<I was very happy that I played a really good game, really in Rubinstein-style, in the style of my favorite player, and it gave me a very good feeling.

Rubinstein is your favorite player?

Yes, sure, definitely.

So it must have also given some pleasure that you were able to play his 4.e3 move against the Nimzo-Indian in a title match.

Yes, indeed, I had it in mind.

That's nice.

But also from the Black side, all Meran is Rubinstein's system, even though it's called Meraner system. Most of the modern openings are based on Rubinstein. Sorry that I divert...

That's no problem! Let's divert just a bit more: do you think that at some point in history, Rubinstein would have had a good chance to become world champion?

From page 359 of the 1907 '(Neue) Wiener Schachzeitung' (originally from 'N. Fr. Presse', 1907.09.18).

I grew up loving chess, so I never had much tolerance for guys like Staunton, Fine, Reshevsky, and other chess geniuses who did not make it their top priority. As an adult, I see that those driven to pursue chess at the cost of everything else are perhaps not as admirable as I once thought, but rather in the grip of something that might be costing them a balanced life. (Although I doubt Rubenstein would have been any happier as a rabbi!)

<Przepiorka war eitel Freude, Tartakower zog stolzgeschwellt mit dem polnischen Konsul die Halle auf und ab - während Rubinstein schon wieder traumversunken in irgendeiner Ecke saß.>

Poll "Wie wurde ich Schachmeister?" (how i became a chessmaster) by Eugen Gömöri

Akiva Rubinstein: <Das Schachspiel hat man mir noch im Cheder gezeigt, als ich 14 Jahre alt war. Mit 16 Jahren habe ich mich mit der Theorie befaßt. Dann hat man mir geraten, nach Lodz zu fahren, wo der große Meister Salwe lebte. Bei ihm habe ich mich vervollkommnet, ich war bei ihm sozusagen in der Lehre. So wurde ich Meister.

Ich habe Neigung und Talent gefühlt. Ich habe auch ein außerordentlich gutes Gedächtnis. Ich erinnere mich zum Beispiel auch jetzt an alle Partien; die ich während meiner 21-jährigen Schachmeisterschaft gespielt habe. Namen-, Ortsgedächtnis habe ich keines; nur ein spezielles Schachgedächtnis.

Es fesselt mich der ästhetische Genuß. Eine hübsche Kombination verschafft mir ästhetischen Genuß. Ich gerate sozusagen in einen Fieberzustand.

Schach ist nicht nur Kunst, sondern auch Wissenschaft. Der Sieg und alles andere geschieht auf wissenschaftlicher Grundlage. Die schwache Seite des Gegners, die Besetzung der Felder, usw., dies alles gehört in das wissenschaftliche Kapitel des Schachspiels.>

From pages 164-165 of the 1926 '(Neue) Wiener Schachzeitung'.

Translation: <The game of chess was shown to me already in the Cheder [elementary school teaching basics of judaism and hebrew; karpova] when I was 14 years old. At the age of 16 I studied theory. Then I was advised to travel to Lodz where the great master Salwe lived. Next to him I improved, I was his apprentice so to speak. This is how I became a master.

I felt affinity/affection and talent. I also possess an exceptionally good memory. I remember for example also right now all the games which I played during my 21 years of chess mastership. I don't have a name or place memory, just a special chess memory.

The aesthetic pleasure captivates me. A pretty combination provides me with an aesthetic pleasure. I get into a fever condition so to speak.

Chess is not just art, but also science. The victory and everything else has a scientific basis. The opponent's weak spot, the occupation of squares, etc., that all belongs to the scientific chapter of chess.>

<Auch das im selben Jahre [i. e. 1912] ausgetragene russische Nationalturnier zu Warschau, dem ruhig internationale Bedeutung beigemessen werden kann, bringt Rubinstein vor Bernstein und Niemzowitsch den Sieg.>

The 4th tournament Akiva won in 1912 was the Russian National Tournament at Vilna and not Warsaw. Though there had been some confusion about a 5th tournament victory in 1912 at a tournament in Warsaw. This was then thought to have been Warsaw 1911 where the question arose whether it overlapped into 1912 or not (it didn't). It is also notable that many games are missing or only known as fragments from Vilna 1912 so it's possible that confusing Vilna with Warsaw and Warsaw taking place right at the end of 1911 helped to confuse matters.

Thank you!!

Hans Renette (Bierbeek, Belgium) writes:

[...] <In those days, every foreign citizen who spent time in Antwerp received a visit from the local police.> [...]

<A report on the interview with Rubinstein by the Antwerp police is dated 17 December 1926. He declared that he had arrived in the city on 4 December 1926 and gave his previous address as Brinkmanstrasse 5, Berlin. In Antwerp the Rubinsteins lived in the Taverne Old Tom hotel, De Keyzerlei 53, the main street leading from the railway station.

The police documentation includes a brief overview of the Rubinstein family. His father, Akiwa, was born in Grajewo, Poland and was deceased. His mother, Reisel Denenburg, was 80 years old and lived in Jerusalem. Rubinstein was in Antwerp with his wife Eni Lew (born in Szczuczyn, 16 June 1893) and their only child, Jakob (born in Szczuczyn on 24 January 1918). The couple had married in that city on 30 March 1917.> [...]

There are is also a picture of Akiva and ov Eugenie Lev.

C.N. 7811 deals with the witchcraft quote.

---

<1909> - <Jose Raul Capablanca>: The 'American Chess Bulletin' reports in 1909 that a match was to take place in fall or early winter. Rubinstein willing to travel to America.

Source: Volume 1, p. 207-208

---

<1910> - <Georg Rotlewi>: Play-Off match after Rubinstein and Rotlewi shared 1st place at the Warsaw 1910 tournament (WTZGSz) from 1910.10.17 to 1910.11.05. Rotlewi declined play-offs and gave 1st place Akiva.

Source: Volume 1: p. 214

---

<1910> - <Dr. Ossip Bernstein>: 'Casopis Ceskoslovenskych Sachistu' 1910 (p. 184) reports that a match between them was to start on 1910.12.15 in Petrograd, consist of 16 games with a prize fund of 1,600 rubles (1,000 to the winner).

Source: Volume 1: p. 215-216

---

<1914> - <Dr. Emanuel Lasker>: World Championship match to begin in October 1914 - probably the match where planning had gone the farthest. Outbreak of World War I lead to cancellation.

---

<1918> - <Dr. Milan Vidmar>: After the first 1918 Berlin tournament, Rubinstein challenged Dr. Vidmar for a match the following winter.

Source: Volume 1: p. 315

---

<World Championship Matches after World War I>: Rubinstein didn't have the necessary funds to play a match either against Dr. Lasker (Capablanca was the only one who could raise the money) or Capablanca.

---

<1928> - <Frank James Marshall>: Match in New York in 1928, proposed after the New York International Tournament was cancelled - especially Marshall's attitude had enraged tournament manager Dr. Lederer - a match between Rubinstein and Marshall instead was proposed but fell through. Rubinstein played exhibition games instead.

Volume 2: p. 356-357

---

Sources:

"The Life & Games of Akiva Rubinstein - Volume 1: Uncrowned King" by IM Donaldson and IM Minev 2nd edition Milford, USA, 2007

1. Fischer
2. Rubinstein
3. Tal
4. Kasparov
5. Capablanca