My Favorite Game Of. Number 20. Jaques Mieses

Afternoon Everyone.

Two things before I start. Firstly My thanks to @batgirl and @RoaringPawn for help with pictures!!

Secondly, the aim of this little post is just to show some beautiful chess and pictures, so if anyone wants to add biography etc, feel free! All contributions welcomed.

In my last effort https://www.chess.com/blog/simaginfan/two-forgotten-matches-of-jaques-mieses-and-a-book-to-look-out-for   I said that I would get round to this, so here it is. My friends have contributed a lot of material there, so go take a look in the comments there.

The Leonard Barden article referred to there can he found here  

So. Jaques Mieses the chess player. As I said, he had a long and extraordinary career.

As a chess player he was unusual. Even in his early days he was a little different to most. For example he hardly ever played the Ruy Lopez - although he was a confirmed King's Pawn opener. Instead we see him playing various forms of the Vienna and the Scotch throughout his career. He also avoided the main lines of the French Defence, preferring the exchange variation and the gambit 3.Be3.

With Black he had a whole range of sidelines in his arsenal - most notably the Centre Counter Gambit.

He played speculative, attractive chess! Noted as a 'specialist' in winning Brilliancy Prizes - at least eight over his career, I think. He was also, strangely - given his style -  a huge  admirer of Tarrasch, according to Vidmar.

An image from chessarch.

As my regular readers will know, studying chess games is my thing, and Mieses played some absolute beauties!!

For example, I would struggle to say what my favourite move of all time is, but Mieses played one that would be high on the list of candidates.

it came in a game against this man - Arturo Reggio.

Courtesy of @batgirl here  

Also, a rare photograph she has sent me from 'Gli scacchi a Catania e provincia alla fine dell’Ottocento' by Santo Daniele Spina p.29. Interestingly it also has an image I had not seen before of the last place finisher at Hastings 1895 - who my old friend Ritson once described to me as someone who might scrape into a Birmingham league team - Beniamino Vergani 

The game in question:-

The header image has a Mieses brilliancy prize game behind it.

It was taken at Hastings 1945-46  early in the following game - not a bad effort for an Octogenarian!!

And so - finally - on to my favourite Mieses game - this one didn't win a brilliancy prize. (Instead Mieses picked up that prize for another of his games!!)

it was played against this man, who's real name has been the subject of some historical debate and research, James Mason.

There is a famous sketch compilation from the London 1883 tournament.

It is unclear to read, but I THINK this is Mason.

O.K. Enjoy the game!!

Menchik and Mieses in 1942 -a photo I love.

And a cartoon courtesy @RoaringPawn