Description:

xvi+104 pages with diagrams and tables. Royal octavo (9 1/4" x 6 1/4") bound in original brown cloth with yellow lettering and design to cover. From the library of Bob Blass. (Linde-Niemeijeriana: 5289) First edition.

Prague Jubilee Congress (1908) played a few weeks after the other big Vienna (1908) international event of the year, Prague was also held in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph and featured most of the same big names with the addition of Vidmar. The players Semion Alapin, Oldrich Duras, Fyodor Ivanovich Dus Chotimirsky, David Janowski, Dr. Jan Kvicala, Paul Saladin Leonhardt, Geza Maroczy, Frank James Marshall, Jacques Mieses, Ladislav Prokes, Abram Isaakovich Rabinovich, Akiba Rubinstein, Georg Salwe, Carl Schlechter, Rudolf Spielmann, Hugo Suechting, Richard Teichmann, Frantisek Treybal, Milan Vidmar, Curt von Bardeleben provided a strong contest. Schlechter began spectacularly as he did at Vienna, winning his first four games. Duras was a child of luck, he won two games without having to move a piece against Dus-Chotmirsky, who was stopped at the Russian border for lacke of credentials and Kvicala, who withdrew upon learning of his parents' death. Duras' good luck continued when a time-harried Spielmann overlooked a clear win in their sixth-round game. A tournament rule barring draws under 30 moves proved costly to third-place finisher Vidmar (+10 -3 =6). Reaching a simplified position against him in the second-round, Leonhardt offered a draw which was disallowed. Whereupon the surprised Vidmar made several hasty moves to lose what was a level position-dropping half point and a share of the top prize. Rubinstein (+8 -2 =9), the fourth place occupant, made another strong showing after Carlsbad. The fifth spot belonged to Teichmann (+6 -1 =12), who only lost to Dus-Chtimirsky. Maroczy (+6 -2 =11) was sole sixth, followed by Marshall (+6 -3 =10), Salwe and Leonhardt with identical (+7 -4 =8) scores of 11 and places seventh through ninth. The always erratic Janowski (+9 -7 +3) barely secured the last prize (10th place). (Goldman Carl Schlecter!)

Robert Blass ( -1975) of Zurich, Switzerland, had a collection of early chess books that was sold at Christies in May, 1992.

Condition:

Blass' book stamp to front end paper, spine head chipped, pages age toned, corners bumped, inner hinges cracked else a good to very good copy.