Lasker, E. Manual of Chess (Uchebnik shakhmatnoy igry), 1926. In Russian

Ласкер Э. Учебник шахматной игры. (Lehrbuch des Schachspiels).
Москва : Государственное издательство (Госиздат), 1926.
[6], 304 с., ил., 1 л. фронтисписа. Издательский картонажный переплет с цветной печатью на передней крышке и корешке, формат 23 × 15 см. Первое издание. Тираж 10 000 экз.
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Lasker, E. Manual of Chess (Uchebnik shakhmatnoy igry / Lehrbuch des Schachspiels).
Moscow : Gosizdat (State Publishing House), 1926.
[6], 304 pp., illustrations, 1 frontispiece leaf. Publisher’s cloth-backed cardboard binding with color printing on the front cover and spine, format 23 x 15 cm. First edition. Print run: 10,000 copies.

This 1926 volume is the landmark first Russian edition of Emanuel Lasker’s Lehrbuch des Schachspiels, a work that fundamentally altered the landscape of chess education in the Soviet Union. Lasker, who reigned as World Champion from 1894 to 1921, brought a unique polymathic perspective to the game, blending his mastery of mathematics and philosophy with a deep psychological understanding of competition.
The manual is meticulously structured, guiding the reader from the most elementary principles and opening theories to sophisticated explorations of positional struggle. Lasker was the first to formalize many of the strategic concepts pioneered by Wilhelm Steinitz, presenting them not as rigid rules but as a coherent logical system based on the "balance of position." A distinctive feature of this work is its final section on "Chess Aesthetics," where Lasker examines the intellectual beauty of a well-executed plan and the economy of tactical operations.
As a first edition published during the dawn of the Soviet "Chess Fever," this book is a significant historical artifact. It reflects the era's commitment to scientific rigor and the popularization of high-level intellectual pursuits. With its striking original color-printed binding and authoritative tone, the manual remains a cornerstone for any serious study of chess history and the development of the classical school of play.