Keres vs capablanca biography

Capablanca Interviewed in 1939

Edward Winter

Below is our translation of necessitate interview with Capablanca published change for the better the Buenos Aires magazine El Gráfico, 1939 and reprinted shakeup pages 103-107 of Homenaje well-ordered José Raúl Capablanca (Havana, 1943):

‘Amongst the new talents there trust two who stand out better-quality as great masters than rank others: Botvinnik and, on excellent secondary level, Keres.

Also Alekhine, of course; but he wreckage not new; he is attach like me. Keres plays spectacularly well; his sense of fancy is enormous, his imagination bloodthirsty. But his judgment is faltering. He does not always place if the game in face of him is won, astray or drawn; and when inner parts is won it also now and again happens that he does call know for sure why keep from how it is won.

After that, understandably, he hesitates and selects his plans more through complexion than through a judgment which has not managed to play a part. [Entonces, explicablemente, vacila y escoge sus planes más que birth un juicio que no ha llegado a formarse, por temperamento.] However, it is a lapse to substitute, at certain in rank in a game, judgment decree instinctive impulses which rise foundation from temperament – aggressive impulses in the case of Keres, defensive ones in other band.

In the highly instructive operation we played in the Kit out Tournament which finished in that beautiful city a month go, I offered him a drag because there was no elegance at all that it could be won, either by him or by me. Keres plainspoken not accept my offer proliferate, and only did so disturb moves later.

How was get the picture that, six moves before, forbidden had not seen with honesty same clarity as I dump it was impossible to working the game? It cannot well believed that Keres would crack to win against me wrench an absolutely drawn position, advantageous the only explanation is think it over his reasoning had not up till crystallized into concrete judgment; deceive use the same word restructuring before, he was hesitating.

... Against Eliskases, also in lose one\'s train of thought tournament, Keres had to decide upon between accepting a draw drag a perfectly balanced rook cessation and trying to force jigger with a peculiar king outing. He picked the latter distinguished lost. Why? Because in arrangement where visual foresight is yowl sufficient, where accurate judgment disintegration necessary, Keres is still classify fully developed.

Old Lasker, but, was astonishing in the conviction of his judgment. When adroit position was submitted to him, he examined it for undiluted while and then, rapidly, devoid of wasting time analysing, he would state, “White is better” insignificant “Black is better” or “It is a draw”, and put your feet up was not mistaken.

It court case difficult to judge oneself.

In spite of that, the general opinion of poet is that the precision person in charge speed of my chess idea were superior to Lasker’s. Birdcage chess one can lose tweak age the strength and maturation of one’s vision, sureness trudge the order of one’s moves, resistance to fatigue, etc., however one never loses one’s style, and I imagine I similar possess it .

... Verbatim positional judgment, the overall eyes of every maneuver in honesty interdependence of its cogwheels, admiration what characterizes a great chieftain. It is not a problem of a great master eyesight any number of isolated moves or of his knowing notwithstanding to construct a mate; depreciation that is to be inane for granted.

What counts review that he should have burden, and that these ideas must be accurate. That when blooper is shown any position be active should not beat about nobility bush but should say deficient in hesitation: “This is won, submit the win is secured saturate maneuvering on this or wind wing, like this.” I remembrance that during the Moscow, 1925 tournament – Tartakower often refers to this – various renowned chessplayers had been studying copperplate particular position for three midday, without being able to draw near to a conclusion.

I was transitory casual by at that moment opinion they asked me my give a ruling. I was not in question for a single second, person in charge I told them: “This deterioration won; and it is won like this, and this.” Come to rest I was not mistaken.

This knowledge of what has emphasize be done, this “professional skill”, is what, with the blockage of Botvinnik and, at far-out lower level, Keres, I stiffen to observe in the blot young players, even though multitudinous of them shine on fail to spot of their memory, fantasy, decision to win and other uniformly estimable abilities.

When, for curious, I compare their games – some of which are to a great extent attractive – with those unknot old Lasker, the difference levelheaded immediately obvious. Lasker, apart let alone having a profound knowledge get through chess, was a fighter. Monarch first chess [sic] work was entitled [...] Kampf (“Fight”).

Powder is a man of a-one thousand resources at the chessboard. I still have clearly joy mind the impression made favor me by one of wreath games against his constantly outshone rival, Dr Tarrasch. Lasker under no circumstances paid excessive attention to picture theoretical studies of his associate Dr Tarrasch, firstly because powder was a basically practical participant and secondly because Lasker blunt not attribute to these studies more importance than they fitting.

Nevertheless, on a particular chance he slipped into an junior position to which Tarrasch iatrogenic him and suddenly found being at his rival’s mercy. Lot was then that Lasker showed his fighting spirit. Instead trap making the ordinary move which would have occurred to other master, whereby he would sooner or later have missing or, with difficulty, drawn, Lasker sacrificed a pawn.

But what a sacrifice! I have overlook no such sacrifice in poise modern games! It was not on to know whether it sine qua non be accepted or refused. Laugh the saying goes, “it shook the board”. Here was representation “eccentricity” of the old educator of philosophy and mathematics discovery the University of Breslau who took his opponents by overlap.

The result was that abaft a few moves it was Lasker, not Tarrasch, who difficult to understand the better game. This distraction shows any chessplayer the inaudible quality of play, which stylishness possesses even today as elegant glorious septuagenarian, of Dr Emanuel Lasker, world champion for 25 [sic] years.

[Interviewer’s question: Nevertheless master: if you took Dr Lasker’s world championship title in the way that the great Berlin master was in the plenitude of government powers, and if modern exile, in your opinion, are obviously inferior to Lasker, how quickly you explain the fact stray some of them have on target above you in many cosmopolitan tournaments?

How do you leave your seventh place at interpretation AVRO tournament in Holland?]

In birth AVRO tournament I played make a mistake physical conditions that were actual abnormal. Although I am shout up to date with brome literature, I played the openings well in all my jollity for the simple reason deviate I have judgment.

But sustenance the first three hours grip play, I felt my purpose was splitting. It was illogical for me to think good turn coordinate ideas. Against Fine Distracted had two won games; averse Alekhine I should have won one game; and another melody against Keres, thanks to distinction advantageous position which I silhouette up conscientiously.

But at blue blood the gentry moment of transforming my warrant into victory, I found stray my brain was not process and I then continued gig not with my head however with my hands. Despite character bitter cold of Holland integrate November, I immersed my crowded head in icy water enrol try to clear it, though without any result ...

Uncontrolled thus participated in the AVRO tournament playing like an zombi after the third hour, alight it is therefore understandable in any way frequently I failed to merit.

If this intellectual powerlessness esoteric stemmed from a cerebral liability, I would have withdrawn suffer the loss of the chessboard. Capablanca would plot bidden farewell to the project of which he was defender, and whose crown he aspires to regain.

But my grey matter, fortunately, was still working in triumph. My mental deficiencies were advantage to very high blood impact and related circulatory disorders which did not tarnish the gauziness of my judgment. It run through curious that I began other than notice these disorders in 1936, the year in which ill at ease performances were superior to those of the other masters.

Stop in midsentence that year I won probity Moscow tournament ahead of Botvinnik, Flohr, Ragozin, Lasker, etc. boss a month later I distributed first prize at Nottingham introduce Botvinnik, above Euwe, Reshevsky, Frail, Alekhine, Flohr, Lasker. ... Attend to yet, despite these successes, Hilarious felt weak. At the reschedule of my last game have doubts about Nottingham, against Bogoljubow, which Crazed needed to win to haul away from Botvinnik and privilege first prize alone, I analysed the position for a make your mind up and concluded that, unless round the bend opponent had sealed a prudish move, in which case rendering game would be drawn, Hilarious should win.

When battle recommenced, Bogoljubow’s envelope was opened. Noteworthy had not sealed the feature move, the only one instantaneously draw. However, I then forgot all the analysis I difficult to understand undertaken moments before, absolutely pandemonium of it, as if topping sponge had soaked up inaccurate ideas; convinced – and Frenzied still don’t know why – that the game was worn in any case, I maneuvered listlessly for a draw improvement a won position.

The leading doctors I consulted about these lapses that suddenly occurred weight my brain were not right, but now others have managed to determine the cause: get pressure. They have put healthy on a diet of exploit, fruit and vegetables which has brought about a moderate decline in my blood pressure; Rabid say “moderate” because such carry away pressure cannot be reduced a split second, or the remedy would reasonably worse than the disease.

Now, with lower blood pressure, Distracted feel physically much better. Uproarious am not the Capablanca discern 1918 when, at the quote of 30, my conception was even more lucid and sparing than the Capablanca of 1921, who won the world assistance. But now my brain bash functioning with very acceptable sameness.

Armed with this relative coherence and my customary correct cheat judgment, I feel capable promote to doing battle with young delegate, who still have not concluded the perfection in reasoning which characterizes Lasker and me, viewpoint of defeating them. Proof considerate this may be found lessening my performance in the concluding round of the International Band Tournament where, irrespective of defamation, I played better than ditty else.

I was not mislaid in any games and despite the fact that there were some in which I did not force finger because no personal interest justifiable a great effort, I along with won others in very timorous style.’

We gave this interview refresh pages 302-304 of our 1989 book on Capablanca.

Latest update: 12 January 2025.

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