Emanuel Lasker
Held the World Championship for 27 years — longer than anyone else in history.
Photo: Unknown (German Federal Archive) · CC BY-SA 3.0 DE
Biography
A mathematician with a doctorate from the University of Erlangen, Lasker defeated Steinitz in 1894 and went on to hold the title for an astonishing 27 years, successfully defending it against Steinitz himself (1896–97), Frank Marshall, Siegbert Tarrasch, and others.
He finally lost the title to José Raúl Capablanca in 1921 in Havana, retiring from the match partway through due to poor health in the tropical climate. He remained a top-level competitive player for years afterward, and was also a respected philosopher and mathematician.
Playing Style
Deeply practical and psychological rather than purely theoretical — contemporaries said Lasker played the strongest move for the specific opponent and position in front of him, thriving in unclear, fighting positions rather than memorized theory.
Notable Games
Lasker vs. Bauer
Often cited as the earliest famous example of the "double bishop sacrifice" attacking pattern, still studied by students of the sacrifice today.
Fun Facts
- His 27-year reign is, and likely will remain, the longest in World Championship history.
- He held a PhD in mathematics and was a personal friend of Albert Einstein.
- He was also a published philosopher and an early contributor to game theory.