Lasker

Emanuel Lasker was born in 1868, defeated Wilhelm Steinitz in 1894, and became the second world champion. He held the title until 1921, a 27-year period that remains the longest continuous official reign. During that time he again defeated Steinitz and defended the crown against Frank Marshall, Siegbert Tarrasch, Dawid Janowski, and Carl Schlechter.

He lost the title to José Raúl Capablanca in 1921 but continued producing elite results many years later. Lasker also worked in mathematics and philosophy and wrote about chess and other games, so his legacy is broader than the length of his reign.

An adaptable competitor

Lasker is associated with setting uncomfortable problems and adapting his decisions to the opponent and situation. This does not mean that he deliberately chose bad moves merely to confuse people. His strength lay in understanding complex positions, choosing effective plans, and resisting when a game left familiar paths. That flexibility places him among champions of very different styles, from Frank Marshall, his 1907 challenger, to later masters at limiting an opponent's options such as Anatoly Karpov.