1918 in chess
Encyclopedia
Chess events in brief
- Ossip BernsteinOssip BernsteinOssip Samoilovich Bernstein was a Russian chess grandmaster and a financial lawyer.-Biography:...
was arrested and imprisoned by the ChekaChekaCheka was the first of a succession of Soviet state security organizations. It was created by a decree issued on December 20, 1917, by Vladimir Lenin and subsequently led by aristocrat-turned-communist Felix Dzerzhinsky...
(Bolshevik secret police) in Odessa, during the Russian Civil WarRussian Civil WarThe Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
in 1918. Bernstein’s crime was his role as a legal advisor to bankers. There was no court trial. A minor official had a firing squad line up Bernstein and a number of other prisoners against a wall to be shot. A superior official appeared and asked to see the list of prisoners’ names. Discovering Ossip Bernstein on the list, he asked Bernstein if he was the famous chess master. Not satisfied with Bernstein's affirmative reply, he made him play a game with him. If Bernstein lost or drew, he would be shot. Bernstein won in short order and was released. Soon, he escaped on a British ship and settled in France. - The British Chess Problem SocietyBritish Chess Problem SocietyThe British Chess Problem Society is the oldest chess problem society in the world.The inaugural meeting of the British Chess Problem Society took place on 10 August 1918 at St George's Restaurant, 37 Martin's Lane London WC at 3pm. The meeting was chaired by the mathematical puzzle expert Henry...
held its inaugural meeting on 10 August. It is the world's oldest chess problem society.
Tournaments
- ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(the 9th Trebitsch Memorial) (Quadrangular), won by Milan VidmarMilan VidmarMilan Vidmar was a Slovene electrical engineer, chess player, chess theorist, philosopher, and writer. He was a specialist in power transformers and transmission of electric current.- Biography :...
followed by Savielly TartakowerSavielly TartakowerKsawery Tartakower was a leading Polish and French chess Grandmaster. He was also a leading chess journalist of the 1920s and 30s...
, Carl SchlechterCarl SchlechterCarl Schlechter was a leading Austrian chess master and theoretician at the turn of the 20th century. He is best known for drawing a World Chess Championship match with Emanuel Lasker.-Early life:...
, and Lajos AsztalosLajos AsztalosLajos Asztalos was a Hungarian chess International Master, professor, and languages teacher....
. November 1917 - January 1918. - The HagueThe HagueThe Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, won by George Salto FonteinGeorge Salto FonteinGeorge Salto Fontein was a Dutch chess master.At the beginning of his career, he took 3rd at Leiden 1909 . Then, he tied for 2nd-4th in interrupted Mannheim 1914 chess tournament...
. December 1917 - January 1918. - LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(the 28th London championship), won jointly by Philip Walsingham Sergeant, E. Macdonald and G.E. Wainwright, ahead of Edward Guthlac SergeantEdward Guthlac SergeantEdward Guthlac Sergeant was an English chess master.He participated many times in British Chess Championship, London City championships, and Hastings International Chess Congress. In 1907, he tied for 2nd-5th in London...
and Theodor GermannTheodor GermannTheodor Germann was a Latvian chess master.He tied for 6-8th at Riga 1899 , took 5th at Riga 1900, took 6th at Dorpat 1901 , tied for 6-7th at Riga 1902, tied for 3-4th at Reval 1904, tied for 6-7th at Riga 1907, and tied for 8-9th at Reval 1909.In 1910s, he lived in...
, 1917/18. - LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(Triangular), play-off won by G.E. Wainwright ahead of P.W. Sergeant and E. Macdonald. - AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
(Quadrangular), won by Max MarchandMax MarchandMax Marchand was a Dutch chess master.During World War I, he played only in the neutral Netherlands and Denmark. In 1915, he took second in Amsterdam, won in Scheveningen, and took second in Rotterdam. In 1916, he tied for second-fourth, behind Paul Johner, in Copenhagen , and won in Amsterdam...
. - ArnheimArnheimArnheim may refer to:* Edith Arnheim , Swedish tennis player* Fritz Arnheim , German historian* Gus Arnheim , American band leader* Rudolf Arnheim , German American author...
, won by Marchand and Meijer. - MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(Triangular), won by Alexander AlekhineAlexander AlekhineAlexander Alexandrovich Alekhine was the fourth World Chess Champion. He is often considered one of the greatest chess players ever.By the age of twenty-two, he was already among the strongest chess players in the world. During the 1920s, he won most of the tournaments in which he played...
ahead of Vladimir NenarokovVladimir NenarokovVladimir Ivanovich Nenarokov was a Russian chess master and theoretician. Born in Moscow, he was one of the strongest masters in his home town around 1900....
, and Abram RabinovichAbram RabinovichAbram Rabinovich was a Lithuanian–Russian chess master.-Biography:...
. - CopenhagenCopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
won by Johannes GiersingJohannes GiersingJohannes Hjalmar Giersing was a Danish chess master.At the beginning of his career, he tied for 4-5th in Copenhagen 1895 . Giersing played several times in Nordic Chess Championship, and won at Kristiania 1903...
ahead of J. Juhl and Jørgen MøllerJorgen MoellerJorgen Moeller was a Danish chess master.Möller was twice a Nordic Champion, winning at Copenhagen 1899 and at Göteborg 1901 ....
. - BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(Quadrangular), won by Vidmar, followed by Schlechter, Akiba RubinsteinAkiba RubinsteinAkiba Kiwelowicz Rubinstein was a famous Polish chess Grandmaster at the beginning of the 20th century. He was scheduled to play a match with Emanuel Lasker for the world championship in 1914, but it was cancelled because of the outbreak of World War I...
, and Jacques MiesesJacques Mieses----Jacques Mieses was a German-born Jewish chess Grandmaster and writer. He became a naturalized British citizen after World War II.p258-Chess career:...
. April 1918. - Nijmegen (Quadrangular), won by R.A.J. Meijer, June 1–2.
- Scheveningen, won by Rudolf LomanRudolf LomanRudolf Loman was a Dutch chess master.Loman had been living in London for a number of years. He played chess for money against rich Englishmen, like his Dutch pupil Jacques Davidson, though he had another profession, organ player...
and P.J.H. Baudet. - Breslau, won by Walter JohnWalter JohnWalter John , was a German chess master.John was born at Thorn , Poland . He took 2nd, behind Curt von Bardeleben in Café Kerkau, and took 4th at Berlin 1902. He won at Hanover 1902...
followed by Otto WegemundOtto WegemundOtto Wegemund was a German chess master.He participated many times in Berlin City Chess Championship; took 6th in 1906 , took 10th in 1908 , took 10th in 1910 , tied for 7-8th in 1920 , tied for 5-6th in 1924 , shared 4th in 1925 , and...
, Hermann von GottschallHermann von GottschallHermann von Gottschall was a German chess master, son of the poet Rudolf Gottschall who was also a noted chess player....
, etc. July 1918. - Rye BeachRye (city), New YorkRye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
, N.Y., won by Abraham KupchikAbraham KupchikAbraham Kupchik was an American chess master.Abraham Kupchik was born into a Jewish family in Brest . His family emigrated to the USA in 1903....
ahead of Oscar ChajesOscar ChajesOscar Chajes was an Austrian, then American chess player.-Biography:Chajes was Jewish and was born in Brody, Galicia, in what is now Ukraine. In 1909, he won in Excelsior, Minnesota . In 1910, he took 2nd in Chicago. In January/February 1911, he tied for 3rd-4th in New York...
, Jacob BernsteinJacob BernsteinJacob Bernstein was an American chess master.Born into a Jewish family, he lived in New York. He won three consecutive New York State Chess Championships , and shared 1st with Herman Steiner in 1929, but lost a tiebreak to him.He also tied for 8-9th at New York 1913 ,tied for 5-6th at New York...
, Roy Turnbull BlackRoy Turnbull BlackRoy Turnbull Black was an American chess player. Black was a judge by profession. Although his record against Capablanca was one win, one draw and three losses, he beat Capablanca with black pieces in New York in 1911:...
and Charles JaffeCharles JaffeCharles Jaffé was a Belarusian-American chess master, of virtually Grandmaster strength at his peak in the 1910s, when he was one of the world's top players. Jaffe was also a chess writer....
. July 22–26. - Kaschau won by Richard RétiRichard RétiRéti composed one of the most famous chess studies, shown in this diagram. It was published in Ostrauer Morgenzeitung 4 December 1921. It seems impossible for the white king to catch the advanced black pawn, while the white pawn can be easily stopped by the black king...
followed by Vidmar, Gyula BreyerGyula BreyerGyula Breyer was a Hungarian chess player. He was a leading member of the hypermodern school of chess theory, which favored controlling the center with pressure from the flanks....
, Schlechter, Asztalos, etc. August 5–19. - GothenburgGothenburgGothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
won by Karl BerndtssonKarl BerndtssonKarl Mathias Berndtsson Kullberg was a Swedish chess master who was born and died in Göteborg.He won at Copenhagen 1916, and lost a match for the Swedish Chess Championship to Gustaf Nyholm in 1917. He was first in the national tournaments in 1918, 1920, 1921 , and 1926...
ahead of Gustaf NyholmGustaf NyholmGustaf Nyholm was a Swedish chess master.He was the first Swedish Champion , and a Nordic Champion in 1917....
. August 11–18. - ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
(the 19th U.S. OpenU.S. Open Chess ChampionshipThe U.S. Open Championship is an open national chess championship that has been held in the United States annually since 1900.-History:Through 1938, the tournaments were organized by the Western Chess Association and its successor, the American Chess Federation .The United States Chess Federation ...
), won by Boris Kostić ahead of Edward LaskerEdward LaskerEdward Lasker was a leading German-American chess and Go player. He was awarded the title of International Master of chess by FIDE. Lasker was an engineer by profession, and an author.-Background:...
, John Stuart MorrisonJohn Morrison (chess player)John Stuart Morrison was a Canadian chess Master, who was born and died in Toronto.He won the Canadian Chess Championship five times and shared first place in 1931...
, Norman Tweed WhitakerNorman Tweed WhitakerNorman Tweed Whitaker was an International Master of chess. After more than ten years of campaigning, he was awarded the title by FIDE in 1965 , based on his earlier play . He was involved in a confidence trick involving the Lindbergh kidnapping and went to prison several times...
and H. Hahlbohm, September 22–28. - BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(Quadrangular), won by Emanuel LaskerEmanuel LaskerEmanuel Lasker was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher who was World Chess Champion for 27 years...
ahead of Rubinstein, Schlechter, and Siegbert TarraschSiegbert TarraschSiegbert Tarrasch was one of the strongest chess players and most influential chess teachers of the late 19th century and early 20th century....
. September 28 - October 11. - 's-Hertogenbosch (Quadrangular), won by Jan Willem te KolstéJan Willem te KolstéJan Willem te Kolsté was a Dutch chess master.Te Kolsté participated many times in unofficial and official Dutch championships, and won at Utrecht 1907. He also took 4th at Utrecht 1897 , tied for 5-6th at The Hague 1898 Jan Willem te Kolsté (11 September 1874, Utrecht – 31 January 1936, The Hague...
and Gerard OskamGerard OskamGerard Cornelis Adrianus Oskam was a Dutch chess master.He won at Groningen 1900, took 2nd at Leeuwarden 1904, tied for 2nd-3rd at Amsterdam 1905, took 12th at Scheveningen 1905, took 4th at Amsterdam 1907, took 2nd at The Hague 1907, took 3rd at Utrecht 1907, and took 4th at Haarlem 1908 .During...
, ahead of Marchand. October 12–13. - New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(rapid tournament), won by Jaffe and Kostić, ahead of Jacob RosenthalJacob RosenthalJacob Carl Rosenthal was an American chess master.Born in Bialystok, Poland , he became a citizen of the Netherlands. Finally, he emigrated to the United States. He lived and participated in several local chess matches in New York City Jacob Carl Rosenthal (12 October 1881, Bialystok – 23 October...
. October 1918. - New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(Manhattan CC), won by José Raúl CapablancaJosé Raúl CapablancaJosé Raúl Capablanca y Graupera was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. One of the greatest players of all time, he was renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play...
followed by Kostić, Frank James Marshall, Chajes, Dawid JanowskiDawid JanowskiDawid Markelowicz Janowski was a leading Polish chess master and subsequent French citizen....
, Black, and Morrison. November 1918. - BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
(Pentagonal), won by Zoltán von BallaZoltán von BallaZoltán von Balla was a Hungarian chess champion.In 1904, he took 11th in Coburg . In 1905, he took 10th in Vienna. In 1906, he won 1st Hungarian Championship in Györ. He shared the title with Zsigmond Barász at Budapest 1911...
and Réti, followed by Breyer, Kornél HavasiKornél HavasiKornél Havasi was a Hungarian chess master.He won at Budapest 1911; took 9th at Temesvár 1912 ; tied for 4-5th at Budapest 1917 ; took 4th at Budapest 1918 ; tied for 9-11th at Kaschau 1918 ; tied for 1st-2nd with Szávay at Budapest 1920; took 6th at Gyula...
, and Schlechter. December 1918. - AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, won by W. Fick ahead of Henri WeeninkHenri WeeninkHenri Gerard Marie Weenink was a Dutch chess player and a problem composer.He took 2nd, behind Fick, at Amsterdam 1918/19; tied for 4-5th at Amsterdam 1919 , tied for 3-6th at Rotterdam 1919 ; shared 2nd, behind Abraham Speijer, at Amsterdam 1919; took 6th at Amsterdam 1920 , tied for...
. December 1918 - January 1919.
Matches
- Akiba RubinsteinAkiba RubinsteinAkiba Kiwelowicz Rubinstein was a famous Polish chess Grandmaster at the beginning of the 20th century. He was scheduled to play a match with Emanuel Lasker for the world championship in 1914, but it was cancelled because of the outbreak of World War I...
won against Carl SchlechterCarl SchlechterCarl Schlechter was a leading Austrian chess master and theoretician at the turn of the 20th century. He is best known for drawing a World Chess Championship match with Emanuel Lasker.-Early life:...
(3.5 : 2.5) in Berlin, January 21–29. - Adolf AlbinAdolf Albinright|thumb|Adolf AlbinAdolf Albin was a Romanian chess player, especially known for the countergambit that bears his name, and for the first chess book written in Romanian.- Life :...
beat Richard RétiRichard RétiRéti composed one of the most famous chess studies, shown in this diagram. It was published in Ostrauer Morgenzeitung 4 December 1921. It seems impossible for the white king to catch the advanced black pawn, while the white pawn can be easily stopped by the black king...
(1.5 : 0.5) in Vienna. - Oscar ChajesOscar ChajesOscar Chajes was an Austrian, then American chess player.-Biography:Chajes was Jewish and was born in Brody, Galicia, in what is now Ukraine. In 1909, he won in Excelsior, Minnesota . In 1910, he took 2nd in Chicago. In January/February 1911, he tied for 3rd-4th in New York...
defeated Dawid JanowskiDawid JanowskiDawid Markelowicz Janowski was a leading Polish chess master and subsequent French citizen....
(11 : 9) in New York.
Births
- 7 March – Miroslav KatětovMiroslav KatetovMiroslav Katětov |Chembar]], Russia – December 15, 1995) was a Czech mathematician, chess master, and psychologist. His research interests in mathematics included topology and functional analysis. He was an author of the Katětov–Tong insertion theorem. From 1953 to 1957 he was rector of Charles...
, Prague City Champion, Czech IM. - 14 December – Kaarle OjanenKaarle OjanenKaarle Sakari Ojanen was a Finnish chess player. Born in Helsinki in 1918, he became a Finnish National Master in 1938 and was the leading Finnish player between Eero Böök and Heikki Westerinen...
in Helsinki. Finnish Champion and IM. - 19 December – Max BlauMax BlauMax Blau was a Swiss chess master.He won the Swiss Chess Championship four times , and was awarded the International Master title in 1953....
in Munich, Germany. Swiss Champion and IM.
Deaths
- Artur Popławski died in Warsaw. Polish master, Swiss Champion.
- 10 April - Peter Alexandrovich SaburovPeter Alexandrovich SaburovPeter Alexandrovich Saburov was a diplomat, collector of ancient Greek sculpture and antiquities, and a strong amateur chess player and patron of chess tournaments, as an honorary President of the St Petersburg Chess Club.As the Tsarist Russian envoy to Greece, he assembled an outstanding...
, Russian master, died in Petrograd (St. Petersburg), Russia. - 23 August – Erich CohnErich CohnErich Cohn was a German chess master.He won or tied for 1st in several tournaments in Berlin . In strong tournaments, he tied for 11-12th at Berlin 1903 . He took 10th at Coburg 1904 . In 1905, he took 5th in Barmen...
, German master, died in France in the western front as a field doctor, at the end of World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. - 27 December - Carl SchlechterCarl SchlechterCarl Schlechter was a leading Austrian chess master and theoretician at the turn of the 20th century. He is best known for drawing a World Chess Championship match with Emanuel Lasker.-Early life:...
, Austrian grandmaster, died of malnutrition in Budapest, Hungary.