chessgames.com

Duras 
 
Oldrich Duras
Number of games in database: 419
Years covered: 1900 to 1938
Overall record: +211 -98 =95 (64.0%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      15 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Ruy Lopez (104) 
    C77 C65 C66 C68 C67
 French Defense (19) 
    C01 C11 C14 C12 C10
 King's Gambit Accepted (12) 
    C33 C39 C38 C36 C37
 Four Knights (9) 
    C49 C47 C48
 Orthodox Defense (8) 
    D51 D63 D53 D55
 Scandinavian (8) 
    B01
With the Black pieces:
 Ruy Lopez (35) 
    C88 C84 C77 C68 C83
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (23) 
    C88 C84 C91 C96 C90
 Queen's Pawn Game (21) 
    D00 D02 D05 D04 A50
 Caro-Kann (19) 
    B13 B15 B12 B10 B14
 Queen's Gambit Declined (18) 
    D31 D37 D30 D35
 Four Knights (12) 
    C49 C47
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Duras vs E Cohn, 1911 1-0
   Vitacek vs Duras, 1900 0-1
   Duras vs H Wolf, 1907 1-0
   Duras vs Spielmann, 1912 1-0
   Duras vs Z Barasz, 1912 1-0
   Duras vs Teichmann, 1906 1-0
   Duras vs Spielmann, 1907 1-0
   Spielmann vs Duras, 1907 0-1
   Marshall vs Duras, 1912 1/2-1/2
   Schlechter vs Duras, 1910 0-1

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   1912 Breslau by TheFocus
   Abbazia 1912 by sneaky pete
   Vienna 1907 by suenteus po 147
   Scheveningen 1905 by Phony Benoni
   Lasker annotates by bishop

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Oldrich Duras
Search Google for Oldrich Duras


OLDRICH DURAS
(born Oct-30-1882, died Jan-05-1957) Czech Republic

[what is this?]
Oldrich Duras, born in Prague, was one of the world's premier tournament players from 1905 until the start of the First World War. His successes include joint first prizes at Vienna 1908 (shared with Carl Schlechter and Geza Maroczy), Prague 1908 (shared with Schlechter again) and Breslau 1912 (shared with Akiba Rubinstein). He was a three time Czech Champion (1905, 1909 and 1911) and he also tied for first in the German Championship of 1912. In 1950, on the basis of his earlier tournament achievements, Duras was officially awarded the grandmaster title by FIDE.

Duras variations include: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nf6 4. d3 d6 5. c4 & 3 ... a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c4, & the semi-Duras is: 3 ... d6 4. d4 Bd7 5. c4.

Wikipedia article: Oldrich Duras


 page 1 of 17; games 1-25 of 419  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. V Vlk vs Duras 0-129 1900 Family FeudD53 Queen's Gambit Declined
2. Vitacek vs Duras 0-126 1900 Club GameC22 Center Game
3. Distl vs Duras 0-129 1900 Club GameB01 Scandinavian
4. Duras vs Schlechter 1-035 1901 Friendly MatchC70 Ruy Lopez
5. Allies vs Duras 0-123 1901 Club GameD55 Queen's Gambit Declined
6. NN vs Duras 0-126 1901 Club GameC50 Giuoco Piano
7. Stastny vs Duras 0-118 1902 Club GameC42 Petrov Defense
8. Duras vs J Kvicala 1-032 1902 Czech Chess Club ChampionshipC25 Vienna
9. Duras vs Veirauch 1-026 1902 Simultaneos ProductionC66 Ruy Lopez
10. Duras vs J Kvicala 1-018 1902 Brilliant-Game Contest of Czech Chess ClubC67 Ruy Lopez
11. Duras vs Brozek / Doorschak  1-029 1902 consultation gameB18 Caro-Kann, Classical
12. Duras vs Vetesnik 1-030 1902 Czech Chess Congress BlanskoC66 Ruy Lopez
13. Boucek vs Duras 0-120 1902 Prague -C55 Two Knights Defense
14. Duras vs Raskovsky 1-026 1902 Czech Chess Congress, BlanskoC67 Ruy Lopez
15. Duras vs V Vlk 1-030 1902 Family FeudC67 Ruy Lopez
16. Traxler vs Duras 1-019 1902 Veseli-MezimostiC54 Giuoco Piano
17. Duras vs P Dohnal  1-020 1902 Czech Chess Congress, VeseliC67 Ruy Lopez
18. C Trimborn vs Duras  0-125 1903 HilversumC68 Ruy Lopez, Exchange
19. J Esser vs Duras  ½-½44 1903 HilversumD00 Queen's Pawn Game
20. Duras vs J Vijzelaar 1-046 1903 HilversumC86 Ruy Lopez, Worrall Attack
21. Duras vs W Schwan  1-025 1903 HilversumC66 Ruy Lopez
22. Duras vs J F Heemskerk  1-040 1903 HilversumC49 Four Knights
23. A Speijer vs Duras 0-129 1903 HilversumD63 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense
24. Leonhardt vs Duras 1-075 1903 HilversumD63 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense
25. W Meiners vs Duras  ½-½57 1903 HilversumC96 Ruy Lopez, Closed
 page 1 of 17; games 1-25 of 419  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Duras wins | Duras loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-13-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: From the page for Kenneth Rogoff:

<kostich in time: has anyone noticed how many strong US players simply quit or retired? The only examples of strong players from other countries who simply quit or retired are Fuderer and Duras...>

From a review of his games in this database, it appears that Duras continued as an active tournament player at high level until past the age of 30 (up until the outbreak of The Great War in 1914). This would differentiate his career from that of Rogoff and other promising Americans, who typically abandoned top-level tournament chess for other pursuits in their early 20's.

Duras was a very great player who is under-appreciated today, IMO. He had a number of notable tournament successes. As noted in his CG.com biograhy, he took joint first prize at Vienna 1908 (shared with Carl Schlechter and Geza Maroczy), Prague 1908 (shared with Schlechter again) and Breslau 1912 (shared with Akiba Rubinstein). Duras was a three-time Czech Champion (1905, 1909 and 1911) and also tied for first in the German Championship of 1912. His most significant match AFAIK was during his visit to the USA in 1913, when he lost a short match to Frank Marshall by 3.5 to 1.5. Duras started poorly, losing the first three games, but he had the advantage in game 4 (which Marshall saved with a trademark swindle), and Duras won the 5th (playing a Falkbeer as Black), so he proved stronger towards the end of that competition. As far as the significance of his early retirement from chess is concerned, it seems unlikely that he would have achieved more memorable results if he had resumed his chess career after the War, so his retirement as of 1914 probably does not explain his relative obscurity today (compared to his talent and achievements, again IMHO).

[BTW, can any one provide information on Duras's life (including his career outside of chess) after 1914? As far as chess is concerned, there are only a few of his games in this database after 1914, none of them from major tournaments, as far as I can tell.]

Jun-23-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gypsy: <Peligroso Patzer> August 15, 1915 Duras was drafted to Austro-Hungarian army. After the War he became a civilian employee of Czechoslovak Ministry of Defense where he served till 1939. He was retired by Nazi occupation.

In 1922, Duras married Marie Koppel; they had two sons, Jiri and Oldrich. Duras' sister Bozena (Bolenka) became a well-known diva, as well as a dramatic leading lady, at The City Theater of Prague. Bozena later married a leading sculptor, Jan Stursa.

Duras, born in the same year as Akiba Rubinstein and Ossip Bernstein, was about six month older than Rudolf Spielmann. I mention that because since Spielmann and Duras both posed extraordinary gift for chess calculations, Spielmann's career in the 20's and 30's can give some guidance of what Duras' later performances could have been.

Duras was extraordinarily strong in tactics and, as a noted composer of studies, he was also a master of end-games. On the other hand, with the exception of Breslau, 1912, Duras rather neglected opening preparations. Also, because of his 'pure-calculator' playing style, Duras did not play well when tired or not settled into a comfortable tournament pace. (Only twice Duras 'bonked' in tournaments and each time it coincided with him getting involved in a record-breakingly long game - 161 moves against Janowski and 168 moves against Wolf. Duras played sub-par also during times of extensive travels.)

Of course, Duras was aware of his weakness in openings. Thus, before 1912 Breslau German Chess Congress, he prepared a variation in QGD and, after starting the tourney rather idiferently, he 'mid-stream' switched to QG from from his trademark Spanish. That led to a +5 =1 -0 (and a won a difficult adjourned end-game with Rubinstein) last week of the tournament, and 1= (also with Rubinstein). That was his life-best form and performance.

After the WW1, Duras was planning to participate in the upcoming tournaments on a part time basis. But he was certainly aiming to be competitive! Alas, his request for a 1/2-year off work for theoretical preparations was rejected. Not willing to become an also-ran, Duras retired from competitive tournament chess. (In his prime 1906-1912, Duras was 'ranked' together with Schlechter and Marozcy 4-6 in the chess world behind Lasker, Rubinstein and Capablanca.)

During his retirement, Duras turned to problem composition (studies and mate-in-3 problems). Composition experts tell us that he again ranked among the very finest.

For ten years (1922-1931), Duras edited a chess column in Ceske Slovo. He also judged the brilliancy prizes in several tournaments, and he gave some simultaneous displays. From 1932, twice a week he played skittles in his local chess club. (He gave knight-odds by playing the "Duras Gambit" 1.e4 f5 2.exf5 Nf6 3.g4 d5 4.g5 Bxf5 5.gxf6...)

In 1942, to honor Duras' 60th birthday, a tournament was held in Prague. Alekhine and Klaus Junge tied for first.

Oct-28-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: Thank you (belatedly), <Gypsy>, for the extensive biographical information re: Duras.

On a separate point, for anyone who might be interested, here is a little further analysis of the marvellous Duras study posted by <Gypsy> on <Oct-18-05>:

Solution to Duras Study (1902):

1.Rd2+ Ke7! [1...Kc6 2.Kc8 ]

2.Rd6! [with the idea 3. Kc7, and if 3. ... Rc3+ then 4. Rc6]

2...Rc3! [2...Kxd6 3.Kc8 Rc3+ 4.Kd8 Rh3 5.b8=Q+ (The promotion comes with check, and therefore White wins.)]

3.Rc6!! (... even with Black's Rook already on the c-file!!!)

3...Rd3! [3...Rxc6 4.Ka7 ]

4.Rc2 Kd7 5.Ra2 and the rest is fairly routine:

5. ... Kc6 6.Ka7 Rd7 7.Rc2+ Kb5 8.Rc7 Rd8 9.b8Q Rxb8 10.Kxb8 Kxb6 11.Rc1 .

Oct-28-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: For anyone who prefers not to scroll back to Gypsy's original post with the Duras study from <Oct-18-05>, here is the starting diagram for the analysis in my preceding comment:


click for larger view

Apr-14-08  tihoracio: Gypsy i have a question for you; do you have any quotes about duras related to chess? it would be very intersting to heard something for him. Your posts are really goods! thanks
May-20-08
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: <Gypsy: <Study 12: White Kd4, Pd3, f3, f4; Black Kg3, Pa6, f5; White to move wins (Sach, 1942).>>

This is the only Duras study in Genrikh Kasparian 's <Domination in 2545 Endgame Studies> (no. 1972).

And it's faulty. After <1.Kc4 Kxf4> it's a Tablebase draw.


click for larger view

Originally intended solution:

<1.Kc4 Kxf4> (1...Kxf3 2.d4 Kxf4 3.d5 Ke5 4.Kc5 f4 5.d6 Ke6 6.Kc6 f3 7.d7 f2 8.d8=Q f1=Q 9.Qe8+ Kf6 10.Qf8+) <2.d4 a5> (<2...Kg5= <>>) <3.d5 Ke5 4.Kc5 a4 5.d6 Ke6 6.Kc6 a3 7.d7 a2 8.d8=Q a1=Q 9.Qe8+ Kf6 10.Qh8+ 1-0>

Jan-28-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: A very dapper fellow -- see p. XII.

http://www.google.com/books?id=o3eC...

Mar-21-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Open Defence: the house of Duras ?
Apr-03-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: Oldrich Duras, "Cas. Ces. Sachistu", 1912


click for larger view

White to move wins.

Apr-03-09  Dredge Rivers: I thought he was a Klingon! :)
Apr-04-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: Oldrich Duras, 1902


click for larger view

White to move wins.

Aug-01-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: Here is a postcard featuring one of Duras' compositions:

http://www.metropostcard.com/picsto...

Sep-20-10  I play the Fred: Duras is credited, at least here, with the gambit which inspired my name.
Nov-18-10  ughaibu: I'm unconvinced by the notion that Duras was "tired" by long games, and that this caused poor tournament performances. He seems to have been a long game player, regardless of results:

Salwe vs Duras, 1909

Schlechter vs Duras, 1910

Rubinstein vs Duras, 1912

To tell you the truth, I'm also unconvinced by the "comfortable tournament pace" story.

Jul-04-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Peligroso Patzer: <ughaibu: I'm unconvinced by the notion that Duras was "tired" by long games, and that this caused poor tournament performances. *** >

Here's an instance of a game in which Duras's <opponent> played a careless 99th move (the only losing move in the position), and Duras was able to swindle a full point out of a drawn position in a game that went nearly 100 moves: Spielmann vs Duras, 1907.

On the other hand, as I read the comment by <Gypsy> from Jun-23-07, it is to the effect that when Duras had really long games (more than 150 moves), it tended to affect adversely his form in <subsequent> rounds of that event. Thus, the swindled win against Spielmann would not be inconsistent with <Gypsy>'s comment.

Jan-06-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Marmot PFL: <On the other hand, as I read the comment by <Gypsy> from Jun-23-07, it is to the effect that when Duras had really long games (more than 150 moves), it tended to affect adversely his form in <subsequent> rounds of that event. >

I doubt much study has been done here, as VERY few games ever reach 150 moves. I would think it would affect anyone's form.

Mar-17-12  LoveThatJoker: <Gypsy> Nice bio on Duras. Did you write that or is there a source for it?

If you wrote that, it reads beautifully.

LTJ

Aug-19-12  Karpova: On the occasion of the constitution of the Bohemian Chess Federation (Ustredni jednota ceskych sachistu), a congress was held from 1905.09.07 to 1905.09.12 in Prague.

The Main Tournament ended with a victory for Oldrich Duras who thereby won the Bohemian Chess Federation Championship.

These are the final standings:

1. Duras 5.5
2. L. Tausig 3.5
3-4. K. Treybal 3.0
3-4. A. Dusek 3.0
5. L. Prokes 2.5
6. Dr. Nachtikal 2.0
7. T. Sika 1.5

Source: Page 62 of the 1906 'Wiener Schachzeitung'

Aug-19-12  Karpova: Christmas Tournament (end of 1906, beginning of 1907 - it's just said that it took place after the christmas holidays, probably in Prague) as preparation for the Vienna tournament was dominatingly won by Duras (+5 =2 -0):

1. Duras 6.0
2. Dr. Kvicala 5.5
3. K. Treybal 4.0
4-5. Geutner 3.0
4-5. Prokes 3.0
6. V. Pechman 2.5
7-8. Kautsky 2.0
7-8. Sop 2.0

From page 170 of the 1907 'Wiener Schachzeitung'

Aug-25-12  Karpova: Duras won a match against F. D. Yates at Bradford, February 1911, with +3 -1

Duras: 1 1 0 1
Yates: 0 0 1 0

From page 128 of the 1911 'Wiener Schachzeitung'

Aug-25-12  Karpova: Duras' Simul Tour through the Netherlands in 1910:

1910.12.03 Amsterdam: +21 -7 =2
1910.12.06 Haag: +19 -5 =5
1910.12.07 Amsterdam: +03 -3 =1
1910.12.11 Zaandam: +19 -5 =8
1910.12.13 Leiden: +16 -0 =7
1910.12.14 Enschede: +18 -2 =2
1910.12.15 Delft: +18 -7 =4

Overall 172 games with +114 -29 =29

Interestingly there was also a 31-player Simul at Utrecht where the hotel keeper switched off the gas at 1 a.m. because it had been going on for too long.

Duras also beat Dr. Esser in a short match with +4 -1 in Amsterdam.

From page 179 of the 1911 'Wiener Schachzeitung'

Dec-11-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: <karpova>,
Here is a nice win by Duras as White during one of his 1910 simul games:


click for larger view

1. Rc1+ Kb8 2. Qb4+ Ka8 3. Bf3+! Rxf3 4. Qe4+! 1-0

Dec-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gypsy: <LoveThatJoker: ... Nice bio on Duras. Did you write that or is there a source for it? >

Well, I wrote it, but I did not do any original research for it. I just combined various sources, such as Louma, Kalendovsky and so.

----

<GrahamClayton> Thx for the charming combo.

Dec-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  WannaBe: To steal from one, is plagarism, to steal from many, research. =))
Dec-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gypsy: <WannaBe> Thx! You are right, of course. :-)
Jump to page #   (enter # from 1 to 3)
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 3 OF 3 ·  Later Kibitzing>
NOTE: You need to pick a username and password to post a reply. Getting your account takes less than a minute, totally anonymous, and 100% free--plus, it entitles you to features otherwise unavailable. Pick your username now and join the chessgames community!
If you already have an account, you should login now.
Please observe our posting guidelines:
  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, or duplicating posts.
  3. No personal attacks against other users.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
Blow the Whistle See something which violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform an administrator.


NOTE: Keep all discussion on the topic of this page. This forum is for this specific player and nothing else. If you want to discuss chess in general, or this site, you might try the Kibitzer's Café.
Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
Spot an error? Please suggest your correction and help us eliminate database mistakes!


home | about | login | logout | F.A.Q. | your profile | preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | new kibitzing | chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Little ChessPartner | privacy notice | contact us
Copyright 2001-2013, Chessgames Services LLC
Web design & database development by 20/20 Technologies