Lasker – Capablanca World Championship Match 1921

dates: 18 March–28 April 1921
location: Havana, Cuba
score: 5–9 (Lasker–Capablanca)
winner: José Raúl Capablanca

Emanuel Lasker in a German Federal Archives portrait dated 19 March 1929. This later portrait is not from the match. Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-00457 / Unknown photographer.

Lasker and José Raúl Capablanca finally met for the championship in Havana after negotiations that had begun years earlier and been interrupted by the First World War. Lasker had held the title since 1894.

Capablanca won four games and lost none; ten games were drawn. Lasker conceded the match after game 14, making Capablanca world champion with a 9–5 score. The collection includes all fourteen played games.

All 14 played games appear below in match order. The game records preserve the archive’s player names, round numbers and dates, including unknown date components. Select either player in the embedded trainer to work through the decisions from that side. A drawn game remains a complete exercise for both players.

Emanuel Lasker's Profile José Raúl Capablanca's Profile

Match results

Lasker – Capablanca World Championship Match 1921 final standings and game-by-game scores
Player	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3	Game 4	Game 5	Game 6	Game 7	Game 8	Game 9	Game 10	Game 11	Game 12	Game 13	Game 14	Points
Emanuel Lasker	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	0	5
José Raúl Capablanca	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	½	1	9

Each game column shows the score earned by that player. 1 = win, ½ = draw, 0 = loss. Points are out of 14.

Completed 0 / 14

Game 1: Game 1: a draw after 50 moves

The opening moves were 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 (ECO D63). The players drew after 50 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 50...Rb2. The running points score became ½–½ (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Jose Raul Capablanca – Emanuel Lasker 1/2-1/2	World Championship 12th	1921	50	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 2: Game 2: a draw after 41 moves

The opening moves were 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 Nbd7 (ECO D37). The players drew after 41 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 41.Bxg5. The running points score became 1–1 (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Emanuel Lasker – Jose Raul Capablanca 1/2-1/2	World Championship 12th	1921	41	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 3: Game 3: a draw after 63 moves

The opening moves were 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 d6 (ECO C66). The players drew after 63 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 63.Ne3. The running points score became 1½–1½ (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Jose Raul Capablanca – Emanuel Lasker 1/2-1/2	World Championship 12th	1921	63	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 4: Game 4: a draw after 30 moves

The opening moves were 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 (ECO D61). The players drew after 30 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 30.g3. The running points score became 2–2 (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Emanuel Lasker – Jose Raul Capablanca 1/2-1/2	World Championship 12th	1921	30	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 5: Game 5: Capablanca wins in 46 moves

The opening moves were 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 (ECO D63). José Raúl Capablanca won with White after 46 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 46.Qb8+. The running points score became 2–3 (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Jose Raul Capablanca – Emanuel Lasker 1-0	World Championship 12th	1921	46	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 6: Game 6: a draw after 43 moves

The opening moves were 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O d6 (ECO C66). The players drew after 43 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 43...g5. The running points score became 2½–3½ (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Emanuel Lasker – Jose Raul Capablanca 1/2-1/2	World Championship 12th	1921	43	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 7: Game 7: a draw after 23 moves

The opening moves were 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 (ECO D61). The players drew after 23 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 23...Kf8. The running points score became 3–4 (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Jose Raul Capablanca – Emanuel Lasker 1/2-1/2	World Championship 12th	1921	23	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 8: Game 8: a draw after 30 moves

The opening moves were 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.e3 Bf5 (ECO D12). The players drew after 30 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 30...Rdc8. The running points score became 3½–4½ (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Emanuel Lasker – Jose Raul Capablanca 1/2-1/2	World Championship 12th	1921	30	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 9: Game 9: a draw after 21 moves

The opening moves were 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 (ECO D34). The players drew after 21 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 21...Bxf3. The running points score became 4–5 (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Jose Raul Capablanca – Emanuel Lasker 1/2-1/2	World Championship 12th	1921	21	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 10: Game 10: Capablanca wins in 68 moves

The opening moves were 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 (ECO D61). José Raúl Capablanca won with Black after 68 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 68...Kd5. The running points score became 4–6 (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Emanuel Lasker – Jose Raul Capablanca 0-1	World Championship 12th	1921	68	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 11: Game 11: Capablanca wins in 48 moves

The opening moves were 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 (ECO D64). José Raúl Capablanca won with White after 48 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 48.Qxf8+. The running points score became 4–7 (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Jose Raul Capablanca – Emanuel Lasker 1-0	World Championship 12th	1921	48	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 12: Game 12: a draw after 31 moves

The opening moves were 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O d6 (ECO C66). The players drew after 31 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 31.Rad1. The running points score became 4½–7½ (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Emanuel Lasker – Jose Raul Capablanca 1/2-1/2	World Championship 12th	1921	31	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 13: Game 13: a draw after 23 moves

The opening moves were 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Bg5 Be7 (ECO D63). The players drew after 23 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 23...Nxc8. The running points score became 5–8 (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Jose Raul Capablanca – Emanuel Lasker 1/2-1/2	World Championship 12th	1921	23	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 14: Game 14: Capablanca wins in 56 moves

The opening moves were 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O d6 (ECO C66). José Raúl Capablanca won with Black after 56 moves. The recorded continuation ends with 56...Bxe4. The running points score became 5–9 (Lasker–Capablanca).

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Emanuel Lasker – Jose Raul Capablanca 0-1	World Championship 12th	1921	56	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Sources and image credits

By IgniteChess Editorial Published 2026-10-13

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