It had for some time been the general opinion that Tarrasch was the player whose record in the past and whose general qualifications would give rise to the most evenly contested match. The history of former negotations and efforts to bring about a meeting between the two stars of the chess firmament need no be repeated here. Suffice it to say that in 1908 the match, which at one time never seemed in the least likely to take place, was actually arranged under the auspices of the German Chess Association, the scenes of action being Düsseldorf and Munich.

In the article on "General Review of the Year," Lasker's record is duly set forth. Siegbert Tarrasch is a year or two senior to Lasker, and holds an unique tournament record. Although playing in good form, and with average success, in one or two tournaments before 1889, it was in this eyar - the year of Lasker's appearance - that Tarrasch began his long list of triumphs by winning the Breslau Tournament, without the loss of a game, following it by a similar performance at Manchester, 1890. At Dresden, 1892, he again won, this time losing one game to Albin; and at Leipsic, 1894, he continued his victorious career by yet another first, although losing as many as three games on this occasion. At Hastings, 1895, and Nuremburg, 1896, he was fourth on each occasion; and at Vienna, 1898, won this big double-round tournament, after a tie with Pillsbury. He did not take part in the London or Paris Tournaments, 1897 and 1900 , won by Lasker, and at Monte Carlo, 1902, could only tie fifth with Schlecter and Wolf. The next year, however, he won from Maroczy, Pillsbury, Schlecter, and ten others, this making his sixth international victory. At Ostend, 1905, he had to strike his colours to Maroczy, tieing for second and third prizes with Janowsky; in 1906 he failed signally at Nuremberg, where he could only just finish amongs the prize-winners, tieing for 9th prize with Vidmar and Snosko-Borowsky; but in 1907 he just won the championship tournament at Ostend, from Schlecter, Janowsky, Marshall, Burn, and Tschigorin. His tournament play is the best on record, showing no less than seven great international victories, four of which were accomplished without the loss of a single game. In match play he played a drawn match with Tschigorin, and won against Walbrodt by 7 to 0 and Marshall by 8 to 1.

Although Lasker had been ready to play Dr. Tarrasch a match before he won the championship by beating Steinitz, Tarrasch was not disposed to arrange a meeting, his reputation at that time being greater than the present champion's. Meetings between the two were therefore scarce, and before the year 1908 they had only played two games. The first was played at Hastings, 1895, and was won by Tarrasch; the second at Nuremberg, 1896, and was won by Lasker.

We have drawn attention elsewhere to the importance attached to the present match before it began, as a test of strength between the two players of greatest reputation today. There are many who claim that the result has not irrevocably decided this point, but it is not our intention to discuss such a question. Given the best possible play on the part of Tarrasch, which it must be admitted was not forthcoming in many of the games, we are inclined to think that Lasker would have been capable of putting forth that great effort which he was not called upon to make.

There is little more than this to be said. We have consulted the leading authorities on the match, and given the substance of their opinions in the notes to teh games, pointing out any special line, which some single annotator may have discovered, left untouched by others.