Lasker versus Bauer, Amsterdam, 1889

The chess game between Emanuel Lasker and Johann Bauer played in Amsterdam in 1889 is one of the most famous on account of Lasker's sacrifice of both bishops to eliminate the pawn cover around his opponent's king, winning material and the game.

[1] The same sacrificial pattern was echoed in a number of later games, notably Nimzowitsch–Tarrasch, St Petersburg 1914; Miles–Browne, Lucerne 1982; and Polgar–Karpov, Seventh Essent 2003.

The game against Bauer was played at the beginning of Lasker's career in the first round of the 1889 Amsterdam tournament, Lasker's first high-level closed event.

Lasker finished second with a 6/8 score, a point behind the winner Amos Burn, and ahead of James Mason and Isidor Gunsberg, among others.

Bauer finished sixth of the nine participants with a score of 3½/8.

A similar sacrifice occurred earlier in Burn–Owen, 1884,[2] but in this case the sacrifice by John Owen was not correct and he lost the game.

Nevertheless, it may have been an inspiration for Lasker.

White: Emanuel Lasker   Black: Johann Bauer   Opening: Bird's Opening (ECO A03) 1. f4 d5 2. e3 Nf6 3. b3 e6 4.