One of the top players in the world during the 1910s and 1920s, he began his career as a fiercely combinative classical player, favoring openings such as the King's Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. f4). However, after the end of the First World War, his playing style underwent a radical change, and he became one of the principal proponents of hypermodernism, along with Aron Nimzowitsch and others. Indeed, with the notable exception of Nimzowitsch's acclaimed book My System, he is considered to be the movement's foremost literary contributor. The Réti Opening (1. Nf3) is named after him. Réti famously defeated the world champion José Raúl Capablanca in the New York 1924 chess tournament using this opening – Capablanca's first defeat in eight years, the only one to Réti, and the first since becoming World Champion. Réti was also a notable composer of endgame studies.
In 1925 Réti set, and for a time held, the world record for blindfold chess with twenty-nine games played simultaneously. He won twenty-one of these, drew six, and only lost two.
His writings have also become "classics" in the chess world. Modern Ideas in Chess (1923) and Masters of the Chess Board (1933) are still studied today.
Richard Réti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pezinok, Slovakia
Richard Réti (28 May 1889, Pezinok (now Slovakia) – 6 June 1929, Prague) was an Austrian-Hungarian, later Czechoslovakian chess player, chess author, and composer of endgame studies. He was born in Pezinok which at the time was in the Hungarian part of Austria-Hungary. His older brother Rudolph Réti was a noted composer and pianist.[1]
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[hide][edit] Biography
One of the top players in the world during the 1910s and 1920s, he began his career as a fiercely combinative classical player, favoring openings such as the King's Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. f4). However, after the end of the First World War, his playing style underwent a radical change, and he became one of the principal proponents of hypermodernism, along with Aron Nimzowitsch and others. Indeed, with the notable exception of Nimzowitsch's acclaimed book My System, he is considered to be the movement's foremost literary contributor. The Réti Opening (1. Nf3) is named after him. Réti famously defeated the world champion José Raúl Capablanca in the New York 1924 chess tournament using this opening – Capablanca's first defeat in eight years, the only one to Réti, and the first since becoming World Champion. Réti was also a notable composer of endgame studies.
In 1925 Réti set, and for a time held, the world record for blindfold chess with twenty-nine games played simultaneously. He won twenty-one of these, drew six, and only lost two.
His writings have also become "classics" in the chess world. Modern Ideas in Chess (1923) and Masters of the Chess Board (1933) are still studied today.
Réti died on June 6, 1929 in Prague of scarlet fever. He is buried in Vienna.