My Chess Career

Front matter

MY CHESS CAREER

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO • DALLAS ATLANTA • SAN FRANCISCO

MACMILLAN & CO., Limited LONDON • BOMBAY • CALCUTTA MELBOURNE

Preface

PREFACE

If there be anything of greater interest than the records of the achievements of a man who has become great in his particular sphere of activity, it is the way in which his powers have developed. Given an insight into the different stages through which his mental development has matured, we are the better able to judge of the foundation and structure of his greatness. To the great masters of Chess does this apply as much as to those of any other pursuit, and it is strange that their careers have been so little dealt with from that point of view by writers on the game. As a rule we get little else than records of isolated instances of their skilful performances. Tournaments are held, matches take place, and the games played are published, studied and discussed, and masters are judged by their particular achievements on a particular occasion. Thus the important moment of development is lost sight of. Yet how much more important is the development of genius or talent than genius and talent itself. Talent well developed produces the master; train it badly or imperfectly and you have the “ dilettante.” Genius ill-trained will not reach its utmost powers; give it its proper development and you have — Capablanca.

In one way genius has the advantage over talent, that, in spite of obstacles, it will win through and assert itself. There is only one thing which will prevent its full expansion, and that is lack of education in the broader sense of culture. The writer has had many opportunities of judging of the scope of Capablanca's reading and study outside the realm of chess, and he can safely assert that those people who imagine that the ambit of his mentality is chess, that he thinks chess, dreams chess and lives chess only, are hopelessly wrong. In fact, he devotes much less time to chess, I should say, than many an enthusiastic amateur. His interests are much broader and embrace history, art, music, science and sport, and I believe it is this wide range of thought which has given us in Capablanca something more than a chess technician.

This book then treats of the evolution of his art, if chess may be so called. Step by step we follow the master in his career and incidentally get glimpses of the man, and feeling that he is now at the height of his powers, one is almost tempted to ask how much further can mastery go.

Capablanca has been compared with Morphy, and that comparison has its justification when one considers the similarity in style of their play and the unusually early age at which they both commenced to develop. At the age of thirteen we find Morphy winning games from such a seasoned player as Löwenthal. At twelve Capablanca beat the champion of Cuba in a set match. At the age of twenty Morphy overcame Anderssen by 7-2 and 2 draws. At the same age Capablanca had beaten Marshall by 8-1 and 14 draws. At the same age Morphy won against all the masters who stood up to him, whilst Staunton denied him the opportunity of a match. In the same way at San Sebastian, the strongest tournament ever held, Capablanca gained a well-deserved victory, and Lasker also, when challenged in 1911, evaded meeting him in a match, although there was some hope of these Titans meeting when the war broke out. Further comparison is almost impossible, and would only open the way to endless argument. If Morphy's superiority to all his contemporaries can perhaps be said to have been more definitely established, his task was undoubtedly the lighter, for in his time there were very few masters of what we should now deem the first rank. Granted that Morphy was far-famed for his "brilliancies," on the other hand more opportunities for them presented themselves, because his opponents were comparatively weaker than those whom Capablanca has now to encounter. Still, whenever Morphy met a master possessed of some knowledge of positional play, he would win the game in a simple manner. As an instance, I need only name his match against Harrwitz; there was hardly a "brilliancy" in the whole set of those eight games.

The mention here of "positional play," which should be placed in a class apart from "attacking play," suggests a subject of extreme importance for the consideration of chess-players, and one upon which much enlightenment can be gained from the study of Capablanca's games.

According to popular belief, the "positional" player is content to play for small tactical advantages, in order to win in the long run by numerical superiority; and the attacking or "imaginative" player thinks little of position, but devises grandiose, dashing and spectacular attacks in order to score an early victory.

Capablanca is often said to belong to the former class, and yet we find him winning brilliancy prizes in every tournament in which he takes part, and by means of most magnificent, deep and far-seeing combinations. The truth is, that a real player plays for such a position as is bound to secure a win, and only then does he devise an attack which gets home in the quickest and most direct way. If then that way comprises an artistic combination and brilliant sacrifices, the "connoisseur" exults, for brilliance is combined with soundness and the result is a thing of beauty. The student will find that Morphy's brilliancies almost invariably occurred after positional superiority had been established. But to attempt an attack before that stage has been reached argues want of elementary knowledge, and can only win against inferior play. A combination embarked upon without justification by position is positively painful to the real artist in chess, and even more so if the venture succeeds. As we said before, sacrifices are largely a matter of opportunity. When Capablanca payed a visit to the Argentine, every game he played in a long sequence of wins was won by him with a sacrifice.

Not the least interesting part of this book will be found in the notes to the games. Such thorough, accurate and authoritative notes are seldom to be found, and chess-players will look forward to further contributions to chess literature from the same pen, especially to Capablanca's treatise on chess, of which the first volume, "Chess Fundamentals," will appear next year. No doubt many points in Capablanca's practical play, at present beyond the understanding of many a strong player, will become clear; whilst after the third and last volume has appeared the riddle of his strength may be solved for all.

As regards the present volume, Capablanca has written it in an entirely objective frame of mind, and none but the unthinking will find in it a trace of conceit or self-laudation, which are entirely foreign to his nature. He speaks of himself not as "a master," that were false modesty, but as "one of the greatest players in the world," and this rather denotes consciousness of his powers and says barely enough.

Besides, the book treats not of himself, but of the development of his playing strength. As such it is breaking new ground, and will, no doubt, provide an invaluable addition to chess literature.

Below I give a complete record of Capablanca's achievements in match and tournament play, and in public exhibition games against single or consulting masters or players of undoubted master-strength. Games played in private or won from inferior opponents are not counted.

Tournaments.

Date. | Rank. | Won. | Drawn. | Lost.

New York | 1911 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 1

San Sebastian | 1911 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1

New York | 1913 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 1

Habana | 1913 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 2

New York | 1913 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0

St. Petersburg | 1914 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 2

New York | 1915 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 0

New York | 1916 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 1

New York | 1918 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 0

Hastings | 1919 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 0

| Grand Total | … | … | 99 | 32 | 8

Matches.

1909:—Capablanca, 8; Marshall, 1. Drawn, 14. 1919:—Capablanca, 5; Kostic, 0. Drawn, 0.

Exhibition Play.

Won. | Drawn. | Lost.

| St. Petersburg | 5 | 0 | 1

| Moscow | 2 | 1 | 0

| Kieff | … | 1 | 0

| Riga | 1 | 0 | 0

| Lodz | 1 | 0 | 0

| Berlin | 4 | 0 | 0

| Vienna | 4 | 1 | 0

| Buenos Aires | 4 | 1 | 0

| New York | 3 | 1 | 0

Grand Total | 24 | 5 | 1

J. du Mont.

London, December, 1919.

Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTE

This book proposes to meet a general demand that I should tell the events and circumstances that have made me what I am to-day in the Chess World. In writing it I have endeavoured to tell the truth, what I think of certain games, positions and other things, at the risk at times of appearing extremely conceited to those who don't know me well personally. Conceit I consider a foolish thing; but more foolish still is that false modesty that vainly attempts to conceal that which all facts tend to prove.

I have not given any drawn or lost games, because I thought them inadequate to the purpose of the book. There have been times in my life when I came very near thinking that I could not lose even a single game. Then I would be beaten, and the lost game would bring me back from dreamland to earth. Nothing is so healthy as a thrashing at the proper time, and from few won games have I learned as much as I have from most of my defeats. Of course I would not like to be beaten at a critical moment, but, otherwise, I hope that I may at odd times in the future lose a few more games, if thereby I derive as much benefit as I have obtained from defeats of the past.

The notes I have written with great care, and I trust that no mistakes will be found, and that they will tend to clear up points which heretofore may have remained obscure. I also hope that they will be found both instructive and interesting, and that the book, as a whole, will meet the approval of the legion of chess players throughout the world, and specially of the many friends with whose wishes I have tried to comply by lifting the veil of that which was never a mystery: "My Chess Career."

J. R. Capablanca.

Chapter 1

PART I

MY CHESS CAREER

CHAPTER I.

Introductory.

The object of this little book is to give to the reader some idea of the many stages through which I have passed before reaching my present strength, and of my way of thinking nowadays when faced by a worthy opponent. No doubt it must be interesting to know how one of the strongest players in the world has obtained his strength, through what processes he has passed, his way of thinking when not yet developed, how his thoughts and ideas gradually changed until the present day, and whether or not these thoughts and ideas would still be capable of further development or changes. Apart from the psychological interest, there ought to be many points of practical value to those desirous of attaining a certain degree of proficiency in chess.

As I go along narrating my chess career, I will stop at those points which I consider most important, giving examples of my games with my own notes written at the time the games were played, or when not, expressing the ideas I had while the game was in progress. This will make the book different from all others, and I believe more interesting. At the end, if space permits, I will add some points that will be useful, principally to begin- ners, but some of which may be also of value to more experienced players.

I was born in Habana, the capital of the Island of Cuba, the 19th of November, 1888. I was not yet five years old when by accident I came into my father's private office and found him playing with another gentleman. I had never seen a game of chess before; the pieces interested me, and I went the next day to see them play again. The third day, as I looked on, my father, a very poor beginner, moved a Knight from a white square to another white square. His opponent, apparently, not a better player, did not notice it. My father won, and I proceeded to call him a cheat and to laugh. After a little wrangle, during which I was nearly put out of the room, I showed my father what he had done. He asked me how and what I knew about chess? I answered that I could beat him; he said that that was impossible, considering that I could not even set the pieces correctly. We tried conclusions, and I won. That was my beginning. A few days after, my father took me to the Habana Chess Club, where the strongest players found it impossible to give me a Queen. About that time the Russian Master, Taubenhaus, visited Habana, and he declared it beyond him to give me such odds. Later, in Paris, in 1911, Mr. Taubenhaus would often say, "I am the only living master who has given Mr. Capablanca a Queen."

Then followed several years in which I only played occasionally at home. The medical men said that it would harm me to go on playing. When eight years old I frequented the club on Sundays, and soon Don Celso Golmayo, the strongest player there, was unable to give me a Rook. After two or three months I left Habana, and did not play chess again until I returned. I was eleven years old then, and H. N. Pillsbury had just visited the club and left everybody astounded at his enormous capacity and genius. Don Celso Golmayo was dead, but there still remained Vasquez and J. Corzo, the latter having just then won the Championship from the former. In this atmosphere, in three months I advanced to the first rank. In order to test my strength a series of games was arranged, in which I was to play two games against each one of the first-class players. All the strong players took part in the contest except Vasquez, who had just died. The result proved that I stood next to the Champion, J. Corzo, to whom I lost both games.

Chapter 2

CHAPTER II.

The Match with J. Corzo.

Some of my admirers thought that I should have a good chance of beating J. Corzo. They attributed my defeats to the fact that I had never seen a chess book and urged me to study. One of them gave me several books, among which, one on endings. I liked the endings and studied some of them. Meanwhile, the match with Corzo was arranged; the winner of the first four games draws not counting—would be declared the victor. I began to play with the conviction that my adversary was superior to me; he knew all the openings and I knew none; he knew many games of the great masters by heart, things of which I had no knowledge whatever; besides, he had played many a match and had the experience and all the tricks that go along with it, while I was a novice. The first two games were quickly won by him, but something in the third, which was a draw, showed me that he had his weaknesses and gave me the necessary courage and confidence. From there on he did not win a game, and only scored five more draws before I won the four required. The victory made me, morally at least, the champion of Cuba. I was then twelve years old. I had played without any book knowledge of the openings; the match gave me a better idea of them. I became more proficient in the middle game and decidedly strong once the Queens were exchanged.

Of the games of the match I append two. They show the vivacious spirit of enterprise and combination proper in a youngster, but lack, naturally, some of the compact, machine-like force which characterises the games of the great masters. However, in one of them, I could not have carried the attack, even to-day, with greater force and efficiency.

Here are the two games.

GAME No. 1. Hampe Allgaier Thorold Gambit. White: J. Corzo. Black: J. R. Capablanca.

1. | P — K 4 | P — K 4

2. | Kt — Q B 3 | Kt — Q B 3

3. | P — B 4

Corzo knew my complete lack of book knowledge, consequently he tried repeatedly to play gambits of this sort where it would be difficult for me to find the proper answer.

3. | … | P × P

4. | Kt ― B 3 | P — K Kt 4

5. | P — K R 4 | P — Kt 5

6. | Kt — K Kt 5 | P — K R 3

7. | Kt × P | K × Kt

8. | P — Q 4 | P — Q 4

rwards Corzo told me that the book recommended Q 3.

9. | P × P | Q — K 2 ch

We had played this variation in a previous game, and Corzo had answered B — K 2 to this check. The game ended in a draw, but I should have won. Corzo analyzed the position and told someone that he should have played K — B 2. When I heard this I analyzed the situation myselt and decided to play it again, as I thought that Black should win with the continuation which I put in practice in this game.

10. | K — B 2 | P — Kt 6 ch

11. | K — Kt

11. | … | Kt × P

12. | Q × Kt | Q — B 4

13. | Kt — K 2 | Q — Kt 3

14. | Q × Q | R P × Q

15. | Kt — Q 4 | B — Q B 4

16. | P — B 3 | R — R 5

17. | B — K 2 | B × Kt ch

18. | P × B | R × Q P

19. | P — Kt 3 | Kt — B 3

20. | B — Kt | R — Q 7

21. | B — R 5 ch | Kt × B

22. | B × R | P — B 6

23. | P × P | Kt — B 5

24. | B — K 5 | R — Kt 7 ch

25. | K — B | R — B 7 ch

26. | K — K | Kt — Q 6 ch

Resigns.

GAME No. 2. (The Last Game of the Match.) Queen's Pawn Opening. White: J. R. Capablanca. Black: J. Corzo.

1. | P — Q 4 | P — Q 4

2. | Kt — K B 3 | P — Q B 4

3. | P — K 3 | Kt — Q B 3

4. | P — Q Kt 3 | P — K 3

5. | B — Kt 2 | Kt — B 3

6. | Q Kt — Q 2 | P × P

7. | P × P

When I see this game to-day I feel surprised at the good general system of my opening moves. I remember that I always played P — Q 4 with White, because in that way Mr. Corzo could not take such great advantage of my weakness in the opening. In this game I played very well so far.

7. | … | B — Q 3

8. | B — Q 3 | Castles

9. | Castles | Kt — K R 4

10. | P — Kt 3 | P — B 4

11. | Kt — K 5 | Kt — B 3

12. | P — K B 4 | B × Kt

13. | B P × B | Kt — K Kt 5

14. | Q — K 2 | Q — Kt 3

15. | Kt — B 3 | B — Q 2

16. | P — Q R 3

To prevent Kt — Q Kt 5 and also to prepare the advance of the Q side Pawns. To-day I would have followed the identical plan.

16. | … | K — R

17. | P — K R 3 | Kt — R 3

18. | Q — B 2 | Kt — B 2

19. | K — Kt 2 | P — Kt 4

20. | P — K Kt 4 | Kt — K 2

21. | Q — K 3 | R — K Kt

22. | Q R — K | Kt — Kt 3

23. | P × P | Kt — B 5 ch

24. | K — R 2 | Kt × B

25. | Q × Kt | P × P

The play for position preparatory to an attack is one of the hardest taxes upon the mind of the master player. To-day, very likely, I would have done better, but nevertheless, all things considered, I did well, and now, in the deciding moment, I conceived a very excellent combination.

26. | P — B 4 | Q — K 3

I thought he would make this move, although Q — K R 3, would have given him a better chance.

27. | P × P | Q × P

28. | P — K 6 | B — Kt 4

It is evident that if B × P, R × B

29. | Q × B

To-day, very likely, I would simply have played Q — Q 2 and won also, but at the time I could not resist the temptation of sacrificing the Queen. At any rate, the text move was the only continuation which I had in mind when I played P — K 6.

29. | … | Q × Q

30. | P — Q 5 ch | R — Kt 2

31. | P × Kt | P — K R 3

31..R — K B would have been better. The game would then have proceeded as follows: 32 Kt — Q 4, Q × Q P (best); 33 R — K 8, Q × B P; 34 R × R ch, Q × R; 35 Kt × P and White should win.

32. | Kt — Q 4 | Q × R

Best. If 32..Q — Q 2; 33 Kt × P, Q × B P; 34 B × R ch, K — R 2; 35 R — K 7, winning the Queen as Black cannot play Q × P on account of 36 B — K 5 ch, K — Kt 3; 37 R — Kt 7 ch, K — R 4; 38 Kt — Kt 3 ch, K — R 5; 39 R — B 4 ch, P × R; 40 R — Kt 4 mate.

33. | R × Q | R × P

34. | R × P | R × R

35. | Kt × R ch | K — R 2

36. | Kt — K 7 | R — K B

37. | K — Kt 2 | P — K R 4

38. | P — Q 6 | P — Kt 5

39. | P × P | P × P

40. | B — K 5 | K — R 3

41. | P — Q 7 | R — Q

42. | Kt — Kt 8 ch | R × Kt

43. | B — B 6 | K — Kt 3

44. | P — Q 8 (Q) | R × Q

45. | B × Q

The rest is easy. One remark I must add before closing that epoch of my career: considering my age and little experience this game is quite remarkable, even the end game was very well played by me.

45. | … | P — Kt 4

46. | K — B 2 | K — B 4

47. | K — K 3 | K — K 4

48. | K — Q 3 | K — Q 4

49. | K — B 3 | P — Kt 6

50. | B — R 4 | P — Kt 7

51. | B — B 2 | P — R 4

52. | P — Kt 4 | K — K 5

53. | B — Kt 6 | K — Q 4

54. | K — Q 3 | K — B 3

55. | B — Kt | K — Q 4

56. | B — R 2 | K — B 3

57. | K — Q 4 | P — R 5

58. | K — K 5 | K — Kt 3

59. | K — Q 5 | K — R 3

60. | K — B 5 | Resigns.

If 60 K — B 6, P — Kt 8 (Q); 61 B × Q stale mate.

For the next two years I devoted my attention to finishing my High School course. In 1904 I went to the U. S. A. to learn English and to prepare myself to enter Columbia University. In 1905 I paid my first visit to the Manhattan Chess Club of New York. Although I had not played for a long time I won the first game, in good style, against one of the many first-class players of that famous club. I became a Sunday afternoon visitor, and one year later, in 1906, I was already looked upon as, at least, the equal of any of the players of that institution. In quick and lightning chess I was easily the best of all, and could compete with the strongest in the world, as I proved soon, winning a so-called Rapid Transit Tournament from a field of thirty-two, which included the chess champion of the world, Dr. E. Lasker, undoubtedly the foremost player there was in any kind of chess. That same year I entered the University of Columbia to follow the chemical engineering course. In passing my entrance examinations I obtained the high mark of 99% in algebra, employing only one hour and fifteen minutes of the three hours we were allowed to do the work. I also had high marks in the other scientific subjects. I relate these facts for whatever deductions the psychologists may desire to draw.

Chapter 3

CHAPTER III. The Years 1906—1908.

After two years, in the course of which I had done a great deal of physical sport, I left the University and dedicated most of my time to chess. During those two years I played many a serious game, mostly in summer, against the strongest players of the Manhattan Chess Club, and as one by one I mowed them down without the loss of a single game my superiority became apparent. From that period I take the following games, with the notes I wrote at the time.

GAME No. 3. King's Gambit.

White: | Black:

Rob. Raubitscheck. | J. R. Capablanca.

September 24, 1906.

1. | P — K 4 | P — K 4

2. | P — K B 4 | P × P

3. | Kt — K B 3 | P — K Kt 4

4. | B — B 4 | B — Kt 2

5. | P — K R 4 | P — K R 3

6. | P — Q 4 | Kt — Q B 3

7. | P — B 3 | P — Q 3

8. | Castles | Q — K 2

9. | Q — Kt 3 | Kt — Q

10 | P × P

In this way White gains a Pawn, but permits Black to work up a terrific attack.

10. | … | P × P

11. | Q — Kt 5 ch | B — Q 2

12. | Q × K Kt P | B — K B 3

13. | Q × P | Kt — K 3

14. | B × Kt | B × B

15. | P — K 5 | P × P

16. | Kt × P

P × P would have been better.

16. | … | Castles

17. | Kt — R 3 | R — R 5

18. | Q — Kt 3 | B × Kt

19. | Q × B | R — Q 4

20. | Q — Kt 7 | R — Kt 5

21. | Q — R 7 | Kt — B 3!

22. | Q — R 8 ch | R — Q!

23. | Q × Kt | Q R — Kt!

24. | R — B 2

If Q × Q, R × P ch, K — R, B — Q 4, and mate follows in a few moves.

24. | … | R × P ch

25. | K — B | B — B 5 ch