Author: Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin (1850-1908)
Year: 1972
Publisher: Caissa Limited Editions
Place: Stanton, DE
Description:
xii+152 pages with diagrams and plates (one folding).l Octavo (8" x 6") bound in original publisher's blue cloth with gilt lettering to spine and cover. (Lusis: 1416, Linde-Niemeijeriana:5261) facsimile Caissa Edition Limited, volume 1. Number 300 of 300 copies.
With this facsimile edition of the Kiev 1903 tournament book Caissa Limited Editions kicked off its new series of deluxe limited edition chess book for the discriminating collector. the increasing demand for some of the rarer and most important works on the Royal Game can only be accommodated by reprinting, but as the same time it is doubtful that wide appeal will be accorded a book such as Kiev 1903 in the Russian language, despite the quality of the book and the significance of the tournament. The great Russian master Tchigorin, who was largely responsible for the surge of chess in Russian at the end of the 19th century, won this Third Russian National Tournament just as he had won the first and second such tournaments at Moscow. in 1899 and 1901, even though the Kiev tournament was far stronger with Bernstein, Rubinstein and Salwe competing. For Bernstein and Rubinstein this tournament was a great success with both achieving high places in the first strong tourney in which they competed. Though Tchigorin died only four years after the end of the Kiev tournament, the strength of Russian chess steadily increased, first with Rubinstein and Bernstein as the new stars, but not long after with Alekhine, Nimzovich and Bogoljuboff, the five of whom except for Lasker and Capablanca, almost dominated chess competition until the late thirties when still another Russian Botvinnik, fought his way to the top. Kiev 1903 may be looked upon as one of the "nucleation sites" for the growth of Russian chess strength. (Brandreth)
Condition:
A fine copy.
SOLD 2024