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Let us now consider the initial position.

The ultimate object of every attack in Chess is given beforehand - it is the capture by force of the hostile King.

For that purpose we must command nine squares, the eight around the King and the one he occupies;

we can reduce that number only by driving the King to the edge of the board, or by forcing his own pieces to obstruct his escape.

Finally, the checkgiving piece must not be liable to capture, nor must any of the hostile pieces be able to intercept its line of attack.

This is the "work to be done", and it is enormous, considering the large amount of force gifted with capacity to capture and obstruct,

at the enemy's disposal. This task is still made more difficult by the other one which you have to perform - to protect

your own King against your opponent's assaults.

Emmanuel LASKER, "Common Sense in Chess", p. 64-65, J. S. Ogilvie Publishing Company, New York, 1910

Karl Schlechter et Emmanuel Lasker, Congrès de Saint-Pétersbourg, 1909, Ronde 1

Ce site contient des analyses de parties brillantes, mais aussi - sinon avant tout - quelques "leçons", modestes essais qui visent à expliquer quelques-unes des idées remarquables que véhicule le monde infini des Échecs.