Origins & Early Life

Emanuel Lasker (German pronunciation: [eˈmaːnuɛl ˈlaskɐ] ; December 24, 1868 – January 11, 1941) was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher. He was the second World Chess Champion, holding the title for 27 years, from 1894 to 1921, the longest reign of any officially recognised World Chess Champion, winning 6 World Chess Championships. In his prime, Lasker was one of the most dominant champions. His contemporaries used to say that Lasker used a "psychological" approach to the game, and even that he sometimes deliberately played inferior moves to confuse opponents.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Recent analysis, however, indicates that he was ahead of his time and used a more flexible approach than his contemporaries, which mystified many of them. Lasker knew contemporary analyses of openings well but disagreed with many of them. He published chess magazines and five chess books, but later players and commentators found it difficult to draw lessons from his methods. Lasker made contributions to the development of other games. He was a first-class contract bridge player and wrote about bridge, Go, and his own invention, Lasca.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

His books about games presented a problem that is still considered notable...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Adam Mickiewicz — Shared historical date (12-24 · Born) (1798): National Poet of Poland, Romantic master, and leading voice of Slavic literature.
• Alban Berg — Shared historical date (12-24 · Died) (1935): Key figure of the Second Viennese School, blending Romanticism with twelve-tone technique.
• Abraham Joshua Heschel — Shared historical date (01-11 · Born) (1907): Leading 20th-century American rabbi, theologian, and philosopher.
• Alan Paton — Shared historical date (01-11 · Born) (1903): Pioneering South African author and fierce anti-apartheid activist.
• 1868 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1868
• December 24 (12-24) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on December 24
• 1941 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1941
• January 11 (01-11) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on January 11