Before José Raúl Capablanca became World Champion, he was first a prodigy, next a strong upcoming player, then a grandmaster. The present volume covers his career almost up to the point where he ascended to the World Championship match against Emanuel Lasker. This classic game collection features thirty-five of Capablanca's greatest games from that period, annotated by Capablanca himself. The new edition has been thoroughly expanded and updated to not only correct some inevitable mistakes but also to bring greater context to the analysis of the games annotated in the book. Countless discoveries have been brought to light by FIDE Master Carsten Hansen.