World Chess Championship 1907 — chess match between Emanuel Lasker and Frank Marshall
Lasker successfully defended his world chess title against Marshall without losing a single game, winning 8 and drawing 7 across six American cities.
Key Facts
- Match dates
- January 26 – April 6, 1907
- Games won by Lasker
- 8 wins
- Draws
- 7 games
- Wins by Marshall
- 0 wins
- Cities played
- Six American cities
- Games needed to win
- 8 (reduced from 10) wins
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Frank Marshall had finished ahead of Lasker at the 1904 Cambridge Springs International Chess Congress, prompting negotiations for a world championship match beginning in 1906. The two players agreed to reduce the winning threshold from ten to eight game wins, and Lasker returned to competitive chess after a period away to complete his PhD in Mathematics.
The 1907 World Chess Championship was contested between reigning champion Emanuel Lasker of Germany and challenger Frank Marshall of the United States across six American cities from January 26 to April 6. Lasker dominated completely, winning eight games and drawing seven while Marshall failed to win a single game throughout the entire match.
Lasker retained his world championship title in commanding fashion. The terms agreed upon — an eight-win threshold — set a precedent carried into subsequent world championships. The match was widely regarded as a foregone conclusion, and attention quickly turned to the more anticipated 1908 championship between Lasker and Siegbert Tarrasch.
Result
at Six American cities