White to Play

Pete Tamburro on Apr 24, 2026

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Number 16 in our series of instructional games. Janowsky, Soldatenkopf - Lasker, Taubenhaus C21 Consulatation Game Paris, 19091.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 (Ah, the Danish Gambit. This is an informal game, so I guess they thought it would be fun.)3...dxc3 4.Bc4 cxb2 5.Bxb2 (Black has taken every offering, but look at those white bishops! Black needs to get d5 in.) 5...Nf6 (A decent alternative, developing a piece, but it has its risks if not properly followed up.)6.e5 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 (White's best chance for equality is 7.Bc3 Bxc3+ 8.Nxc3 d5 9.exf6 dxc4 10.fxg7 Rg8 11.Qf3 Rxg7 12.Nge2) 7...Qe7 This was definitely the moment to play 7...d5) 8.Nge2 (Better would be 8.Qe2 Black is too eager to exchange the minor pieces.}8...Ne4 (Black would be better after 8...Qxe5 9.0–0 0–0) 9.0–0 Nxc3 10.Bxc3 Bxc3 11.Nxc3 0–0 (Black may feel safe after castling, but look at Black's unmoved queenside.) 12.Nd5 Qxe5 13.Re1 Qd6 14.Qh5 (White would have been better off with Qf3 to put pressure on f7) 14...c6?? (This loses. Black starting to get self-defeating. They have to develop the 14...Nc6 to defend e7.) 15.Nc7! (A delightful move. Wins a rook. Black can't ignore it.) 15...g6 (They can't take the knight right away. If 15...Qxc7 16.Qxf7+ Rxf7 17.Re8 mate)16.Qh6 Qxc7 (Black wins a piece and falls to a mating attack. Here you should see this mating attack if you have spent some time with this chess column. See how far you can visualize all the way to the mate. One further thought is that if it were Black to move, d5 would win the game. That's why getting that in at the right moment as Black from the opening forward is such an important move in all 1.e4 e5 games. BTW, if 16...Qf6 17.Ne8)SEE DIAGRAM.

17.Bxf7+ Kxf7 17...Rxf7 18.Re8+ Rf8 19.Rxf8 mate 18.Qxh7+ Kf6 The king is now exposed, of course, with the usual result.The queen and rook completely dominate the board. 19.Qh4+ Kg7 20.Re7+ Rf7 21.Qd4+ Kf8 21...Kg8 22.Re8+ Rf8 23.Rxf8+ Kxf8 24.Qf6+ Kg8 25.Re1 22.Qh8+ Kxe7 23.Re1+ Kd6 24.Qd4

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.