Mannheim 1914 chess tournament
Encyclopedia
The 19th DSB Congress
(19. Kongreß des Deutschen Schachbundes), comprising several tournaments, began on
20 July 1914 in Mannheim
. Germany declared war
on Russia (on August 1) and on France (August 3), Britain joining in the next day. The congress was stopped on 1 August 1914.
The tournament took place in the "Ballhaus", a building situated in the Mannheim Palace
garden area.
The following participants played in the Masters tournament (Meisterturnier):
Alexander Alekhine
was leading the Meisterturnier, with nine wins, one draw and one loss, when World War I broke out. German organizers of the tournament decided that the players should be "indemnified" according to their score, but not paid the total prize money. Thus Alekhine got 1100 marks, Vidmar 850, Spielmann 600, Breyer, Marshall and Reti 375 each, Janowski 250, Bogoljubov and Tarrasch 180 marks, and all the others 100 marks. Calculated in terms of purchasing power today, the sums would be multiplied ten times in euros. So Alekhine's "consolation prize" was 11,000 Euros.
The first winner group was won by Julius Brach
(Brno, Moravia), 6 (out of 8) points, ahead of Peter Yurdansky
and Peter Romanovsky
(both from Russia) and František Schubert
(Mlada Boleslav, Bohemia), 5 points each. The following players were G.J. van Gelder (4½) (Netherlands), and C. Thönes (3½) (Germany), Salomon Szapiro
(Lodz, Poland), H. Thelen (3 each) and P. Müller (1) (both from Germany).
The second winner group was won by Nikoly Rudnev
(Kharkov, Ukraine), 7 (out of 8) points, followed by Józef Dominik
(Cracow, Poland, 6), Max Lange (Berlin, Germany), 5) − not related to Max Lange
−, Asch (4½) (Austria), M. Gargulak (Husovice near Brno, Moravia), and Heinrich Wagner
(both 4), A.N. Hallgarten (3), K. Pahl (2) (all from Germany), and Anton Olson
(½) (Sweden).
and World Champion Emanuel Lasker
, who did not enter the tournament itself, followed an initiative from the Saint Petersburg 1914 tournament
and made concrete plans for an International Chess Federation (see also FIDE).
(1916) and Munich
(1918). But history took a different turn. The political situation became more and more tense while the tournament went on. Milan Vidmar
, in his autobiography Goldene Schachzeiten, gives a fine report about the melancholic mood of the masters participating in the unfinished Mannheim "chess symphony". Soldiers of the German army began to dominate the city panorama. When Germany put first an ultimatum (July 31) and then declared war the following day against Russia, the tournament had to be interrupted.
After the declaration of war, eleven "Russian" players (Alekhine
, Bogoljubov, Bogatyrchuk
, Flamberg
, Koppelman, Maljutin, Rabinovich
, Romanovsky
, Saburov
, Selezniev
, Weinstein) were interned in Rastatt
, Germany. On September 14, 17, and 29, 1914, four of them (Alekhine, Bogatyrchuk, Saburov, and Koppelman) were freed and allowed to return home via Switzerland. A fifth player, Romanovsky was freed and went back to Petrograd in 1915, and a sixth one, Flamberg was allowed to return to Warsaw in 1916.
Ukrainian master Efim Bogoljubov, stayed in Triberg im Schwarzwald
, got married to a local woman and spent the rest of his life in Germany (settled permanently since 1926).
Dawid Janowski
, born in Russian Empire, as well as Alekhine, was interned but released to Switzerland after a short internment. Then he moved to the United States.
In his "My Fifty Years of Chess" Frank James Marshall tells a similar story: "I made for the Dutch border and arrived in Amsterdam after many adventures. Usually a seven-hour trip, it took me 39 hours.
Somewhere on the border I lost my baggage, containing all my
belongings and the presents I received in St. Petersburg and
elsewhere...Five years later, much to my astonishment, my trunks
arrived in New York, with their contents intact!"
DSB Congress
The Deutschen Schachbund had been founded in Leipzig on 18 July 1877. When the next meeting took place in the Schützenhaus on 15 July 1879, sixty-two clubs had become member of the chess federation. Hofrat Rudolf von Gottschall became Chairman and Hermann Zwanziger the General Secretary...
(19. Kongreß des Deutschen Schachbundes), comprising several tournaments, began on
20 July 1914 in Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
. Germany declared war
World War I
World 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...
on Russia (on August 1) and on France (August 3), Britain joining in the next day. The congress was stopped on 1 August 1914.
The tournament took place in the "Ballhaus", a building situated in the Mannheim Palace
Mannheim Palace
Mannheim Palace is a large Baroque palace in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was originally the main residence of the Prince-electors of the Electoral Palatinate...
garden area.
The following participants played in the Masters tournament (Meisterturnier):
- from the Austro-Hungarian Empire: Gyula Breyer (Hungary), Oldřich Duras (Bohemia), Richard Réti (Slovakia), Rudolf Spielmann (Austria), Savielly Tartakower (Poland), and Milan Vidmar (Slovenia)
- from the Russian Empire: Alexander Aljechin (Russia), Efim Bogoljubov (Ukraine), and Alexander Flamberg (Poland)
- from France: Dawid Janowski (France)
- from the German Empire: Siegbert Tarrasch (Nürnberg), Walther John (Breslau), Paul Krüger (Hamburg), Carl Carls (Bremen), Ehrhardt Post (Berlin), and Jacques Mieses (Leipzig)
- from Switzerland: Hans Fahrni (Switzerland)
- from the United States: Frank James Marshall (USA).
Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alekhine
Alexander 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...
was leading the Meisterturnier, with nine wins, one draw and one loss, when World War I broke out. German organizers of the tournament decided that the players should be "indemnified" according to their score, but not paid the total prize money. Thus Alekhine got 1100 marks, Vidmar 850, Spielmann 600, Breyer, Marshall and Reti 375 each, Janowski 250, Bogoljubov and Tarrasch 180 marks, and all the others 100 marks. Calculated in terms of purchasing power today, the sums would be multiplied ten times in euros. So Alekhine's "consolation prize" was 11,000 Euros.
Meisterturnier
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X | ||||||||
| 1 | |||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 9½ | |||
| 2 | - | X | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ||
| ½ | 1 | ½ | |||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| 8½ | |||||||||
| 3 | - | ½ | X | ||||||
| 1 | 0 | ½ | |||||||
| 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | |||||
| 1 | 1 | 8 | |||||||
| 4 | 0 | ½ | |||||||
| X | |||||||||
| ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| 1 | ½ | 1 | |||||||
| 1 | 1 | 7 | |||||||
| 5 | - | ½ | 0 | ||||||
| X | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | |||||
| 1 | ½ | 1 | |||||||
| ½ | ½ | 7 | |||||||
| 6 | - | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | X | ½ | ||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | |||||
| 1 | |||||||||
| 7 | |||||||||
| 7 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | X | 1 | |
| 0 | 1 | ||||||||
| ½ | |||||||||
| 1 | |||||||||
| 6 | |||||||||
| 8 | 0 | ||||||||
| 1 | ½ | 0 | |||||||
| X | ½ | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 5½ | ||||
| 9 | 0 | ||||||||
| 0 | 0 | ½ | |||||||
| ½ | X | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ||||||
| 5½ | |||||||||
| 10 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ||||||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | X | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1 | 1 | 5 | |||||||
| 11 | - | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | 0 | X | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 1 | |||||||||
| 0 | 5 | ||||||||
| 12 | - | ½ | ½ | ||||||
| ½ | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | 0 | X | ½ | 0 | |||||
| ½ | |||||||||
| 1 | 4½ | ||||||||
| 13 | 0 | ||||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 0 | |||||||||
| 1 | 0 | ½ | X | 1 | 1 | ½ | |||
| 4 | |||||||||
| 14 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| ½ | |||||||||
| ½ | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | 0 | X | 0 | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||
| 15 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 0 | |||||||||
| ½ | |||||||||
| 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 0 | 1 | X | ½ | ½ | 1 | 3½ | |||
| 16 | ½ | 0 | |||||||
| 0 | ½ | 0 | |||||||
| 0 | ½ | ½ | |||||||
| ½ | X | ½ | ½ | 3½ | |||||
| 17 | 0 | ||||||||
| 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ||||||
| 1 | ½ | 0 | |||||||
| 0 | ½ | ½ | X | ||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
| 18 | 0 | ||||||||
| 0 | 0 | ½ | |||||||
| 0 | |||||||||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| 0 | 0 | ½ | |||||||
| X | 2 |
Hauptturnier A
The following participants played in the Main tournament (Hauptturnier A):- from the Austro-Hungarian Empire: Lajos Asztalos (Hungary) and Karel Opočenský (Bohemia)
- from the Russian Empire: Fedor Bogatyrchuk (Ukraine), Boris Maljutin, Ilya Rabinovich, and Alexey Selezniev, all from Russia
- from the German Empire: Carl Ahues, Wilhelm Hilse, Oscar Tenner, Wilhelm Schönmann, and B. Studt (Germany)
- from Switzerland: Hans Duhm (Germany), Walter Henneberger (Switzerland)
- from Netherlands: Willem Schelfhout (Netherlands)
- from Australia: Gunnar Gundersen (Norway)
- from Romania: Sigmund Herland (Romania)
- from the Ottoman Empire: B. Hallegua (Turkey).
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | X | |||||
| 0 | 1 | |||||
| ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 1 | ||||||
| 1 | ||||||
| ½ | 8 | |||||
| 2 | - | X | 1 | 0 | ½ | |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1 | ||||||
| 7½ | ||||||
| 3 | 1 | 0 | X | |||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 7½ | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| X | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ||
| 1 | ||||||
| ½ | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | 6½ | ||||
| 5 | - | ½ | 1 | ½ | X | |
| ½ | ||||||
| 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | |||
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 | ||||||
| 6 | ||||||
| 6 | ½ | |||||
| 0 | 1 | |||||
| X | ||||||
| ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 1 | ||||||
| 1 | ||||||
| ½ | 5½ | |||||
| 7 | 0 | |||||
| 0 | 0 | ½ | ||||
| X | ||||||
| ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | |||
| 1 | 1 | |||||
| 5½ | ||||||
| 8 | 0 | |||||
| 1 | ½ | |||||
| ½ | ||||||
| X | ||||||
| 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | |||
| 1 | 1 | |||||
| 5½ | ||||||
| 9 | ½ | 0 | ||||
| 0 | 1 | |||||
| X | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 5½ | |||
| 10 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | |||
| X | ||||||
| ½ | ||||||
| ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5½ | ||
| 11 | ½ | 0 | ||||
| ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ||
| X | ||||||
| 0 | 1 | ½ | ||||
| ½ | 5 | |||||
| 12 | - | 0 | ||||
| 0 | ½ | |||||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | |||
| X | ||||||
| 1 | ||||||
| 1 | ½ | 4½ | ||||
| 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
| 1 | ||||||
| X | ½ | 0 | ||||
| ½ | 4 | |||||
| 14 | - | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | |
| ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | X | 1 | 0 |
| 3½ | ||||||
| 15 | 0 | |||||
| 0 | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | |
| 1 | 0 | X | ||||
| 1 | 3 | |||||
| 16 | - | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 0 | ||||||
| 1 | ||||||
| X | ||||||
| 2½ | ||||||
| 17 | ½ | |||||
| 0 | 0 | |||||
| ½ | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ||
| 0 | ||||||
| X | 2½ |
Hauptturnier B
The Hauptturnier B started with five preliminary groups of 10 players each. The two winner groups comprised 9 players each and completed their nine rounds respectively.The first winner group was won by Julius Brach
Julius Brach
Julius 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...
(Brno, Moravia), 6 (out of 8) points, ahead of Peter Yurdansky
Peter Yurdansky
Peter Konstantinovich Yurdansky was a Russian chess master.He won Moscow City Chess Championship in 1913 and tied for 8-9th at Moscow 1913, shared 2nd at Mannheim 1914 tournament , took 2nd at Moscow 1915, took 3rd at Moscow 1916, tied for 7-8th at Moscow 1924, and took 10th at Moscow 1925.His...
and Peter Romanovsky
Peter Romanovsky
Peter Arsenievich Romanovsky was a Russian chess International Master, International Arbiter, and author.-Biography:At the beginning of his career in Sankt Petersburg, he shared fourth place in 1908 , tied for 10-11th in 1909 , took second place behind Smorodsky in 1913, and shared first with...
(both from Russia) and František Schubert
František Schubert
František Schubert was a Czech chess master.Before World War I, he took 4th at Pilsen 1911 , played at Böhmisch Trübau 1913, and took 7th at Jungbunzlau 1913 .In 1915, he took 5th in Vienna František Schubert (27 April 1894, Mladá Boleslav – December 1940) was a Czech chess master.Before World...
(Mlada Boleslav, Bohemia), 5 points each. The following players were G.J. van Gelder (4½) (Netherlands), and C. Thönes (3½) (Germany), Salomon Szapiro
Salomon Szapiro
Salomon Szapiro known as Dr. Szeffer was a Polish chess master.Born in Lodz, he moved to Germany where had studied medicine and received his M.D. degree...
(Lodz, Poland), H. Thelen (3 each) and P. Müller (1) (both from Germany).
The second winner group was won by Nikoly Rudnev
Nikoly Rudnev
Nikoly Nikolaevich Rudnev was a Ukrainian–Uzbekistani chess master.Born in Kharkov, he won in the Mannheim 1914 chess tournament . After World War I and Bolshevik Revolution, he was sent to Uzbekistan...
(Kharkov, Ukraine), 7 (out of 8) points, followed by Józef Dominik
Józef Dominik
Józef Dominik was a Polish chess master.Born in Dobczyce , he was educated in Crakow...
(Cracow, Poland, 6), Max Lange (Berlin, Germany), 5) − not related to Max Lange
Max Lange
Max Lange was a German chess player and composer.In 1858–1864, he was an editor of the Deutsche Schachzeitung . He was a founder of Westdeutscher Schachbund , and an organizer of the 9th DSB–Congress at Leipzig 1894...
−, Asch (4½) (Austria), M. Gargulak (Husovice near Brno, Moravia), and Heinrich Wagner
Heinrich Wagner
Heinrich Wagner was a German chess master.In 1920/21, he won in Kiel. In 1921, he took 8th in Hamburg , and won in Hamburg . In 1922 he tied for 3rd-5th in Oeynhausen...
(both 4), A.N. Hallgarten (3), K. Pahl (2) (all from Germany), and Anton Olson
Anton Olson
Anton Olson was a Swedish chess master.He was Swedish Champion in 1921, and thrice played matches for the title, all in Stockholm. He lost a match to Gustaf Nyholm in 1919, won against Nyholm in 1921, and lost to Nyholm in 1921.He took 2nd, behind Boris Kostić, at Stockholm 1913; shared 1st...
(½) (Sweden).
| # | A winner group | Points | # | B winner group | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 1 | 7 | ||
| 2-4 | 5 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2-4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 2-4 | 5 | 4 | 4½ | ||
| 5 | 4½ | 5-6 | 4 | ||
| 6 | 3½ | 5-6 | 4 | ||
| 7-8 | 3 | 7 | 3 | ||
| 7-8 | 3 | 8 | 2 | ||
| 9 | 1 | 9 | ½ |
Plans for an International Chess Federation
During the tournament, a group of Russian and German masters, including Peter Petrovich SaburovPeter Petrovich Saburov
Peter Petrovich Saburov was a Russian chess master and organizer.He was a son of Peter Alexandrovich Saburov, a diplomat and chess organizer. The November 1911 American Chess Bulletin wrote: "Peter Petrovich Saburov, President of the far-famed St Petersburg Chess Club was born in St Petersburg on...
and World Champion Emanuel Lasker
Emanuel Lasker
Emanuel Lasker was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher who was World Chess Champion for 27 years...
, who did not enter the tournament itself, followed an initiative from the Saint Petersburg 1914 tournament
St. Petersburg 1914 chess tournament
The tournament celebrated the tenth anniversary of the St. Petersburg Chess Society. The president of the organizing committee was Peter Petrovich Saburov. Members of the committee were: Boris Maliutin, Peter Alexandrovich Saburov, and O. Sossnitzky...
and made concrete plans for an International Chess Federation (see also FIDE).
Outbreak of war and internees
The next DSB congresses, it was decided, were scheduled for Bad OeynhausenBad Oeynhausen
Bad Oeynhausen is a spa town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Geography :Bad Oeynhausen is located on the banks of the Weser river, which runs along the eastern edges of the town. Bad Oeynhausen has the world's highest carbonated, thermal saltwater fountain,...
(1916) and Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(1918). But history took a different turn. The political situation became more and more tense while the tournament went on. Milan Vidmar
Milan Vidmar
Milan 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 :...
, in his autobiography Goldene Schachzeiten, gives a fine report about the melancholic mood of the masters participating in the unfinished Mannheim "chess symphony". Soldiers of the German army began to dominate the city panorama. When Germany put first an ultimatum (July 31) and then declared war the following day against Russia, the tournament had to be interrupted.
After the declaration of war, eleven "Russian" players (Alekhine
Alexander Alekhine
Alexander 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...
, Bogoljubov, Bogatyrchuk
Fedor Bogatyrchuk
Fedir Parfenovych Bohatyrchuk was a Ukrainian-Canadian International Master of chess, and an...
, Flamberg
Alexander Flamberg
Alexander 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...
, Koppelman, Maljutin, Rabinovich
Ilya Rabinovich
Ilya Rabinovich was a Russian chess master.-Biography:In 1911 Ilya Leontievich Rabinovich tied for 1st with Platz in Saint Petersburg...
, Romanovsky
Peter Romanovsky
Peter Arsenievich Romanovsky was a Russian chess International Master, International Arbiter, and author.-Biography:At the beginning of his career in Sankt Petersburg, he shared fourth place in 1908 , tied for 10-11th in 1909 , took second place behind Smorodsky in 1913, and shared first with...
, Saburov
Peter Petrovich Saburov
Peter Petrovich Saburov was a Russian chess master and organizer.He was a son of Peter Alexandrovich Saburov, a diplomat and chess organizer. The November 1911 American Chess Bulletin wrote: "Peter Petrovich Saburov, President of the far-famed St Petersburg Chess Club was born in St Petersburg on...
, Selezniev
Alexey Selezniev
Alexey Selezniev was a Russian chess master....
, Weinstein) were interned in Rastatt
Rastatt
Rastatt is a city and baroque residence in the District of Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the Murg river, above its junction with the Rhine and has a population of around 50'000...
, Germany. On September 14, 17, and 29, 1914, four of them (Alekhine, Bogatyrchuk, Saburov, and Koppelman) were freed and allowed to return home via Switzerland. A fifth player, Romanovsky was freed and went back to Petrograd in 1915, and a sixth one, Flamberg was allowed to return to Warsaw in 1916.
Ukrainian master Efim Bogoljubov, stayed in Triberg im Schwarzwald
Triberg im Schwarzwald
Triberg im Schwarzwald is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located in the Schwarzwald-Baar district in the Black Forest. As of 2004 it has a population of 5,377. Triberg lies in the middle of the Black Forest between 500 and 1038 metres above sea level....
, got married to a local woman and spent the rest of his life in Germany (settled permanently since 1926).
Dawid Janowski
Dawid Janowski
Dawid Markelowicz Janowski was a leading Polish chess master and subsequent French citizen....
, born in Russian Empire, as well as Alekhine, was interned but released to Switzerland after a short internment. Then he moved to the United States.
In his "My Fifty Years of Chess" Frank James Marshall tells a similar story: "I made for the Dutch border and arrived in Amsterdam after many adventures. Usually a seven-hour trip, it took me 39 hours.
Somewhere on the border I lost my baggage, containing all my
belongings and the presents I received in St. Petersburg and
elsewhere...Five years later, much to my astonishment, my trunks
arrived in New York, with their contents intact!"
Literature
- Werner Lauterbach: Mannheim 1914, Walter Rau Verlag: Düsseldorf 1964 (tournament book)