Artikelnummer
LXJAKCW
Autor
Chess Warrior
The Life & Games of Géza Maróczy
400 Seiten, gebunden, Russell Enterprises, 1. Auflage 2024
Ask any chessplayer today if they recognize the name ”Maróczy“ and you will probably get a reply that it describes a pawn configuration designed to limit black pawn levers. While technically correct, such a reply would overlook the life and legacy of one of the great grandmasters, organizers, and arbiters in chess history.
Géza Maróczy was the first Hungarian world-class grandmaster. In the most comprehensive biography of him ever written, Hungarian chess historian László Jakobetz traces Maróczy’s life from the earliest years, his maturing to an elite player and his significant contributions to the royal game.
This remarkable book has over 180 annotated games, supplemented by hundreds of rare archival photographs. Also included are Maróczy’s complete tournament and match records, along with crosstables, from Budapest 1892 to his final tournament in the Netherlands in 1947.
Until now, very few books worthy of Géza Maróczy’s influence and chess legacy have been published worldwide. Therefore, I am delighted that this comprehensive biography presents to chess-loving readers the exceptional personalities and chess events of past eras, along with many interesting lessons and insights for the present generation. from the foreword by Lajos Portisch
Most players are familiar with modern Hungarian grandmasters such as Judit Polgár and Péter Lékó, but it was the great patriarch of Hungarian chess Géza Maróczy who paved the way for them.
About the Author
Hungarian chess historian László Jakobetz was born on March 6, 1967 in Budapest. He is a FIDE master (FM) as well as a senior international correspondence master (SIM). A respected chess instructor, Jakobetz is the head coach of the largest Hungarian children’s chess club, Barcza Gedeon SC, and several of his students have gone on to become grandmasters.
Jakobetz is also the chairman of the Chess History Committee of the Hungarian Chess Federation. He has been publishing since 1986, and no one has written more about chess in Hungarian. Thus far, he has authored a remarkable 25 volumes and more than a thousand articles.
Since 2021 he has been the founding editor-in-chief of the Magyar Sakkhistória (Hungarian Chess History) magazine and has won numerous professional awards. This is his first book for Russell Enterprises.
Géza Maróczy was the first Hungarian world-class grandmaster. In the most comprehensive biography of him ever written, Hungarian chess historian László Jakobetz traces Maróczy’s life from the earliest years, his maturing to an elite player and his significant contributions to the royal game.
This remarkable book has over 180 annotated games, supplemented by hundreds of rare archival photographs. Also included are Maróczy’s complete tournament and match records, along with crosstables, from Budapest 1892 to his final tournament in the Netherlands in 1947.
Until now, very few books worthy of Géza Maróczy’s influence and chess legacy have been published worldwide. Therefore, I am delighted that this comprehensive biography presents to chess-loving readers the exceptional personalities and chess events of past eras, along with many interesting lessons and insights for the present generation. from the foreword by Lajos Portisch
Most players are familiar with modern Hungarian grandmasters such as Judit Polgár and Péter Lékó, but it was the great patriarch of Hungarian chess Géza Maróczy who paved the way for them.
About the Author
Hungarian chess historian László Jakobetz was born on March 6, 1967 in Budapest. He is a FIDE master (FM) as well as a senior international correspondence master (SIM). A respected chess instructor, Jakobetz is the head coach of the largest Hungarian children’s chess club, Barcza Gedeon SC, and several of his students have gone on to become grandmasters.
Jakobetz is also the chairman of the Chess History Committee of the Hungarian Chess Federation. He has been publishing since 1986, and no one has written more about chess in Hungarian. Thus far, he has authored a remarkable 25 volumes and more than a thousand articles.
Since 2021 he has been the founding editor-in-chief of the Magyar Sakkhistória (Hungarian Chess History) magazine and has won numerous professional awards. This is his first book for Russell Enterprises.
EAN | 9781949859935 |
---|---|
Gewicht | 850 g |
Hersteller | Russell Enterprises |
Breite | 18,5 cm |
Höhe | 26 cm |
Medium | Buch |
Erscheinungsjahr | 2024 |
Autor | L. Jakobetz |
Sprache | Englisch |
Auflage | 1 |
ISBN-13 | 978-1-949859-93-5 |
Seiten | 400 |
Einband | gebunden |
Name | Russell Enterprises |
---|---|
Adresse | 234 Depot Road Milford, CT 06460 USA |
Internet | www.Russell-Enterprises.com |
hwr@russell-enterprises.com |
005 Author's Preface
006 Foreword by Lajos Portisch
007 Acknowledgments
Chapter I) The Early Years
Chapter II) First Steps
Chapter III) The Maróczy and Mann Families
Chapter IV) Civil Service
Chapter V) Public Life
Chapter VI) Miscellenea
Chapter VII) Chess Career: The First Golden Age
Chapter VIII) Farewell to the Board
Chapter IX) Light and Shadows Abroad
Chapter X) Home Again!
Chapter XI) Instead of Retirement
378 Appendix A: Places of Residence
384 Appendix B: Tournemant and Match Record
387 Appendix C: Simultaneous Exhibitions
391 Appendix D: Additional Crosstables
393 Appendix E: Index of Players
395 Appendix F: Index of Openings
397 Appendix G: Bibliography and Other Sources
400 About the Author
006 Foreword by Lajos Portisch
007 Acknowledgments
Chapter I) The Early Years
Chapter II) First Steps
Chapter III) The Maróczy and Mann Families
Chapter IV) Civil Service
Chapter V) Public Life
Chapter VI) Miscellenea
Chapter VII) Chess Career: The First Golden Age
Chapter VIII) Farewell to the Board
Chapter IX) Light and Shadows Abroad
Chapter X) Home Again!
Chapter XI) Instead of Retirement
378 Appendix A: Places of Residence
384 Appendix B: Tournemant and Match Record
387 Appendix C: Simultaneous Exhibitions
391 Appendix D: Additional Crosstables
393 Appendix E: Index of Players
395 Appendix F: Index of Openings
397 Appendix G: Bibliography and Other Sources
400 About the Author
Great chess players deserve handsome biographies and this 400 page book, a richly detailed account of the life and times of Géza Maróczy, Hungary’s finest player, certainly fits the bill. His life spanned two centuries, having been born in 1870 and died in 1951, aged 81, and he lived through many changes, in chess and elsewhere. As the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed in upon itself, through the horror of two world wars and the rise of communism, in the most difficult of times, Maróczy continued to live and work and play chess.
We learn here that Maróczy lived in several countries throughout his life, including a spell in America, though he settled finally in Hungary from the middle of the 1920s onwards. Never entirely a chess professional, though the game was an overriding if not the sole passion of his life (he was married in 1904, a marriage that endured), he took jobs as a draftsman, an engineer, a primary school teacher, and later as a clerk, accountant and auditor, in order to make ends meet. Often, as a bachelor in his younger days, he would take unpaid leave so as to play in chess tournaments, something which cost him money and interrupted any normal occupational career, delaying advancement. It was especially costly since tournaments in his day were quite lengthy; for example, the international tournament held in Vienna in 1898 had 38 rounds(!).
There were, as far as I can discern, two distinct periods to Maróczy’s chess career. He was very active around the turn of the century, when he was first starting out and looking to make a name for himself, say between the years 1896-1911. His successes were many (first at Monte Carlo in 1902 and 1904, first at Ostende in 1905, and so on) and he established himself as a world class player. Then in the 1920s and 1930s, as Europe began to recuperate from the Great War, he became active again, proving his mettle, showing that he had retained most of his strength. So he tied for first at Karlsbad 1923, for example, and when Hungary won the gold medal at the Munich 1936 Chess Olympiad, Maróczy was playing on first board. It should be emphasised as well that he remained a strong player to the end of his days; he was like Lasker and Smyslov in this regard.
All throughout the book there are a selection of Maróczy’s best games, 182 in total, each one scrupulously annotated. Classic strategic victories (such as game 60) sit alongside brilliant attacks (like game 150) and very many instructive endgames (29 and 57, to name but two). His reputation as an elegant positional player (in the Rubinstein or Smyslov mould) is well justified, but he was an adept tactician too.
Besides the games, it is the very many details of Maróczy’s life, whether they be glittering or fleeting, that make this book so exceptional and enthralling. His friendship with Charousek, the moment at Bled 1931 when he challenged Nimzowitsch to a duel(!), his role as a second assisting Euwe in his World Championship match versus Alekhine – all these details and many more are to be found herein. In addition, the book has scores of photographs, including excerpts from books and chess columns, and a bibliography of Maróczy’s books and other writings.
László Jakobetz’s Chess Warrior: The Life and Games of Géza Maróczy is not only a wonderful biography and extensive games collection of Hungary’s finest player; it is the measure by which all biographies of great chess players should be judged in the future.
Paul Kane
https://thecaissakid.wordpress.com/2024/11/28/chess-warrior/
DER UNGARISCHE GRANDSEGNIEUR
Als wir in unserer letzten Karl-Ausgabe für den Maróczy-Artikel den führenden ungarischen Schachhistoriker László Jakobetz gewinnen konnten, waren wir sehr glücklich. Denn kurz nach unserem Budapest-Heft erschien seine englischsprachige Maróczy-Biographie unter dem etwas martialischen Titel Chess Warrior. Zwei Jahre lang hat Jakobetz daran gearbeitet und tausende von Schriftstücken, Dokumenten, Zeitungen, Artikel und Bücher gesichtet. Entstanden ist die bislang umfangreichste Monographie zu einem der größten ungarischen Schachspieler.
Géza Maróczy lebte im Goldenen Zeitalter des Schachs und wurde zum Grandseigneur der Magyaren. Bis heute ist sein Name wegen der nach ihm benannten Eröffnungsstruktur in der Schachwelt unvergessen auch wenn Maróczy diesen Aufbau nie in einer Turnierpartie gespielt hat.
Jakobetz konnte viele Unklarheiten im Leben Maróczys klären. Seine Recherchen wiesen z.B. nach, dass Maróczy entgegen anderweitigen Quellen keinen Universitätsabschluss hatte.
Es war wohl ein gutes Omen, dass Maróczy auf dem berühmten Gruppenfoto von Hastings 1895 zu sehen ist, obwohl er gar nicht im Meisterturnier mitgespielt, sondern „nur“ das Amateurturnier gewonnen hatte. Doch ein Jahr später konnte er beim Weltklasseturnier in Nürnberg hinter Lasker, aber vor dem Hastingssieger Pillsbury sensationell den zweiten Platz belegen, was ihn schlagartig in die Weltelite katapultierte. In den 1900er Jahren folgten mehrere Turniersiege, die Maróczy zu einem Kandidaten für ein WM-Match gegen Lasker machten, das aber nie stattfand.
1908, mit 39 Jahren, zog sich Maróczy weitgehend vom Turnierschach zurück, auch wenn er noch Kolumnen schrieb und 1911 beim europäischen Turnierdebüt Capablancas in San Sebastian teilnahm. Erst nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg kehrte der mittlerweile 50-Jährige wieder in die Turnierarena zurück. Grund war der Machtwechsel in Ungarn, der Maróczy zur Emigration zwang. Deshalb wurde auch sein wichtigstes Werk Maróczy’s Hundert Schachpartien zunächst auf Deutsch veröffentlicht und erst später auf Ungarisch.
Schachlich konnte Maróczy trotz seines hohen Alters bald wieder „oben“ mitspielen. Im Weltklasseturnier in Karlsbad 1923 teilte er den ersten Platz mit Aljechin und Bogoljubow. 1927 führte Maróczy die Ungarn bei der ersten offiziellen Schacholympiade in London zum Sieg, 1930 bei der Olympiade in Hamburg zur Silbermedaille und 1936 mit 66 Jahren bei der inoffiziellen Olympiade in München noch einmal zum Gold. Es war sein letzter großer Erfolg. Er starb 1951 und wurde unter großer nationaler und internationaler Anteilnahme zu Grabe getragen.
Obwohl Maróczy weithin geachtet wurde, hatte er doch auch mit dem einen oder anderen Konkurrenten Streit, so mit Nimzowitsch, den er sogar zu einem Duell aufforderte. Bei andern war er als Mentor hochgeschätzt, wobei Jakobetz zeigt, dass sein Einfluss als Trainer von Vera Menchik und Max Euwe größer war als bislang angenommen.
Dieser reichbebilderte Band, der zahlreiche seltene zeitgenössische Fotografien enthält, ist zweifellos das neue Referenzwerk zu Maróczy.
Harry Schaack
KARL 3/2024
We learn here that Maróczy lived in several countries throughout his life, including a spell in America, though he settled finally in Hungary from the middle of the 1920s onwards. Never entirely a chess professional, though the game was an overriding if not the sole passion of his life (he was married in 1904, a marriage that endured), he took jobs as a draftsman, an engineer, a primary school teacher, and later as a clerk, accountant and auditor, in order to make ends meet. Often, as a bachelor in his younger days, he would take unpaid leave so as to play in chess tournaments, something which cost him money and interrupted any normal occupational career, delaying advancement. It was especially costly since tournaments in his day were quite lengthy; for example, the international tournament held in Vienna in 1898 had 38 rounds(!).
There were, as far as I can discern, two distinct periods to Maróczy’s chess career. He was very active around the turn of the century, when he was first starting out and looking to make a name for himself, say between the years 1896-1911. His successes were many (first at Monte Carlo in 1902 and 1904, first at Ostende in 1905, and so on) and he established himself as a world class player. Then in the 1920s and 1930s, as Europe began to recuperate from the Great War, he became active again, proving his mettle, showing that he had retained most of his strength. So he tied for first at Karlsbad 1923, for example, and when Hungary won the gold medal at the Munich 1936 Chess Olympiad, Maróczy was playing on first board. It should be emphasised as well that he remained a strong player to the end of his days; he was like Lasker and Smyslov in this regard.
All throughout the book there are a selection of Maróczy’s best games, 182 in total, each one scrupulously annotated. Classic strategic victories (such as game 60) sit alongside brilliant attacks (like game 150) and very many instructive endgames (29 and 57, to name but two). His reputation as an elegant positional player (in the Rubinstein or Smyslov mould) is well justified, but he was an adept tactician too.
Besides the games, it is the very many details of Maróczy’s life, whether they be glittering or fleeting, that make this book so exceptional and enthralling. His friendship with Charousek, the moment at Bled 1931 when he challenged Nimzowitsch to a duel(!), his role as a second assisting Euwe in his World Championship match versus Alekhine – all these details and many more are to be found herein. In addition, the book has scores of photographs, including excerpts from books and chess columns, and a bibliography of Maróczy’s books and other writings.
László Jakobetz’s Chess Warrior: The Life and Games of Géza Maróczy is not only a wonderful biography and extensive games collection of Hungary’s finest player; it is the measure by which all biographies of great chess players should be judged in the future.
We learn here that Maróczy lived in several countries throughout his life, including a spell in America, though he settled finally in Hungary from the middle of the 1920s onwards. Never entirely a chess professional, though the game was an overriding if not the sole passion of his life (he was married in 1904, a marriage that endured), he took jobs as a draftsman, an engineer, a primary school teacher, and later as a clerk, accountant and auditor, in order to make ends meet. Often, as a bachelor in his younger days, he would take unpaid leave so as to play in chess tournaments, something which cost him money and interrupted any normal occupational career, delaying advancement. It was especially costly since tournaments in his day were quite lengthy; for example, the international tournament held in Vienna in 1898 had 38 rounds(!).
There were, as far as I can discern, two distinct periods to Maróczy’s chess career. He was very active around the turn of the century, when he was first starting out and looking to make a name for himself, say between the years 1896-1911. His successes were many (first at Monte Carlo in 1902 and 1904, first at Ostende in 1905, and so on) and he established himself as a world class player. Then in the 1920s and 1930s, as Europe began to recuperate from the Great War, he became active again, proving his mettle, showing that he had retained most of his strength. So he tied for first at Karlsbad 1923, for example, and when Hungary won the gold medal at the Munich 1936 Chess Olympiad, Maróczy was playing on first board. It should be emphasised as well that he remained a strong player to the end of his days; he was like Lasker and Smyslov in this regard.
All throughout the book there are a selection of Maróczy’s best games, 182 in total, each one scrupulously annotated. Classic strategic victories (such as game 60) sit alongside brilliant attacks (like game 150) and very many instructive endgames (29 and 57, to name but two). His reputation as an elegant positional player (in the Rubinstein or Smyslov mould) is well justified, but he was an adept tactician too.
Besides the games, it is the very many details of Maróczy’s life, whether they be glittering or fleeting, that make this book so exceptional and enthralling. His friendship with Charousek, the moment at Bled 1931 when he challenged Nimzowitsch to a duel(!), his role as a second assisting Euwe in his World Championship match versus Alekhine – all these details and many more are to be found herein. In addition, the book has scores of photographs, including excerpts from books and chess columns, and a bibliography of Maróczy’s books and other writings.
László Jakobetz’s Chess Warrior: The Life and Games of Géza Maróczy is not only a wonderful biography and extensive games collection of Hungary’s finest player; it is the measure by which all biographies of great chess players should be judged in the future.
We learn here that Maróczy lived in several countries throughout his life, including a spell in America, though he settled finally in Hungary from the middle of the 1920s onwards. Never entirely a chess professional, though the game was an overriding if not the sole passion of his life (he was married in 1904, a marriage that endured), he took jobs as a draftsman, an engineer, a primary school teacher, and later as a clerk, accountant and auditor, in order to make ends meet. Often, as a bachelor in his younger days, he would take unpaid leave so as to play in chess tournaments, something which cost him money and interrupted any normal occupational career, delaying advancement. It was especially costly since tournaments in his day were quite lengthy; for example, the international tournament held in Vienna in 1898 had 38 rounds(!).
There were, as far as I can discern, two distinct periods to Maróczy’s chess career. He was very active around the turn of the century, when he was first starting out and looking to make a name for himself, say between the years 1896-1911. His successes were many (first at Monte Carlo in 1902 and 1904, first at Ostende in 1905, and so on) and he established himself as a world class player. Then in the 1920s and 1930s, as Europe began to recuperate from the Great War, he became active again, proving his mettle, showing that he had retained most of his strength. So he tied for first at Karlsbad 1923, for example, and when Hungary won the gold medal at the Munich 1936 Chess Olympiad, Maróczy was playing on first board. It should be emphasised as well that he remained a strong player to the end of his days; he was like Lasker and Smyslov in this regard.
All throughout the book there are a selection of Maróczy’s best games, 182 in total, each one scrupulously annotated. Classic strategic victories (such as game 60) sit alongside brilliant attacks (like game 150) and very many instructive endgames (29 and 57, to name but two). His reputation as an elegant positional player (in the Rubinstein or Smyslov mould) is well justified, but he was an adept tactician too.
Besides the games, it is the very many details of Maróczy’s life, whether they be glittering or fleeting, that make this book so exceptional and enthralling. His friendship with Charousek, the moment at Bled 1931 when he challenged Nimzowitsch to a duel(!), his role as a second assisting Euwe in his World Championship match versus Alekhine – all these details and many more are to be found herein. In addition, the book has scores of photographs, including excerpts from books and chess columns, and a bibliography of Maróczy’s books and other writings.
László Jakobetz’s Chess Warrior: The Life and Games of Géza Maróczy is not only a wonderful biography and extensive games collection of Hungary’s finest player; it is the measure by which all biographies of great chess players should be judged in the future.
Paul Kane
https://thecaissakid.wordpress.com/2024/11/28/chess-warrior/
DER UNGARISCHE GRANDSEGNIEUR
Als wir in unserer letzten Karl-Ausgabe für den Maróczy-Artikel den führenden ungarischen Schachhistoriker László Jakobetz gewinnen konnten, waren wir sehr glücklich. Denn kurz nach unserem Budapest-Heft erschien seine englischsprachige Maróczy-Biographie unter dem etwas martialischen Titel Chess Warrior. Zwei Jahre lang hat Jakobetz daran gearbeitet und tausende von Schriftstücken, Dokumenten, Zeitungen, Artikel und Bücher gesichtet. Entstanden ist die bislang umfangreichste Monographie zu einem der größten ungarischen Schachspieler.
Géza Maróczy lebte im Goldenen Zeitalter des Schachs und wurde zum Grandseigneur der Magyaren. Bis heute ist sein Name wegen der nach ihm benannten Eröffnungsstruktur in der Schachwelt unvergessen auch wenn Maróczy diesen Aufbau nie in einer Turnierpartie gespielt hat.
Jakobetz konnte viele Unklarheiten im Leben Maróczys klären. Seine Recherchen wiesen z.B. nach, dass Maróczy entgegen anderweitigen Quellen keinen Universitätsabschluss hatte.
Es war wohl ein gutes Omen, dass Maróczy auf dem berühmten Gruppenfoto von Hastings 1895 zu sehen ist, obwohl er gar nicht im Meisterturnier mitgespielt, sondern „nur“ das Amateurturnier gewonnen hatte. Doch ein Jahr später konnte er beim Weltklasseturnier in Nürnberg hinter Lasker, aber vor dem Hastingssieger Pillsbury sensationell den zweiten Platz belegen, was ihn schlagartig in die Weltelite katapultierte. In den 1900er Jahren folgten mehrere Turniersiege, die Maróczy zu einem Kandidaten für ein WM-Match gegen Lasker machten, das aber nie stattfand.
1908, mit 39 Jahren, zog sich Maróczy weitgehend vom Turnierschach zurück, auch wenn er noch Kolumnen schrieb und 1911 beim europäischen Turnierdebüt Capablancas in San Sebastian teilnahm. Erst nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg kehrte der mittlerweile 50-Jährige wieder in die Turnierarena zurück. Grund war der Machtwechsel in Ungarn, der Maróczy zur Emigration zwang. Deshalb wurde auch sein wichtigstes Werk Maróczy’s Hundert Schachpartien zunächst auf Deutsch veröffentlicht und erst später auf Ungarisch.
Schachlich konnte Maróczy trotz seines hohen Alters bald wieder „oben“ mitspielen. Im Weltklasseturnier in Karlsbad 1923 teilte er den ersten Platz mit Aljechin und Bogoljubow. 1927 führte Maróczy die Ungarn bei der ersten offiziellen Schacholympiade in London zum Sieg, 1930 bei der Olympiade in Hamburg zur Silbermedaille und 1936 mit 66 Jahren bei der inoffiziellen Olympiade in München noch einmal zum Gold. Es war sein letzter großer Erfolg. Er starb 1951 und wurde unter großer nationaler und internationaler Anteilnahme zu Grabe getragen.
Obwohl Maróczy weithin geachtet wurde, hatte er doch auch mit dem einen oder anderen Konkurrenten Streit, so mit Nimzowitsch, den er sogar zu einem Duell aufforderte. Bei andern war er als Mentor hochgeschätzt, wobei Jakobetz zeigt, dass sein Einfluss als Trainer von Vera Menchik und Max Euwe größer war als bislang angenommen.
Dieser reichbebilderte Band, der zahlreiche seltene zeitgenössische Fotografien enthält, ist zweifellos das neue Referenzwerk zu Maróczy.
Harry Schaack
KARL 3/2024
We learn here that Maróczy lived in several countries throughout his life, including a spell in America, though he settled finally in Hungary from the middle of the 1920s onwards. Never entirely a chess professional, though the game was an overriding if not the sole passion of his life (he was married in 1904, a marriage that endured), he took jobs as a draftsman, an engineer, a primary school teacher, and later as a clerk, accountant and auditor, in order to make ends meet. Often, as a bachelor in his younger days, he would take unpaid leave so as to play in chess tournaments, something which cost him money and interrupted any normal occupational career, delaying advancement. It was especially costly since tournaments in his day were quite lengthy; for example, the international tournament held in Vienna in 1898 had 38 rounds(!).
There were, as far as I can discern, two distinct periods to Maróczy’s chess career. He was very active around the turn of the century, when he was first starting out and looking to make a name for himself, say between the years 1896-1911. His successes were many (first at Monte Carlo in 1902 and 1904, first at Ostende in 1905, and so on) and he established himself as a world class player. Then in the 1920s and 1930s, as Europe began to recuperate from the Great War, he became active again, proving his mettle, showing that he had retained most of his strength. So he tied for first at Karlsbad 1923, for example, and when Hungary won the gold medal at the Munich 1936 Chess Olympiad, Maróczy was playing on first board. It should be emphasised as well that he remained a strong player to the end of his days; he was like Lasker and Smyslov in this regard.
All throughout the book there are a selection of Maróczy’s best games, 182 in total, each one scrupulously annotated. Classic strategic victories (such as game 60) sit alongside brilliant attacks (like game 150) and very many instructive endgames (29 and 57, to name but two). His reputation as an elegant positional player (in the Rubinstein or Smyslov mould) is well justified, but he was an adept tactician too.
Besides the games, it is the very many details of Maróczy’s life, whether they be glittering or fleeting, that make this book so exceptional and enthralling. His friendship with Charousek, the moment at Bled 1931 when he challenged Nimzowitsch to a duel(!), his role as a second assisting Euwe in his World Championship match versus Alekhine – all these details and many more are to be found herein. In addition, the book has scores of photographs, including excerpts from books and chess columns, and a bibliography of Maróczy’s books and other writings.
László Jakobetz’s Chess Warrior: The Life and Games of Géza Maróczy is not only a wonderful biography and extensive games collection of Hungary’s finest player; it is the measure by which all biographies of great chess players should be judged in the future.
We learn here that Maróczy lived in several countries throughout his life, including a spell in America, though he settled finally in Hungary from the middle of the 1920s onwards. Never entirely a chess professional, though the game was an overriding if not the sole passion of his life (he was married in 1904, a marriage that endured), he took jobs as a draftsman, an engineer, a primary school teacher, and later as a clerk, accountant and auditor, in order to make ends meet. Often, as a bachelor in his younger days, he would take unpaid leave so as to play in chess tournaments, something which cost him money and interrupted any normal occupational career, delaying advancement. It was especially costly since tournaments in his day were quite lengthy; for example, the international tournament held in Vienna in 1898 had 38 rounds(!).
There were, as far as I can discern, two distinct periods to Maróczy’s chess career. He was very active around the turn of the century, when he was first starting out and looking to make a name for himself, say between the years 1896-1911. His successes were many (first at Monte Carlo in 1902 and 1904, first at Ostende in 1905, and so on) and he established himself as a world class player. Then in the 1920s and 1930s, as Europe began to recuperate from the Great War, he became active again, proving his mettle, showing that he had retained most of his strength. So he tied for first at Karlsbad 1923, for example, and when Hungary won the gold medal at the Munich 1936 Chess Olympiad, Maróczy was playing on first board. It should be emphasised as well that he remained a strong player to the end of his days; he was like Lasker and Smyslov in this regard.
All throughout the book there are a selection of Maróczy’s best games, 182 in total, each one scrupulously annotated. Classic strategic victories (such as game 60) sit alongside brilliant attacks (like game 150) and very many instructive endgames (29 and 57, to name but two). His reputation as an elegant positional player (in the Rubinstein or Smyslov mould) is well justified, but he was an adept tactician too.
Besides the games, it is the very many details of Maróczy’s life, whether they be glittering or fleeting, that make this book so exceptional and enthralling. His friendship with Charousek, the moment at Bled 1931 when he challenged Nimzowitsch to a duel(!), his role as a second assisting Euwe in his World Championship match versus Alekhine – all these details and many more are to be found herein. In addition, the book has scores of photographs, including excerpts from books and chess columns, and a bibliography of Maróczy’s books and other writings.
László Jakobetz’s Chess Warrior: The Life and Games of Géza Maróczy is not only a wonderful biography and extensive games collection of Hungary’s finest player; it is the measure by which all biographies of great chess players should be judged in the future.
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