BetterChessFeaturesDemoHow it worksPricingLog inGet started
← All game reviews

Lasker vs Thomas: the king hunt (1912)

Edward Lasker vs George Thomas · London, 1912 · Dutch Defence · 1–0

10… Qe7
White to move. Lasker began with a queen sacrifice and marched the king up the entire board. Can you find the first move?
Edward Lasker vs George Thomas

London, 1912. Edward Lasker sacrificed his queen on move 11 and chased the black king from h7 all the way to g1 — the length of the board — finishing, famously, with checkmate by castling. One of the most spectacular king hunts ever played.

The lesson

A king dragged into the open is worth far more than a queen — but only if you can calculate the walk to the end. Lasker saw that every check pulled the king forward with no escape, so the queen sacrifice was simply the price of a forced mate.

Move by move

10. Qh5Qh5 eyes h7 — which is only defended by the king. Lasker has already seen the whole combination.
11. Qxh7+Qxh7+!! The queen sacrifice. After …Kxh7 the king is dragged out and never finds its way home.
12. Nxf6+Nxf6+ — double check! The king can't block or capture; it must walk.
13. Neg4+Neg4+ — every check shoves the king one square further forward, with no way back.
14. h4+h4+ — pawns and pieces herd the king up the board like a sheepdog.
17. Rh2+Rh2+ brings the rook into the hunt and seals the second rank, forcing the king to g1.
18. O-O-O#O-O-O#!! Checkmate by castling — the rook lands on d1 and mates along the first rank. (Lasker later said he actually played Kd2#; both are mate.)

Frequently asked

Is checkmate by castling really legal?

Yes. Castling is a king move, and if it gives check with no escape it's mate. Here the rook drops to d1 and checkmates the king on g1 along the first rank.

Did Lasker truly finish with O-O-O#?

The famously published score ends 18.O-O-O#. Edward Lasker himself later claimed he actually played 18.Kd2# — both deliver mate. We show the celebrated castling finish.

Can I try the king hunt?

Yes — take White at move 11 and try to find the queen sacrifice and the forced march, or step through it, no sign-up.

More games to explore

Morphy's Opera Game (1858)
Paul Morphy vs Duke of Brunswick & Count Isouard · 1858 · Philidor Defense
Replay & play ›
The Immortal Game (1851)
Adolf Anderssen vs Lionel Kieseritzky · 1851 · King's Gambit
Replay & play ›
The Evergreen Game (1852)
Adolf Anderssen vs Jean Dufresne · 1852 · Evans Gambit
Replay & play ›
The Game of the Century (1956)
Donald Byrne vs Bobby Fischer · 1956 · Grünfeld Defence
Replay & play ›
Kasparov's Immortal (1999)
Garry Kasparov vs Veselin Topalov · 1999 · Pirc Defence
Replay & play ›
Rubinstein's Immortal (1907)
Georg Rotlewi vs Akiba Rubinstein · 1907 · Tarrasch Defence
Replay & play ›
Marshall's Gold Coins Game (1912)
Stepan Levitsky vs Frank Marshall · 1912 · Queen's Pawn Game
Replay & play ›
Steinitz vs von Bardeleben (1895)
Wilhelm Steinitz vs Curt von Bardeleben · 1895 · Italian Game
Replay & play ›
Start free assessmentAll game reviews

BetterChess is a practice tool — we make no guarantee you'll reach 1800 or any rating. This is a historical game; the analysis is our own.

BetterChess

The chess coach that explains the why behind every move — built to help you improve.

Product

FeaturesDemoPricingChess game reviewsFamous chess players

Compare

Best AI chess coachesvs DecodeChessvs Aimchessvs Chessablevs a private coach

Company

AboutFAQContact

Legal

PrivacyTermsRefunds
BetterChess is a practice tool. We make no guarantee that you'll reach 1800 or any rating — improvement depends on your own practice, effort, and skill.
© 2026 BetterChessbetterchess.co