Janowski Trashes Tarrasch - Best of the 1900s - Janowski vs. Tarrasch, 1905

The 1900s were a turbulent decade for David Janowski. He had one of his great successes in the 1905 Barmen tournament, and in 1909, he drew an exhibition match against the World Champion Emanuel Lasker. Emboldened by this success, he challenged Lasker to a match for the world championship. Lasker eventually accepted, but in the match in 1910, Lasker delivered the most crushing victory ever seen in a world championship: 8 wins, three draws, and no losses.

At the time of this game, Janowski was still riding high. He was famed for his attacking and combinational skill as he showcases against the powerful Seigbert Tarrasch. Tarrasch, a famed and somewhat dogmatic chess author, was likely the second strongest player in the world earlier in his career, and he also played a world championship match in 1908 against Lasker. Tarrasch fared a bit better. He also lost eight games, but he did score three wins, and five draws.

The game features a London System, though I am very unsure if the name was applied to the opening at this early stage. My suspicion is that Janowski wanted to avoid Tarrasch's famous Tarrasch Defense. A general rule of thumb is that you should not play openings named after your opponent. After a long series of maneuvers, Tarrasch over-commits to a queenside assault and is demolished on the kingside once Janowski launches his attack.

Top 10 Games of the 1900s

• #1: ???
• #2: ???
• #3: ???
• #4: ???
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• #8: Janowski vs. Tarrasch, 1905
• #9: Krejcik vs. Krobst, 1908
• #10: Chigorin vs. Mortimer, 1900
• See also: Top 10 of the 1910s, Top 10 of the 1920s, Top 10 of the 1930s, Top 10 of the 1940s, Top 10 of the 1950s, Top 10 of the 1960s, Top 10 of the 1970s, Top 10 of the 1980s, Top 10 of the 1990s, Top 10 of the 2000s, and Top 10 of the 2010s

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