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Jacques Mieses

Anecdotes & Episodes

Jacques Mieses was not only a brilliant chess player, but also known for his sharp wit and quick repartee. These anecdotes show the man behind the master – humorous, combative and indestructible well into old age.

Wit & Quick Repartee

"Patzer yourself!"
London, Simultaneous Exhibition

During a simultaneous exhibition in London, the following incident occurred: One of his opponents thought he could no longer move any piece and declared proudly to the master: "Stalemate, Sir!"

Mieses glanced at the board for a moment and countered with a smile: "Oh, no, Sir – the patzer is you!" He pointed to the free square that was still accessible to the enemy king.

"No, I am Meister Mieses!"
New York, Tournament

When Jacques Mieses was playing a tournament in New York, he was asked by an American who mispronounced his name: "Are you Mister Meises?"

Mieses replied wittily: "No, I am Meister Mieses!"

Gallows Humor

"I was to move"
Leipzig 1937 Tram Accident

Mieses was hit by a tram and seriously injured. The accident was so severe that false reports of his death circulated in Kemeri. He had to spend almost a year in hospital and was left with a walking disability.

When asked what had happened, he later replied laconically: "I was to move."

"Run over by a corpse"
Vienna 1903

Isidor Gunsberg had played the Vienna tournament 1903 very poorly up to that point and was considered hopeless. After his surprising defeat against the previously unsuccessful Gunsberg, Mieses commented bitterly:

"It's bad enough to be run over, but to be run over by a corpse is terrible."

About Contemporaries

Lasker and Capablanca: Clear Water with Poison
ca. 1920s

Mieses knew both World Champions personally and commented on their different playing styles:

"Lasker's style is clear water, but with a drop of poison that clouds it. Capablanca's style is perhaps even clearer, but it lacks this drop of poison."

The Eternal Fighter

Brilliancy Prize at Age 80
Hastings 1946

Even as an 80-year-old, Mieses received a brilliancy prize in Hastings 1946 for his game against Christoffel. → View Game

But to earn his daily bread, Mieses had to continue playing and giving simultaneous exhibitions well into old age.

The Chair-Carrier of Verviers
Belgium, 1947 82 years old

At age 82, Mieses still gave a simultaneous exhibition in Verviers, Belgium. However, he was already so weak on his legs that a chess friend had to carry a chair after him so that the old master could sit down when making his moves.

"Youth has triumphed!"
Stockholm 1948 83 vs. 84 years

In his last tournament in Stockholm 1948, chance would have it that the 83-year-old Mieses – he finished third – had to play against the 84-year-old Dutchman Dirk van Foreest.

Mieses won and remarked mischievously: "Youth has triumphed!"

Life Wisdom & Later Years

"Passed the danger zone"
80th Birthday, 1945

On the occasion of his 80th birthday, a small celebration was held in his honor. When Mieses gave his thank-you speech, he concluded it with a witty bon mot:

"As statistics have proven, most people die between their sixtieth and eightieth year. Since I have now passed this danger zone, I probably don't need to worry anymore."

The Vanishing Knight
Hastings 1949/50 Last Tournament

He played his last tournament in 1949/50 in Hastings. The following tragicomic incident occurred:

After capturing the enemy bishop with his knight, he put both pieces – the bishop and his own knight – in the box. Confused, he asked: "Now I've lost a piece, but how?"

It took the tournament director considerable effort to convince Mieses to put his knight back on the board.

Reports of Death Greatly Exaggerated

The False Report from Kemeri
Kemeri (Latvia) 1937

When the world elite met in 1937 in Kemeri, Latvia for the great international tournament, a sad message made the rounds: "Jacques Mieses is dead!"

But as the saying goes: "Reports of death are greatly exaggerated" – so this also applied to Mieses. Although he had suffered a serious car accident, had to spend almost a year in hospital and was left with a walking disability.

But he wouldn't be defeated so easily: Even later he never used a walking stick as a walking aid, but forced himself to conceal his suffering.

About the death report itself, he later remarked with sarcasm that it was at least "greatly exaggerated".

His own obituary: Mieses later said he was one of the few people who had read their own obituary. He was amazed at what a wonderful man he had been.

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