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Glasgow, Scotland; 23 March 1895—27 March 1895
1 2 3 4 5 Score
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Mieses 1 ½ ½ 1 0 3
Taubenhaus 0 ½ ½ 0 1 2
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Format: The best of five games is the victor.
Purse: £10 (£6 to the winner, £4 to the loser)
Introduction
This match of five games took place in Glasgow from 23rd to 27th March 1895. It came about due to the serendipitous coincidence of the two masters being available and the willingness of a well-supported club to sponsor a match between them. Accordingly, it was organised at extremely rapid notice by the Glasgow Chess Club under its president Georges Emile Barbier. Mieses won by +2 =2 -1. That this match was regarded as a noteworthy event is shown by all the games being annotated by both the Deutsche Schachzeitung and by James Mason in the British Chess Magazine of May 1895. (1) The players
1894-95 was a busy time for Jacques Mieses. He drew a match with Karl Walbrodt in Berlin (May-June 1894, +5 =3 -5), and played in the extremely strong 9th DSB Congress, Leipzig (1894) (3rd-14th September 1894), coming 10th out of 18. He had then toured Russia giving simultaneous displays, before travelling to Paris to play a match with David Janowski (8th January to 4th February 1895). He then crossed the English Channel to play a match against Richard Teichmann in London (16th to 21st February 1895), which he lost by +1 =1 -4. A month later he played the match against Taubenhaus. Mieses next professional engagement would be Hastings (1895). Jean Taubenhaus was a minor master of Polish origin, who emigrated to France in the early 1880's. His professional life was centred on the Café de la Régence, Paris, with the exception of 1893 to 1895, when he competed in the United States and then in Cuba. There he played against Andres Clemente Vazquez in Havana, winning by +4 =5 -1 (30th December 1894 to 11th or 12th January 1895). (2) Taubenhaus' income seems to have been more from lessons and simultaneous games than matches or tournaments. He was in transit from Cuba to Paris when approached to play this match by local enthusiasts. Contemporary reports "Herr Mieses terminated his engagement at the Edinburgh Chess Club on Thursday of last week, by playing 14 simultaneous games, winning eleven, and losing three ... He arrived at the Glasgow Chess Club on the afternoon of Friday, the 22nd inst. where Taubenhaus happened to be, he having arrived there on his way home from Havana. Herr Taubenhaus is a Polish Player, long resident in Paris, where he played chess professionally at the celebrated chess rendezvous, the Café de la Régence. He has played in international tournaments and in matches with first-class players, and has proved himself to be a player of the foremost rank. The presence together in Glasgow of two such strong players as Mieses and Taubenhaus suggested the idea of getting up a short match of five games between them. £10 was speedily gathered, of which £6 goes to the winner and £4 it to the loser. The match commenced on Saturday last, and finished on Wednesday. Mieses won with a score of 2 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws." (3) "The most interesting event of the month was the short match of five games between Messrs. Mieses and Taubenhaus. The latter gentleman arrived from America, on Thursday, March 21st; the former from Edinburgh, on Friday the 22nd. Preliminaries were arranged and play was started on Saturday, in a match of five games, for prizes offered by the Glasgow Club. In the first game, a Ponziani, opened by Taubenhaus, Mieses scored a fine win; the second, a Vienna, and the third, a Ruy Lopez, were drawn. In the fourth game, a Vienna, Mieses gave his opponent the opportunity of winning but Taubenhaus failed to avail himself of it and eventually lost. 
click for larger view(Mieses had just captured the <a> pawn, both players missing the imminent peril to his King after 32...Rxg2 33. Rf5 (or 33. Rxg2 Qh3+) 33...Qg6 - e.d.) The last game, a Ruy Lopez, was won by Taubenhaus, the score thus standing: Mieses 2, Taubenhaus 1, 2 games drawn ... In addition to the match, both gentlemen engaged some of the best Glasgow talent with almost unvaried success, and they have rendered themselves very popular in Glasgow." (4) Schedule
Game 1 - Saturday 23rd February
Game 2 - Monday 25th February (a.m.)
Game 3 - Monday 25th February (p.m.)
Game 4 - Tuesday 26th February
Game 5 - Wednesday 27th February (5)
Progressive score 1 2 3 4 5
Mieses 1 1½ 2 3 3
Taubenhaus 0 ½ 1 1 2
Taubenhaus had White in the odd-numbered games.Notes
Game dates (23, 25, 25, 26, 27) are mainly based on Sporting Life, 28th March 1895, p. 4. Sources
(1) British Chess Magazine, May 1895, pp. 229-234, and Deutsche Schachzeitung, volumes 50-51, May 1895, pp. 136-139.
(2) British Chess Magazine, March 1895, p. 114. For more detail see http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/....
(3) Liverpool Mercury, Saturday 6th April 1895, p. 7.
(4) British Chess Magazine, April 1895, p. 166.
(5) http://www.edochess.ca/matches/m108...
Credit
Original collection and text by User: Chessical.
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