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Spielmann 
 
Rudolf Spielmann
Number of games in database: 1,014
Years covered: 1900 to 1940
Overall record: +393 -271 =347 (56.0%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      3 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Vienna Opening (79) 
    C29 C28 C25 C26 C27
 French Defense (63) 
    C11 C01 C12 C10 C15
 Sicilian (52) 
    B20 B40 B29 B45 B41
 Ruy Lopez (49) 
    C77 C88 C66 C65 C80
 French (31) 
    C11 C12 C10 C13 C00
 King's Gambit Accepted (31) 
    C33 C37 C34 C39 C36
With the Black pieces:
 Queen's Pawn Game (71) 
    D02 A40 A46 E10 D00
 French Defense (62) 
    C14 C13 C01 C11 C02
 Ruy Lopez (55) 
    C61 C63 C77 C70 C80
 Orthodox Defense (46) 
    D52 D51 D55 D66 D64
 French (28) 
    C13 C11 C00 C12
 Four Knights (21) 
    C49 C48 C47
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Spielmann vs B Hoenlinger, 1929 1-0
   Spielmann vs L'Hermet, 1927 1-0
   Spielmann vs Flamberg, 1914 1-0
   Spielmann vs R Wahle, 1926 1-0
   Rubinstein vs Spielmann, 1912 0-1
   Spielmann vs Rubinstein, 1911 1-0
   Spielmann vs H Gebhardt, 1926 1-0
   Spielmann vs Gruenfeld, 1929 1-0
   Spielmann vs M Walter, 1928 1-0
   Spielmann vs M Elyashov, 1903 1-0

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   The Games of Rudolf Spielmann by Timothy Glenn Forney
   "The Art of Sacrifice in Chess" by R. Spielmann by mjk
   San Sebastian 1912 by Archives

GAMES ANNOTATED BY SPIELMANN: [what is this?]
   Spielmann vs Rubinstein, 1911

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Rudolf Spielmann
Search Google® for Rudolf Spielmann


RUDOLF SPIELMANN
(born May-05-1883, died Aug-22-1942) Austria

[what is this?]
Rudolf Spielmann was born the 5th of May 1883 in Vienna, Austria. Nordic Champion in 1919 and German Champion in 1927 his notable tournament achievements included 3rd= at St. Petersburg 1909, 1st at the Abbazia King's Gambit tournament 1912, 2nd at San Sebastian 1912, 1st at Baden bei Wien 1914, 1st at Stockholm 1919, 1st= at Teplitz-Schonau 1922, 1st at Semmering 1926, 3rd at Berlin 1928 and 2nd at Carlsbad 1929. In matches he scored victories over Aron Nimzowitsch in 1908, Richard Reti in 1910 and 1921, Savielly Tartakower in 1910 and 1921, Gideon Stahlberg in 1930 and Efim Bogoljubov in 1932.

Friendly, pleasant and sensitive as a person his chess persona contrasted greatly. He loved complex positions and combinations which would give flight to his imagination and in the age of Hypermodernism he seemed to belong to an earlier more romantic time.

Being Jewish, he fled Nazi Germany and in 1939 went to Sweden. He passed away in Stockholm in 1942.


 page 1 of 41; games 1-25 of 1,014  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Lasker vs Spielmann ½-½28 1900 Vienna ccD50 Queen's Gambit Declined
2. Spielmann vs M Elyashov 1-029 1903 MunichC39 King's Gambit Accepted
3. A Wagner vs Spielmann 0-126 1903 BerlinD11 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
4. Spielmann vs Kohnlein 1-039 1904 MunichC29 Vienna Gambit
5. Spielmann vs Moewig 1-040 1904 Coburg-AC29 Vienna Gambit
6. E Cohn vs Spielmann 1-029 1904 Coburg-AC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
7. Spielmann vs Kaegbein  1-037 1904 Coburg-AC39 King's Gambit Accepted
8. Spielmann vs O Bernstein ½-½28 1904 BerlinC39 King's Gambit Accepted
9. Leonhardt vs Spielmann 1-032 1904 SheveningenC01 French, Exchange
10. Spielmann vs Duras 0-148 1904 Coburg-AC29 Vienna Gambit
11. Spielmann vs Marshall 0-135 1905 ScheveningenC42 Petrov Defense
12. Spielmann vs F J Lee 0-148 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERB18 Caro-Kann, Classical
13. Spielmann vs J Perlis 0-147 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERC30 King's Gambit Declined
14. G Schories vs Spielmann 0-125 1905 SchveningenC82 Ruy Lopez, Open
15. Swiderski vs Spielmann  ½-½38 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERD60 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense
16. A H Petterson vs Spielmann 0-134 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERC44 King's Pawn Game
17. Fahrni vs Spielmann 1-027 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERD02 Queen's Pawn Game
18. A E Post vs Spielmann  1-050 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERD02 Queen's Pawn Game
19. Nimzowitsch vs Spielmann ½-½36 1905 07, Munich mC45 Scotch Game
20. Spielmann vs B Leussen 0-142 1905 ScheveningenB72 Sicilian, Dragon
21. Spielmann vs L Forgacs 1-030 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERC30 King's Gambit Declined
22. Spielmann vs W Schwan 1-050 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERB24 Sicilian, Closed
23. Spielmann vs Reggio 0-131 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERC29 Vienna Gambit
24. Spielmann vs Nimzowitsch 1-019 1905 MunichB15 Caro-Kann
25. A Neumann vs Spielmann ½-½33 1905 Barmen Masters B, GERC63 Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defense
 page 1 of 41; games 1-25 of 1,014  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Spielmann wins | Spielmann loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 6 OF 6 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Jan-26-08   MichAdams: The Quarterly for Chess History, 1/1999, has a potted biography of Spielmann, including a match list which runs to 55 in number.
Jan-26-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Pawn and Two: <Owl> The Semmering 1926 tournament, (won by Spielmann), book gives Spielmann's tournament and match results. Here are his match results:

1904 Munich - Nimzovich +4 -4 =5
1905 Munich - Leonhardt +6 -4 =5
1906 Munich - E. Cohn +2 -1 =0
1907 Berlin - v. Bardeleben +1 -2 =1
1907 Munich - Fahrni +5 -3 =2
1908 Munich - Nimzovich +4 -1 =1
1908 Munich - Przepiorka +4 -1 =0
1908 Munich - W. John +3 -5 =0
1909 Kissingen - P. Johner +6 -0 =3
1910 Regensburg - Mieses +5 -1 =2
1910 Munich - Fahrni +4 -3 =4
1910 Vienna - Tartakower +3 -2 =1
1910 Vienna - Perlis +2 -1 =2
1910 Vienna - Reti +4 -0 =1
1911 Munich - Alapin +6 -3 =1
1913 Vienna - Tartakower +2 -5 =5
1914 Leipzig - Teichmann +1 -5 =0
1921 Vienna - Tartakower +3 -2 =1
1921 Vienna - Reti +3 -0 =3
1922 Munich - G. Maier +2 -0 =2
1925 Goteborg - A. Nilsson +3 -1 =1
1929 Vienna - Honlinger +5 -2 =3
1930 Stockholm - Stahlberg +4 -1 =1
1930 Stockholm - Stoltz +1 -2 =3
1930 Stockholm - Lundin +4 -0 =2
1931 Maribor - Pirc +3 -1 =6
1932 Semmering - Bogoljubow +4 -3 =3
1932 Amsterdam - Davidson +4 -0 =0
1932 Amsterdam - Euwe +0 -2 =2
1932 Amsterdam - Davidson +3 -0 =1
1932 Amsterdam - Moldauer +4 -0 =0
1932 Linz - Eliskases +2 -3 =5
1932 Stockholm - Stoltz +4 -1 =1
1933 Stockholm - Lundin +0 -1 =5
1933 Stockholm - Stahlberg +1 -3 =4
1933 Goteborg - Berndtsson +2 -1 =2
1933 Amsterdam - Landau +2 -1 =3
1933 Amsterdam - Davidson +2 -0 =2
1934 Riga - Apscheneek +3 -0 =1
1934 Riga - Petrov +2 -1 =5
1934 Riga - Feigin +1 -0 =3
1934 Kaunas - Mikenas +3 -1 =2
1934 Amsterdam -v.den Bosch +1 -1 =2
1935 Warsaw - P. Frydman +0 -0 =5
1936 Amsterdam - Landau +4 -0 =4
1936 Amsterdam - v. Steenis +3 -0 =1
1936 Amsterdam -v.den Bosch +2 -1 =2
1936 Rotterdam - Landau +3 -1 =1
1936 Amsterdam -v.den Bosch +3 -3 =4
1936 Semmering - Eliskases +1 -2 =7
1937 Semmering - Eliskases +0 -2 =8
1938 Amsterdam - Landau +4 -1 =3
1940 Stockholm - Lundholm +5 -0 =1

Of the 53 total matches, Spielmann won 38, lost 11 and drew 4.

Feb-02-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  brankat: <Pawn and Two> Thank You for the list. Fascinating!
Mar-03-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  aazqua: This guy certainly looks like a plum sucker ...
Mar-03-08   Voltaic: heil to the last romantic!
Mar-08-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Pawn and Two: <branket> It is likely there are additional matches of Spielmann's not included in the above list. One of these was his match with Euwe in 1935.

In his biography of Euwe, Alexander Munninghoff reports that in preparation for his championship match of 1935 with Alekhine, Euwe played a secret 10 game training match with Spielmann. The match did not go well for Euwe, who lost by a score of +2-4=4.

Edward Winter in, Chess Facts and Fables", notes that none of these games appear to have ever been published.

Mar-23-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  brankat: <Pawn and Two> Yes, this was a training method introduced by Dr.Euwe, followed later by Botvinnik in the 1950s and '60s.
Mar-23-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiskeyrebel: If Hollywood gets around to making a Spielmann film any time soon they should recruit Shabalov to play him (judging by the pic above).
Apr-16-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  percyblakeney: The Swedish edition of Spielmann's book on sacrifices has an introduction discussing some of the articles he wrote during his final years in Sweden.

Spielmann claims that he always felt ashamed of himself when analysing with Lasker. If you thought you had found an interesting move Lasker had already seen the refutation and was far ahead in some more complicated line. Spielmann declares that he had analysed many games together with Capablanca and Alekhine but it was only with Lasker he felt so inferior.

It could be added that Spielmann only lost one of his five games against Lasker, so the results between them were less to be ashamed of for Spielmann.

Spielmann also had decent scores against Capablanca and Alekhine, and means that Alekhine could look as if he was forcing out his moves through sheer willpower, working very hard during the games.

Playing Capablanca was more exhausting, as in Spielmann vs Capablanca, 1925 where Spielmann says that he was thinking hard all the time while Capablanca strolled around looking at the other games and discussing with people. As soon as Spielmann made his move Capablanca usually just strolled past the table and answered immediately, to return to other matters.

Spielmann means that some see Capablanca as a greater genius than Alekhine, while some are of the opposite view. The only thing Spielmann is certain of is that Alekhine's results wouldn't be too impressive if he had played chess the same way Capablanca did.

Apr-18-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  brankat: <Percyblakeney><The only thing Spielmann is certain of is that Alekhine's results wouldn't be too impressive if he had played chess the same way Capablanca did.>

The very same could be fairly said of Capablanca if he had tried to "imitate" Alekhine.

That's why they all adopt styles they find suitable to their view of/approach to the game, temperament, character, strengths/weaknesses.

Just as Tal didn't play like Botvinnik, and vice versa, which in no way takes away anything from either the two.

May-04-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Karpova: W. E. Napier: <‘Spielmann plays always like an educated cave-man, who fell asleep several thousand years ago, – and woke up quite lately in the Black Forest.’>

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

Jun-17-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: Quote of the Day

<The beauty of a game of chess is usually assessed according to the sacrifices it contains.>

-- Rudolf Spielmann

- <usually assessed> = NN ?

- Nimzo & like-minded people might disagree

Aug-15-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  Karpova: <Jun-26-07

ahmadov: <Karpova> By that time everybody knew that The Turk was fake... However, I understand your point. Different nations had tales about flying carpets, magic mirrows or other similar things that later became realities in the face of planes, TV sets etc.

Still, I think Spielmann using "machine" in that quote is remarkable...>

The examples that you gave (all involve magic) are not quite correct.

The concept of a machine has been the complete opposite - something that works without any metaphysical powers. For a long time, the clock has been the paradigm of a machine (17th century) when they became quite complex and precise. There have also been other (though primitive) machines based on hydraulics (e. g. in Versailles) and so concepts evolved that tried to explain phenomena by merely regarding them as machines - nothing but matter (like a clock just without all those cogwheels). A famous example is Rene Descartes (that animals were nothing but machines). A machine, pure matter, capable of everything except for the intellectual qualities of human beings and no metaphysical powers.

That's also the reason for The Turk to fool people - they had a look into it and saw all those cogwheels and thought that if you managed to add enough parts to make the mechanism complex enough you could even build a machine that played chess. Most people surely didn't believe that there was a ghost inside the Turk (or a human being...).

That's what Spielmann is referring to (not exactly a 17th century clock but the concept behind it and later bigger machines (steam engines, etc.).

On the one hand, considering the relatively primitive machines at that time it may seem strange or even funny that people belived that but considering today's computers, etc. they were not completely mistaken to believe that you could improve upon a pure mechanism that much (some of them overshot the mark though).

Actually, the idea of a machine is quite old (even the Greeks used machines for theatre with fascinating mechanisms based on ropes).

Aug-16-08   Anyi: To all Spielmann fans! You are invited to contribute a little biography of Spielmann (or your other favourite player) to my website on Rubinstein (see Colleagues). Its address is: http://rubina.yfw24.de/ Contact me via E-mail or, if you are reluctant to disclose your e-mail address, via the guestbook!

Looking forward to hearing from you. I'm planning to bring excerpts from the book Spielmann and Rubinstein (together with Réti) wrote together: "The Lärobok"- so really looking forward to be in touch with Spielmann admirers!

Oct-22-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  fred lennox: The Balzac of chess wrote a book and it's a classic. The emphatic vigor, sweep and robust purposefulness found in his playing is in his writing. To use the art of Sacrifice simply to learn a few tricks calls for a cry of justice. For many sacrifice is the most colorful and dynamic aspect of chess and is far from a bag of tricks. Keen sense of positional values is essential for its mastery. What makes the book truly great, is not only does he clearly expounds the kinds of sacrifices and how positional aspects influences sacrificial opportunities, he hits bulls eye in giving the essentials the right value of importance. For a datum learned without this is a datum half learned. Example, he shows speed of development is more important then centralization without underrating the latter. He writes about obstruction, line clearance, king protection, piece coordination, development, pawn structure, value of exchange like two bishops plus rook is equal to two rooks plus knight etc., giving examples to most that are vivid and to the point. It's true it's all related to sacrifice but the data given is basic and vital to chess mastery in general. To top it all, he is practical. Only a real master of sacrifice with years of experience could of written the book. The idea is to read it carefully a few times, learning is mostly reinforcement, ingraining each essential to memory and your playing will improve considerably beyond the sacrifice for most kibitzers. The book is not exhaustive as the author admits, pointing out the richness of the subject, but it gives a rock foundation for latter study and should be on the book shelve of every lover of the game.
Oct-30-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  fred lennox: In arto of Sacrifice the Spielmann describes sham sacrifice as "lack real characteristics of the sacrifice...They are sham sacrifieces in the most literal sense of the word." Sham meaning pretense, imposture, deception. Added to this its derivation probably a dialect variant of shame, which is a shame. For sham sacrifice can be one of the most beautiful, deeply thought out moves, yet the name doesn't entirely shake off the derogatory. Spielmann does clarify it's skill and usefulness, and the sham is descriptive, accurate, even colorful. The shortcoming is to be noted . I wouldn't change it if i could.
Oct-30-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  fred lennox: The speculative sacrifice is one of the most misunderstood concepts in chess, i feel. Too readily it's associated with luck. Luck is a word that does not belong to a game like chess. Only in the most obvious patzer-like blunder do i feel it is appropriate. Even so, until a player resigns or mated, he has the right to be lucky. Calculated sacrifice, however deep, is not considered lucky. Yet even here "luck" plays a role for the opponent misplayed in order to allow a calculated sacrifice to occur. Speculative sacrifice really has little to do with luck. A player of intermediate strength can use it with some skill. When someone associates speculative sacrifice with luck, I'm inclined to feel he doesn't really understand the nature of sacrifice.
Oct-30-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  fred lennox: Sacrifice deals with tempo and how the lack of coordination of pieces effects tempo. That's the ground work for the majority of sacrifice. It's a means to transferring temporal advantage to one more lasting by <turning mass into energy-spielmann> Speculative sacrifice does not see calculations to the end. This isn't always practical, possible or even necessary. It combines calculations with evaluation of disorder and disconnection of pieces to use spielmanns words. Disorder of pieces, if accompanied by a more harmonious position is hunting ground for the sacrifice. The sacrifice will give up some material in order to create more disorder for the opponent. The result is an increase of tempo. With tempo gained, an advantage ought to be gained for the sacrifice to be valid. Risk is often involved. Lets not confuse risk with luck. Speculative sacrifice and calculative can both be risky. It's above all, a matter of skill and imagination.
Dec-06-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  brankat: <fred lenox> Thank You for this very fine discourse on the Spielmann book!

I found Vladimir Vukovic's work: 'The Chess Sacrifice" quite useful, too.

Jan-15-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  fred lennox: Thanks brankat. I have heard of the vukovic's book but haven't read it.
May-05-09   WhiteRook48: Happy birthday to the sacrificial wizard!
May-28-09   laskereshevsky: Quote of the Day

<I can see the combinations as well as Alekhine, but I cannot get into the same positions. >

--- Spielmann

Can be said about KARPOV is his best days:

<I can get into the same positions as well as Alekhine, but i cannot see the same combinations>

Jul-25-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  percyblakeney: I was in Stockholm today and got the idea to look for Spielmann’s grave. It took me some time to find it at Norra Begravningsplatsen since the Jewish cemetery alone has close to 5000 graves, but eventually I succeeded and this is how it looks:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/percyb...

Jul-26-09   Xeroxx: <percyblakeney>

Det var en fin sten.

Jul-26-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  percyblakeney: <Xeroxx>

"En genial mästare och en ädel människa" låter som en beskrivning han förtjänar.

Spielmann is probably the strongest player buried in Sweden, there's also Ståhlberg who gets a higher ranking on all Chessmetrics lists but I'd place Spielmann ahead of him. The latter scored rather good results against Capablanca, Lasker, Alekhine and Rubinstein (+16 -22 =29 in career total against these four), and had several successful top tournaments.

Ståhlberg has a total of +3 -23 =22 against Alekhine, Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian and Spassky, and his tournament achievements with the top players present seem slightly weaker than Spielmann's.

For more on the subject graves of chessplayers see http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

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