World Chess Championship 1908 — chess Match between Emanuel Lasker and Siegbert Tarrasch
Emanuel Lasker's decisive 1908 defense against Siegbert Tarrasch confirmed his dominance over the strongest German chess players of the era.
Key Facts
- Match dates
- August 17 – September 30, 1908
- Lasker wins
- 8 games
- Tarrasch wins
- 3 games
- Lasker world champion since
- 1894
- Qualifier event
- Ostend 1907 chess tournament
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Emanuel Lasker had held the world chess championship since 1894. Siegbert Tarrasch, long considered one of the world's strongest players, had never previously challenged for the title, having declined to face Wilhelm Steinitz in the 1890s. His victory at the Ostend 1907 tournament qualified him as the official challenger, and match terms were agreed by July 1908.
The World Chess Championship match was held in Düsseldorf and Munich from August 17 to September 30, 1908. Despite predictions of a closely contested match, Lasker seized an early lead and never relinquished it. He won convincingly by 8 games to 3, successfully defending his world title against Tarrasch.
Lasker's emphatic victory reinforced his reputation as the dominant force in world chess and effectively ended Tarrasch's aspirations for the world championship. The match also underscored the personal and professional rivalry between the two men, who were known to be on poor terms throughout the contest.
Result
at Düsseldorf and Munich, Germany