From the book My Best Games of Chess by Tartakower (1985). Dover.

INTRODUCTION (vii-viii)

Xavier Tartakower (or Tartacower) was born at Rostov-on-Don in Russia on February 9th (old style—corresponding to February 22nd in the Gregorian calendar), 1887. In Russian his Christian names are Savely Grigorievitch. Of Austro-Polish parents, he left Russia in 1899, matriculated at the College of Geneva in 1904, and became doctor in law at Vienna University in 1909. Living at Paris since 1924, he has become a naturalised French citizen. He learnt the game of chess from his father at the age of ten years; became officially master at the Hauptturnier (Major Tournament) of Nuremberg in 1906, ranking first above fifty competitors from all over the world. Participating in many international tournaments, he emerged victor from several contests, amongst others:

First prize at Hastings, 1945-46, when international chess started up again, after lying dormant throughout the duration of the Second World War. First prize at Liege, 1930, without losing a single game and outstripping by several points the grandmasters Nimzovitch, Rubinstein, Marshall, Colle, Sultan Khan, etc. First prize at Venice, 1947; Paris, 1929, 1940 and 1947; Lodz, 1935; Nice, 1930; Hastings, 1926-27 and 1927-28; Ghent, 1926; Vienna, 1905-6 and 1923, etc. Equal first and second (with Nimzovitch) at London, 1927, above a whole galaxy of great masters, Bogoljuboff, Vidmar, Marshall, Colle, Reti, Sir George Thomas, Yates, and others. Equal first and second at Bad Niendorf, 1927 (with Nimzovitch), at Bardiov, 1926 (with Mattison), etc. Second prize at The Hague, 1921 (below Alekhine), Vienna, 1922 (below Rubinstein), Barcelona, 1929 (below Capablanca), Paris, 1988 (below Alekhine), etc.

He has won matches against Spielmann, Reti (twice), P. F. Johner, Lilienthal (twice), Gromer, Winter, and others.

The author of many works and articles on chess that have appeared in eleven languages, Tartakower has been nicknamed (according to a referendum once made by the Wiener Schachzeitung) 'the champion chess journalist'. Amongst the journals and magazines to which he has contributed are the following: L'Echiquier (Brussels), La StraUgie, Les Cahiers de VEchiquier Francois, Le Monde des Echecs, L'Echiquier de Paris, Le Bulletin Ouvrier des Echecs (Paris), Wiener Schachzeitung (Vienna), The Chess Review (New York), British Chess Magazine (London), Algemeen Dagblad, Rotterdamsch Schaakniews (Rotterdam), De Telegraaf, Elsevier (Amsterdam), Tidskriftfor Schack (Stockholm), Skakbladet (Copenhagen), Magyar Sakkvildg (Kecskemet), Swiat Sza-chowy (Warsaw), Chwila (Lwow), 64 and Schachmaty v S.S.S.R. (Moscow), L'ltalia Scacchistica (Florence and later Milan), El Ajedrez Espanol (Madrid), Les Escacs a Catalunya, La Nau (Barcelona), Xadrez Brasiliero, Xeque (Rio de Janeiro), Critica, La Bazon (Buenos Aires), etc.

His most important books are: The Hypermodern Game, Neo-Romantic Chess, Chess Method, 500 Master Games of Chess (with J. du Mont), and Breviary of Chess, together with many smaller works and tournament books.

TRANSLATOR'S FOREWORD (xi)

It is my pleasure and privilege to introduce to the English-speaking world a notable collection of games. These can be allowed to speak for themselves, but a few words about their author may not be amiss, especially in view of my long acquaintance and friendship with him.

Dr. Tartakower is far and away the most cultured and the wittiest of all the chess masters I have ever met. His extremely well stored mind and ever-flowing native wit make conversation with him a perpetual delight. So much so that I count it one of the brightest attractions an international tournament can hold out for me that Dr. Tartakower should also be one of the participants. His talk and thought are rather like a modernised blend of Spinoza and Voltaire; and with it all a dash of paradoxical originality that is essential Tartakower.

He is just as varied and original over the board. The richness of his opening repertoire may be gauged by the fact that I have now played some ten games against him in international tournaments, and have invariably been met with a different opening. His manner of play, too, is unique. The quizzical, almost sceptical, way in which he eyes the board, rather like one who doubts if the pieces are actually there—or if they are, for what purpose—is always a joy to behold.

When the reader has played through the games in this book, it is highly possible that one question may be puzzling him. It might be asked, 'Why, with all his gifts, did Tartakower never become world champion?' For, one thing is certain—all the requisites were his: great theoretical knowledge, virtuosity in the ending, a capacity for producing a wealth of beautiful combinations, and a power of stem concentration when this was necessary.

The trouble with Tartakower (from this point of view) was an embarrassment of riches—he was too fond of chess ever to become world champion. Given the choice between the simple, safe line and the complicated rich one he almost invariably chose the latter, and all students of the game will realise that this tendency does not make for practical and certain success. The plain fact is that to be world champion you have got to be successful all the time.

It says much for his genius that, notwithstanding the handicap of a surplus quantity of 'Renaissance curiosity' and original zest, Tartakower was able to win a number of important tournaments and matches. Readers of this and the volume to follow, containing his games of a later period, will soon realise that he was the author of several of those games that deserve the epithet 'immortal'.