Authored by my student Ashrit RM
Jose Raul Capablanca. Who has not heard of him! He is one of the greatest players of all time.
He is my personal favourite also. His magical endgame play has captivated thousands.
So this is how it all started...
On the 19th November in 1888 Capablanca was born. He was born to a Spanish army officer in Havana, Cuba. He learnt chess at the tender age of four, while watching his father play. There is a small story I would like to share with you. As I mentioned to you before, he learnt the game by watching his father play. And after some days, he pointed out an illegal move made by his father. His father was surprised, but suspected that Capablanca had a talent for chess. This suspicion was confirmed after he was defeated by Capablanca, a month later. There are many other such fascinating stories which I will relate to you later.
Capablanca was excellent at rapid chess games. Playing 602 games in 27 cities, he gained a distinction of 96.4% win (highest of that time).
In 1911, Capablanca challenged Emanuel Lasker for the World Championships. Lasker agreed to it. However, he proposed 17 conditions for the match. Capablanca objected to some of them and the match did not take place. In a tournament in 1913, he won all the thirteen games.
Capablanca became the world champion after defeating Lasker in 1921, in Havana, Cuba.
After this he played a match against Marshall, in which for the first time Marshall used his main weapon 'Marshall Attack". It is an attack, so complex that even great players such as Garry Kasparov avoid it. Even in this variation, he managed to pull out and gain a victory.
After this point, he was never defeated in the next eight years, until Richard Reti (another really good player; famous for the Reti opening) finally defeated him.
He passed away on 8 March 1942 at the age of 53. The world had lost someone very special.
Details on Wiki, ChessGames & ChessCorner
Jose Raul Capablanca. Who has not heard of him! He is one of the greatest players of all time.
He is my personal favourite also. His magical endgame play has captivated thousands.
So this is how it all started...
On the 19th November in 1888 Capablanca was born. He was born to a Spanish army officer in Havana, Cuba. He learnt chess at the tender age of four, while watching his father play. There is a small story I would like to share with you. As I mentioned to you before, he learnt the game by watching his father play. And after some days, he pointed out an illegal move made by his father. His father was surprised, but suspected that Capablanca had a talent for chess. This suspicion was confirmed after he was defeated by Capablanca, a month later. There are many other such fascinating stories which I will relate to you later.
Capablanca was excellent at rapid chess games. Playing 602 games in 27 cities, he gained a distinction of 96.4% win (highest of that time).
In 1911, Capablanca challenged Emanuel Lasker for the World Championships. Lasker agreed to it. However, he proposed 17 conditions for the match. Capablanca objected to some of them and the match did not take place. In a tournament in 1913, he won all the thirteen games.
Capablanca became the world champion after defeating Lasker in 1921, in Havana, Cuba.
After this he played a match against Marshall, in which for the first time Marshall used his main weapon 'Marshall Attack". It is an attack, so complex that even great players such as Garry Kasparov avoid it. Even in this variation, he managed to pull out and gain a victory.
After this point, he was never defeated in the next eight years, until Richard Reti (another really good player; famous for the Reti opening) finally defeated him.
He passed away on 8 March 1942 at the age of 53. The world had lost someone very special.
Details on Wiki, ChessGames & ChessCorner
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