Emanuel Lasker vs. Jackson Whipps Showalter Match
December 14, 1892 - April 26, 1892
Logansport IN, and Kokomo, IN


            1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
Lasker      1 0 ½ 1 0 ½ 1 1 1 1  7
Showalter   0 1 ½ 0 1 ½ 0 0 0 0  3

  • What's this match doing here? Surely Lasker, as a German citizen couldn't have played for the US Title. Well, maybe not, though the citizenship question wasn't really decided conclusively until the dispute of 1909, it was probably assumed by most people.

  • This match is listed here for informational purposes, since Lasker himself claimed it as a US Title match, and it was listed as such in the Kokomo, IN newspapers. Lasker's Chess Magazine began publication at about the same time as the US Title dispute of 1904, in which Max Judd claimed that Showalter and Pillsbury had never been US Champions. Weighing in on Pillsbury's behalf, the the magazine traced the history of the US Title, from Morphy's victory in 1857, through all the various matches, rematches, retirements, and un-retirements of the 1890's, up to the "present day" (i.e. 1904. Okay, granted 1904 isn't the present day any more, but in 1904 it was). In tracing the history, the magazine argued that this match had been for the US Title, and that Lasker had won the title and then relinquished it, just as Lipschuetz and Hodges did.

  • Even if you don't buy that claim, it's worth seeing, just for the fact that the Kentucky Lion was able to take 2 games off of a man who became World Champion 2 years later.

  • Games 1-3 were played in December 1892 in Logansport, IN. (Game 3 was an unplayed draw). A longer match to 6 wins was arranged in Kokomo next April, with the proviso that the earlier games would count in the total.

  • Lasker was White in Games 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10. Showalter was White in Games 2, 5, 7 and 9.

    [Event "Lasker - Showalter"] [Site "Logansport, IN USA"] [Date "1892.12.14"] [EventDate "1892.12.14"] [Round "1"] [Result "1-0"] [White "Emanuel Lasker"] [Black "Jackson Whipps Showalter"] [ECO "C65"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [PlyCount "135"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Qe2 Bc5 5.Bxc6 bxc6 6.Nxe5 O-O 7.c3 a5 8.d4 Ba6 9.Qf3 Re8 10.Bg5 Be7 11.Nd2 Rb8 12.b3 Qc8 13.c4 Bd8 14.O-O c5 15.Qh3 Re6 16.Nef3 Nxe4 17.Nxe4 Rxe4 18.Bxd8 Qxd8 19.Qf5 Qe7 20.Rae1 Re6 21.d5 g6 22.Qf4 Qd6 23.Qxd6 Rxd6 24.Ng5 a4 25.Ne4 axb3 26.axb3 Rxb3 27.Nxd6 cxd6 28.Rc1 Rb4 29.Rb1 Bxc4 30.Rxb4 cxb4 31.Rd1 Ba2 32.Rd2 b3 33.Rb2 Kg7 34.f4 Kf6 35.Kf2 g5 36.Kf3 h6 37.Ke4 Kg6 38.f5+ Kf6 39.g4 Ke7 40.Kd4 Kf6 41.Ke4 Ke7 42.Kd3 Kf6 43.Kd4 Kg7 44.Kc3 h5 45.gxh5 Kh6 46.Re2 b2 47.Rxb2 Bxd5 48.Rd2 Be4 49.Rxd6+ Kxh5 50.f6 Bf5 51.Kd4 Be6 52.Ke5 g4 53.Rd3 Kg6 54.Rd2 Kg5 55.Rf2 Kg6 56.Kd6 Kg5 57.Ke7 Kh5 58.Re2 Kg6 59.Re5 Bb3 60.Rb5 Be6 61.Rb6 Bf5 62.Rb8 Be6 63.Rh8 Kg5 64.Rh7 d5 65.Rxf7 Bxf7 66.Kxf7 d4 67.Kg7 d3 68.f7 1-0 [Event "Lasker - Showalter"] [Site "Logansport, IN USA"] [Date "1892.12.15"] [EventDate "1892.12.14"] [Round "2"] [Result "1-0"] [White "Jackson Whipps Showalter"] [Black "Emanuel Lasker"] [ECO "C66"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [PlyCount "63"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.O-O d6 5.d4 Bd7 6.Nc3 Be7 7.Bxc6 Bxc6 8.Qe2 exd4 9.Nxd4 Bd7 10.b3 O-O 11.Bb2 Re8 12.Rad1 Bf8 13.Qd3 Kh8 14.f4 c6 15.Nf3 Bg4 16.Rd2 Qc7 17.h3 Bxf3 18.Qxf3 Rad8 19.g4 Kg8 20.g5 Nd7 21.Ne2 d5 22.e5 Qa5 23.Bc3 Bb4 24.Bxb4 Qxb4 25.c3 Qb6+ 26.Kh2 Nc5 27.Ng3 Rd7 28.Nh5 Ne4 29.Rg2 Kh8 30.Nf6 gxf6 31.gxf6 Rdd8 32.Rg7 1-0 [Event "Lasker - Showalter"] [Site "Logansport, IN USA"] [Date "1892.12.14"] [EventDate "1892.12.14"] [Round "3"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [White "Emanuel Lasker"] [Black "Jackson Whipps Showalter"] [ECO "?"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [PlyCount "135"] 1/2-1/2 [Event "Lasker - Showalter"] [Site "Logansport, IN USA"] [Date "1893.04.14"] [EventDate "1892.12.14"] [Round "4"] [Result "1-0"] [White "Emanuel Lasker"] [Black "Jackson Whipps Showalter"] [ECO "D05"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [PlyCount "79"] 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.e3 e6 4.Bd3 b6 5.Nbd2 Bb7 6.Ne5 Bd6 7.f4 O-O 8.Qf3 c5 9.c3 Qc7 10.g4 Ne8 11.Qh3 g6 12.g5 Bxe5 13.fxe5 Ng7 14.Rg1 Nd7 15.Nf3 Rfc8 16.Bd2 a6 17.Qf1 b5 18.h4 c4 19.Bc2 Rf8 20.Qh3 a5 21.Nh2 b4 22.Ng4 b3 23.Bd1 Nf5 24.h5 Kg7 25.Nf6 Rh8 26.Bg4 Ne7 27.Bxe6 Nxe5 28.dxe5 fxe6 29.Qxe6 Ra6 30.h6+ Kf8 31.Qd7 Qxd7 32.Nxd7+ Ke8 33.Nc5 Ra7 34.axb3 cxb3 35.Rf1 Bc6 36.Nxb3 a4 37.Nd4 Rf8 38.Rf6 Bd7 39.e6 Bc8 40.Nb5 1-0 [Event "Lasker - Showalter"] [Site "Kokomo, IN USA"] [Date "1893.04.17"] [EventDate "1892.12.14"] [Round "5"] [Result "1-0"] [White "Jackson Whipps Showalter"] [Black "Emanuel Lasker"] [ECO "C13"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [PlyCount "71"] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Bxf6 Bxf6 6.e5 Be7 7.Qg4 g6 8.h4 h5 9.Qf4 c5 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Nf3 a6 12.O-O-O Qc7 13.g4 hxg4 14.Qxg4 Rh5 15.Qg3 Nd7 16.Re1 Bb4 17.Ng5 Bxc3 18.bxc3 Nc5 19.Be2 Rxg5 20.hxg5 Ne4 21.Qe3 Qxc3 22.Qxc3 Nxc3 23.Rh8+ Ke7 24.Bd3 Nxa2+ 25.Kb2 Nb4 26.Bxg6 fxg6 27.Reh1 Kd7 28.R1h7+ Kc6 29.Rg7 a5 30.Rxg6 a4 31.Rgg8 Kc7 32.c3 Nd3+ 33.Ka1 Nxe5 34.f4 Nc6 35.g6 Ne7 36.Rg7 1-0 [Event "Lasker - Showalter"] [Site "Kokomo, IN USA"] [Date "1893.04.18"] [EventDate "1892.12.14"] [Round "6"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [White "Emanuel Lasker"] [Black "Jackson Whipps Showalter"] [ECO "D00"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [PlyCount "106"] 1.d4 d5 2.e3 Nf6 3.Bd3 e6 4.Nd2 b6 5.f4 Bd6 6.Nh3 c5 7.Qf3 cxd4 8.exd4 Nc6 9.c3 O-O 10.O-O a5 11.a4 Qc7 12.Qe2 Ne7 13.Nf3 Ne8 14.Nfg5 Ng6 15.Qe3 Ba6 16.Bxa6 Rxa6 17.Bd2 Nf6 18.Qd3 Ra7 19.g3 Ne7 20.Nf2 Nf5 21.Nf3 Rc8 22.Ne5 Bf8 23.Neg4 Nxg4 24.Nxg4 Nd6 25.Nf2 f5 26.b3 Ne4 27.Nxe4 fxe4 28.Qb5 g6 29.Ra2 Bg7 30.Kg2 Qc6 31.Qxc6 Rxc6 32.Rd1 Rb7 33.Kf2 b5 34.axb5 Rxb5 35.Rda1 Rxb3 36.Rxa5 Rc7 37.Ra7 Rbb7 38.Rxb7 Rxb7 39.Ke2 Kf7 40.g4 h6 41.Ra6 Bf6 42.Ra2 g5 43.h3 gxf4 44.Bxf4 Kg6 45.Ra6 Rb2+ 46.Kf1 Kf7 47.Bxh6 Rh2 48.Be3 Rxh3 49.Ke2 Rg3 50.Ra7+ Kg6 51.Ra6 Kf7 52.Ra7+ Kg6 53.Ra6 Kf7 1/2-1/2 [Event "Lasker - Showalter"] [Site "Kokomo, IN USA"] [Date "1893.04.20"] [EventDate "1892.12.14"] [Round "7"] [Result "0-1"] [White "Jackson Whipps Showalter"] [Black "Emanuel Lasker"] [ECO "C11"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [PlyCount "108"] 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Bxf6 gxf6 6.Nxe4 f5 7.Ng3 c5 8.Nf3 Nc6 9.Bc4 cxd4 10.O-O h5 11.Re1 Qf6 12.Bb5 Bd7 13.Bxc6 Bxc6 14.Qxd4 Qxd4 15.Nxd4 O-O-O 16.Nxc6 bxc6 17.Rad1 Bd6 18.Nf1 Kc7 19.Ne3 Be5 20.Nc4 Bf6 21.c3 Rd5 22.Ne3 Ra5 23.a3 Rb8 24.Re2 f4 25.Nc4 Rd5 26.Red2 Rxd2 27.Rxd2 Bxc3 28.Rc2 Bd4 29.b4 Rd8 30.Kf1 e5 31.Ke2 e4 32.Na5 Rd6 33.a4 f5 34.Nb3 Kd7 35.Rc4 Be5 36.Nc5+ Ke7 37.f3 Rd4 38.Rxd4 Bxd4 39.Nb3 Bc3 40.fxe4 fxe4 41.Nc5 Bxb4 42.Nxe4 Ke6 43.Kd3 Ke5 44.g3 fxg3 45.Nxg3 h4 46.Ne2 Bc5 47.Kc4 Bf2 48.a5 Ke4 49.Nc1 h3 50.Nd3 Bg1 51.a6 Kf5 52.Kc3 Bxh2 53.Nf2 Bg1 54.Nxh3 Bb6 0-1 [Event "Lasker - Showalter"] [Site "Kokomo, IN USA"] [Date "1893.04.24"] [EventDate "1892.12.14"] [Round "8"] [Result "1-0"] [White "Emanuel Lasker"] [Black "Jackson Whipps Showalter"] [ECO "D37"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [PlyCount "79"] 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.e3 O-O 6.Bd3 b6 7.O-O Bb7 8.Qe2 c5 9.Rd1 Nc6 10.b3 Rc8 11.dxc5 bxc5 12.Bb2 Qc7 13.Rac1 Rfd8 14.cxd5 exd5 15.Na4 Nd7 16.Bb1 Nce5 17.Nxe5 Nxe5 18.Bxh7+ Kxh7 19.Qh5+ Kg8 20.Qxe5 Qxe5 21.Bxe5 f6 22.Bb2 Rd7 23.Ba3 Rdc7 24.Rc2 Kf7 25.Rdc1 c4 26.Bxe7 Kxe7 27.b4 f5 28.Nc3 a6 29.Rd2 Ke6 30.Rcd1 Rd8 31.f3 Ke5 32.Rd4 Rcd7 33.Kf2 Bc6 34.a4 Rb8 35.b5 axb5 36.axb5 Bxb5 37.Rxd5+ Ke6 38.Nxb5 Rxd5 39.Nc7+ Kd6 40.Nxd5 1-0 [Event "Lasker - Showalter"] [Site "Kokomo, IN USA"] [Date "1893.04.25"] [EventDate "1892.12.14"] [Round "9"] [Result "0-1"] [White "Jackson Whipps Showalter"] [Black "Emanuel Lasker"] [ECO "C84"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [PlyCount "78"] 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.d4 exd4 7.e5 Ne4 8.Nxd4 Nxd4 9.Qxd4 Nc5 10.Nc3 O-O 11.Be3 d6 12.Rad1 Be6 13.f4 Nxa4 14.Qxa4 Qe8 15.Qe4 dxe5 16.f5 Bc8 17.f6 Bd6 18.Rxd6 cxd6 19.Nd5 Qe6 20.Rf3 Re8 21.Rh3 Qf5 22.Ne7+ Rxe7 23.fxe7 Bd7 24.Qxb7 Re8 25.Rf3 Qe6 26.Qxa6 f5 27.Bf2 e4 28.Rb3 f4 29.Rb6 Qxe7 30.Rxd6 e3 31.Be1 f3 32.gxf3 Qg5+ 33.Kh1 Qf4 34.Rxd7 Qxf3+ 35.Kg1 Qg4+ 36.Kh1 Qxd7 37.Qc4+ Kh8 38.b3 Qd1 39.Qc3 Qe2 0-1 [Event "Lasker - Showalter"] [Site "Kokomo, IN USA"] [Date "1893.04.26"] [EventDate "1892.12.14"] [Round "10"] [Result "1-0"] [White "Emanuel Lasker"] [Black "Jackson Whipps Showalter"] [ECO "D37"] [WhiteElo "?"] [BlackElo "?"] [PlyCount "89"] 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.e3 O-O 6.Bd3 b6 7.O-O Nc6 8.a3 Ba6 9.Ne5 Nxe5 10.dxe5 Nd7 11.cxd5 Bxd3 12.Qxd3 Nxe5 13.Qe4 Bd6 14.dxe6 f5 15.Qd5 c6 16.e7+ cxd5 17.exd8=Q Rfxd8 18.Rd1 Ng4 19.g3 Nf6 20.Ne2 Rac8 21.Bd2 Be5 22.Bc3 Bxc3 23.Nxc3 Rc5 24.f3 Kf7 25.Rd4 Ke6 26.Rad1 Rd7 27.h3 h5 28.h4 b5 29.R4d2 a5 30.Ne2 g6 31.Nf4+ Kf7 32.Nd3 Rdc7 33.Nxc5 Rxc5 34.Re1 Nd7 35.Kf2 a4 36.e4 fxe4 37.fxe4 Ne5 38.exd5 Nc4 39.Rd4 Nxb2 40.d6 Rc8 41.d7 Rd8 42.Rf4+ Kg7 43.Re7+ Kh6 44.Rff7 Nd3+ 45.Kf3 1-0

    Return to the main page
    Return to the US Championship main page