Emanuel Lasker (1868-1941)
Emanuel
Lasker was world champion from 1894 through 1921.He was born in Berlin in
1868 and died in New York in 1941. His chess career started in Berlin when
he was taught to play chess by his brother. From then on he played in coffee
bars for money. Lasker studied mathematics and psychology. He was a talented
tactician. He undertook the principles of the strategy from the former world
master Wilhelm Steinitz. The strength of Lasker
was practical psychology. For him, chess was a fight between two humans and
not only between black and white. Lasker knew how to take advantage of his
enemies. He often did not play the objective best move, no, he played the
most unpleasant move. Lasker defended his world master title 6 times. In 1921
he lost the title to the Cuban Capablanca. As
Hitler took over Germany, Lasker had to flee because he was a Jew.