Salo Landau
Encyclopedia
Salo Landau (1 April 1903, Bochnia
, Galicia, Austria-Hungary
– 15 November 1943, Grodziszcze, Świdnica County
, Poland) was a Dutch
chess
player, who died in a Nazi
concentration camp.
, Poland (then Galicia, Austria-Hungary
). In 1914 (World War I), the Landau family fled the Russians to Vienna
, and young Salo was sent to friends in Rotterdam
in the Netherlands.
.
In July 1924, Landau took 4th at Antwerp. In May 1926, he tied for 4th–5th at Scarborough. In 1926/27, he took 7th at Hastings
(Reserve Tournament). In 1927, he finished 2nd to Richard Réti
, at The Hague
. In 1927, Landau lost a match against Réti at Rotterdam
(+1 –5 =0). In 1927, he tied for 4 th-6 th at 's Hertogenbosch. In July 1927, he tied for 2nd–3rd at London (Reserve). In 1927/28, he took 3rd at Hastings (Reserve). In 1928, he tied for 3rd–4th at Amsterdam
. In 1928, he took 2nd, behind Henri Weenink
, at Amsterdam (Dutch Chess Championship
). In December 1928, he took 2nd, behind van den Bosch, at The Hague. In 1928, he tied for 1st with van den Bosch at Zwolle. In 1928/29, he tied for 2 nd-3rd with Pitschak, behind Ludwig Rellstab
, at Hastings (Reserve B). In February 1929, he took 3rd at Maastricht
. In July 1929, he tied for 2nd–3rd with Weenink, behind Euwe, at Amsterdam (8th Dutch championship). In 1929, he tied for 2nd–3rd at The Hague. In 1929/30, he won at Hastings (Reserve B). In February 1930, he tied for 3rd–4th at Amsterdam. In 1930, he took 4th at Antwerp. In August 1930, he came fourth and last at Rotterdam (Quadrangular).
Landau had one outstanding result at Rotterdam in 1931, where he finished 1st ahead of Edgard Colle
, Savielly Tartakower
, and Akiba Rubinstein
, defeating all three in the process.
Landau played and lost some matches: in 1930 against Géza Maróczy
(+0 –3 =0) at Amsterdam; in 1930 against Akiba Rubinstein
(+0 –3 =2) at Amsterdam; in 1931 against Max Euwe
(+1 –3 =2) at Amsterdam; in 1932 against Salo Flohr
(+0 –1 =3) at Rotterdam; in 1933 against Rudolf Spielmann
(+1 –2 =3) at Rotterdam; in 1934 against Andor Lilienthal
(+1 –2 =3) at Amsterdam; in 1934 against Euwe (+1 –4 =1) at Amsterdam. In Autumn 1934, he won (+6 –0 =0), and drew (+4 –4 =2) matches against Johannes van den Bosch
.
He represented his adopted country on fourth board in 3rd Chess Olympiad
at Hamburg 1930 (+5 –7 =3), and on second board in 7th Chess Olympiad
at Stockholm 1937 (+5 –2 =8).
In 1933, he tied for 4th–6th at Scheveningen (Flohr won). In February 1934, he took 2nd, behind Alexander Alekhine
, at Rotterdam (Qudragular). In October–December 1935, during the World Championship match between Alekhine and Euwe in the Netherlands, Landau served as official second for Alekhine. In May 1936, he tied for 3rd–4th at Ostend. In July 1936, he tied for 7th–9th at Zandvoort. In 1936, he lost two matches against Spielmann, at Amsterdam (+0 –4 =4), and at Zandvoort (+1 –3 =3). In 1936, he tied for 4th–6th at Hanover. In October 1936, he tied for 1st with Alekhine at Amsterdam (Quadrangular). In October 1936, he tied for 4th–6th at Amsterdam.
In 1936, he won the 10th Dutch national championship (although the world champion, Euwe, did not compete).
In April 1937, he tied for 4th–5th at Ostend. In June–July 1937, he tied for 15th–16th at Kemeri
, but won the best game prize. In June 1938, he tied for 5th–6th at Noordwijk
. In 1938, he tied for 5th–6th at Amsterdam (11th Dutch ch.). In November 1938, he was the referee in famous AVRO
Tournament. In 1938/39, he tied for 3 rd-4th with Vasja Pirc
, behind Szabo and Euwe, at Hastings. In 1939, he tied for 4 th-6th at Amsterdam (KNSB), shared 1st with Euwe at Amsterdam (VARA) took 3rd at Baarn B, tied for 4th–5th at Barnemouth. In 1939 he also drew a match against Theo van Scheltinga
at Amsterdam (+3 –3 =4), drew a match against László Szabó
at Amsterdam (+2 –2 =6), won at Amsterdam (the 12th NED-ch), and lost a match for the Dutch Champion title to former World Champion Euwe (+0 –5 =5).
During World War II, in 1940, he won at Baarn (Quadrangular), took 4th at Delft (Quadrangular), tied for 3rd–4th at Amsterdam (VAS), tied for 4th–7th at Rotterdam (Kamstra Cup), and tied for 1st–3rd with Nicolaas Cortlever
and Lodewijk Prins
at Leeuwarden. In 1941, he won at Groningen.
, near the border with Belgium. He was sent to a concentration camp in Gräditz
, Silesia, where he died sometime between October 1943 and March 1944, probably 15 November 1943. His wife and young daughter, whose hiding place was betrayed, were sent to Auschwitz, where they were gassed on October 12, 1944.
Bochnia
Bochnia is a town of 30,000 inhabitants on the river Raba in southern Poland. The town lies approximately in halfway [] between Tarnów and the regional capital Kraków . Bochnia is most noted for its salt mine, the oldest functioning in Europe, built circa 1248...
, Galicia, Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
– 15 November 1943, Grodziszcze, Świdnica County
Grodziszcze, Swidnica County
Grodziszcze is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Świdnica, within Świdnica County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland...
, Poland) was a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player, who died in a Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
concentration camp.
Early life
Salo was born into a Jewish family in BochniaBochnia
Bochnia is a town of 30,000 inhabitants on the river Raba in southern Poland. The town lies approximately in halfway [] between Tarnów and the regional capital Kraków . Bochnia is most noted for its salt mine, the oldest functioning in Europe, built circa 1248...
, Poland (then Galicia, Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
). In 1914 (World War I), the Landau family fled the Russians to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna 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...
, and young Salo was sent to friends in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
in the Netherlands.
Chess career
For some years, he was the Dutch number two, behind Max EuweMax Euwe
Machgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...
.
In July 1924, Landau took 4th at Antwerp. In May 1926, he tied for 4th–5th at Scarborough. In 1926/27, he took 7th at Hastings
Hastings International Chess Congress
The Hastings International Chess Congress is an annual chess congress which takes place in Hastings, England, around the turn of the year. The main event is the Hastings Premier tournament, which was traditionally a 10 to 16 player round-robin tournament. In 2004/05 the tournament was played in the...
(Reserve Tournament). In 1927, he finished 2nd to Richard Réti
Richard Réti
Réti 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...
, at The Hague
The Hague
The 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...
. In 1927, Landau lost a match against Réti at Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
(+1 –5 =0). In 1927, he tied for 4 th-6 th at 's Hertogenbosch. In July 1927, he tied for 2nd–3rd at London (Reserve). In 1927/28, he took 3rd at Hastings (Reserve). In 1928, he tied for 3rd–4th at Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam 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...
. In 1928, he took 2nd, behind Henri Weenink
Henri Weenink
Henri 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...
, at Amsterdam (Dutch Chess Championship
Dutch Chess Championship
The Dutch Chess Championship was officially established in 1909, although unofficial champions stretch back to the 1870s.-Early years:-Official championships:...
). In December 1928, he took 2nd, behind van den Bosch, at The Hague. In 1928, he tied for 1st with van den Bosch at Zwolle. In 1928/29, he tied for 2 nd-3rd with Pitschak, behind Ludwig Rellstab
Ludwig Rellstab (chess player)
Ludwig Rellstab was a German chess master.He was German Champion, winning at Bad Oeynhausen 1942. He took 8th in the European Championship at Munich 1942 . In 1943, he took 6th in Salzburg...
, at Hastings (Reserve B). In February 1929, he took 3rd at Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
. In July 1929, he tied for 2nd–3rd with Weenink, behind Euwe, at Amsterdam (8th Dutch championship). In 1929, he tied for 2nd–3rd at The Hague. In 1929/30, he won at Hastings (Reserve B). In February 1930, he tied for 3rd–4th at Amsterdam. In 1930, he took 4th at Antwerp. In August 1930, he came fourth and last at Rotterdam (Quadrangular).
Landau had one outstanding result at Rotterdam in 1931, where he finished 1st ahead of Edgard Colle
Edgard Colle
Edgard Colle was a Belgian chess master. He scored excellent results in major international tournaments, including first at Amsterdam 1926, ahead of Savielly Tartakower and future world champion Max Euwe; first at Meran 1926, ahead of Esteban Canal; and first at Scarborough 1930, ahead of Maróczy...
, Savielly Tartakower
Savielly Tartakower
Ksawery Tartakower was a leading Polish and French chess Grandmaster. He was also a leading chess journalist of the 1920s and 30s...
, and Akiba Rubinstein
Akiba Rubinstein
Akiba 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...
, defeating all three in the process.
Landau played and lost some matches: in 1930 against Géza Maróczy
Géza Maróczy
Géza Maróczy was a leading Hungarian chess Grandmaster, one of the best players in the world in his time. He was also a practicing engineer.-Early career:...
(+0 –3 =0) at Amsterdam; in 1930 against Akiba Rubinstein
Akiba Rubinstein
Akiba 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...
(+0 –3 =2) at Amsterdam; in 1931 against Max Euwe
Max Euwe
Machgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...
(+1 –3 =2) at Amsterdam; in 1932 against Salo Flohr
Salo Flohr
Salomon Mikhailovich Flohr was a leading Czech and later Soviet chess grandmaster of the mid-20th century, who became a national hero in Czechoslovakia during the 1930s. His name was used to sell many of the luxury products of the time, including Salo Flohr cigarettes, slippers and eau-de-cologne...
(+0 –1 =3) at Rotterdam; in 1933 against Rudolf Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann
Rudolf Spielmann was an Austrian-Jewish chess player of the romantic school, and chess writer.-Career:He was a lawyer but never worked as one....
(+1 –2 =3) at Rotterdam; in 1934 against Andor Lilienthal
Andor Lilienthal
Andor Arnoldovich Lilienthal was a Hungarian and Soviet chess Grandmaster. In his long career, he played against ten male and female world champions, beating Emanuel Lasker, José Raúl Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine, Max Euwe, Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, and Vera Menchik...
(+1 –2 =3) at Amsterdam; in 1934 against Euwe (+1 –4 =1) at Amsterdam. In Autumn 1934, he won (+6 –0 =0), and drew (+4 –4 =2) matches against Johannes van den Bosch
Johannes van den Bosch (chess player)
Johannes Hendrik Otto van den Bosch was a Dutch chess master. He thrice represented The Netherlands in Chess Olympiads, including the 2nd Chess Olympiad at The Hague in 1928, the 3rd Chess Olympiad at Hamburg in 1930, and the 4th Chess Olympiad at Prague in 1931.His best achievements were two...
.
He represented his adopted country on fourth board in 3rd Chess Olympiad
3rd Chess Olympiad
The 3rd Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between July 13 and July 27, 1930, in Hamburg, Germany...
at Hamburg 1930 (+5 –7 =3), and on second board in 7th Chess Olympiad
7th Chess Olympiad
The 7th Chess Olympiad, organized by the FIDE and comprising an open and women's tournament, as well as several events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between July 31 and August 14, 1937, in Stockholm, Sweden]....
at Stockholm 1937 (+5 –2 =8).
In 1933, he tied for 4th–6th at Scheveningen (Flohr won). In February 1934, he took 2nd, behind 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...
, at Rotterdam (Qudragular). In October–December 1935, during the World Championship match between Alekhine and Euwe in the Netherlands, Landau served as official second for Alekhine. In May 1936, he tied for 3rd–4th at Ostend. In July 1936, he tied for 7th–9th at Zandvoort. In 1936, he lost two matches against Spielmann, at Amsterdam (+0 –4 =4), and at Zandvoort (+1 –3 =3). In 1936, he tied for 4th–6th at Hanover. In October 1936, he tied for 1st with Alekhine at Amsterdam (Quadrangular). In October 1936, he tied for 4th–6th at Amsterdam.
In 1936, he won the 10th Dutch national championship (although the world champion, Euwe, did not compete).
In April 1937, he tied for 4th–5th at Ostend. In June–July 1937, he tied for 15th–16th at Kemeri
Ķemeri
Ķemeri resort is a part of Jūrmala in Latvia, 44 km from Riga. From 1928 to 1959, Ķemeri was a separate town, famous for the healing mud baths and luxurious hotel. Now about 2 200 inhabitants live there, while the main hotel is under reconstruction....
, but won the best game prize. In June 1938, he tied for 5th–6th at Noordwijk
Noordwijk
Noordwijk is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 51.53 km² and had a population of 24,707 in May 2006....
. In 1938, he tied for 5th–6th at Amsterdam (11th Dutch ch.). In November 1938, he was the referee in famous AVRO
Avro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
Tournament. In 1938/39, he tied for 3 rd-4th with Vasja Pirc
Vasja Pirc
Vasja Pirc was a leading Slovenian chess player. His name is most familiar to contemporary players as the originator of the hypermodern Pirc Defense...
, behind Szabo and Euwe, at Hastings. In 1939, he tied for 4 th-6th at Amsterdam (KNSB), shared 1st with Euwe at Amsterdam (VARA) took 3rd at Baarn B, tied for 4th–5th at Barnemouth. In 1939 he also drew a match against Theo van Scheltinga
Theo van Scheltinga
Tjeerd Daniel van Scheltinga was a Dutch chess player. FIDE awarded him the International Master title in 1950 ....
at Amsterdam (+3 –3 =4), drew a match against László Szabó
László Szabó (chess player)
László Szabó was a prominent Hungarian Grandmaster of chess.Born in Budapest, he burst onto the international chess scene in 1935, at the unusually young age of 18...
at Amsterdam (+2 –2 =6), won at Amsterdam (the 12th NED-ch), and lost a match for the Dutch Champion title to former World Champion Euwe (+0 –5 =5).
During World War II, in 1940, he won at Baarn (Quadrangular), took 4th at Delft (Quadrangular), tied for 3rd–4th at Amsterdam (VAS), tied for 4th–7th at Rotterdam (Kamstra Cup), and tied for 1st–3rd with Nicolaas Cortlever
Nicolaas Cortlever
Nicolaas Cortlever was a Dutch chess master.He tied for 7-8th at Rotterdam 1936 ; took 2nd at Amsterdam 1938 ; won at the 2nd Hoogovens Beverwijk 1939 ; tied for 4-6th at Amsterdam I and 3rd-4th at Amsterdam II in 1939.During World War II, he tied for 2nd-3rd at...
and Lodewijk Prins
Lodewijk Prins
Lodewijk Prins was a Dutch chess player and referee of chess competitions.Prins was awarded the International Master title in 1950, and was made an International Arbiter in 1960. In 1982 FIDE made him an honorary Grandmaster.Prins represented the Netherlands twelve times in all Chess Olympiads...
at Leeuwarden. In 1941, he won at Groningen.
Attempt to escape the Nazis; Concentration camp
Finally, in September 1942, Landau tried to escape the Nazis by fleeing to Switzerland with his family, but they were caught on September 28 in BredaBreda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
, near the border with Belgium. He was sent to a concentration camp in Gräditz
Graditz
Graditz is a village of 250 inhabitants in the Nordsachsen landkreis of Saxony. Since 1994 it has been a quarter of Torgau....
, Silesia, where he died sometime between October 1943 and March 1944, probably 15 November 1943. His wife and young daughter, whose hiding place was betrayed, were sent to Auschwitz, where they were gassed on October 12, 1944.
Notable chess games
- Salo Landau vs Akiba Rubinstein, Rotterdam 1931, Queen’s Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense, D66, 1-0
- Salo Landau vs Efim Bogoljubow, Zandvoort 1936, Queen’s Gambit Declined, Cambridge Springs Variation, D52, 1-0
- Salo Landau vs Eero Böök, Kemeri 1937, Queen's Pawn Game, D05, 1-0 The best game prize !
- Max Euwe vs Salo Landau, Hastings 1938/39, Grünfeld Defense, Russian Variation, D96, 0-1
- Hans Kmoch vs Salo Landau, Groningen 1941, Queen's Gambit Declined, Slav, Exchange Variation, D14, 0-1