The people behind the game
Emanuel Lasker
Held the title for 27 years, the longest reign in history. Famous for practical, fighting play and for choosing moves that made the most trouble for his particular opponent.
- Born
- 1868
- Died
- 1941
- Country connections
- Germany
At the board
The games. The ideas.
Explore classic encounters and championship battles. Play every move, or jump straight to the moments that tell the story.
1921 · World championship · Game 10
Capablanca’s endgame technique
Game 10 of the 1921 world championship shows how an active rook, knight and king can work together against a restricted defense.
Read the position
Every move sets the scene.
Use the controls to explore the full game, or select an annotated moment below. Each explanation describes the position immediately after its highlighted move.
Complete move list 68 moves
The journey
A remarkable path.
Lasker combined a long chess career with work in mathematics and philosophy. After taking the crown from Steinitz, he defended it against several generations of challengers. His flexible approach to positions made him difficult to prepare against. [1]
Explore the championship record →The championship record
Time with the crown.
- 1894–1921Open world championship
Reigns are periods of title ownership, not a count of championship victories. Open-ended reigns reflect the record checked on 18 October 2026.
Sources & credits
Biographical details and title records checked . Country connections describe the player’s career and background, rather than a live federation listing.
Portrait: Unknown authorUnknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0 de. Displayed in monochrome and cropped.
