Ossip Bernstein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ossip Bernstein |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Full name | Ossip Samoilovich Bernstein |
| Country | Russian Empire France |
| Born | 20 September 1882 Zhytomyr, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) |
| Died | 30 November 1962 (aged 80) French Pyrenees |
| Title | Grandmaster (1950) |
Ossip Samoilovich Bernstein (born September 20, 1882 – died November 30, 1962) was a talented chess player and a successful businessman. He was from the Russian Empire and later became a French citizen. In 1950, he was one of the very first players to be given the special title of International Grandmaster by FIDE, the world chess organization.
Biography
Early Life and Challenges
Ossip Bernstein was born in Zhytomyr, which was part of the Russian Empire at the time. His family was wealthy. He studied law and earned a special degree in 1906 from Heidelberg University. After that, he became a lawyer who specialized in money matters.
Bernstein was very good at business and made a lot of money. However, he lost his first fortune during the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. He then built up a second fortune, but lost it during the Great Depression, a time when the world's economy was very bad. He made money a third time, but lost it again when Nazi Germany invaded France in 1940. Because he was Jewish, he had to leave France to stay safe. He moved to Spain and lived in Barcelona.
A Game for Freedom
A famous story about Ossip Bernstein happened in 1918 in Odessa. He was arrested by a group called the Bolshevik secret police. They thought he was against the government because he worked for banks.
On the day he was supposed to be punished, Bernstein was lined up with other prisoners. Just before it happened, an officer looked at the list of names. This officer was a big chess fan and recognized Bernstein's name! He offered Bernstein a deal: they would play a game of chess. If Bernstein won, he would be set free. If he lost or drew, he would face the same fate as the other prisoners.
Bernstein won the game quickly! He was released and managed to escape on a British ship. He then settled in Paris, France.
Ossip Bernstein passed away in 1962 in a special care home in the French Pyrenees mountains.
Chess Career
.jpg)
Ossip Bernstein had a long and successful career in chess. He started winning tournaments early on. In 1902, he won in Berlin. The next year, he came in second place at the All-Russian Masters' Tournament in Kiev. He often finished in the top spots in major chess events across Europe. In 1906, he tied for first place with another strong player, Carl Schlechter, in Stockholm. He also tied for first with Akiba Rubinstein in Ostend in 1907. In 1911, he won the Moscow City Chess Championship.
One memorable moment was in 1911 at the San Sebastian chess tournament. Bernstein was unhappy that a player he didn't know, José Raúl Capablanca, was allowed to play. But Capablanca ended up beating Bernstein in a brilliant game! Capablanca later became a World Chess Champion.
Bernstein continued to play against the best players. In 1914, he played a short match against Capablanca in Moscow and lost one game while drawing another. He also played against Alexander Alekhine, another future World Champion, in Paris in 1922 and 1933. In 1933, he even drew a training match against Alekhine, winning one game, losing one, and drawing two.
After World War II, Bernstein returned to chess. In 1946, he took second place in a tournament in London. He also played in a big tournament in Groningen.
A very famous game for Bernstein happened in 1954 in Montevideo. He was 72 years old! He tied for second place with Miguel Najdorf, a much younger and very strong player. Najdorf was so sure he would win that he convinced the tournament organizers to double the first-place prize money. But Bernstein surprised everyone by beating Najdorf in just 37 moves! This game won Bernstein a special "Brilliancy Prize" for its amazing play.
Bernstein also represented France in the Chess Olympiad in Amsterdam in 1954. He played on the top board for his team.
When FIDE created official titles in 1950, Ossip Bernstein was given the title of International Grandmaster. This showed how respected and skilled he was in the chess world. He had very close scores against many top players of his time, like Emanuel Lasker and Akiba Rubinstein.
Notable games
- Bernstein vs. Miguel Najdorf, Montevideo 1954, Old Indian Defense, A55, 1–0. This game won the Brilliancy Prize.
See also
