Two Forgotten Matches of Jaques Mieses, and A Book to Look Out For.

Well, it has been an insane couple of weeks here! Also a good couple of weeks for those on this site with an interest in chess history.

Since my last article, my friend @ddtru has posted two wonderful articles about the great Vera Menchik. Also, the inimitable @introuble2  has posted two fabulous articles. Please go check out the work of those two guys - they are wonderful, and far better at this stuff than my humble self.

So, I have also been lucky enough to have been sent a copy of this book.

For which kindness I am indebted to the author - he can be found on this site as @Since1883  

Well, what can I say!! It is a solid translation - many, many, hours work, of some important and valuable material.

I had - via various sources - seen some of it before, but the majority is new to me. 

The book is of huge value in more than one way.

Firstly for those of us who are interested in chess history. I do not think that I would have liked Botvinnik personally, but he was indisputably one of the greatest and most important players of all time. 

Secondly, his influence in the areas of chess training and preparation is possibly greater than that of any other player, and, as such, the material in this book is both historically important and interesting.

This is a book not only of interest to chess historians, but, in my opinion, one of huge value to chess trainers and coaches around the world.

I will not attempt a full review here - simply state that it is at a give-away price on amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WGL81QZ    

My advice, for all players, whether it be for self improvement, coaching purposes, or historical interest is to go and buy it. Thanks Victor - you have produced a fine and important piece of work.

O.K. A few weeks ago my friend @RoaringPawn posted a version of a photograph taken during the first game of the Mieses - Rubinstein match of 1909.

Well, as the guy who brings you chess from 'The  Forgotten', Mieses has been on my list of players to look at with you for some time.

Wikipedia credits him with having the longest active career at master level of any player!!

The great Leonard Barden - fortunately still with us into his 90's - recalls playing him in his first important tournament. It was also Mieses' last event. What a span of chess history!! From the late 1880's up to the present day. You can go back beyond that to Mieses' uncle, I think - going off the top of my head here - Samuel Mieses - who played Anderssen. WOW!!

Hastings. 1945-46.

He was an incredibly active player. Fearless, and willing to play anyone, anytime, anyplace. 

He was also an important organiser and journalist at the time. this photo from Wiener Schachzeitung, 1907 has him listed as 'reporter'. You will have to 'right-click', save, etc to see it properly - my tech skills are limited.

Matches were important back in the day. They were much cheaper and easier for clubs to organize than tournaments, and Mieses played a huge number. From memory edochess credits him with 19 matches up to 1919. 

So - two forgotten matches of Mieses.

Please forgive me not posting full accounts of them - time is not on my side, and having sorted files for the games I want to post this today, and not leave it for another couple of weeks. It's life!!

In 1909 he played a lot of chess. One event - his Blindfold match with Carl Schechter - is so forgotten that it is not even mentioned in Goldman's book on Schlechter, which I have mentioned in previous articles.

It was a three game match, and Schlechter was a fine blindfold player.

Here he is giving a 10 board - I think - exhibition, from Das Interesanntte Blatter, 22/12/1898, that I have used before.

The games with some contemporary notes - sadly due to copyright restrictions I have not been able to access Schlechter's original report on the match.

For historical interest I have included Hoffer's notes re. both matches, from The Field. he was not the best analyst(!!) but his notes add some historical context.

The final game of  the match is an extraordinary one. As someone who has given blindfold exhibitions, I can not imagine trying to get through this game!!

In the same year - after the great St. Petersburg Tournament - he played a 10 game match with the joint winner of that event; the legendary Akiva Rubinstein. He made Rubinstein work hard!! It was a fascinating  match. The first 4 games were in Berlin, and then the match moved to Hanover.

Again my apologies for not giving a full account. The first and 8th games are of particular interest, and I have spent a lot of time on them.

Wiener Schachzeitung 1909. pg 240.

At this point all was going very well for Mieses, but then he started to push for too much, and made some inexplicable errors.

Game 8 was a fascinating one! As mentioned, Mieses had started to make blunders, and should have lost this game. However, a time trouble oversight from Rubinstein let him off the hook, so to speak.

If you only look at one game in this article, make it this one - you will learn a lot, and I am not convinced that I understand this endgame properly even now. 

Mieses - around 1935.

I will be back with my favourite game of Mieses at some point!!

I hope you enjoyed this stuff, and apologise for the fact that it is not the kind of article I has originally intended, but life has rather overtaken me in the last few weeks.

C'est la vie!!

Cheers all.

Simaginfan.