Capablanca’s endgame technique

Emanuel Lasker vs José Raúl Capablanca

World championship · 1921 · 0-1

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A masterpiece, move by move

Game 10 of the 1921 world championship shows how an active rook, knight and king can work together against a restricted defense.

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34... axb3

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Create a target. Black exchanges the a-pawn for White’s b-pawn. White’s recapture leaves a pawn on b3 that Black’s rook can attack along the b-file.

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44... Rxb3

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Pressure becomes material. The rook captures the b3-pawn. Black has turned prolonged rook activity into an extra pawn without giving up the initiative.

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64... e5

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The central break. With his king now on d6, Capablanca advances the e-pawn. The following exchanges free the d-pawn to advance, supported by the active king.