Author: Mieses, Jacques (1865-1954) and Moritz Lewitt
Year: 1912
Publisher: Verlag Dr Wedekind & Co
Place: Berlin
Description:
119 with table, diagrams and plates and photographs. Royal octavo (9 1/2" x 6 1/4") bound in original publisher's wrappers. (Bibliotheca Van der Linde-Niemeijeriana:5312) First edition.
Eleven prominent players from England, Germany, Poland, Austria, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and the United States participated in the second tournament held in San Sebastian. Nine of the eleven had compete in the original event. The two newcomers were Perlis of Vienna and Fleischmann of Budapest. Once again the Spanish seaside resort was the site of a stirring duel for first-place honors. A trio of masters, Rubinstein (+8 -2 =9), Spielmann (+8 -3 =8) and Nimzovitch (+8 -3 =8), engaged in a spirited struggle that was only decided in the last pairings of the tournament. The first half results clearly presaged victory for the dashing Spielmann, runaway winner of the Abbazia Gambit Tourney which had ended six days before. At midway point, he appeared enroute to his greatest triumph, with the score sheet reading Spielmann 8; Nimzovitch 6; Marshall, Tarrasch and Perlis 5 ½; Rubenstein 5; Duras, Schlechter, and Teichmann 4 ½; Fleischmann and Leonhardt 3. But the chess gods had set 1912 aside as a year belonging to Rubenstein – and so it proved in second-half play when he caught fire to socre7 ½ points (an even more remarkable achievement, since there were only 10 players in the second half). The suddenly slumping Spielmann, meanwhile, could only add four more points to his tally. The ever dangerous Nimzovitch, playing his own original style, also took fortune on the tide and found himself a half-point ahead of Rubenstein when they faced each other in the last round. The dramatic result is quickly told: Rubenstein, who had to win to take first place, did so – amazingly overlooking a two-move mate (!) on the 26th move, but out steadying his high-strung rival to score a 50 move victory. A pleasant surprise was the fourth-place finish of Tarrasch (+0 -5 =5), who turned 50 during the tournament (March 5). He also enjoyed the distinction of winning the most games. Perlis (+4 -3 =12) captured fifth spot, a half-point ahead of Marshall (+6 -6 =7), who tallied but 2 /12 point in 10 games against the first five place finishers. The solid Duras (+4 -6 =9) divided games with Rubinstein and won 1 ½ points against Tarrasch, but lost to Nimzovitch (two games), Perlis, Marshall and Leonhardt. San Sebastian 1912 proved to be one of Schechter’s unhappiest showings. He took a first round contest from Leonhardt (+2 -11 +6), but then drew 14 and lost four of his remaining matches. Two for the defeats were administered by Rubenstein in well-played struggles – while other games went lost to his old nemesis, Marshall, and to Spielmann. Another negative surprise was Teichmann (+0 -3 =16), who amazingly failed to win a game while amassing an amazing total of 16 draws to emerge the tourney’s “Remis Koenig.”
Condition:
Edge wear with some creases, the number 647 on title, spine head chipped, corners bumped and creased else about very good.
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