World Chess Championship 1910

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The second World Chess Championship 1910 was held in Berlin between reigning champion Emanuel Lasker of Germany and challenger Dawid Janowski of France (originally from Poland). In a one-sided contest, Lasker won eight games, drew three, and lost none—retaining his title with overwhelming authority.

World Chess Championship 1910, Emanuel Lasker, Dawid Janowski
📸 Emanuel Lasker Licensed under CC BY SA 30 DE via Wikimedia Commons

Winner/Reigning Champion: Emanuel Lasker

Born: 1868, Berlinchen, Prussia (Germany)
Died: 1941, New York City, United States

By 1910, Emanuel Lasker had ruled the chess world for over 15 years. With successful defenses against Steinitz, Marshall, Tarrasch, and Schlechter, his place in history was already secure. More than a tactical wizard, Lasker was known for his pragmatic and flexible style, often taking strategic risks to disorient opponents psychologically.

In this second 1910 title match, he faced a well-known adversary in Janowski—whom he had previously defeated soundly in a 1909 formal match. Lasker’s ability to steer the games into quiet waters and avoid tactical complications deprived Janowski of his strengths. The result: eight wins, three draws, and zero losses, in one of the most dominant performances in World Championship history.

«Janowski was brilliant in attack, but his weakness lay in his inability to defend.» — Emanuel Lasker

📸 Dawid Janowski Photograph by Fritz Schumann 1896 Cleveland Public Library Public domain Via Wikimedia Commons

Challenger: Dawid Janowski

Born: 1868, Wołkowysk, Russian Empire (modern-day Belarus)
Died: 1927, Hyères, France

Dawid Janowski was a dangerous attacker and fierce competitor, known for his speed and brilliance at the board. Born in Eastern Europe but later residing in France, he made a name for himself with strong tournament performances in Paris, Monte Carlo, and elsewhere in the early 1900s.

Janowski’s tactical acumen earned him a shot at the title in 1909, though that match—often mistaken for an exhibition—was a serious contest that Lasker won 8–2 with 3 draws. Despite the crushing result, Janowski secured another opportunity in 1910. However, his shortcomings in defense and positional understanding made him ill-suited to Lasker’s controlled play.

His back-to-back defeats to Lasker in 1909 and 1910 effectively ended his world title ambitions, but his daring play left a legacy of brilliant attacks and uncompromising chess.

Match Overview

🗓️ Match Dates: November 8 – December 8, 1910
📍 Location: Berlin, Germany
✅ Format: First to win 8 games (draws not counted)
⏱️ Time Control: 15 moves per hour
💰 Prize Fund: Undocumented; presumed to be backed by private patrons and the Berlin Chess Club
📄 Main Sponsors: Berliner Schachgesellschaft (Berlin Chess Society)

Historical and Cultural Context

This match occurred shortly after Lasker’s contentious drawn title defense vs. Carl Schlechter earlier the same year. While some considered the Janowski rematch redundant, others viewed it as Lasker’s attempt to reassert his dominance.

The chess world recognized the match as a formality, yet Berlin’s chess circles followed it with interest. The German press reported on the games, and Janowski—despite being thoroughly outclassed—remained a respected figure.

«The match with Janowski demonstrated once more why Lasker’s reign remains unparalleled.» — Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors Part I

World Chess Championship 1910, Emanuel Lasker (GER), Dawid Janowski (FRA)

World Chess Championship 1910 Games

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4

Game 5

Game 6

Game 7

Game 8

Game 9

Game 10

Game 11

The World Chess Championship 1910 (2nd)

Emanuel Lasker, Germany

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World Chess Championship 1910 Sources

Sources for Quotes

General Sources

Photo Credits

📸 Emanuel Lasker – Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-14194. Unknown author, January 1933. Licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons.

📸 Dawid Janowski – Photograph by Fritz Schumann, 1896. Cleveland Public Library. Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources, image credits, and attributions for this championship are listed on this page. For general information about the World Chess Champions timeline, visit the main page.