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Savielly Tartakower
Ksawery Tartakower.jpg
Country Austria-Hungary
Poland
France
Born (1887-02-21)21 February 1887
Rostov-on-Don, Russian Empire
Died 4 February 1956(1956-02-04) (aged 68)
Paris, France
Title Grandmaster (1950)

Savielly Tartakower (born February 21, 1887 – died February 4, 1956) was a famous chess player from Poland and France. He was one of the first players to be given the title of International Grandmaster in 1950. Tartakower was also a well-known chess writer and journalist in the 1920s and 1930s.

Early life and chess beginnings

Savielly Tartakower was born on February 21, 1887, in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. His parents were Austrian citizens. His parents passed away in Rostov-on-Don in 1911. Tartakower mostly lived in Austria. He studied law at universities in Geneva and Vienna. He could speak German and French.

While studying, he became very interested in chess. He started going to chess clubs in Vienna. There, he met many strong chess players of that time. These included Carl Schlechter, Géza Maróczy, Milan Vidmar, and Richard Réti. His first big win was taking first place in a tournament in Nuremberg in 1906. Three years later, he came in second place in a tournament in Vienna.

During World War I, Tartakower joined the Austro-Hungarian army. He worked as an officer in different places. After the war, he moved to France and lived in Paris. Even though Tartakower did not speak Polish, he became a Polish citizen. He was a very important representative for Poland. He led and trained the Polish chess team in six international tournaments. He helped Poland win a gold medal at the Hamburg Olympiad in 1930.

Becoming a professional chess player

In France, Tartakower decided to become a full-time chess player. He also started writing for different chess magazines. He wrote several books about chess. His most famous book, Die Hypermoderne Schachpartie (The Hypermodern Chess Game), was published in 1924. It has been printed almost 100 times since then.

Tartakower played in many of the most important chess tournaments of his time. In 1927 and 1928, he won two tournaments in Hastings. He also shared first place with Aron Nimzowitsch in London. In London, he beat strong players like Frank Marshall and Milan Vidmar. In 1930, he won the Liège tournament. He beat Mir Sultan Khan by two points. Other famous players in that tournament included Akiba Rubinstein and Nimzowitsch.

Tartakower won the Polish Chess Championship two times, in Warsaw in 1935 and Jurata in 1937. In the 1930s, he played for Poland in six Chess Olympiads. He also played for France in 1950. He won three individual medals (one gold, two bronze) and five team medals (one gold, two silver, two bronze).

Here are some of the Olympiads he played in:

  • In 1930, he played on the second board at the 3rd Chess Olympiad in Hamburg.
  • In 1931, he played on the second board at the 4th Chess Olympiad in Prague.
  • In 1933, he played on the first board at the 5th Chess Olympiad in Folkestone.
  • In 1935, he played on the first board at the 6th Chess Olympiad in Warsaw.
  • In 1937, he played on the first board at the 7th Chess Olympiad in Stockholm.
  • In 1939, he played on the first board at the 8th Chess Olympiad in Buenos Aires.
  • In 1950, he played on the first board at the 9th Chess Olympiad in Dubrovnik.

In 1935, he helped organize the Chess Olympiad in Warsaw. In 1939, World War II started while he was in Buenos Aires. He was playing in the 8th Chess Olympiad for Poland. His teammate Miguel Najdorf always called Tartakower "my teacher."

Later years and achievements

After a short time in Argentina, Tartakower went back to Europe. He arrived in France just before it was taken over in 1940. Using the pseudonym Cartier, he joined the forces of General Charles de Gaulle.

After World War II, Tartakower became a French citizen. He played in the first Interzonal tournament in 1948. In 1950, FIDE created the title of International Grandmaster. Tartakower was in the first group of players to receive this honor. In 1953, he won the French Chess Championship in Paris.

He passed away on February 4, 1956, in Paris. He was almost 69 years old.

Tartakower's unique style and ideas

This section uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

Tartakower is known as one of the most interesting chess personalities of his time. Harry Golombek, who translated Tartakower's book of his best games, wrote about him. He said Tartakower was the most educated and funniest chess master he had ever met. Golombek enjoyed talking with him because he was so smart and witty.

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Dutch Defence, Staunton Gambit, Tartakower Variation: 1.d4 f5 2.e4 fxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.g4

Tartakower was a very talented chess player. He is also famous for his many clever sayings, sometimes called Tartakoverisms. Some chess openings are named after him. One variation of the Dutch Defence is called the Tartakower Variation. The Tartakower Defence in the Queen's Gambit Declined also has his name. The most common variation of the Torre Attack is also named after him.

He is believed to have invented the Orangutan Opening, which starts with 1.b4. He named it after seeing an orangutan at a zoo during a tournament in New York in 1924. Tartakower also created the Catalan Opening in Barcelona in 1929. This opening starts with 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nf6 3.g3. It is still very popular today.

José Raúl Capablanca, another chess legend, played against Tartakower many times. Capablanca won more games, but they had many tough matches. After one draw, Capablanca told Tartakower, "You are lacking in solidity." Tartakower joked back, "That is my saving grace." Capablanca later wrote that Tartakower was a master with deep knowledge and great imagination. He called him a "formidable adversary."

Tartakower was known for carrying an old, worn-out hat to tournaments. He would only wear it during the last round, and he believed it helped him win.

Famous sayings about chess

Here are some of Tartakower's famous remarks about chess:

  • "It's always better to sacrifice your opponent's men."
  • "An isolated pawn spreads gloom all over the chessboard."
  • "The blunders are all there on the board, waiting to be made."
  • "The winner of the game is the player who makes the next-to-last mistake."
  • "No game was ever won by resigning."
  • "I never defeated a healthy opponent." (This means players who lose often blame being sick.)
  • "Tactics is what you do when there is something to do; strategy is what you do when there is nothing to do."
  • "Moral victories do not count."
  • "Chess is a fairy tale of 1001 blunders."
  • "Chess is a struggle against one's own errors."
  • "Every chessplayer should have a hobby."
  • "A game of chess has three phases: the opening, where you hope you stand better; the middlegame, where you think you stand better; and the ending, where you know you stand to lose."
  • "Stalemate is the tragicomedy of chess."

Books by Tartakower

  • 500 Master Games of Chess by Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont.
  • 100 Master Games of Modern Chess by Savielly Tartakower and Julius du Mont.
  • Bréviaire des échecs, a well-known beginner's guide to chess in French.
  • Die hypermoderne Schachpartie by Savielly Tartakower, published in German in 1924.
  • My Best Games of Chess 1905–1954 by S.G. Tartakower. This book shares his career in his unique writing style.

Images for kids

  • Savielly Tartakower and Edward Lasker

    Tartakower (left) with Edward Lasker around 1924

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Savielly Tartakower para niños

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