Berlin Grandmasters 1918 at the Kerkau-Palast . Seated (L to R): Emanuel Lasker, Akiba Rubinstein, Carl Schlechter, Siegbert Tarrasch. Standing is the organiser, Bernhard Kagan.

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☑️ Berlin Grandmasters (1918)

In 1918, toward the end of the Great War, Bernhard Kagan organized several chess events in the city of Berlin, Germany. Among these events was a Großmeister-Turnier held in the Kerkau-Palast from September 28th to October 11th. Four famous, top players participated in the double round robin tournament, including the world champion Emanuel Lasker, former world crown challenger Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch, potential world challenger Akiba Rubinstein, and former world crown challenger Carl Schlechter. Lasker had managed well during the course of the war and was in fine shape for the event. Rubinstein had journeyed to Berlin earlier in the spring and had improved his form over the year. As to the other players, Dr. Tarrasch had suffered tragedies, losing three of his sons to the war, and Schlechter arrived for the event obviously sick and malnourished. These facts can be said to outline the course of the tournament, with Lasker triumphing and both he and Rubinstein going undefeated, while Schlechter and Tarrasch had terrible results, especially in the second half, each losing to Lasker. Lasker was awarded the grand prize of 1200 marks for his win, while the remaining prize purse was divided among the final three with Rubinstein being awarded 1000 marks, Schlechter 900 marks, and Tarrasch 700 marks. The final tragedy of the tournament was that it proved to be Schlechter's last elite competition with the best in the world. The great gentleman chess master, who had been the only challenger ever to draw Lasker in a match, died two months later on December 27th, 1918.

The final standings and crosstable:

1 Lasker ½½ ½1 11 4½
2 Rubinstein ½½ 1½ ½1 4
3 Schlechter ½0 0½ ½½ 2
4 Tarrasch 00 ½0 ½½ 1½

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=80765

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🔘 Berlin Grandmasters 1918
🔘 PGN format

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Alexander Alekhine v. Paul Keres, from the 11th round of the tournament in Prague, 20th April 1943.

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☑️ Prague (1943), Prague CSR, rd 11

⚪️ Alexander Alekhine
⚫️ Paul Keres

Semi-Slav Defense: Meran. Blumenfeld Variation (D49)

Result : 1/2-1/2

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Arnold Denker meets Sammy Reshevsky in the 1946 US Championship.

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#chesshistory

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☑️ USA-ch (1946), New York, NY USA, rd 3

⚪️ Arnold Denker
⚫️ Samuel Reshevsky

Nimzo-Indian Defense: Classical. Noa Variation (E34)

Result : 0-1

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Bobby Fischer in play v. Boris Spassky, 19th Olympiad, in Siegen 1970, West Germany, rd 15, Sep-19 . Spassky won this game and the Soviet team won the match 2½:1½.

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UNITY CHESS INFOGRAPHIC

⚛️ Chess History - Tournaments
♦️ Groningen 1946

#chess_history_tornaments
#Groningen_1946

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⚛️ Chess History - Tournaments
🔹 Groningen 1946

🔰 The tournament held at Groningen, Netherlands 13 Aug-7 Sept 1946, was a watershed in chess history. Not only was it the first major international tournament after World War II, it marked the first time the Soviet Union sent a team of players to a foreign event. Their results confirmed the growing recognition of the great strength of Soviet players: Smyslov finished third, Boleslavsky and Flohr tied for sixth; though Kotov finished out of the running, he defeated both of the top finishers.

🔰 These were Mikhail Botvinnik and Max Euwe, who were in a close race to the end. Botvinnik had a lead much of the way, but successive losses to Kotov and Yanofsky in rounds 14-15 let Euwe go ahead by a point. However, Euwe then drew three in a row while Botvinnik won three in a row to pull ahead by a half-point going into the last round.

🔰 And nerves took over. Botvinnik was outplayed by Najdorf, but Euwe blundered and lost a drawn position against Kotov leaving the final standings unchanged. For Botvinnik, it was his first outright victory outside the Soviet Union, on his road to the World Championship; for Euwe, it was his last great international success.

🔰 Groningen was the first tournament outside the Soviet Union to which the Soviets sent a team of masters to compete. The Soviet players were very successful, Botvinnik taking first, Vasily Smyslov third, and Isaac Boleslavsky and Salo Flohr tied for sixth and seventh, beginning an era of Soviet domination of international chess.

🔰 The tournament was a twenty-player round-robin. Although the field was strong, some top players were not present. From the United States Samuel Reshevsky and Reuben Fine were missing. From the Soviet Union Paul Keres was missing, as Soviet authorities would not let him play outside the country during this period.

🔹 The final standings and crosstable was as above👆
🔹 Download "Groningen 1946 Games Database" by PGN format👇


#chess_history_tornaments
#Groningen_1946
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⚛️ Groningen 1946 Games Database
🔹 PGN format
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⚛️ Review our sellected game from Groningen 1946👇👇

🔸Mikhail Botvinnik vs Alexander Kotov
🔸Groningen (1946), Groningen NED, rd 14, Aug-30
🔸Nimzo-Indian Defense: Saemisch Variation. Accelerated (E24)
👇👇👇
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♦️PGN file in "Groningen 1946 Games Database"
https://t.me/unitychess/11803
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⚪️#657 (Strategy-White to Move)
🔸Bujakevich,A
🔸Kritz,L
🔸Moscow, 1996

Already in the opening, we are faced with the choice of diagonals for our bishops. Here White is about to develop his remaining bishop. Ideas like 12 Bg5, or perhaps 12 f3 followed by Be3, come to mind. However, there is another, more powerful diagonal.
12.b3!
Intending Bb2 in order to seize the long diagonal, which is of great importance when there are no central pawns on it.
12...Rfe8
12...Ng4 13.Nd5! c6 24.Bb2 with strong pressure.
13.Bb2 Bf8 14.Rad1
White slowly reinforces his position, aware that the opponent can't undertake any active measures.