Author: William Henry Watts (1878-1941) editor
Publisher: Printing Craft Ltd
Place: London
Description:
137 pages with 14 plates, 3 tables and diagrams. Octavo (8 3/4" x 5 3/4") issued in burgundy cloth with gilt letter to the spine and ruled blind stamped of front cover in facsimile jacket. Annotations by Geza Maroczy. (Betts: 25-70) First edition.
In 1922, Europe had been four years removed from the conflagration that was the First World War and the Russian Revolution. International chess had ceased from the time the war began in 1914, but by 1922 it was evidently back in full swing. Jose Raul Capablanca, in fact, had wrested the world title from the pre-war champion, Lasker, in Havana, Cuba, the previous year.
As though chess itself was rising from the war’s ashes, the 1920s saw the development of novel ideas. Aron Nimzowitsch, Richard Reti, and Gyula Breyer, adventurous and creative players, shook the classical school with their revolutionary opening play. When masters soon assimilated their dynamic, counter-attacking brand of chess, the Hypermodern Age began.
Amidst this backdrop, the British Chess Federation called for an international tournament that was to be the main event of its 1922 congress. The field it assembled was impressive. There were the World Champion, Capablanca, and the day’s other leading lights who, sooner or later, were to become rightful contenders to the crown: Alexander Alekhine, Akiba Rubinstein, Efim Bogoljubov, Richard Reti, Savielly Tartakover, Milan Vidmar, and Machgielis Euwe. Rounding the list were the current British Champion Frederick David Yates, Australian Champion Charles Gilbert Watson, Italian Champion Davide Marotti, Canadian Champion John Morrison, British master Henry Ernest Atkins, and Russian Master Eugene Znosko-Borovsky.
While Capablanca was quite modest, he never left any doubt about his superiority. He gained one victory after another with ease and scored 11 victories and four draws in 15 rounds as the runaway winner. Alekhine placed second, 1.5 points behind. Vidmar came third, Rubinstein fourth, and Bogoljubov fifth.
Condition:
Light rubbing to extremities, previous owner's name to front end paper else a very good copy in a facsimile dust wrapper.