Maróczy’s meetings with Tschigorin, Bird, Owen.
March, 1950. In the „Magyar Sakkvilág” (Hungarian Chessworld) Dr. Árpád Vajda congratulates Maróczy on his 80th Birthday. January, 1951. The name of chess-journal was changed: Magyar Sakkélet (Hungarian Chesslife). In number of May, 1951 to be found the last article of Maróczy on two complete pages. The title of the article: My meetings with Tschigorin. On the title-page of next number there is a Maróczy portrait.. in black border.
There are in the article heaps of chess giant’s names from Morphy to Bronstein. I should be glad to translate the complete article but I have possibility to browse. I had selected this part:
In 1895 I met first with Tschigorin by Hastings Tournament. On this tournament Tschigorin gained the second prize before dr. Lasker, dr. Tarrasch, Steinitz and other chess notabilities. (Pillsbury won) I had played in tournament of master significants. Snatched away Tschigorin from the first place the unexpected defeat from his compatriot and schoolmaster Schiffers. During our conversation was mentioned this event, and the grumbling teacher thoroughly instructed his student that must not take slightingly the old chessplayers because maybe it’s sorrowful consequence. Tschigorin endured with patience the dressing-down with smile, bore testimony to his behaviour toward his master as a mask his respect: „You must not mind his twaddle – told me with smile – he is grumbling with me, because causes pain him owing to the game which I defeated against him and I lost the first place. However not this game was deceding but my bad play against Janowski.”
His statment is the indeed valuable and exemplary case of criticism and self-criticism. Tschigorin followed with lively attention my role on the main-tournament and agreed with others that I would participate on the master-tournament too. The English Rev. Owen, former adversary of Morphy, whom I defeated with witty Queen’s sacrifice (you can see in the previous article: „Kill one bird with two stones”), he was my best dispatch-runner. He proclaimed at all the time that nobody defeated him so thoroughly and easily as Morphy did previously. Owen got to the point that brought wit himself from the master-tournament H. E. Bird English master who was well-known about his Blitz game. Seated him against me, and took pleasure in his quick defeat.
Tschigorin criticized my games with deep sense, and gave valuable information to the future…
Tschigorin had good intentions toward Maróczy when in Karlsbad rejected Rubinstein’s draw offer, but the game lost. Tschigorin and Maróczy were friends, they were establishing the „Russian and Hungarian chess school”.
The final result of MMT:
I. Keres 12,5
II. Geller 12
III.-V. Botvinnik, Smyslov, Stahlberg 11-11
VI. Szabó 10,5
VII-VIII. Petrosian, Pilnik 9,5-9,5
IX. O’Kelly 9
X. BenkÅ? 8,5
XI.-XII. Barcza, Szily 8-8
XIII.-XIV. Kottnauer, Golombek 7-7
XV. Gereben 6
XVI. Troianescu 5,5
XVII. Sliwa 5
XVIII. Platz 2
Results, XVII. series of games:
Szily – Szabó 0-1 Kottnauer – Golombek ½-½
Gereben – Smyslov 0-1 Platz – Petrosian 0-1
O’Kelly – Geller ½-½ Troianescu – Sliwa ½-½
Botvinnik – Pilnik 1-0
Analyzed by Csaba Gerencsér
Before this game Stahlberg had great chance to win this tournament if he wins in the last game. Of course only in the best possible case: if Keres and Geller don’t will win his last games. However it happened inversely. After the tournament for the victory against Stahlberg Benko received 1000 Hungarian Forint. (I heard this from a Hungarian grandmaster who looked on the tournament) Than it was the half a year’s salary of an engineer.
Analyzed by Paul Keres
The play of Keres was fascinating. He observes the smallest weakness of position. He gained well-deserved victory in this Tournament. But he couldn’t gain the world championship because he couldn’t play for it as Maróczy. On the picture there is the Keres memorial museum in Tallin. (Esthonia) 10 years later the second MMT Korchnoi won in Budapest, who also didn’t gained the world title as Maróczy, but he „played” with Maróczy in a „spiritual” game. The chart of MMT is visible in my blog: „MMT in 1952, sketches.” To be continued…?? Yes! Maróczy games.