I placed the Russian, English and Spanish editions in the public folder of my dropbox:

I had a first look in the editions you provided and I think I have an idea what happened: some editions number only a part of the games. (This may be due to Nimzo himself, but does not matter so much.)

I mentioned already that in the 2nd German edition and in a Russian edition of 1974, the game v. Haken vs Giese is no.5. The same holds for the Spanish edition you provided (please see page 51) and for the English edition you provided (please see page 174).

Furthermore I saw that your Russian edition of 2003 numbers far more games, and there it is no. 11 (please see page 58). And of course I assume that it is no.24 in the Russian edtion of 1984 you mentioned initially.

"Valdības Vēstnesis" ("Government Gazette"), 1939.11.13, p. 23:

"LIST OF PERSONS
in the 7th repatriation district, in accordance with 1939 an agreement on the repatriation of Latvian citizens of German nationality, Š. g. Released on November 10th from the Latvian state...

... 77. Matilde Steingraeber, born.
Gize, native 1885 25. VII in the Wallis, live in Tukums, Z. Meierovica street 4-51".

"Ventas Balss" ("Ventspils voice"), 1939.11.17, p. 4:

"Released from the Latvian state.

In the last days of the Latvian state.
The following were laid off in the city of Ventspils and Citizens of German nationalities:

... Zuzanna Gize;
... Karlis Gize;
... Arturs Gize;
... Ieva Gize;
... Gustavs Gize; Jūlijs Gīze;"

"Ventas Balss" ("Ventspils voice"), 1939.11.23, p. 3:

"61 craftsman departed to Germany from Ventspils city and county.

<Nationality can be applied to the country where an individual has been born. Citizenship is a legal status, which means that an individual has been registered with the government in some country. ... No one will be able to change his nationality but one can have different citizenship.>

Just to "muddy the waters" a bit more:
Oxford-Hachette has citizenship:
nationalité f;

Le Docte has:
citizenship
NL: staatsburgerschap het
FR: citoyenneté f; qualité (f) de citoyen; nationalité f

DE: Staatsangehörigkeit f; Staatsbürgerschaft f

Das Grosse Eichhorn has citizenship: [Staats]bürgerrecht, (nationality) Staatsangehörigkeit, -bürgerschaft

None of those definitions really seems to fit here, but I think the best translation of that phrase might be: "repatriation of Latvian citizens of German ancestry".

I found an article of Mikhail M Yudovich Sr. "August Gize, partner of Nimzowich." in "Shachmati" (Riga), 1987-24, pp. 7-8.

This is a short translation of a text, excluding also games score:

It was a long time ego, in 1925 in Smolensk ...
I was 14 years old. At the school where I studied, a group of chess fans gathered. Once in the school was organized a session of a simultaneous game exhibition. At the appointed time, an elderly man came. "My name is August Avgustovich Gize," he said, and added: "I know that you love chess."

The result was +9, = 1. I managed to make a draw. Then I learned that Gize was one of the best chess players of Smolensk. Subsequently August Avgustovich often came to school, showed interesting games, told about his meetings with A. Nimzowisch.

Haken - Gize, Riga 1913
In 1930, I saw this game in Nimzowisch's book My System. "The whole game is a good and clear illustration of the meaning and strength of the outpost" - Nimzowisch noted ..

Since 1930, I already met regularly with Gize in city tournaments. Two of our first games ended in a draw. In the third, played in the championship of Smolensk in 1927, I managed to achieve victory.

In 1928, when I was already a strong first-category player, the member of editorial board of the provincial newspaper "Rabochy Put". I was appointet to represent the newspaper at the celebration of August Augustovich in connection with the fortieth anniversary of his chess activity.

The note published by me on December 19, 1928:
"We dedicate the chess column to the oldest chess player of Smolensk, comrade Gize. It turns 40 years since he became acquainted with chess art and entered the world of chess as a thirteen-year-old boy. The years of studying took him a lot of his time, but after having settled in Riga, where he became an agronomist, comrade Gize began to give his leisure to chess."

... At first, Gize played a lot with Nimzovisch, receiving from him knight ahead. But a year later they played on equal terms. Gize received the first category, became a permanent partner of Nimzowisch, although he lost most of the games. Since 1909, Gize participated in all major tournaments in Riga. In 1910, in the Baltic tournament, he shared 3-4 places. In 1912 he performed at the All-Russian amateur tournament, where he was the sixth.

In 1923, Gize moved to permanent residence in Smolensk, where he became an active organizer of chess life.

[Event "Friendly match"]
[Site "Riga"]
[Date "1913.05.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nimzowisch, Aaron"]
[Black "Gize, Augusts"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B38"]
[PlyCount "97"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Nc3 d6 8. Be2 O-O 9. O-O Bd7 10. Qd2 Ng4 11. Bxg4 Bxg4 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. Bh6 Qb6 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. Na4 Qa6 16. b3 f6 17. Rae1 Rad8 18. Re3 Be6 19. Rc1 g5 20. Rd3 h6 21. c5 d5 22. Re1 Qb7 23. e5 Bf5 24. Rd4 fxe5 25. Rxe5 Qc7 26. f4 Be4 27. Qc3 Kg8 28. Qh3 Rf6 29. Nc3 Rdf8 30. Nxe4 Qxe5 31. Nxf6+ Qxf6 32. Qd3 e5 33. Ra4 e4 34. Qd4 Qxf4 35. h3 e3 36. Qd3 Qf2+ 37. Kh2 Rf6 38. Rxa7 Qf4+ 39. Kg1 Qe4 40. Qe2 Rf2 41. Qg4 Qxg4 42. hxg4 Rf6 43. Re7 d4 44. a4 Kf8 45. Re4 Rf7 46. b4 Re7 47. Rxe7 Kxe7 48. Kf1 Kd7 49. b5 1/2-1/2

The game with comments of Nimzowitsch was published in "Rigasche Rundschau" 25 May 1913, Page 25.

[Event "Odds Game"]
[Site "Riga"]
[Date "1910.??.??"]
[White "Giese, August"]
[Black "Nimzowitsch, Aaron"]
[Result "0-1"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "

click for larger view

"]

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5 Nxe5 4. f4 Nf7 5. Bc4 Ngh6 6. Be3 Bb4+ 7. c3 Ba5 8. Qh5 Bb6 9. Bxb6 axb6 10. Nf3 O-O 11. Ng5 d5 12. Bxd5 Bg4 13. Nxf7 Rxf7 14. Bxf7+ Kf8 15. Qd5 Qh4+ 16. g3 Qh3 17. Qd2 Nxf7 18. Na3 Nd6 19. Rg1 Nxe4 20. Qg2 Qh5 21. Nc4 Qc5 22. h3 Qxc4 23. hxg4 Nxc3 24. b3 Qd4 0-1

Source: Deutsches Wochenschach April 1910.

Intriguingly, on p.220 of <"Aron Nimzowitsch on the Road to Chess Mastery, 1886-1924">, Skjoldager and Nielson list <Augusts Gize> as "Ernst Guise."

They give both of the <Gize-Nimzowitsch> games we already have here at cg.com, and leave some tantalizing clues.

They introduce these two games as follows:

<"Nimzowitsch played a couple of training matches against his training partner and student Ernst Giese. In the postscript to "Mein System" pp. 319-320, he [Nimzowitsch] wrote the following: <<<'Already during the summer of of 1913, I had played about 20 to 25 serious games against my student and training partner Ernst Giese...'>>>>

"Ernst Guise" is listed as the player in both of the annotated game scores they give for Nimzowitsch vs A Gize, 1913 and Nimzowitsch vs A Gize, 1913.

Skjoldager and Nielson list their source for the first game:

<"In 'Rigasche Rundschau' 12 July 1913, one of the games from the Giese training match was published. This column also said the match was won by Nimzowitsch with +6-0=2.">

I found this article (written by Johan Behting), but it was in 'Rigasche Rundschau' 25 May 1913: http://www.periodika.lv/periodika2-...

So either they give an incorrect date for their source, or exactly the same information was also published in a later edition of 'Rigasche Rundschau.'

At any rate, if you look at the issue I linked you can see that it clearly labels Nimzowitsch's opponent as <A. Giese>, not <Ernst Gize> or <E. Giese>.

Can anyone shed light on this mystery?

Intriguingly, on p.220 of <"Aron Nimzowitsch on the Road to Chess Mastery, 1886-1924">, Skjoldager and Nielson list <Augusts Gize> as "Ernst Guise."

=================

*Ernst Giese* rather.

Every time I spell "Guise" in the above post it is meant to be "Giese."

I finally found my edition of "My System."

With respect to <"August Giese" vs "Ernst Giese,"> it bears a side by side comparison with Skjoldager and Nielson's citation from their Nimzowitsch biography.

####################

First, Skjoldager and Nielson's citation from "My System," in full:

<'Already during the summer of of 1913, I had played about 20 to 25 serious games against my student and training partner <<<Ernst Giese,>>> in which I was testing the value of my innovation which went against all traditions (completely renouncing the occupation of the center by pawns.) We could not find any refutation, and then, I ventured to test my innovation in the All-Russian Tournament of Masters.'> p.220

###############

Now the version of this passage from my copy of "My System":

<"Back in the summer of 1913, I played with my student and training partner, <<<the agronomist Wiese,>>> roughly 20 to 25 serious games, in which I was testing the value of my innovation which went against all tradition (= I will completely renounce the occupation of the centre by pawns). We could find no refutation- and nor has one been found by anyone else until present- and so I was bold enough to try it out in all seriousness in the Russian National Championships."> p.277

I copied that passage from this edition:

Aron Nimzowitsch "My System New Translation" (Quality Chess) December 2006/August 2007. Translated from the 2005 Rattman German edition.

########################

So.

August Giese

Ernst Giese

Wiese