World Championship 1894: Lasker – Steinitz
The 25-year-old Emanuel Lasker challenged the 58-year-old founder of modern chess, Wilhelm Steinitz — and dethroned him. Travelling across three cities, Lasker won convincingly to become the second World Champion, beginning a reign that would last an unmatched twenty-seven years.
◈The young challenger
Lasker had made his name by defeating a string of elite European players, and after moving to the United States he challenged the ageing champion. Steinitz — who had even spoken publicly of retiring — accepted. The match would be won by the first player to ten wins, with games split between New York, Philadelphia, and Montreal.
Steinitz kept pace through the opening exchanges, matching Lasker win for win into the sixth game.
◈Five in a row
Then the match turned decisively. From game seven Lasker reeled off five straight wins — a run later attributed to his skill in steering the game into queenless middlegames where Steinitz's handling faltered. The champion rallied briefly in Montreal with two wins, but could not close the gap.
Lasker reached his tenth win on 26 May 1894 to take the title 12–7 (+10 −5 =4). He would confirm his superiority even more emphatically in their 1896–97 rematch.
◈Cross Table
| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lasker | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 12 |
| Steinitz | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 7 |
1 win · ½ draw · 0 loss — click a game number to replay it.