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Capablanca 
 
Jose Raul Capablanca
Number of games in database: 732
Years covered: 1893 to 1940
Overall record: +336 -46 =257 (72.7%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      93 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Ruy Lopez (57) 
    C66 C88 C83 C62 C63
 Orthodox Defense (54) 
    D63 D51 D52 D64 D69
 Queen's Gambit Declined (40) 
    D30 D37 D31 D38
 Queen's Pawn Game (24) 
    D02 D00 D04 A50 D05
 Nimzo Indian (22) 
    E34 E38 E22 E33 E35
 French Defense (22) 
    C12 C11 C01 C14 C00
With the Black pieces:
 Orthodox Defense (52) 
    D67 D53 D64 D63 D51
 Ruy Lopez (41) 
    C66 C77 C73 C88 C72
 Queen's Pawn Game (36) 
    A46 D02 D00 D05 E10
 Nimzo Indian (18) 
    E24 E34 E23 E40 E37
 Slav (17) 
    D19 D17 D12 D15 D10
 Four Knights (16) 
    C49 C48 C47
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Capablanca vs Tartakower, 1924 1-0
   Capablanca vs Marshall, 1918 1-0
   Nimzowitsch vs Capablanca, 1927 0-1
   O Bernstein vs Capablanca, 1914 0-1
   Capablanca vs K Treybal, 1929 1-0
   Lasker vs Capablanca, 1921 0-1
   Capablanca vs M Fonaroff, 1918 1-0
   Capablanca vs J Corzo, 1901 1-0
   Capablanca vs NN, 1918 1-0
   Janowski vs Capablanca, 1916 0-1

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: [what is this?]
   Lasker-Capablanca World Championship Match (1921)
   Capablanca-Alekhine World Championship Match (1927)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Capablanca! by chocobonbon
   Match Capablanca! by amadeus
   Jose Raul Capablanca's Best Games by KingG
   "The Immortal Games of Capablanca" by Reinfeld by mjk
   capablanca best games by brager
   Capablanca´s Official Games (1901-1939) Part I by capablancakarpov
   Capablanca's Best Chess Endings (Irving Chernev) by nightgaunts
   Capablanca's Best Chess Endings by refutor
   Ruylopez's favorite games by Ruylopez
   Capablanca vs the World Champions Decisive Games by visayanbraindoctor
   José Capablanca's Rook Endings by Knight Pawn
   Garry Kasparov on My Great Predecessors Part 1 by MetalPlastic
   lis great games by gmlisowitz
   fav Capablanca & Fischer games by guoduke

GAMES ANNOTATED BY CAPABLANCA: [what is this?]
   Lasker vs Capablanca, 1921
   Lasker vs Schlechter, 1910
   Capablanca vs Lasker, 1921
   Capablanca vs Lasker, 1921
   Nimzowitsch vs Capablanca, 1913
   >> 27 GAMES ANNOTATED BY CAPABLANCA

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JOSE RAUL CAPABLANCA
(born Nov-19-1888, died Mar-08-1942) Cuba

[what is this?]
Jose Raul Capablanca was born in Havana, Cuba on November 19, 1888. He learned to play chess at age four by watching his father's games, and his rise to the top of the sport was quick. When he was twelve years old he defeated the Cuban Champion Juan Corzo in an informal match. He then won another match against one of the world's most famous players, the American Frank James Marshall. Finally in his first major tournament, San Sebastian 1911, Capa made a spectacular debut, taking first place ahead of Carl Schlechter and Akiba Rubinstein. Many in the chess world considered him the logical successor to World Champion Emanuel Lasker, including Lasker himself. World War I delayed a Lasker-Capablanca match, but in 1921 the two finally met in Havana. Capa won the title without losing a single game.

During his tenure as Champion, which lasted until 1927, Capablanca competed in four major international tournaments. He took two first prizes, one second, and one third place from the four events. His renowned technical skill, particularly in the endgame, soon earned him a reputation for being all but invincible. In fact, when he lost a game to Richard Reti at the New York Tournament of 1924, it was his first defeat in eight years.

In 1927, Capablanca lost his title to Alexander Alekhine in an exhausting match. He was unable to obtain a rematch despite winning several more international tournaments in the years to come.

notes: Jose Capablanca occasionally played consultation chess on the team of Reti / Capablanca.


 page 1 of 30; games 1-25 of 732  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. R Iglesias vs Capablanca 0-138 1893 Odds game000 Chess variants
2. J Corzo vs Capablanca 0-168 1901 Havana mC49 Four Knights
3. Capablanca vs J Corzo ½-½28 1901 Havana mA83 Dutch, Staunton Gambit
4. J Corzo vs Capablanca ½-½41 1901 Havana mC42 Petrov Defense
5. J Corzo vs Capablanca 1-027 1901 Habana,C52 Evans Gambit
6. Capablanca vs J Corzo 0-146 1901 Havana mA80 Dutch
7. Capablanca vs J Corzo 0-129 1901 Havana mC47 Four Knights
8. J Corzo vs Capablanca ½-½40 1901 Havana mC67 Ruy Lopez
9. Capablanca vs J Corzo 1-060 1901 HavanaD02 Queen's Pawn Game
10. Capablanca vs E Corzo 0-130 1901 Havana casualC40 King's Knight Opening
11. J Corzo vs Capablanca 0-126 1901 MatchC25 Vienna
12. Capablanca vs J Corzo ½-½61 1901 Havana mA80 Dutch
13. Capablanca vs J Corzo 0-160 1901 Havana casualC45 Scotch Game
14. J A Blanco vs Capablanca 0-177 1901 Habana (Cuba)C55 Two Knights Defense
15. J Corzo vs Capablanca ½-½20 1901 Havana Olympiad FinaC25 Vienna
16. Capablanca vs J Corzo 1-059 1901 HavanaA83 Dutch, Staunton Gambit
17. Capablanca vs J Corzo ½-½49 1901 Havana mD00 Queen's Pawn Game
18. J Corzo vs Capablanca 1-041 1901 Havana casualB01 Scandinavian
19. Capablanca vs E Corzo 1-042 1901 Havana casualC40 King's Knight Opening
20. A Fiol vs Capablanca 0-136 1901 Habana (Cuba)C55 Two Knights Defense
21. E Corzo vs Capablanca 0-137 1902 Havana,C39 King's Gambit Accepted
22. Capablanca vs E Corzo 1-033 1902 HavanaC60 Ruy Lopez
23. R Blanco Estera vs Capablanca 0-131 1902 Habana (Cuba)C55 Two Knights Defense
24. J Corzo vs Capablanca 0-136 1902 Havana casualC10 French
25. Capablanca vs Raubitschek 1-034 1906 New YorkC67 Ruy Lopez
 page 1 of 30; games 1-25 of 732  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Capablanca wins | Capablanca loses  
 

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 211 OF 211 ·  Later Kibitzing >
Jun-24-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  TheFocus: Botvinnik doesn't count. Simul, indeed!?

Why not count blitz games too?

Jun-25-10   beatgiant: <TheFocus>
Fair enough.

How about Oscar Chajes?

Jun-25-10   Whitehat1963: Corzo had a plus score against Capablanca???

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Jun-25-10   Whitehat1963: Chajes didn't come close:

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Jun-25-10   beatgiant: <Whitehat1963>
Chajes has wins in NY 1913 and NY 1916, i.e. "beat Capa more than once" as in WhiteRook48's comment above.
Jun-25-10   Whitehat1963: Oh, I'm sorry, <beatgiant>, you meant that Chajes had beaten Capablanca more than once. This is true, of course.
Jun-25-10   Whitehat1963: beat me to it.
Jun-25-10   AnalyzeThis: Well, as we know, to beat Capablanca even once was a rare achievement.
Jun-25-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  TheFocus: <beatgiant> <Whitehat1963> <Chajes has wins in NY 1913 and NY 1916, i.e. "beat Capa more than once" as in WhiteRook48's comment above.>

Wrong about Chajes. It was Jaffe who beat Capa in New York 1913.

Chajes only had one win in tournament play in 1916. <CG> is wrong, unless it was a simul game, or mislabeled?

Jun-25-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  TheFocus: <Whitehat1963>< Corzo had a plus score against Capablanca???>

Capablanca lost two games in match in 1901, 3 games in long match, and two games in 1902 Cuba Championship tournament = 7.

Capa won four games in long match, and two games in Havana 1913 = 6.

Corzo - 7-6.

Jun-25-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  TheFocus: Remember that I am talking about tournament and match games. <CG> seems to put credence into simultaneous and exhibition games between Capa and Corzo. But I am right about Capa's scores.
Jul-02-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  wordfunph: Story of Heinrich Fraenkel: At one tournament, Fraenkel was chatting to Sir George Thomas when a small boy handed up his autograph book which Sir George promptly signed. Then the boy handed the book to Fraenkel but the latter denied saying there could be no point in getting his autograph but the boy said, "I must have your autograph too!" Fraenkel said: "But why on earth? It's no good in your collection." --- "Oh yes, sir", said the boy, his face beaming, "I saw you talk to Capablanca!"

(taken from the book Capablanca's Last Chess Lectures)

Jul-03-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: I found one game in Rogelio Capparo's book on Capa labeled: Match only game, New York 1912. Maybe the game in the database that has Chajes winning in 1913 is actually from 1912.
Jul-04-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  BobCrisp: <Wrong about Chajes. It was Jaffe who beat Capa in New York 1913.

Chajes only had one win in tournament play in 1916. <CG> is wrong, unless it was a simul game, or mislabeled?>

Winter's <Capablanca> book records the August 1913 <American Chess Bulletin>:

<On the afternoon of July 13 Jose R Capablanca, at the invitation of Professor Rice, tried his hand at the Rice Gambit in a game against a powerful consultation team, consisting of Oscar Chajes, Professor J. Grommer and Albert Marder the rooms of the Rice Chess Club. The combination proved too strong for the ingenious Cuban master, who suffered defeat after twenty-nine moves. Capablanca had been of the opinion that, if the gambit should prove sound, it could only be demonstrated by means of Alapin's variation against the Jasnogrodsky defense, and, accordingly, adopted that line of play...>

More on the Rice Gambit: http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

Here's the basic position:

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

So, to conclude, we can say this was a casual thematic consultation game that cannot be counted as a proper tournament/match game.

Jul-07-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: A set of stamps released to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Capablanca's victory over Emanuel Lasker in their 1921 World Championship match can be seen at:

http://www.trussel.com/f_stamps.htm...

Jul-29-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: Here is a picture of Capablanca's funeral procession in Cuba:

http://files.chesscomfiles.com/imag...

Jul-29-10   HeMateMe: Such respect. No wonder they have a nice big memorial tournament for him. I predict some day we will have the same for Bobby Fischer. Not too long ago multi Gazillionaire Bill Gates paid several million dollars for a notebook of Leonardo DeVinci drawings. The publisher of 'Cigar Aficianado' paid $500,000 for the humidor of JFK.

Sometime soon, a deep pocketed individual will want to honor Fischer's contributions to chess.

Aug-08-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: How good was Capa really?

The following website - the link is given below - shows that Bobby Fischer was easily the greatest ... especially when you analyze his "peak years."

However, when you look at a long period of time, say 15-25 years, then the picture changes dramatically.

# 1.) Jose R. Capablanca
# 2.) Vassily Smyslov.

http://www.truechess.com/web/champs...

Aug-08-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: For my money, Morphy was the greatest of all time.

But I would quickly add that Capablanca probably belongs in the top 5! He also had one of the lowest blunder rates of all time, and is considered one of the most accurate analysts of all time.

Just yesterday I was analyzing a line in the Ruy Lopez. I came across some analysis by Capa that had to be close to 100 years old. My thought was that Fritz 12 would bust it. Much to my surprise, Fritz 12 only confirmed the accuracy of his analysis.

Aug-08-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  BobCrisp: <Just yesterday I was analyzing a line in the Ruy Lopez.>

Which line?

Aug-08-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  BobCrisp: Capa relates a bizarre story in an article, <Championship Chess: Incidents and Reminiscences>, which appeared in the December 1922 issue of <The Windsor Magazine>:

<A couple of years later I had the most extraordinary experience of my chess life. I was then at Columbia University, but visited frequently the Manhattan Chess Club. Dr. Lasker then lived in New York. One night, when I was in the club, he came in. I was by this time recognized as the strongest player in the club. Dr. Lasker paid me the compliment of asking me to look over with him a certain position which had puzzled him considerably, and about which he had not quite made up his mind. As we sat down some of the strong players of the club came over to watch, and incidentally to offer suggestions, but naturally with the respect due to the presence of the then world's champion. We had been there for about half an hour without having arrived at any definite conclusion, when a well-dressed young man walked in, said "Good evening," sat next to Dr. Lasker, and inquired as to the nature of the matter under consideration. Immediately after he was told he proceeded to treat Dr. Lasker's suggestions in a rather cavalier manner, and undertook to show us that we did not know what we were after. I looked at him in amazement, but seeing his unconcerned expression and the apparent familiarity with which he treated Dr. Lasker, I concluded that he was a close friend of the champion, and consequently I said nothing. It did not take Dr. Lasker long to show the young man how little he really did know about the matter under consideration. The young man soon got up, said "Good night," and left. I could restrain myself no longer, and therefore asked Dr. Lasker who his friend was. His answer was that he had never seen the young man before, and that he had thought all the time that the young man was a close friend of mine - a truly astonishing situation. We had both treated the young man with a great deal of consideration because we each thought that he was the other's intimate friend, when, as a matter of fact, neither one of us had ever seen him before.>

Aug-09-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  LIFE Master AJ: <<<Aug-08-10> <BobCrisp:> <Just yesterday I was analyzing a line in the Ruy Lopez.>>

Which line?>

MCO-15's analysis of the Siesta Variation of the Ruy Lopez. (Spanish.)

1.e5, e5; 2.Nf3, Nc6; 3.Bb5, a6; 4.Ba4, d6; 5.c3, f5!? (Etc.)

Aug-16-10   eightsquare: He is one of my favourite chess players. I especially like the way he handles the Ruy Lopez from White.
Aug-27-10   drnooo: Heres where the rubber hits the road: perhaps some other great player would have picked up just how the pieces move in chess by watching them at four years old. Perhaps. But there seems to be no record of that. That alone puts Capa in a league by himself. As for Morphy having an equal or better talent, my own feeling is, its fatuous to conjecture. Nobody was going a good job of even coming close to either for quite a while. As for Fischer he wasn't dominating much for very long, and there were a few who really could and did hold their own against him. Tal may still have been the best calculator of them all, the fastest, though that is hard to say. After that, far as it seems to me, it's pure wilderness, about 20 in jumble of names and possibilities, even Lssker was dodging Rubenstein. About all we can safely say is that
Capa was the laziest, closely followed by Tal , Fischer the most cowardly (sadly so) Alekhine and Fischer the most possessed, Pillsbury the most tragic (closely followed by Keres, and being trapped by the war and then the KGB, (and yes Korchnoi having his wife and family held hostage during his match with Karpov) and overall the mess that after Fischer how chess mostly went downhill due to the stupidity of the players themselves and their antics:
Fischer was right about one thing: make the world champ matches LONG, now they are as brief as a comedy club jokester doing his little routine on stage. And considering how few really care, so what. It's only a game.
Aug-28-10   Lil Swine: if casblanca were a general and the battle was like a chess game he'd defeat everybody, and then fischer comes along
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