, the Vienna Schachzeitung Early in 1909, however it was one that the competition continues to be " the subject of numerous discussions " is, and printed a competitive analysis of the Muscovite from Dr. Falk, who led the chess section of the Moscow German newspaper. Falk stated that the competition had "no expectations of chess fans satisfied ", which is due to the performance of the players. Would simplify Lasker type of game, the complicated positions, was "not interesting " what the time controls would have a share avoided by the unnecessary expenditure of time and " rather clear, light-filled positions [ ... ] as intricate positions" would be chosen. Tarrasch have sometimes forgotten the respite and lost in complicated variants. As a result of Article Falk went on an error in the individual games. Falk predicted at the end of his article, a speedy Another competition was excluded because of high demands Lasker and the duel had " in any case the knowledge shown that Lasker is no longer the old, and that among the many bevy of young, aspiring chess talents soon the future will be to seek conqueror Lasker. "

Follow

After this defeat unexpectedly high Tarrasch could not build on its successes before the championship fight and was henceforth in tournaments only to be found in the stricken field. Lasker played in 1910 two more fights against Carl Schlechter and David Janowski, whose status as the World Cup but with chess historians is controversial, and then until 1921, when he lost his title to the Cubans José Raúl Capablanca, no more world championship matches.

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