This <Tarraschiade> ('Berliner Localanzeiger', 1906.03.26) was a reaction on Georg Marco's critique on Dr. Tarrasch's critique ('Berliner Localanzeiger', 1904.05.21) which was published under the heading <Reminiszenzen an Cambridge Springs> (see page 56 of the 1906 'Wiener Schachzeitung').

Dr. Tarrasch goes on and says that while he had to save lives, he got the telegram that he had to write an article on the Cambridge Springs Tournament and did not even have a single day to do so. In this article he critised Marco's play:

<Ja, wenn mir die Redaktion nur drei bis vier Tage, wenn sie mir nur einen einzigen Tag Zeit gelassen hätte, dann hätte ich Hals über Kopf sämtliche Partien des Turniers durchstudiert mit heißem Bemühen, und dann, ja dann - dann wäre meine Kritik über Herrn Marco noch viel vernichtender ausgefallen!>

It should be noted that Dr. Tarrasch's article is not as one-sided as it may seem and Marco treats him pretty roughly also. Dr. Tarrasch praisesothers also.

Dr. Tarrasch: <Freilich bilden Lasker und ich eine besondere Klasse, in die seit seinen letzten Erfolgen auch Maroczy vorgerückt ist;>

From pages 65 to 78 of the 1906 'Wiener Schachzeitung'

Yet another opinion is that of Herr Marco, the Viennese master, who remarks that in his work as a chess critic, Dr. Tarrasch is in the habit of being extravagant, both in praise and in censure,

<'The characteristics of most of his utterances are extreme indulgence, not to say admiration, for his own performances, and unmerited severity for those of others. His attitude would be more sympathetic if it were reversed. But to quote freely from the Biblical word, ' He who soweth the wind reapeth the whirlwind.'

Dr. Tarrasch's cup is now full, and on all sides there is an increase in the volume of ontery (sic) against his loud-sounding notes of superior pretension.'>

A few more details from page 194:

June 24, 1923: Marco had to go to the Rothschild hospital due to his bad condition (<leidender Zustand>, literally "suffering condition").

July 7, 1923: A <Steinoperation> (<Stein> = stone, e. g. kidney- or gallstone, <Operation> = surgery) was performed on him. This was risky as he was already 60 years old.

August 22, 1923: After several weeks of sick bed, high fever developed.

August 28, 1923: The fever caused Marco's death at 1 pm.

August 31, 1923: Funeral (greek-orthodox rite) on the Vienna <Zentralfriedhof> with the following guests: Karl Koppel, Dr. Ed. Stiassny, Alfred Wolff, Prof. Dr. Krejcik, Ing. Wahle, Dr. Mense and S. R. Wolf; Ernst Grünfeld, Josef Papanek and many others (chessmasters and friends of Marco, etc.).

Kuczurmare, a village near the capital Czernowitz, is his hometown. That's where he learned chess from his father, a greek-orthodox pastor and archpriest (<griech.-oriental. Pfarrer und Erzpriester>), yet only indirectly. His father played against Mr Dawidowicz, and whenever the latter came for a visit and they played for hours, Georg sneaked up to his father and watched them play. At the age of eight, he learned chess that way. One day, his father offered him a training game and told him that he already understood enough of it for his age (<Für dein Alter verstehst du schon genug davon.>). One year later, he bought Alphons von Breda's <Praktisches Lehrbuch des Schachspiels>, which cost 60 Kreuzer. Thereby he improved enough that he won his first games at the age of 9. He became more strongly devoted to chess when he entered the <Gymnasium>. Thanks to the <Schachkatechismus> of Portius, he was then able to beat stronger opponents, yet he barely beat one of his fellow students at the <Czernowitzer Staatsgymnasium>, Popescu. This changed after studying Dufresne's <Kleines Lehrbuch> in the 6th grade of school. But then Popescu sadly died before they proceeded to the 7th grade. Even though it was forbidden, he went to the coffeee house to play against König (a photgrapher) and Graubart - both considered to be the strongest chessplayers in Czernowitz.

On October 1, 1882, he came to Vienna to study medicine. On his first day of arrival, he went to the Cafe Central to play chess. Mr J Bendiner, who is still a member of the club today *, was playing against <Ministerialrat> Ladislaus Kochanowski <Ritter von Stwaczan> (a <Bukowinaer> and later founder and first president of the <Wiener Schach-Klub> (first named <Neuer Wiener Schach-Klub>)). Marco watched them play and then Kochanowski invited him to some games. Marco won most of them. They remained together the whole evening and played further games in the Cafe Kremser - Marco lost all of them. Kochanowski was a strong amateur and would have enjoyed a successful future, yet he had to retire early because of a severe eye complaint.

The story of his life from 1886 onwards will be covered in a separate post.

* The 'Czernowitzer Tagblatt' celebrated its tenth anniversary in March 1913, inviting famous people from there to write down their reminiscences, which is how the article came about.

His first master tournament was the Kolisch tournament where he shared 6th place with Jacques Schwarz *. A great result for the newcomer Marco. He became a chess journalist and participated in 26 tournaments overall.

One of the chessplayers from Czernowitz he still remembers is Sigmund Welt - witty and an excellent chessplayer who could have become a master if he had concentrated on studying chess.

Another one mentioned is Dr. Konstantin Mandrila from Komanestie in the Bukowina, who had been a good friend of the Marco family during Georg's <Gymnasialzeit>. He has been a busy physician (urologist) in Vienna for many years now. On February 12, 1912, the title <k. k. Medizinalrat> was introduced in Austria and Dr. Mandrila was among the first four to receive it. Regarding his chess talent, Dr. Mandrila is described as a poet **.

Another one of his chess adversaries from Czernowitz is the physician Dr. Groß, whom he visits in Vienna from time to time. But one day, Dr. Groß was nowhere to be found in Vienna. Dr. Groß had had a bad time in Vienna, no patients for two years. So he left Vienna and fatherland, which had treated him as a tax object only, in 1890. In 1904, Marco travelled to New York for a tournament ***, when at 7 am someone knocked on the door of his hotel room. He got the business card of a Dr. Groß from one of the servants. Dr. Groß - Marco had no idea who this could be - was waiting for his visit if he couldn't speak to him immediately. But Dr. Groß was already gone after Marco was ready. In the afternoon, Marco was in the Manhattan Chess Club where he met the well-known physician Dr. Lurie. He asked him who Dr. Groß was and where to meet him. Marco was told that Dr. Groß was the most renown physician of the Fifth Avenue, the gastroenterologist of the the upper 400 (<der Magenspezialist der "Oberen Vierhundert!">). Marco was curious and went to him - surprisingly, it was his old chess partner from Czernowitz.

Source: Pages 3-5 of the January-February 1915 'Wiener Schachzeitung'

* http://www.edochess.ca/tournaments/...

** Two games are mentioned and have been submitted as they are not yet in the database - one of Dr. Mandrila's opponents is no other than Capablanca.

Will he see again
Maminka, who served the great Okocimer beer at the Mehlplatz? The Cafe "L'Europe" where he tested his chess knowledge for the first time against strong amateurs?

One of his other friends is Alois Seidl *, who is <Regierungsrat im k. k. Finanzministerium> now. He met him shortly after his arrival in 1888 and they played many games against each other. This was very good for his chess development. A precise analyst who could have had more success if he had fully concentrated on chess. Yet, apart from his profession, he was also a tourist, musician and, temporarily, an author. Still, he came in 2nd in the anonymous correspondence tournament of the Vienna Chess Club (see page 69 of the May 1899 'Wiener Schachzeitung') and the Winter Tournament 1910/1911 of the Vienna Chess Club.

Marco recalls the following episode: At the beginning of 1894, the Bishop Gambit was often played in the Vienna Chess Club, especially Max Weiss considered 3...f5 to be one of the best defenses. Marco wondered if White couldn't prevent ♕h4+ and came up with 3.Nh3 (instead of the Bishop Gambit 3.Bc4 or the Knight Gambit 3.Nf3) to not obstruct the f-file and the d1-h5-diagonal, but does White have enough compensation after:

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nh3 f5 4.Bc4 Qh4+ 5.Nf2 fxe4 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.O-O Bc5 8.d4 exd3 9.Qxd3 Ng4 10.Bxf4 Nxf2

click for larger view

The professors said no, but Marco and Seidl were not so sure as White was already fully developed, yet they couldn't find a solution. Alois Seidl went on thinking about the position and finally came up with the following solution (pages 14 of the January-February 1915 'Wiener Schachzeitung'):

1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nh3 f5 4.Bc4 Qh4+ 5.Nf2 fxe4 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.O-O Bc5 8.d4 exd3 9.Qxd3 Ng4 10.Bxf4 Nxf2 <11.Qf5 Nh3+ 12.Kh1

a) 12...Rf8 13.Rae1+ Be7 (13...Kd8 14.Qxf8+ Bxf8 15.Bg5+ Be7 16.Rf8#) 14.Bg5 Rxf5 15.Rxe7+ Kd8 16.Bxh4 Rxf1+ 17.Bxf1 g5 18.Rxh7 gxh4 19.Rh8+ Ke7 20.Rxc8

b) 12...Nxf4 13.Rxf4 Qf6 14.Qxc5 Qxf4 15.Re1+>

And White wins. This was agreat discovery! Later they found out that 6....Nf6 was an inaccuracy and 6....c6 much better (but the not mentioned 6....e3 may be the strongest).

Source: Pages 5-9 of the January-February 1915 'Wiener Schachzeitung'

Then he goes on to speak about

Albert Mandelbaum

Emil von Feyerfeil

Nikolaus, Andor and Ladislaus Von Dory.

which I posted on their respective player pages.

<Gewinnen wollen heißt den Mut haben, sich Gefahren auszusetzen.> (Wanting to win means having the courage to expose oneself to dangers.)

<Mit dem Ingangstellen der Uhr schrumpft das Weltall auf ein kleines Quadrat zusammen, auf dem der geheimnisvolle Kampf sichtbar wird, der zwischen zwei Gehirnen tobt!> (With the starting of the clock, the cosmos contracts to a small square on which the mysterious battle becomes visible, which rages between two brains!)

<Nicht durch passive Aufnahme fremder Geisteserzeugnisse, nur im Kampfe mit Schwierigkeiten kann sich deine Kraft entwickeln.> (Not through passive uptake of foreign brainchilds, only in the struggle with difficulties can your power develop.)

<Es ist merkwürdig, wie oft der Mensch zur Verwirklichung seiner Absicht die unbrauchbarsten Mittel wählt.> (It is strange how often man, to achieve his aims, chooses the most inadequate means.)

<Die schlimmen Folgen einer schlechten Eröffnung kann auch ein Genie nicht abwenden.> (The terrible consequences of a bad opening even the genius cannot avert.)

<Warte ab, bis der Feind sein Schießpulver verpufft, dann kannst du ihn mit einem gewöhnlichen Spaziertock in die Flucht schlagen.> (Wait until your opponent has used up his gunpowder, then you can drive him back with a common cane.)

<Die Theorie ist ein Beißkorb, den wir dem Gegner anzulegen versuchen, um uns vor seinen Bissen nach Möglichkeit zu schützen.> (Theory is a muzzle we try to apply to our opponent, to protect ourselves from his bites as good as possible.)

<Bei Salwe ist das Salviren nichts ungewöhnliches.> (With Salwe the salvaging is not uncommon.)

<Es ist schon eine große Kunst, den Feind dahin zu bringen, daß er Fehler begeht.> (It is a great art to induce the opponent to commit mistakes.)

<Sind die Gelehrten über den Wert einer Sache nicht im Klaren, so ist das in den Augen des Praktikers ein Vorzug.> (Are the scholars not clear on the value of something, then this is an asset in the eyes of the practicioner.)

<Das Betrachten aller Möglichkeiten allein hilft nicht, man muß auch entscheiden können, welche uns tauglich ist.> (The examination of all possibilities itself does not help, you have to be able to decide which one is suitable for us.)

<Niemals ist die Gefahr größer, als wenn man sich der Hoffnung hingibt, daß nichts droht.> (The danger is never greater then when you submit to the hope that nothing is threatened.)

<Häßliche Narben sind ehrenvoller als die reinste weiße Gänsehaut.> (Ugly scars are more honourable than the most pristine, white goose skin.)

<Durch Rückzüge kann man keinen Feind einschüchtern.> (By retreats you can't intimidate an enemy.)

(Fame in chess is only achieved in international tournaments or - up to famous sample - by indefatigable tam-tam, i. e. blatant self-worshipping and devastating critiques of opponents.)

click for larger view

1.Nxh7 Nxh7 2.Qxh7+ Kxh7 3.Rh1+ Kg6 4.Nf4+ Kg5 5.Rh5+ Kg4 6.Be2#