Master Class Volume 5: Emanuel Lasker

The name Emanuel Lasker will always be associated with his incredible 27 years on the chess throne. In 1894, the then 25-year-old took the title of world champion from Wilhelm Steinitz, and the record only ended when Lasker had to acknowledge the superiority of Jose Raul Capablanca in 1921. But the only German world champion to date not only kept challengers in check for years, he also won the biggest tournaments of his time, sometimes with enormous margins. The exciting question is, how did he do it? In the past, the answer was often: with psychology and luck. But serious authors have credibly contradicted this theory; Lasker's secrets are evidently to be found elsewhere.