CAPABLANCA'S CHESS CAREER: CAPABLANCA IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1911-1920
Author: Vlastimil Fiala
Moravian Chess (2006)
www.moravian-chess.cz
379 pages (hardcover)
29 Euros

Reviewed by Jeremy Silman

I love "life and games" books. They give us insight into how the famous player lived his life, if his success brought him joy or despair, if he was a nice guy or a jerk, and if he fantasized about girls or chess positions. They also entertain/amaze/horrify us by discussing the highs and lows that are a part of every person's existence.

I've made it clear on many occasions that "homogenized biographies" are, in my mind, an abomination against everything life stands for. I want to see the genius living, loving, falling on his face, and rising up to smite his enemies down. What I don't want to see is a book that gives the impression that its subject plays chess and plays more chess. That he's the quintessential nerd stereotype that so many people believe chess players to be.

Though the chess world is very conservative, I decided to lash out against the "chess and only chess" paradigm by writing (with Benko) BENKO'S LIFE, GAMES, AND COMPOSITIONS. This book discussed the horrors of war, chess poverty, sexuality at tournaments, the eccentricities of many legendary players, and great chess games too. Before this, the only other books that went the distance in offering up a complete look at a famous player was Fiala's COMPLETE GAMES OF ALEKHINE, Volumes One & Two. Here we saw Alekhine the man, warts and all. Needless to say, The Benko book and the Fiala books on Alekhine are very highly recommended!

Now, the seemingly inexhaustible Fiala has begun a new series of books, this time aiming his magnifying glass on the great Capablanca with the umbrella title of CAPABLANCA'S CHESS CAREER. The first is CAPABLANCA IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1911-1920. I would have preferred a more linear exploration (as in the Alekhine books), but Fiala explains his reasons for using the "thematic selection" in the book's foreword.

Capablanca's simultaneous exhibitions play a large part in this book, and one interesting moment is described as follows in the London Morning Post, November 27, 1911:

"The following game was played in the recent county simultaneous display by Senor Capablanca in London. Several games were unfinished at the call of time, and as usual the simultaneous player himself pronounced judgment upon them. Mr. H.H. Cole resisted stubbornly for over four hours and finished with an apparently level position, but Senor Capablanca considered it a win for White, and in a display of this nature his decision must be respected, however difficult it may be to demonstrate the winning line. Decisions have to be arrived at on the spot, and there is insufficient time to work out decisive variations."

Cole, who played terribly in this game (I would change the newspaper statement of "resisted stubbornly" to "held on in cowardly fashion"), went on to say that he thought it was a draw after ...Bd7 followed by ...Bc6.

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Ngf3 Nc6 7.c3 c4 8.g3 b5 9.Bg2 a5 10.0-0 a4 11.a3 Be7 12.Rf2 f5 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Re2 Nf8 15.Nf1 Ra6 16.Ne3 Kd7 17.Ne5+ Nxe5 18.dxe5 Be7 19.Nc2 Ke8 20.Be3 g6 21.Rd2 Qc7 22.h4 h5 23.Qe2 Bd7 24.Qf2 Rh7 25.Rad1 Rf7 26.Bf3 Rh7 27.Nd4 Ra8 28.Qg2 Rb8 29.Bf2 Bc5 30.Nc2 Qb6 31.Bxc5 Qxc5+ 32.Kh2 Bc6 33.Nd4

What's interesting to me is that Capablanca didn't just give the guy a draw out of kindness. It's quite normal for the grandmaster to make an opponent happy in such a way (I've been known to give a begging opponent a draw even though he was two pieces down!), unless that player is extremely unlikable. On the other hand, in those days it seems that one's simul scores had some importance, and it should be added that letting Coles get away with a strategic blunder like 10 a4 must have been too painful for Capablanca to even contemplate!

In the diagrammed position, I think Capablanca was right about the position being a win, despite Coles' "brilliant" defensive idea of ...Bc6-d7-c6-d7 etc. Though there's no immediate breakthrough, Black is completely helpless and White can set up whatever configuration he wants before playing for a sacrifice on d5 or the thematic g3-g4 break. One idea is to march the King over to c1, place the Bishop on c2 and stick the Rooks on the squares that best address the position at that time (perhaps g1 and f1). Then the g3-g4 advance will prove quite painful.

Of course, this book isn't just about simultaneous exhibitions. It also covers such things as:

* The Hastings Victory Congress of 1919 (Won by Capablanca, who scored ten wins and just one draw! He took first by a point ahead of Kostich, and 3.5 points ahead of 3rd place finisher Thomas!). Detailed discussions of the event's preparations and aftermath are given, and complete round by round descriptions with annotated games are also added.

* Capablanca's continuing struggles to secure a World Championship match with Lasker.

* Various lectures given by Capablanca.

* Various interviews.

In an interview with an English newspaper, the subject of Morphy was raised. I think Capablanca's views bear repeating: "Would Morphy, if alive at the present time, enjoy the same pre-eminence that he did in his lifetime? It is an old speculation on which much has been said on both sides. Capablanca believes that if not recognized as the supreme master, Morphy would not be very far from the position, but that he would have much greater difficulties to contend with in the form of considerably stronger opponents than those of his day. As an example of Morphy's all-round genius, Capablanca recalled his match with Harrwitz, who was able to hold his own in the opening and mid-game, but was defeated through Morphy's almost infallible accuracy in the endgame."

This is quite interesting not only because most people don't equate Morphy with "endgame genius" (though a close study of his game will convince you that his endgame was far better than others of his day), but also because Capablanca (and the Capablanca legend) had always stressed that the Cuban never studied chess. Yet, here he shows a great deal of historic chess acumen and also implies that he had carefully studied Morphy's games!

One huge difference between this book on Capablanca and the Alekhine books is that here things are a bit dull since very little information about his non-chess activities is forthcoming. In the Alekhine books we see him on a much grander, humanistic scale.

Perhaps later books in this Capablanca series will give us more insight into his personal life.

Though my chess shop doesn't carry the Capablanca book (yet!), you can still order it on-line at: http://www.moravian-chess.cz

The chess shop on JeremySlman.com DOES carry:

COMPLETE GAMES OF ALEKHINE VOLUME 1 1892-1921

COMPLETE GAMES OF ALEKHINE VOLUME II 1921-1924

These two books on Alekhine are favorites of mine. Aside from all his games, they have stories and very personal information about this chess legend that doesn't appear anywhere else. Each book sells for $39.99