My Favorite Chess Player.

My favorite chess player was Jose Raul Capablanca. He made the game of chess look so easy. I have learned alot by playing over Capablanca's games. My favorite book, "Capablanca's 100 Best Chess Games" is highly recommended.

Jose Raul Capablanca was born in Havana, Cuba on November 19, 1888. He learned to play chess at age four by watching his father's games, and his rise to the top of the sport was quick.

When he was twelve years old, my favorite chess player defeated the Cuban Champion Juan Corzo in an informal match. He then won another match against one of the world's most famous players, the American Frank James Marshall. Finally in his first major tournament, San Sebastian 1911, Capa made a spectacular debut, taking first place ahead of Carl Schlechter and Akiba Rubinstein.

Many in the chess world considered him the logical successor to World Champion Emanuel Lasker, including Lasker himself. World War I delayed a Lasker-Capablanca match, but in 1921 the two finally met in Havana. Capa won the title without losing a single game.

During his tenure as Champion, which lasted until 1927, my favorite chess player competed in four major international tournaments. He took two first prizes, one second, and one third place from the four events. His renowned technical skill, particularly in the endgame, soon earned him a reputation for being all but invincible. In fact, when he lost a game to Richard Reti at the New York Tournament of 1924, it was his first defeat in eight years.

In 1927, Capablanca lost his title to Alexander Alekhine in an exhausting match. He was unable to obtain a rematch despite winning several more international tournaments in the years to come.

(Capablanca was a master of the first rank and truly my favorite chess player of all time)

Kevin

Rare Video Of Capablanca

Capablanca Chess Quotes

1. A good player is always lucky.

2. A Passed Pawn increases in strength as the number of pieces on the board diminishes.

3. In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else, for whereas the the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and the opening must be studied in relation to the endgame.

4. As one by one I mowed them down, my superiority soon became apparent.

5. I have not given any drawn or lost games, because I thought them inadequate to the purpose of the book.

6. Chess books should be used as we use glasses: to assist the sight, although some players make use of them as if they thought they conferred sight.

7. You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player.

8. Referring to the match with Marshall "The most surprising feature of all was the fact that I played without ever having opened a book to study the openings..

9. A player some time ago asked me to give him some advice for average players, and I asked him of what sort, and what did he find was the general weakness. He said that some players are very aggressive and others are not aggressive at all. Both are wrong, but if you have to be one of the two, it is much better to be very aggressive.

Akiba Rubinstein

Akiba Rubinstein has to be consider my 2nd favorite chess player. In my opinion, this guy was just as good as Capablanca, but he had a few personal problems.

Akiba Kiwelowicz Rubinstein was a famous Polish chess Grandmaster at the beginning of the 20th century. He learned to play chess when he was 16. Rubinstein was Jewish, and his family wanted him to become a rabbi. But, in 1903, after he finished fifth in a tournament in Kiev, he decided to give up his rabbi studies and concentrate solely on chess.

Between 1907 and 1912, he was considered one of the strongest players in the world. During this time some believed that he was better than the world champion Emanuel Lasker. He was never given a chance to play Lasker for the championship because he couldn't raise enough money to meet Lasker's demands.

He was extremely gifted in the endgame, especially in rook endings. My 2nd favorite chess player at Wikipedia.

Paul Morphy

Paul Charles Morphy was an American chess player. He was the greatest chess master of his time and considered the unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy and was called "The Pride and Sorrow of Chess".

No one formally taught Morphy how to play chess. Paul learned on his own when he was a young child from watching others play. By nine years old, he was considered one of the best players in New Orleans.

We can say that Paul Morphy was the first modern player. Some of his games do not look modern because he did not need the positional systems that modern grandmasters use. His opponents hadn't mastered the open game, so he played it against them and liked open positions because they brought quick success. He could play any position. He was well ahead of his time in chess. Paul Morphy played what he knew was best, and has been compared to Capablanca. He was, like Capablanca, a child prodigy; he played quickly and he was hard to beat.

Paul Morphy is another one of my favorite chess players. Paul Morphy info at Wikipedia.

WHY CAN'T I PLAY CHESS LIKE CAPABLANCA

My favorite chess player will always be Capablanca. Chess is a game that can only be played well if you love the game. We are all not born with the gift of naturally knowing how to play the game. For some of us it takes some serious study. For some of us, it just comes naturally. It is what is described by some as having a natural talent for the game.

Jose Raul Capablanca, my favorite chess player, from what i have read, had a natural talent for the game. He learned the game at a very early age and in no time was a master at it. There have been others who also have learned the game at an early age and mastered the game in little time. Some of these players have went on to obtain a World Championship Title. This holds true for both men and women.

I have played this game for over thirty years and have become a better player, but by no means have I mastered the game. Countless of hours of study, playing over master games, and just playing thousands of games, have helped me become more knowledgeable in the game, so why can't I play chess like Capablanca?

I will leave this topic open for comment. Just fill out the form at the bottom of the page. Share your thoughts and ideas with us on this subject. Why can't we all just play like Capablanca or any of the other great players who have mastered this wonderful game?

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