Lost Crowns Series: Akiba Rubinstein

Introduction and Rubinstein's Career Begins:

Hello everyone, welcome back to my new blog.
Today, we'll be talking about a legend of his time who, due to the circumstances of the era, was unable to play in the world championship match and was deeply affected by the wars of his time, eventually spending the rest of his life in the hospital.

This article marks the first entry of my new series: Lost Crowns Series — a collection where we explore the lives of extraordinary chess geniuses who came incredibly close to greatness but were denied their rightful crowns by fate.

If you’d like, let’s now dive into the depths of Akiba Rubinstein’s remarkable and tragic life.

Rubinstein's Life and Career Begins:

Rubinstein was a child who grew up in the narrow streets of the small Polish town of Brisk. He went unnoticed in his large family; nothing was expected of him at home, and he continued his normal life. One day, Rubinstein came across a chessboard and pieces, and seeing chess would launch his entire career. Playing chess suited him perfectly; like chess, he was quiet and shy. Even as a child, he enjoyed being able to think silently for hours. At that time, while grandmasters were constantly playing matches with children his age, he was still learning how the pieces moved, but his daily practice and determination would take him to great heights. Rubinstein wasn't actually a child prodigy; at 17, he had no formal chess education, but everything changed when his family sent him to a rabbinical school.

Departure for Warsaw Rubinstein's Gate of Destiny Opens:

At a young age, his family sent him to a rabbinical school. Rubinstein, who was bored by the lessons there, began attending chess courses, which he already knew a little about and found suitable for himself, and started watching the masters there. While watching the masters, he could analyze the entire game just by looking at it. Rubinstein, who could see every move from the 20th to the 50th, began to attract the attention of a few players. People said, “This kid remembers every variation without saying a word,” and he began to gain some recognition in the course. This is where his chess career began. The fact that he had never received any chess training made him even more fascinating, meaning that he was able to be such an analytical and forward-thinking person purely through his intelligence.

First Explosion and Recognition Rubinstein Becomes Famous in Class:

Between 1901 and 1903, Rubinstein began to gain recognition at the Warsaw course. Everyone called him “quiet and powerful” because he beat everyone and ranked high in tournaments held in Poland. He could learn tactics that would take 10 years to master in just one month, and that was his greatest strength. The famous theorist of the time, Tartakower, noticed him at a young age and wrote, "Rubinstein was made for chess. He needed no instruction." Rubinstein's intuitive perception was so good that some masters had difficulty understanding his game; he played chess very differently from everyone else. Between 1903 and 1907, Rubinstein began participating in larger tournaments. In his early years, he was always in the middle of the pack in tournaments, but his consistency allowed him to rise to the top. After 1905, Rubinstein improved significantly and developed the following characteristics:

✦ He deepened his opening repertoire.

✦ He worked obsessively on endgames.

✦ He devoted himself entirely to chess

And then, finally, in 1907, the Ostend Tournament began. He introduced himself to Europe in this tournament. Lasker was not there, Capablanca was not there, but all of Europe's elite masters were there, and Rubinstein did not disappoint, defeating everyone in the tournament. His success led to him being hailed everywhere as the “New World Championship Contender.” made it known.

World Championship Match: The Championship Cut Short by Time:

Rubinstein was at the peak of his rise and was about to crown it with a world championship title, but history dealt him a cruel blow. The world championship match planned with Lasker in 1914 did not take place due to political events and financial problems. After the war, in the match held in 1920, Rubinstein showed traces of his former strength, but the calm, perfectly calculating “machine-like Rubinstein” never fully returned. That period is generally referred to as the “mourning period for a missed world championship.” Rubinstein, still regarded as a respected master in 1920, was struggling with an internal storm within himself. He had also experienced some internal turmoil during the events of 1914. It was truly sad that he could not become world champion simply because of the war.

Towards the End of His Career Rubinstein is struggling with inner turmoil:

Rubinstein, still a legendary chess master, was struggling with inner turmoil. 

✦ Severe anxiety,

✦ Social phobia,

✦ And especially the crises he experienced when playing in front of crowds.

For these reasons, Rubinstein stopped participating in tournaments. He now feared crowds; he only wanted to be alone. Rubinstein, who had played alone in his imagination since childhood, would now be doomed if forced to play in crowded games. 

The End of a Career Rubinstein Disappears into the Crowd:

In the 1930s, Rubinstein lived in psychiatric hospitals and care homes. In particular, 

✦ severe anxiety,

✦ severe social phobia,

✦ psychotic episodes,

✦ inability to communicate in crowds,

✦ hypersensitivity to sounds

had caused him to withdraw from his professional life. Rubinstein, who had completely abandoned chess, endured difficult circumstances within his family during the war years and was forced to spend his final years in Belgium, where he resided in a care center. He lived in extreme isolation for the last 30 years, speaking to no one and living alone. He died of natural causes on March 14, 1961.

What Should We Learn from Rubinstein's Life and from Him?

What we should learn most from Rubinstein is that he had no formal education and his family was not wealthy, but his hard work and determination propelled him to greatness and made him a legend. Even if he didn't reach the summit, he managed to leave his mark on chess. I think if he had become world champion, he would have received less attention than he does now. The circumstances of the time led to his downfall; the world war and mental health issues ended his career. No matter how successful we are, the circumstances of the time can bring us down. His mental resilience shows that he was a true master. His silence did not cause him to lose; even though he spoke little, he left a great impact on history. Sometimes life can be unfair; failure may not always be your fault; fate sometimes comes first. Even if there is injustice or unfairness in your life, don't give up. I learned these lessons from Rubinstein. What did you learn? He was truly a great legend and is still studied today. He was truly incredible. Don't forget to share your thoughts on the topic. I hope you enjoy this series.