Did Jose Raul Capablanca Beat Top Players at Just 23 Years Old?

[LennoxLewis]

I'm a horrible player, but i very much like the game. I also like to read about some of the great chess players.

Recently i read on Jose Raul Capablanca (1888-1942, Cuba). Word has it, he entered a tournament with all of the world top players at the time, while he was relatively unproven himself at 23 years of age. When watching Nimzowitsch (a grandmaster and top5 player in the world) play, he made some comment to which Nimzowitsch took offense, saying that unproven players should know their place and be quiet in presence of their superiors. Jose challenged him to a series of quick-chess matches and beat Nimzowitsch with ridiculous ease. He went on to win the tournament.

Anyone else like chess?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I used to play chess alot. Unfortunately I don't see my chess friends much any more.

I don't remember the specifics but there was a chess match where the two players looked at the board and realized it was over. The "losing" player disgruntledly made a move slapped the clock then got up and walked away. The "victor" then got up and went to talk with the people who wished to congratulate him. Eventually the other player came over to console him over his loss. What? "But you lost!" Then he showed him the clock and pointed out that his time had run out.

That story was described in a book called How To Cheat At Chess.

 

[RunSwimSurf]

I love chess! Sometimes I play on Yahoo or Chess.com. Looking to perhaps join a club here in NYC or check out the local parks. I don't play bullet chess at all really. Maybe a 5-min blitz, but usually a standard 10-20 min game.
I must confess my endgame needs a lot of work. As for my opening, I use either the Ruy Lopez or the King's Gambit.

 

[lonton]

I like Vista chess I never get up to 10% of win in round 6

 

[Math Jeans]

I used to play chess alot, but haven't even touched a chess board for almost 2 years.

 

[Crazy Tosser]

I play chess on my Mac when I am reeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaally bored.
Otherwise, I don't really enjoy it much.

 

[signerror]

Team chess!

1. e4

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4733/diagramikphpa1whiterookji3.jpg

(Using online diagram editor + imageshack)

 

[signerror]

Current team members:

White

• signerror

Black

• ...

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

1. e4

Your forgot to say 'check'. I think that's a 5 yard penalty, no?

 

[physics girl phd]

You're all making me miss my thesis days. I'd wake up, start writing at 10AM, write all day til (with food breaks of course), then run of to the brewpub around 8-9PM. To my surprise, one day early in the process, I found one of my better physics friends there... playing chess with a bunch of people that played competitively (at the state level). After a few days of this, they eventually coerced me (plying me with beers of course) to play team chess (in groups of 6/8, with 2/3 players per team, alternating turns within the team). It was fabulous. I'd never had better chess (since my best opponent when I was young was a program on the TRS "Trash" 80 that took FOREVER to compile its options... and after I started beating my siblings and parents no-one would play anymore). Dang... less than one month later, with the thesis defended, I left the town and no longer get to hang out at brewpubs, much less with smart people at brewpubs.

The two days they weren't there, I found other cool people to hang with... one group of anthropologists was pretty cool one night... even the one guy that kinda liked me who kept talking about his research with lemurs (something about their teeth wear over time compared to that of other primate teeth).

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

You're all making me miss my thesis days. I'd wake up, start writing at 10AM, write all day til (with food breaks of course), then run of to the brewpub around 8-9PM. To my surprise, one day early in the process, I found one of my better physics friends there... playing chess with a bunch of people that played competitively (at the state level). After a few days of this, they eventually coerced me (plying me with beers of course) to play team chess (in groups of 6/8, with 2/3 players per team, alternating turns within the team). It was fabulous. I'd never had better chess (since my best opponent when I was young was a program on the TRS "Trash" 80 that took FOREVER to compile its options... and after I started beating my siblings and parents no-one would play anymore). Dang... less than one month later, with the thesis defended, I left the town and no longer get to hang out at brewpubs, much less with smart people at brewpubs.

The two days they weren't there, I found other cool people to hang with... one group of anthropologists was pretty cool one night... even the one guy that kinda liked me who kept talking about his research with lemurs (something about their teeth wear over time compared to that of other primate teeth).

:!)

 

[mattmns]

Three summers ago I spent all my free time playing chess and reading chess books - it was pretty awesome and I got to be a decent player, but I haven't played since then. I used to play at www.redhotpawn.com

 

[gabbagabbahey]

Team chess!

1. e4

I'm game.

1...c5

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4025/diagramikup9.th.jpg

 

[signerror]

2. Nc3

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/3592/diagramikphpa1whiterooksh5.jpg

 

[signerror]

It's team chess - anyone can join a team and vote on the next move. You can discuss in this thread, using invisible text (we'll trust the other side not to peak).

White team:

Spoiler

I think a generic plan is g6, Bg2, d3, Be3, Nge2, 0-0, in some order. 3. g6 sound good? Or do we want an early f4?

 

[gabbagabbahey]

Hmmm... who wants to be on my team?

Black Team:

Spoiler

I vote for an early a6 to confuzzle the snuzzle out of the white team

 

[redargon]

I'm in, but was thinking a one on one sort of scenario might be better. Would it be better to pm each other moves or start a new thread per game so others can "watch"?

 

[Andre]

I'll kibitz a bit too

Spoiler

A6 has generally been a sound response but white won't be in trouble if he continues normally. Most common (and sound) move here is Nc6 >75% in my database.

 

[Dadface]

Chess!Too complicated.What are those horses for?Tic tac toe,now there's a real game. I'm training to be a master.

 

[redargon]

I'll join white team.

white team:
signerror
redargon

black team:
gabbagabbahey
andre

For white team:

Spoiler

let's see where they go from here. I'd stick to the g6 for now.

 

[WhoWee]

I used to play chess alot. Unfortunately I don't see my chess friends much any more.

I don't remember the specifics but there was a chess match where the two players looked at the board and realized it was over. The "losing" player disgruntledly made a move slapped the clock then got up and walked away. The "victor" then got up and went to talk with the people who wished to congratulate him. Eventually the other player came over to console him over his loss. What? "But you lost!" Then he showed him the clock and pointed out that his time had run out.

That story was described in a book called How To Cheat At Chess.

That would make a good story for a "How to Sell" book...don't leave the table until the deal is done.