Game no. 25

White:  Emanuel Lasker.  Black:  Tarrasch.

French Defence.

1.  P-K4 P-K3 2.  P-Q4 P-Q4 3.  Kt-QB3 Kt-KB3 4.  B-Kt5 B-Kt5

---------------------------------------
8 | #R | #Kt| #B | #Q | #K |    |    | #R |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | #P | #P | #P |    |    | #P | #P | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
6 |    |    |    |    | #P | #Kt|    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
5 |    |    |    | #P |    |    | ^B |    |
|---------------------------------------|
4 |    | #B |    | ^P | ^P |    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
3 |    |    | ^Kt|    |    |    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | ^P | ^P | ^P |    |    | ^P | ^P | ^P |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | ^R |    |    | ^Q | ^K | ^B | ^Kt| ^R |
---------------------------------------
A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H

Diag. 136

This line of defence, called the McCutcheon variation, was recommended for many years by Tarrasch as being the strongest.  The most obvious continuation 5.  P-K5 leads to complications, and the final verdict has not yet been reached.  After 5. ...  P-KR3, the best continuation is thought to be:  6.  PxKt, PxB; 7.  PxP, R-Kt1; 8.  P-KR4, PxP; 9.  Q-R5, Q-B3; 10.  QxRP, QxP.

White has an easy development, whilst Black, as in most variations in the French defence, finds it difficult to bring his QB into play.  After P-KR3, it is not advisable to retire the Bishop; 6.  B-R4, P-KKt4; 7.  B-Kt3, for here the Bishop is out of play, and Black’s King’s Knight being free can play to K5 for concerted action with Black’s KB.  Lasker’s continuation in the present instance is at once simple and effective.  It leads to an entirely different system of development.

          5.  PxP QxP

If Black recaptures with the pawn, he must lose a move with the Bishop in order to avoid getting an isolated doubled pawn after 6.  Q-B3.  The doubled pawn which Black may get after the move in the text would not be isolated, and therefore not necessarily weak.  It could become a weakness if Black were to castle on the King’s side.  But otherwise it might even become a source of strength, supporting, as it would, an advance of Black’s KP against the White centre.

6.  Kt-B3 P-B4?

Black should retain the option of castling QR, in case White exchanges at his KB6; P-QKt3 and B-Kt2 would have been better.

7.  BxKt          PxB
8.  Q-Q2          BxKt
9.  QxB           Kt-Q2
10.  R-Q1          R-KKt1
11.  PxP           QxP
12.  Q-Q2          Q-Kt3

guarding against the mate at Q1 before moving the Kt.  But this would have been better effected by Q-K2.  After Q-Kt3 the Knight cannot move yet because of B-Kt5ch.