Jan-18-07
 | | keypusher: Does anyone know what the story is here? Did Rubinstein lose on time? |
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Jan-18-07
 | | suenteus po 147: <keypusher> From Tartakower's book on the tournament: "Their game had come to an impasse and the two gentlemen agreed quite amicably to a draw. Unbeknownst to Rubinstein there was an archaic rule in the Belgium tournament guidelines for proper sportsmanship that required the shaking of hands between competitors in the instance of a draw. Thomas was still recovering from a cold contracted from the unseasonably cold air that month and instinctively sneezed into his hand just before offering it. Rubinstein quite naturally, but with obvious distaste, refused his hand. The arbiter happened to glance over in this moment and quickly penalized Rubinstein the point according to the previously mentioned rule. Although a master of several languages, Rubinstein's French was poor and raised voices captured my attention from my own game against Marshall. Though I had less time on my clock than my American opponent, I got up and went over to mediate. Despite my best efforts the arbiter was adamant of his decision and Rubinstein was unwilling to shake even after Thomas had wiped his hand clean with a handkerchief. The decision stood and Rubinstein marched off (I was thankful that the arbiter could not understand him any more than Rubinsten him). When I sat back down Marshall asked what the turmoil had been. "They just needed a hand," I said. ... Rubinstein however, not one to easily forgive such an injustice, won his revenge early the next morning as he stole Thomas' breakfast waffle, leaving the poor man to rely on some buttered buns and jellies to fill him for the day's activities. Thomas was no doubt distracted by his lack of nourishment and was ground out in a poor endgame a pawn down against Przepiorka. Rubinstein, full from his larger than usual breakfast, easily drew his game with Nimzowitsch, remembering to shake hands cordially under the arbiter's suspicious glare." |
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Jan-18-07
| | keypusher: <suenteus po> Thanks! Imagine if this arbiter had been in charge of the Karpov-Korchnoi matches. I didn't even know that there was a book of this tournament, much less that Tartakower had written it. |
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Jan-18-07
| | suenteus po 147: <keypusher: I didn't even know that there was a book of this tournament, much less that Tartakower had written it.> I apologize, my friend. The previous post was intended as a fiction to entertain. As far as I know there was no tournament book, and even if there is I don't have access to it. I assumed the fiction was easy to spot, but maybe I wrote it too well! |
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Jan-19-07
| | keypusher: Your post was good, but I am still an idiot. I should delete my last post, but let it stand as a monument to my folly. |
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Jan-19-07
 | | ganstaman: It's actually very well written. You should consider doing such work on the Yu Lie page, as what I see of you there doesn't even come close to comparing to this. Also, thanks to keypusher for taking the fall for all the rest of us... :) |
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| Jan-19-07 | | TrueFiendish: Actually Rubenstein, unhappy with his passive position and unable to bear any longer the garlicky stench wafting over the board via Thomas's burps and grunts, resigned the game acrimoniously. Add to this Thomas's already chronicled ailment and Rubenstein's suffering from what we now know as "Howard Hughes syndrome", one can well understand the latter man's discomfort. Rubenstein went and hid beside a large potplant and no-one paid him further heed. Thomas, on the other hand, opened a quart of scotch and proceeded to drain it without offering anyone else so much as a snifter. He suffered for his greed, however, soon vomiting the scotch and the various other contents of his stomach (including the garlic filled pasta dish he had enjoyed at lunch, as well as a small pocketwatch he had earlier misplaced) all over the floor of the tournament hall. Having thus disgraced himself, an unabashed Thomas staggered out of the hall and in front of a tram, curing his head cold once and for all. |
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| Jan-19-07 | | Archives: <suentus po> That was very well written, I actually believed it too! |
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Jan-19-07
 | | Benzol: Amazingly Rubinstein lost on time here and the time control was 40 moves in 2 and 1/2 hours. |
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| Jan-19-07 | | nescio: <Benzol: Amazingly Rubinstein lost on time here and the time control was 40 moves in 2 and 1/2 hours> Actually, that may have been part of the problem besides Zeitnot-addiction. In the 1970's we often had that same time-control and used to spend the first hour or so drinking a glass of wine, smoking a cigar, quietly chatting about the weather or just daydreaming. |
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Jan-19-07
| | keypusher: <TrueFiendish> Yuck! <"They just needed a hand," I said. ...> LOL. It's even better on re-reading. |
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Jan-19-07
 | | Phony Benoni: According to the Cleveland Public Library catalog, there are at least two tournament books about Liege 1930. One is a rather shadowy thing attributed to Vlastimil Fiala, and published in 2006 by Caissa 90 Olomec. No other details seem to be available. The other is from E.G.R. Cordingley tournament series and came out around 1934. Having seen some of these, I assume that it's nothing but bare game scores, and would not be a help in settling the question which has brought all of us here today. It also appears that the Cordingley book has some mysterious stains on it, whch might make handling tricky. |
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Jan-19-07
| | suenteus po 147: <keypusher>, <ganstaman>, and <Archives> Thank you, gentlemen for your kind words. |
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| Jan-19-07 | | Resignation Trap: Rubinstein did lose some games on time in the latter part of his career in positions that weren't lost. See also: Rubinstein vs Teichmann, 1924 , Marshall vs Rubinstein, 1928 and Tartakower vs Rubinstein, 1931 . |
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| Jan-19-07 | | Resignation Trap: <suenteus po 147> You had me going there, too! You seem to write somewhat similarly to Tartakower, and I was expecting a follow-up story in the game Tartakower vs Rubinstein, 1931 , since it was the same opening line, and Rubinstein lost on time there on move 15! Have you read the articles which Tartakower wrote for <Chess Review> during the 1950's? They are in his usual inimitable style and I can scan them if you'd like to read them. I also have the book from Bad Kissingen 1928, which Tartakower wrote, and I believe it deserves to be translated from German to English. |
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| Jan-19-07 | | nescio: <Resignation Trap: I also have the book from Bad Kissingen 1928, which Tartakower wrote, and I believe it deserves to be translated from German to English.> Tartakower was certainly a good writer, but I doubt if you could get a publisher interested. However, one never knows... |
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Jan-19-07
| | suenteus po 147: <Resignation Trap> I currently possess no writings by Tartakower at all, and have read only the scant passages other kibtizers have been good enough to post on the site through out the years. I would greatly appreciate any articles by Savielly you could send my way :) |
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| Apr-22-12 | | Karpova: <Phony Benoni: According to the Cleveland Public Library catalog, there are at least two tournament books about Liege 1930.> Albert Becker also wrote a tournament book of the event (published in 1976 by Lachaga). After 36...Ng6 the position is approximately equal but Akiva lost on time indeed. |
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