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GM Savielly Tartakower
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GM Savielly Tartakower

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Chess Career Highlights

  • Tartakower Defense: An opening system he frequently employed (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 d6 5.Bg2 O-O 6.O-O Nbd7).

  • Competed in many top tournaments between 1910–1950.

  • Represented France and Poland in Chess Olympiads.

  • Was a founding figure of the hypermodern movement along with players like Nimzowitsch and Réti.

  • Played and held his own against legends such as Capablanca, Alekhine, Lasker, and Botvinnik.

  • Became International Grandmaster in 1950 when FIDE first awarded titles.

Notable Games and Analysis

1. Tartakower vs Capablanca – New York, 1924

Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined
Result: 0-1 (Capablanca wins)

Game:

mathematica
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 O-O 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 b6 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Nxd5 exd5 11.Rc1 Be6 12.Qa4 c5 13.Qa3 Rc8 14.Bb5 a6 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.O-O Ra7 17.Be2 Nd7 18.Nd4 Qf6 19.b4 c4 20.f4 Bf5 21.Qc3 Re8 22.Rf3 Be4 23.Rg3 Rb7 24.Bd1 Qe7 25.Ne6 f6 26.Nc5 Nxc5 27.bxc5 Qxc5 28.Qxf6 Qxe3+ 29.Rxe3 gxf6 30.Bf3 f5 31.Rd1 Reb8 32.g4 Rb1 33.gxf5 Rxd1+ 34.Bxd1 Rb1 35.Re1 c3 36.Kf2 c2 37.Bxc2 Rxe1 38.Kxe1 Bxc2

Key Point: Capablanca's flawless endgame play demonstrates the power of active pieces and central control. Tartakower played creatively but allowed simplification into a lost endgame.

2. Tartakower vs Nimzowitsch – London, 1927

Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined
Result: 1-0 (Tartakower wins)

Game:

mathematica
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 O-O 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Bd3 Nc6 9.O-O dxc4 10.Bxc4 a6 11.Qe2 b5 12.Rfd1 Qb6 13.Bd3 Bb7 14.Rac1 Rfd8 15.Bg5 Be7 16.Ne4 Nxe4 17.Bxe4 Bxg5 18.Nxg5 h6 19.Bh7+ Kf8 20.Nxf7 Kxf7 21.Qh5+ Kf8 22.Bg6 Rxd1+ 23.Rxd1 Rd8 24.Qf3+ Kg8 25.Qf7+ Kh8 26.Rd7 Ne7 27.Qxe7 Rxd7 28.Qe8#

Key Point: A brilliant attacking game from Tartakower, combining tactical vision and piece activity. He sacrifices material to open lines against Nimzowitsch's king, ending with a beautiful mate.

3. Tartakower vs Maroczy – Karlsbad, 1929

Opening: Queen’s Gambit Declined
Result: 1-0 (Tartakower wins)

Game:

mathematica
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 O-O 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 b6 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Bxe7 Qxe7 10.Nxd5 exd5 11.Rc1 Be6 12.Qa4 c5 13.Qa3 Rc8 14.Bb5 a6 15.dxc5 bxc5 16.O-O Ra7 17.Be2 Nd7 18.Nd4 Qf6 19.b4 c4 20.f4 Bf5 21.Qc3 Re8 22.Rf3 Be4 23.Rg3 Rb7 24.Bd1 Qe7 25.Ne6 f6 26.Nc5 Nxc5 27.bxc5 Qxc5 28.Qxf6 Qxe3+ 29.Rxe3 gxf6 30.Bf3 f5 31.Rd1 Reb8 32.g4 Rb1 33.gxf5 Rxd1+ 34.Bxd1 Rb1 35.Re1 c3 36.Kf2 c2 37.Bxc2 Rxe1 38.Kxe1 Bxc2

Note: This is a repeated structure from the Capablanca game above — he used this opening setup often.

Game 1: Tartakower vs. Maroczy, New York 1924

1.b4 e5
2.Bb2 Bxb4
3.Bxe5 Nf6
4.Nf3 O-O
5.e3 Re8
6.Bb2 d5
7.Be2 c5
8.O-O Nc6
9.d3 d4
10.c3 dxc3
11.Nxc3 Bf5
12.Rc1 Qd7
13.a3 Ba5
14.Nb5 a6
15.Bxf6 axb5
16.Bb2 Qe7
17.d4 c4
18.d5 Rad8
19.Nd4 Rxd5
20.Bf3 Be4
21.Bxe4 Qxe4
22.Qf3 Qxf3
23.Nxf3 Red8
24.Nd4 Nxd4
25.Bxd4 Ra8
26.Rb1 f5
27.Rfc1 f4
28.Kf1 fxe3
29.fxe3 Rf8+
30.Ke2 Rdf5
31.Rf1 Rxf1
32.Rxf1 Rxf1
33.Kxf1 Kf7
34.Ke2 g6
35.Kf3 Ke6
36.Ke4 h5
37.h3 Be1
38.g4 h4
39.Bb2 c3
40.Bc1 Bd2
41.Kd3 Kd5
42.Bxd2 cxd2
43.Kxd2 Kc4
44.Kc2 g5
45.Kb2 Kd3
46.Kb3 Kxe3
47.Kb4 Kf3
48.Kxb5 Kg3
49.a4 Kxh3
50.a5 Kxg4
51.a6 h3
52.a7 h2
53.a8=Q Kg3
54.Qh1 g4
55.Kc4 Kh3
56.Kd3 g3
57.Qf3 Kh4
58.Qg2 Kg4
59.Ke3 b5
60.Ke4 b4
61.Qf3+ Kh3
62.Kf4 Kh4
63.Qg4# 1–0

📌 This game showed his creativity by opening with 1.b4, a very rare choice, and outplaying the classical Maroczy.

Game 2: Tartakower vs. Alekhine, Paris 1933

1.d4 Nf6
2.c4 e6
3.Nf3 d5
4.Nc3 Be7
5.Bg5 O-O
6.e3 h6
7.Bh4 b6
8.cxd5 Nxd5
9.Bxe7 Qxe7
10.Nxd5 exd5
11.Rc1 Be6
12.Bd3 c5
13.dxc5 bxc5
14.O-O Nd7
15.Bb1 Rab8
16.b3 Rfd8
17.Qc2 g6
18.h3 a5
19.Qc3 Rb4
20.Ne5 Qf6
21.Nc6 Qxc3
22.Rxc3 Rdb8
23.Nxb8 Rxb8
24.Bd3 Rb4
25.Rfc1 a4
26.bxa4 Rxa4
27.a3 c4
28.Be2 Nc5
29.Bd1 Ra5
30.f3 Kf8
31.Rb1 Ke7
32.Rb6 Nd3
33.a4 Nc5
34.Ra3 Kd7
35.Rb5 Ra7
36.Rxc5 Kd6
37.Rb5 Bd7
38.Rb6+ Kc5
39.a5 Rxa5
40.Rxa5+ Kxb6
41.Rxd5 Be6
42.Rd8 Kc7
43.Rd4 Kc6
44.Kf2 Kc5
45.Ke2 c3
46.Kd3 c2
47.Bxc2 Bf5+
48.e4 Be6
49.f4 g5
50.f5 Bc8
51.Rd8 Bb7
52.Rd7 Ba6+
53.Ke3 Bc4
54.Rc7+ Kb4
55.Kd4 Bb3
56.Rb7+ Ka3
57.Rxb3+ Ka2
58.Kc3 1–0

📌 A strategic masterpiece showing Tartakower’s deep understanding of endgames and piece coordination.

Legacy

  • Tartakower is considered one of the greatest chess writers and aphorists of all time.

  • His books like "My Best Games of Chess 1905–1930" and "Die Hypermoderne Schachpartie" remain classics.

  • He stood as a bridge between classical and modern chess.

Tartakower’s Style

  • Known for his creative and unorthodox play.

  • Was a master of complex, strategic battles.

  • Wrote numerous books and articles; his style of writing was often humorous and aphoristic.

  • He frequently adopted openings that allowed for dynamic, unbalanced positions.