1916 in chess
Encyclopedia
Chess events in brief
- The 1st Isaac Rice Memorial Tournament – fourteen participants played in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, from January 18 to February 4, 1916. Wealthy German–American inventor Isaac Leopold RiceIsaac RiceIsaac Leopold Rice was a U.S. inventor and a chess patron and author.- Biography :...
(1850–1915) was a lover of chess (Rice GambitRice GambitThe Rice Gambit is a chess opening that arises from the King's Gambit Accepted. An offshoot of the Kieseritzky Gambit, it is characterized by the moves 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 Nf6 6. Bc4 d5 7. exd5 Bd6 8. O-O...
) and a patron of chess competitions. The event included two stages (preliminaries and final). The preliminaries started as a round-robin tournamentRound-robin tournamentA round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
. Five players qualified for the final. 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...
played superior chess in the preliminaries. Since the results of the preliminaries carried over into the finals, Capablanca with a 3½-point lead was a heavy favorite to win the tournament. Dawid JanowskiDawid JanowskiDawid Markelowicz Janowski was a leading Polish chess master and subsequent French citizen....
, Boris Kostić and 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....
tied for 2nd-4th, and 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...
took 5th place. The final tournament was won by Chajes (who beat Capablanca) and Janowski, ahead of Capablanca, Kostić and Kupchik. Summary, the winner was Capablanca (+12 –1 =4), followed by Janowski 11 points, Chajes 10½ points, Kostić and Kupchik 10 points each.
Tournaments
- Triberg chess tournamentTriberg chess tournamentThe Triberg chess tournament constitutes a series of chess tournaments, held in Triberg im Schwarzwald during World War I.Eleven players from the Russian Empire, who participated in the interrupted Mannheim 1914 chess tournament, were interned in Rastatt, Germany, after the declaration of war...
(Triangular), won by Efim BogoljubowEfim BogoljubowEfim Dmitriyevich Bogolyubov was a Russo-German chess grandmaster who won numerous events and played two matches with Alexander Alekhine for the world championship.-Early career:...
ahead of Ilya RabinovichIlya RabinovichIlya Rabinovich was a Russian chess master.-Biography:In 1911 Ilya Leontievich Rabinovich tied for 1st with Platz in Saint Petersburg...
and Alexey SeleznievAlexey SeleznievAlexey Selezniev was a Russian chess master....
, 1915/16. - 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 26th London championship), won by 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...
and 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...
, 1915/16. - New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(Rice Memorial), 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 Dawid JanowskiDawid JanowskiDawid Markelowicz Janowski was a leading Polish chess master and subsequent French citizen....
, 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...
, Boris Kostić and 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....
, 18 January – 4 February. - New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(Manhattan Chess Club Championship), won by Kupchik. - VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
(the 1st British Columbia Championship), won by John EwingJohn EwingJohn Ewing may refer to:* John Ewing , professional baseball player* John Ewing , U.S. Representative from Indiana* John Ewing , U.S. Minister to Honduras, 1913–1918...
, finished 25 February. - WarsawWarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
won by Moishe LowtzkyMoishe Lowtzky-Biography:He was born into a Jewish family in Ukraine. In 1903, Lowtzky tied for 6-7th with Eugene Znosko-Borovsky in Kiev . The event was won by Mikhail Chigorin. In 1903, he took 4th in Dresden . In 1904, he tied for 2nd-3rd in Coburg . In 1910, he tied for 1st with Thoenes in Hamburg...
and 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...
, followed by Jan Kleczyński, Jr.Jan Kleczynski, Jr.Jan Kleczyński was a Polish writer, art critic, journalist and chess master .He was a son of Jan Kleczyński, Sr., famous Polish pianist and one of the best Warsaw chess masters in the 19th century. Jan Kleczyński Junior played in Warsaw City Chess Championship...
, Zdzisław Belsitzmann and Alexander FlambergAlexander FlambergAlexander Flamberg was a Polish chess master.-Biography:Alexander Davidovich Flamberg born in Warsaw , spent his early years in England, where he learnt to play chess. After return to Warsaw, he became one of the strongest Polish chess players. In 1900, he took 2nd, behind Salomon Langleben, in...
, March. - 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 17th Western Chess Association), won by 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:...
ahead of Jackson Whipps Showalter, finished 23 August. - MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
(the 1st Torneo Nazionale Crespi) won by Arturo ReggioArturo ReggioArturo Reggio was an Italian chess master.He started playing chess as an engineering student at the Graz University of Technology and at the Imperial-Royal Polytechnic Institute of Vienna, both in Austria...
ahead of G. Cenni and A. Dolci. - Triberg won by I. Rabinovich ahead of E. Bogoljubow and A. Selezniev.
- 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 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...
ahead of Adolf Georg OllandAdolf Georg OllandAdolf Georg Olland was the leading Dutch chess master in the time before Max Euwe. Born in Utrecht, he was a medical doctor....
. - 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...
(the 9th Nordic Chess ChampionshipNordic Chess ChampionshipThe first Nordic Chess Championship took place in Stockholm in 1897.-Winners:The winners in the Nordic Championship in 1934 and 1936, Aron Nimzowitsch and Erik Lundin, got the Nordiske kongresmestre title, as the champion 1930, Erik Andersen, defended his title with 3-3 against Gideon Ståhlberg at...
), won by Paul JohnerPaul JohnerPaul Johner was a Swiss chess master.A noted musician , elder brother of Hans Johner, he won the Swiss Championship in 1907 , 1908 , 1925, 1928 , 1930 and 1932 .He played in many international tournaments...
ahead of Orla Hermann KrauseOrla Hermann KrauseOrla Hermann Krause was a Danish chess master and analyst.He tied for 4-6th at Wilhelmshaven 1892, took 2nd, behind Andreas Rosendahl, at Copenhagen 1895, took 2nd at Copenhagen 1899 , took 5th at Copenhagen 1907 , shared 2nd, behind Paul Johner at...
, Otto von LöwenborgOtto LöwenborgOtto von Löwenborg was a Swedish chess master.In January 1912, he won a simultaneous exhibition game against Frank James Marshall in Stockholm...
and M. Marchand. - 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...
(Nordic-ch, B-tournament), 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 O. Nilsson. - StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
won by Gustaf NyholmGustaf NyholmGustaf Nyholm was a Swedish chess master.He was the first Swedish Champion , and a Nordic Champion in 1917....
ahead of E. Jakobson. - 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 27th London championship), won by E.G. Sergeant. - BrnoBrnoBrno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
won by Julius BrachJulius BrachJulius Brach was a Czech chess master.In the beginning of his career, he won at Brno 1899, took 3rd at Osyky u Lomnice, took 2nd at Brno 1901, and took 3rd at Brno 1905...
ahead of J. Dobiaš. - BrnoBrnoBrno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
won by J. Dobiaš followed by F. Nachtikal, J. Brach and J. Rašovsky. - Běluň won by Karel OpočenskýKarel OpocenskýKarel Opočenský was a Czech chess master.-Biography:He was four-time Czech Champion . In 1919, he took 2nd, behind František Schubert, in Prague . In 1925, he tied for 3rd-4th in Paris . In 1927, he won in Česke Budějovice...
ahead of Jan SchulzJan SchulzJan Schulz was a Czech chess master.He took 2nd, behind Karel Opočenský, at Belun 1916; won at Prague 1920, tied for 6-8th at Prague 1921 , tied for 5-7th at Brno 1921 , and won at Prague 1924 .Schulz played for Czechoslovakia in 1st unofficial Chess...
. - 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...
(Quadrangular), won by 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....
followed 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...
, 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...
, Johannes Esser. - 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 8th Leopold Trebitsch Memorial TournamentLeopold Trebitsch Memorial TournamentLeopold Trebitsch Memorial Tournament was a chess competition organized by the family of Austrian silk manufacturer Leopold Trebitsch. Twenty tournaments were played in Vienna between 1907 and 1938....
) (Trianglular), won by 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:...
ahead of 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 :...
and Arthur KaufmannArthur KaufmannArthur Kaufmann was an Austrian chess master.Born in Romania, he lived and played in Vienna. In 1892, he tied for 5-6th , shared 3rd in 1893/94 , twice took 2nd in 1896 and 1897/98, both behind Georg Marco. He drew a match with Marco in 1893.Because of illness, his career was broken for many...
, 1916/17. - LodzLódzŁódź is the third-largest city in Poland. Located in the central part of the country, it had a population of 742,387 in December 2009. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is approximately south-west of Warsaw...
won by A. Rubinstein ahead of Gersz SalweGersz SalweGersz Salwe was a Polish chess player.-Biography:Salwe was born into a Jewish family in Warsaw ....
and Teodor RegedzińskiTeodor RegedzinskiTeodor Regedziński was a Polish chess master.-Biography:Born Polish , Regedziński was of German origin as his father, named Reger. He had lived in Łódź since 1908, enrolling in the Łódź Association of Devotees of the Game of Chess...
, 1916/17.
Matches
- Emanuel LaskerEmanuel LaskerEmanuel Lasker was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher who was World Chess Champion for 27 years...
beat 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....
(+5 –0 =1) in Berlin. - 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 Moishe LowtzkyMoishe Lowtzky-Biography:He was born into a Jewish family in Ukraine. In 1903, Lowtzky tied for 6-7th with Eugene Znosko-Borovsky in Kiev . The event was won by Mikhail Chigorin. In 1903, he took 4th in Dresden . In 1904, he tied for 2nd-3rd in Coburg . In 1910, he tied for 1st with Thoenes in Hamburg...
(+2 –0 =1), play-off in Warsaw. - 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...
beat 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...
(+2 –0 =0), play-off in London. - Arthur KaufmannArthur KaufmannArthur Kaufmann was an Austrian chess master.Born in Romania, he lived and played in Vienna. In 1892, he tied for 5-6th , shared 3rd in 1893/94 , twice took 2nd in 1896 and 1897/98, both behind Georg Marco. He drew a match with Marco in 1893.Because of illness, his career was broken for many...
defeated Savielly TartakowerSavielly TartakowerKsawery Tartakower was a leading Polish and French chess Grandmaster. He was also a leading chess journalist of the 1920s and 30s...
(+2 –0 =2) in Vienna. - 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...
won against Alexander EvensohnAlexander EvensohnAlexandr Moyseyevich Evensohn was a Russian chess master.-Biography:In 1909, Evensohn took 7th at Kiev. The event was won by Nikolaev. In 1911, he took 3rd, behind Efim Bogoljubow and Izbinsky, at Kiev. In 1911, he took 4th at Kiev. The event was won by Fedor Bohatirchuk...
(+2 –1 =0) in Kiev. - 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....
defeated 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:...
(+7 –2 =4) in Berlin; prize was 1/2 pound of butter.
Births
- 7 January - Paul KeresPaul KeresPaul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
born in Narva, Estonia. EST-ch 1935,42,42,45,53. GM 1950. - 4 February - Octav Troianescu born in Romania. ROU-ch 1946,54,56,57. IM 1950.
- 6 May - Povilas TautvaišasPovilas TautvaišasPovilas Tautvaišas was a Lithuanian-American chess master.-Biography:He played twice for the Lithuanian team in the Chess Olympiads, at eighth board at Munich 1936 , and at fourth board in the 8th Olympiad at Buenos Aires 1939, during which World War II broke out...
born in Lithuania. - 11 May - Osmo Ilmari KailaOsmo KailaOsmo Ilmari Kaila was a Finnish chess master and chess problemist.Born in Helsinki, he was twice Finnish Champion and thrice Sub-Champion ....
born in Helsinki, Finland; twice FIN-ch 1939, 1954. IM 1952. - 15 May - Vincenzo CastaldiVincenzo CastaldiVincenzo Castaldi was an Italian chess master.He won the Italian Chess Championship seven times, , and was an Italian correspondence chess champion in 1956.Castaldi represented Italy on first board in the 7th Chess Olympiad at Stockholm 1937 and 9th Chess Olympiad at...
born in Marradi, Italy; seven times ITA-ch. IM 1950. - 20 August - Paul Felix SchmidtPaul Felix SchmidtPaul Felix Schmidt was an Estonian chess International Master, chess writer, and chemist.- Biography :In June 1935, he won, ahead of Paul Keres, at Tallinn. In May 1936, he drew a match against Keres at Pärnu. In 1936, he won the 8th Estonian Championship at Tallinn. In December 1936, he placed...
born in Narva, Estonia; twice EST-ch 1936, 1937 and GER-ch 1941. IM 1950. - 3 September - Alexander KoblencsAlexander KoblencsAlexander Koblents was a Latvian chess International Master, trainer, and writer.In 1935, he took 4th place in Rosas . In 1936, he took 5th in Reus . In 1937, he won, ahead of Lajos Steiner, in Brno with 9/11. In 1938, he took 5th in Milan...
born in Riga, Latvia. LAT-ch 1941,45,46,49. IM. - 16 September - Vernon Dilworth born in England. Dilworth variation.
- 18 November - Miguel Cuéllar GacharnáMiguel CuéllarMiguel Cuéllar Gacharná was a Colombian chess master.Cuéllar won the Colombian championship nine times: in 1941, 1946, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1961, and 1971. He played for Colombia in six Chess Olympiads: 1954, 1956, 1958, 1964, 1970, and 1972...
born in Columbia; eight times COL-ch, IM 1957.
Deaths
- 5 July - Friedrich KöhnleinFriedrich KöhnleinFriedrich Köhnlein was a German chess master and problemist.He won at Düsseldorf 1908...
died in the Battle of Somme, France. - 26 July - Henry CharlickHenry CharlickHenry Charlick was a leading Australian chess master in the 1880s. He won the second Australian Chess Championship at Adelaide 1887 with 7.5 points out of 9 games, ahead of reigning champion Frederick Karl Esling and George H. D. Gossip...
died in Adelaide, Australia, the 1st AUS-ch 1887. - 2 October - Robert Henry BarnesRobert Henry BarnesRobert Henry Barnes was a British–New Zealand chess player.In 1880, he lost a match to Eugene Delmar in New York...
died in New Zealand. - 27 December - Hugo SüchtingHugo SüchtingHugo Süchting was a German chess player.He won at Kiel 1893 took 13th at Leipzig 1894 , shared 2nd with Ignatz von Popiel, behind Robert Henry Barnes, at Eisenach 1896 , and took 15th at Berlin 1897 Hugo Süchting (Suechting) (8 October 1874, Brackrade - 27 December 1916, Valluhn) was a German...
died in Valluhn, Germany.