A GREAT CHESS DUEL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 302, 15 September 1908, Page 7

A GREAT CHESS DUEL.

1 LASKER AND TARRASCH. (BZ TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPtSIGHT.) London, September 13. In the match for the chess championship of tho world between E. Lasker and Tarrasch —tho winner of eight games to secure the championship—Laskor has won five, Tarrasch has won one, and three have been drawn. TWO MASTERS AT PLAY. These two great masters, now playing for the championship of the world, did not take part in the international chess tournament at Vienna in April last. At that tournoy the first three prizes were equally divided between two Austrians and a German—Sohlechter (of Vienna), Doras (of Prague), and Maroczy (of Budapest),- each of whom scorod 14. Rubinstein (of Lodz) was fourth, Teichmann (of London) fifth, and Spielmann (of Munich) sixth. In the present duel at Dussoldorf between Lasker and Tarrasch—the winner of eight games (draws excluded) to secure tho world's championship—Lasker has secured a strong lead. It is a duel between masters who have proved themselves good in duels as well as in meleos. Writes the "Sydney Morning Herald": "This meeting has been unavoidable for years. The chess world could not have two such suns any more than Asia two kings. Both masters have wonderful performances to their credit, but, after all, it is duo to the fact that they are past-masters in duels that the chief interest of the meeting lies. It is recognised that a tourney with say, ten or a dozen competitors, demands quite a different style of play to a 6et match with one antagonist. In the former one can never win by not losing, paradoxical as it may sound. By this is meant that drawn games put a player out of the running for first prize, sinco tlio 6core for a draw is .only half a point, and to win usually requires an average of quite threequarters. Of course, to draw is better than to lose, but players often try to win in obviously drawn positions rather than submit to losing tho only chance of a prize. "In duels, however, quite a different set of considerations prevail, especially whero drawn.games, as here, do not count. Not to lose is to be far on tho road to winning. No chancos are to be taken, no risks run, and •mathematical accuracy completely overshadows spasmodic brilliancy. It is precisely for this reason—that both players are standing exemplars of the German school of safety boforo everything, though on occasion magnificently brilliant, that the contest is exciting such interest. It is felt that if anyone can lower Lasker's colours ic is tho somewhat didactic Nuremburg doctor. Tho stakes, according to 'Lasker's Magazein,' wero to be 2000dols. a side, with the' alternative of a purse of lOOOdols." In a similar duel last year with the American champion, F. J. Marshall, Lasker won all the eight games, after seven draws. Tho "Sydney Morning Herald" on that occasionpointed out that "the score of 8 to 0 (seven drawn) would of itself stamp Lasker as a player of very extraordinary merit; added to his other successes, it simply_ tends to confirm them. Among his first prizes are Breslau (1889), Berlin (1890), St. Petersburg, Nuremburg (1896), London (1899), Paris (1900). So much for melees. In single matches he has never been defeated. Playing in all 1G matches, he lias won 75 games, drawn 35, and lost only 12—a percentage of 75.8—a marvellous record, considering aspirants for honours selected him for opponent as often as he selected holders of titles."