Lasker scores a brilliant victory over arch-rival Pillsbury. The players castle on opposite wings, but White loses time with his prematurely developed Queen — time which Black uses to make a profound Rook sacrifice.
Pillsbury - Lasker
St. Petersburg, 1895-96
D50 QUEEN’S GAMBIT DECLINED
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 c5 5. Bg5 cxd4 6. Qxd4 Nc6 7. Qh4
Better is 7. Bxf6, which Pillsbury played with success against Lasker at Cambridge Springs 1904.
7. ... Be7 8. 0-0-0 Qa5 9. e3 Bd7 10. Kb1 h6 11. cxd5 exd5 12. Nd4 0-0 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Qh5
Aiming at a Kingside attack with f2-f4 and g2-g4, but the Queen would be better posted for defensive purposes at f4 or g3.
14. ... Nxd4 15. exd4 Be6 16. f4 Rac8 17. f5 Rxc3! 18. fxe6
(Diagram)
Better than 18. bxc3 Qxc3 19. fxe6 (19. Qf3 escapes to an ending, but after 19. … Qb4+ 20. Qb3 Bxf5+ 21. Bd3 Qxb3+ 22. axb3 Bg4, Black has two pawns for the Exchange and a clear advantage) Qb4+ 20. Kc2 (or 20. Ka1 Rc8 21. Qg4 Rc2) 20. ... Rc8+ 21. Kd3 Qxd4+ 22. Ke2 Rc2+ 23. Kf3 Rf2+ 24. Kg3 Qe3+ 25. Qf3 Be5+ 26. Kg4 h5+ and wins.
18. ... Ra3! 19. exf7+
Also insufficient are: i) 19. bxc3 Qb6+ 20. Ka2 Bxd4+ 21. Rxd4 Qxd4+ 22. Kb1 fxe6 23. Be2 Qe4+ 24. Ka1 Rff2 25. Re1 Qd4+ 26. Kb1 Qd2 and wins, and ii) 19. e7 Re8 20. bxa3 Qb6+ 21. Kc2 Rc8+ 22. Kd2 Qc3+ 23. e8=Q+ Rxe8 24. Bd3 Qa5+ 25. Kc1 Rc8+ 26. Bc2 Rxc2+ 27. Kxc2 Qc3+.
19. ... Rxf7 20. bxa3 Qb6+ 21. Bb5
Forced, as 21. Kc2 loses to 21. ... Rc7+ 22. Kd2 Qd4+ 23. Ke1 Qc3+ 24. Rd2 Re7+ 25. Be2 Bg5.
21. ... Qxb5+ 22. Ka1 Rc7 23. Rd2 Rc4 24. Rhd1 Rc3 25. Qf5 Qc4 26. Kb2 Rxa3 27. Qe6+ Kh7 28. Kxa3
A bit more tenacious was 28. Kb1, but Black is still winning after 28. ... Bxd4 29. Qf5+ g6 30. Qf7+ Bg7 31. Qxb7 Ra4.
28. ... Qc3+, White resigns
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