Author: Marek Szapiro (1917-2002) and José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera signed by both contestants
Year: 1963
Publisher: Spence Limited Editions
Place: Omaha
Description:
One sheet. Octavo (9" x 55") in Marek Szapiro's hand signed by both players. On the reverse, a short text for Miroslaw Litmanowicz written by Szapiro.
A simultaneous chess exhibition took place in Warsaw, Poland, on February 8, 1935, featuring the former World Chess Champion José Raúl Capablanca. During the event, Capablanca played against a large number of opponents across multiple boards at the same time. His final score for this specific exhibition was impressive: he achieved 24 wins, 6 draws, and 4 losses. The chess sets used in this notable exhibition have become historically recognized and are sometimes referred to by collectors as the "1935 Warsaw Capablanca Simultaneous Set".
Marek Szapiro was passionate about chess, but due to professional reasons, he couldn't devote much time to it. He finished third in the 1938/1939 WTZGSz Championship. During World War II, he played in the Jewish Quarter Championship tournament. He participated in the first post-war Polish Championship ( Sopot 1946), finishing fifteenth out of 22 players with 9 points from 21 games and winning an individual victory over the bronze medalist, Kazimierz Plater . His appearance in the 1950 Łódź Championship ended his competitive career. Afterward, he played only friendly games and team competitions. He occasionally published materials on opening theory and tactics in the Polish chess press
Mirosława Litmanowicz (1928-2017) was a Polish chess player who won the Polish Women's Chess Championship in 1968. She became a FIDE Woman International Master in 1967. Since the mid of 1950s to the start of 1970s, Litmanowicz was one of the leading Polish women chess player. From 1951 to 1972 she played 16 times in the Polish Women's Chess Championship's finals. Litmanowicz won ten medals: gold (1968), 5 silver (1957, 1958, 1964, 1969, 1972) and 2 bronze (1961, 1967). Also she won 7 gold medals (1953, 1956, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1972) in Polish Team Chess Championships. In February 1974, she ended her active chess player career and devoted herself to literary work. Her best-known books are chess manuals for children and young people.
José Raúl Capablanca was a Cuban chess player who was the third world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. A chess prodigy, he was widely renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play.
Condition:
The sheet was mounted on paper, is browned, slightly stained, has tears and creases, and the upper left corner is missing. Mounting marks on the reverse else good.