Main contest was a master tournament, called the <Paul Schellenberg Memorial>. It became a race between the world championship’s candidates Nimzowitsch and Alekhine. Aaron triumphed.

Some of his wins became classics. Rubinstein competed in the race until he was beaten by the top two. The fifth prize was won by the problem composer Von Holzhausen.

Noteworthy the fierce they fought: There where only <9> draws out of 45 games!

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The Chess Club at Dresden, Germany held a 50th anniversary celebration in 1926. Among the events was a masters tournament, the Paul Schellenberg Memorial, which was held from April 4th to the 14th. Three contenders for the world championship, Alexander Alekhine, Akiba Rubinstein, and Aron Nimzowitsch, were among the attendees. While the race was close among all three in the early rounds, it was Nimzowitsch who emerged victorious at the end with a near perfect 8½/9, a full point and a half ahead of second place Alekhine!

Photo of the players:
http://www.endgame.nl/DRESDEN.JPG or http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

Standing: Rubinstein, Sämisch, Tartakower, organiser, Blümisch, Steiner, Yates Sitting: Nimzowitsch, Alekhine, organiser (O. Krüger), Von Holzhausen, Johner

Stamp with Johner - Nimzowitsch (round two)
Black played <33. .. Bxh3!>: http://www.endgame.nl/johner.jpg

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The final standings and crosstable:

1st Nimzowitsch 8½/9 * ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2nd Alekhine 7/9 ½ * 1 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1

3rd Rubinstein 6½/9 0 0 * ½ 1 1 1 1 1 1

4th Tartakower 5/9 0 0 ½ * ½ 1 ½ ½ 1 1

5th Von Holzhausen 4/9 0 ½ 0 ½ * 0 1 1 0 1

6th Johner 3½/9 0 ½ 0 0 1 * 0 1 0 1

=7th Yates 3/9 0 ½ 0 ½ 0 1 * 0 1 0

=7th Sämisch 3/9 0 0 0 ½ 0 0 1 * ½ 1

9th Blümich 2½/9 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 ½ * 0

10th Steiner 2/9 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 *

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Tournament book by <Dr. Friedrich Palitzsch, Dr. G. Wiarda <Am sprudelnden Schachquell - <Dresden 1926>>>

Deutsch, 280 Seiten, Kunstlederband, Reprint, 1991.
Edition Olms - Tschaturanga http://www.amazon.de/sprudelnden-Sc...

Rezension:

<In der Mitte der zwanziger Jahre gab es etwa zehn Schachgroßmeister, die um das Recht mit dem Weltmeister Capablanca um den Titel zu kämpfen, in Konkurrenz traten. Die Entscheidung fiel im Frühling des Jahres 1927 zugunsten Aljechins. Auch in den Jahren zuvor gehörte er bei den wichtigsten Turnieren stets zu den Preisträgern. Sein größter Widersacher war Nimzowitsch, dem es in diesem Jubiläumskongreß des Dresdener Schachvereins auf überzeugende Weise gelang, mit 8,5 Punkten aus 9 Partien den Sieg davonzutragen. Aljechin erreichte, ebenfalls ohne Verlust, mit 7 Punkten den 2. Platz. Er mußte sich gegen einige schwächere Spieler mit Remis zufriedengeben. Die bewährten Meister Rubinstein und Tartakower wurden Dritte mit 6,5 bzw. Vierter mit 5 Punkten. Ersterer hatte das Turnier mit 4 aus 4 begonnen. Es folgten noch, der Reihe nach, von Holzhausen, Johner, Sämisch, Yates, Blümich und Steiner.

Dem Turnierbuch ist "Am sprudelnden Schachquell 1876 - 1926" beigebunden, eine von Friedrich Palitzsch bearbeitete Festschrift, die in anerkennenswerter Weise die 50jährige Geschichte des Dresdener Schachvereins schildert. Neben 75 Partien und einer Anzahl von Studien sind diesem Werk fast 200 Probleme von Mitgliedern des Vereins hinzugefügt worden. Eine große Anzahl von Tafeln mit Bildern vervollständigt dieses Dokument, das 65 Jahre nach seinem Ersterscheinen neu aufgelegt wird.>

Christian M. Bijl

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<C.N. 3875. <Dresden, 1926>>

Our correspondent Maurice Carter asks whether it is possible to identify the masters in action in the photograph from the Dresden, 1926 tournament given between pages 240 and 241 of Complete Games of Alekhine, volume three by V. Fiala and J. Kalendovský (Olomouc, 1998). Rubinstein and Tartakower are identifiable, he remarks, but who are the others?

A larger version of the picture appeared at the beginning of the Dresden, 1926 tournament book: http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

On the basis of the pairings we believe that it was taken during the final round, on 14 April. The players from left to right are thus: L. Steiner, A. Rubinstein, F.Yates, S. Tartakower, W. von Holzhausen and A. Alekhine. In the distance there are (probably): F. Sämisch, A. Nimzowitsch (absent from the board), P. Johner and M. Blümich

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Wiki-Bios:

Wikipedia article: Walther von Holzhausen
Wikipedia article: Fritz S%C3%A4misch
Wikipedia article: Savielly Tartakower
Wikipedia article: Nimzowitsch
Wikipedia article: Alexander Alekhine
Wikipedia article: Max Bl%C3%BCmich
Wikipedia article: Lajos Steiner
Wikipedia article: Paul Johner
Wikipedia article: Akiba Rubinstein

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from Mrs. Alekhine chessforum

<Aug-06-12 <perfidious>> :

jess As we've discussed the London Rules at some length in these pages, it's my understanding that (according to Sergeant in Championship Chess) Nimozwitsch posted the $500 deposit and formally challenged Capablanca after winning Dresden 1926, then forfeited the money, as he was unable to obtain backing. Do you know any more about this?

<Aug-06-12 < Alien Math>>: <perfidious> Appear 7 December 1926 letter of challenge, page 20 Black and White - Alexander Kotov http://www.litmir.net/br/?b=95455&p.

<Aug-07-12 <jessicafischerqueen>>:

...

I highly doubt it is true that <Nimzo> managed to raise and post a $500 forfeiture against a match with <Capa>, and then lost his $500. I doubt <Nimzo> would have posted such a bond without knowing ahead of time that he had guaranteed funding for the entire $10,000.

With respect to his challenge to <Capa>, <Nimzo> didn't exactly have his ducks in a row- he didn't even challenge <Capablanca> directly. Rather, the Champ heard it through the grapevine, and sent this letter to <Nimzo> on September 21, 1926:

<"My dear Mr. Nimzowitsch--

I have read cable reports and chess magazine articles stating that you had sent me a challenge to play a match for the chess championship of the world. The fact is that so far I have not received a single direct line from you to that effect....

...I am willing to give you until 1 January 1927, to show results. If by that time you can post with the American Chess Bulletin a forfeit of Five Hundred <<<($500)>>> Dollars to bind the match to take place during 1927 at the time to be designated by me, very well. If not, I must consider your match as void....

...Let me hear from you at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely yours, Jose R. Capablanca">

--Edward Winter "Capablanca"
McFarland, 1989, p. 194

Capa did not hear from <Nimzo>, the deadline came and went, and <Capa> honored the challenge from <Alekhine>, which was indeed secured by a $500 dollar forfeiture and backed up by a pledge by the government of Argentina to guarantee the full $10,000.

If anyone has any properly sourced or primary material suggesting that <Nimzo> did indeed post a $500 forfeiture for a match with <Capa>, I'd certainly like to hear about it.

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