Lasker’s Strange Problem

During a visit to Copenhagen in July 1908, Lasker presented the members of Industriforeningen’s chess club this strange position with the stipulation, white to move draws:

Solution: 1. Ng4+ Ke7 2. Nf5+ Kd7 3. Ne5+ Kc8 4. Ne7+ Kb8 5. Nd7+ Ka7 6. Nc8+ Ka6 7. Nb8+ Kb5 8. Na7+ Kb4 9. Na6+ Kc3 10. Nb5+ Kd3 11. Nb4+ Ke2 12. Nc3+ Kf2 13. Nd3+ Kg3 14. Ne4+ Kg4 15. Ne5+ Kf5 16. Ng3+ Kf6 17. Ng4+

It is in fact a study composed by H. F. L. Meyer and published in American Chess Nuts in 1880. The only difference is that Meyer’s study begins with the white knights on a3 and a6 and the black king on c3, which is the position after move 9 (except the knight is on a6, but after 10.Nb5+ the positions becomes identical.)

Two illustrations from Lasker’s simultaneous exhibition in Copenhagen, July 10 1908: