chess-The Oxford Companion to Chess - First Edition by David Hooper & Kenneth Whyld

cibler ollhe 158 march and tournanenlgamcs he
had playcdsince his deteat by Tarrrsch in 1914 he
hid losr onlvf.nr Hisnamc was knoM to nnlions
who ha{j Iitrle or no knowle.lge ot chess, a
disiinction sha.ed only by MoRpEy and FIs.HrR.
Although unive^ally admircd. Capablanca * s
nor especiauy liked by other playes, lron whom
he seened 10 srand ai a dislane. The leading
sinultaneors player of his line, hc visired many
clubsto play hisganes. collecthhfee, and depai
without stopping to ralk to thc playeB as Lasker or
Alekhinemighrbavedoae:nordid heofrendiscuss
games pirh othcr m6le6. When not playine he
prer.trcd iennE. bndge. rc^ding. or Lhe life of
nlaybo,. He hal accrntcd challenees lrom boLh
Rnt'indein ind NrMzowns.H. but neilher had bcefl
able Io iaise thc srake monet, $10,000. In 1927,
hosever, Capablanca and Atekhinc agreed lo a
march. haing raised thc stakes by then joinr
innuence in Aigentinar the narch took placc al
Buenos Aiies rowards lhe end oi 1927. 1o almosl
universal surprhe capablanca lost. +3=25 6.
Ycas later Alekhine wrotc'l did nor believe I was
superior ro hin. Perhaps the chiefreason fbr his
deieal Nas thc overestimation oi his own poweE
arisine oul of his oveNhclmine victory in New
Y.rk 1927 .nd his undcresiimalion of dine.
Tbe years 1921j to l93l weie do1 hap lor
Capahla.ca. His marnage qas ioundering, histitle
losr. Based in Pans ior most ofthis time. he strove
in vain for a relum match. He played in nine
toum.menls, winning sia of tbem (including Berlin
oc1. 1928, +5=7), bur lailing id 1No othcr major
tournaments: Bad Kissingcn 1928, second
(+4=6 1) after BoeoljuboNr and Cansbad
1929, second (+10:9 2) equal with snEN^NN
afler Nimzowitsch. CaPablanca came second
(+5=3 1) to Elw in a small tournament al
Hastings 193G1, and shorily afteh-ards these rvo
net in 6atch play, Capablanca qinning +2=8. Hc
then practically retired Iron fie eamc for mue
In the sunner of 1934 he met Olga Chagodayev
(nl. Choubaro!), an expatriate Rusian. Nho in
1938 became his second wiiei and hc decided to
resume hisches carccr. Dhinclined to prePare, he
lailed in 1wo iournaments: laking Iourth place at
Hastings l9l1-5 and lourth (+7=10-2) after
uo NNr(. !LoER,.nd Laskerar Moscov 1935.In
1936, howerer, he madc a real effon, vinning
(+8=10) the catceory l3 Mos
point ahcad of Borvinnik. and scoring +7=6 llo
iic with Borviflnik in fie caregory 14 Nottinehan
iournament, .head ol Euse (then world ch.B
pion),.rNtr. REsHrls(Y, Abnhine (Nhon hc
dcfcated), and Flobr. Butchessqas no lonAcr easy
for hin; there were nore sorldclass players,lhe
stud,y oi the openinAs (an idea Nbich Bould have
appalled nnn) was beconing oi greater conscquencei
a.d, woBe, he was sullcring f.om high
A year or so laler he obtained a dilorce hoo his
6rsl wiie whose fanilv s!@eeded in halinp
Capablan.a playing at Msrgare. 1935
Capab dn.a demoied tu rhe pn{ of Cumme(irl
A'rx, h. he trr\ L,hl'ped for rhe nht ine lo d. a
htlc work, *hich, sai.l hh second wiie, hc caried
out cohciendolsly. Hall-wal throueh the great
oI i938 hesuffcrcdaslighlstroke
^!Rorournamenr ands.orcd only lour draws in lhe last selengamcs.
rakin8 sevenrh placc out of eiSht contcsta.rs. IIis
lasr serious gamcs vere at lhe Buenos Aies
Oltmprnd lo1'r shen he plded hhr board fur rhe
cuhrn Lr.r Ile Jt