Szymon Winawer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Szymon Winawer
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| Born |
Szymon Abramowicz Winawer
March 6, 1838 Warsaw, Congress Poland
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| Died | November 29, 1919 (aged 81) Warsaw, Poland
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| Citizenship | Russian Empire |
| Occupation | chess player |
| Years active | 1867–1901 |
Szymon Abramowicz Winawer (born March 6, 1838 – died November 29, 1919) was a famous Polish chess player. He was known for winning the German Chess Championship in 1883.
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A Rising Chess Star
Szymon Winawer played in his first big international chess tournament in Paris in 1867. This event was held at the famous Café de la Régence. He did very well, finishing in second place. He even tied with Wilhelm Steinitz, who would later become a world champion. For the next 15 years, Winawer was one of the best chess players in the world.
In 1868, Winawer won the first chess tournament ever held in Poland, in his hometown of Warsaw. He also won a match against Russian master Ilya Shumov in 1875. At the Paris tournament in 1878, he tied for first place with Johannes Zukertort. He ended up taking second prize after a special play-off game.
Big Wins and Challenges
Winawer's greatest success came at the Vienna 1882 event. He tied for first place with Wilhelm Steinitz. This tournament was considered the strongest chess competition in history at that time!
In 1883, he had a tough time at the London tournament. However, later that year, he bounced back. He won the Nuremberg tournament, which was the 3rd German Chess Congress. He beat Joseph Henry Blackburne, who finished second.
Later Years and Legacy
After some time away from chess, Winawer returned in the 1890s. By then, younger players like Siegbert Tarrasch and Emanuel Lasker were becoming the new stars. He still played in some tournaments, like Dresden in 1892 and Budapest in 1896. He also played a match against Dawid Janowski in 1896.
Winawer was 63 years old when he played in his last international tournament in Monte Carlo in 1901. He continued to play competitive chess even in his 60s. Throughout his career, he played against all the top players from the late 1800s. He had a long rivalry with Joseph Henry Blackburne, playing against him for over 30 years! Szymon Winawer passed away in Warsaw on November 29, 1919.
Chess Openings Named After Him
Szymon Winawer is remembered in chess because several opening moves are named after him. An "opening" is the first few moves of a chess game.
The most famous one is the Winawer Variation in the French Defence. This happens after the moves: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4. His name is also linked to the Winawer Attack in the Ruy Lopez opening. In his last international tournament in Monte Carlo in 1901, he even introduced a new idea called the Winawer Countergambit in the Slav Defense.
A Famous Game
Here is one of Szymon Winawer's best-known games. He played and won this game against Wilhelm Steinitz in Nuremberg in 1896:
| This section uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves. |
1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qe3 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Bd2 O-O 7.O-O-O Re8 8.Bc4 Bxc3 9.Bxc3 Nxe4 10.Qf4 Nf6 11.Nf3 d6 12.Ng5 Be6 13.Bd3 h6 14.h4 Nd5 15.Bh7+ Kh8 16.Rxd5 Bxd5 17.Be4 f6 18.Bxd5 fxg5 19.hxg5 Ne5 20.g6 1–0
See also
In Spanish: Szymon Winawer para niños
