José Raúl Capablanca

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Lore & Background

Capablanca was born in Havana on 19 November 1888, the second surviving son of a Spanish army officer and a Spanish woman from Catalonia. According to Capablanca, he learned to play chess at the age of four by watching his father play with friends, pointed out an illegal move by his father, and then beat his father. At the age of eight he was taken to Havana Chess Club. Between November and December 1901, he narrowly beat the Cuban Chess Champion, Juan Corzo, in a match. In 1905 Capablanca easily passed the entrance examinations for Columbia College (New York), where he wished to play for Columbia's strong baseball team, and soon was starting shortstop on the freshman team. In the same year he joined the Manhattan Chess Club, and was soon recognized as the club's strongest player. He was particularly dominant in rapid chess, winning a tournament ahead of the reigning World Chess Champion, Emanuel Lasker, in 1906. In 1908 he left the university to concentrate on chess. Later, he enrolled at Columbia's School of Mines, Engineering and Chemistry in September 1910 to study chemical engineering, but left after one semester to devote himself to chess full-time. Capablanca's skill in rapid chess lent itself to simultaneous exhibitions, and his increasing reputation led to a US-wide tour in 1909. Playing 602 games in 27 cities, he scored 96.4%. This performance gained him sponsorship for an exhibition match that year against US champion Frank Marshall, whom he beat 15–8 (8 wins, 1 loss, 14 draws). In 1911, he placed second in the National Tournament at New York, half a point behind Marshall. Marshall insisted that Capablanca be allowed to play in the 1911 San Sebastián tournament, which Capablanca won with six wins, one loss and seven draws, ahead of Rubinstein, Vidmar, Marshall, Schlechter and Tarrasch. In 1911, Capablanca challenged Lasker for the World Chess Championship, but Lasker proposed 17 conditions for the match, Capablanca objected to some, and the match did not take place. In September 1913, Capablanca accepted a job in the Cuban Foreign Office, which made him financially secure for life. His first instructions were to go to Saint Petersburg for a major tournament. At the St. Petersburg 1914 tournament, Capablanca placed first in the preliminary tournament, 1½ points ahead of Lasker, but Lasker finished half a point ahead of Capablanca in the final. Alekhine commented on Capablanca's 'flabbergasting quickness of chess comprehension' and said he gave all the St. Petersburg masters the odds of 5–1 in quick games and won.

Reader's Guide

Capablanca's significance lies in his extraordinary natural talent and his influence on chess style. He excelled in simple positions and endgames; Bobby Fischer described him as possessing a 'real light touch'. He could play tactical chess when necessary, and had good defensive technique. He wrote several chess books during his career, of which Chess Fundamentals was regarded by Mikhail Botvinnik as the best chess book ever written. Capablanca preferred not to present detailed analysis but focused on critical moments in a game. His style of chess influenced the play of future world champions Bobby Fischer and Anatoly Karpov. His undefeated streak from February 10, 1916, to March 21, 1924, a period that included the world championship match with Lasker, remains a remarkable achievement. He lost the title in 1927 to Alexander Alekhine, who had never beaten Capablanca before the match. Following unsuccessful attempts to arrange a rematch over many years, relations between them became bitter. Capablanca continued excellent tournament results in this period but withdrew from serious chess in 1931. He made a comeback in 1934, with good results, but also showed symptoms of high blood pressure. He died in 1942 of a brain hemorrhage.

Did You Know?

• Capablanca learned to play chess at age four by watching his father, pointed out an illegal move by his father, and then beat him.
• He beat Cuban champion Juan Corzo in a match on 17 November 1901, two days before his 13th birthday.
• In 1906, he won a rapid chess tournament ahead of reigning World Champion Emanuel Lasker.
• During a US-wide tour in 1909, he played 602 games in 27 cities and scored 96.4%.
• Alekhine said Capablanca gave all the St. Petersburg masters the odds of 5–1 in quick games and won.