Chess Masters in Exile: The Emigration 1933-1945
The Nazi seizure of power in 1933 meant the end of a flourishing Jewish chess culture in Germany. Masters like Jacques Mieses, Emanuel Lasker, and many others had to leave their homeland and start a new life in exile.
Jewish Chess Culture Before 1933
In the decades before 1933, Jewish chess masters played a central role in German and international chess. Wilhelm Steinitz became the first World Chess Champion in 1886. Emanuel Lasker held the title from 1894 to 1921 – still the longest period in chess history.
Jacques Mieses from Leipzig had been a fixture in international tournament chess since 1888. Alongside him, masters like Siegbert Tarrasch, Rudolf Spielmann, Erich Cohn, and Ludwig Engels shaped German chess life. They wrote books, gave simultaneous exhibitions, and contributed significantly to the popularity of chess.
The Break of 1933
With the Nazi seizure of power on January 30, 1933, the systematic exclusion of Jewish citizens from all areas of public life began. The "Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service" of April 7, 1933, was just the beginning of a series of discriminatory measures.
Exclusion from Chess Life
Jewish chess players were expelled from the Greater German Chess Federation. They were no longer allowed to participate in official tournaments, write chess columns, or publish books. Their names disappeared from magazines and tournament lists.
Chronology of Emigration
Emanuel Lasker, the former World Champion, leaves Germany as early as 1933. He goes first to England, later to the USA and the Soviet Union. At 64, he must struggle for his livelihood in exile.
Richard Réti, the Czechoslovak master with Jewish roots, died in 1929 – he did not live to see the persecution. His brother Rudolf Réti later emigrated to Israel.
The "Nuremberg Race Laws" of September 15, 1935, drastically intensified discrimination. Jewish citizens lost their civil rights. Many chess masters realized there was no future left in Germany.
On the night of November 9-10, 1938, synagogues burned throughout Germany. Jewish shops were looted, people arrested and murdered. For many, this was the signal for immediate flight.
Jacques Mieses, 73 years old, leaves Germany with only 15 Reichsmarks in his pocket. He emigrates to London, where he has relatives. He must leave behind his apartment at Christianstraße 19 in Leipzig's Waldstraßenviertel.
Those who could flee in time try to build a new life in exile. Many chess masters give lessons, play simultaneous games, or write for newspapers to survive. Others who could not flee were deported and murdered.
Jacques Mieses in London
Upon arriving in England, Mieses takes British citizenship. Despite his advanced age – he is 73 at the time of emigration – he does not give up. He continues to play tournaments, give simultaneous exhibitions, and write chess columns.
Mieses' Late Successes in England
- 1946: Brilliancy prize in Hastings at age 80
- 1948: 3rd place at Stockholm tournament at age 83
- 1950: Appointed FIDE Grandmaster as oldest player (age 85)
Technically, Mieses was thus the first British Grandmaster – the first British-born Grandmaster was later Tony Miles. Mieses proved that one can still be successful in exile and at an advanced age.
Other Emigrated Masters
Emanuel Lasker (1868-1941)
World Champion 1894-1921. Emigrated in 1933 to England, later USA and USSR. Died in 1941 in New York in modest circumstances.
Rudolf Spielmann (1883-1942)
Austrian master. Fled to Sweden in 1938. Died in 1942 in Stockholm, impoverished and forgotten.
Erich Cohn (1884-1918)
Berlin master. Died in 1918, did not live to see the persecution. His family was later deported.
Ludwig Engels (1905-1967)
German master. Emigrated to Brazil, where he continued to play successfully and shaped the Brazilian chess scene.
The Legacy
The emigration of Jewish chess masters meant an immeasurable loss for German chess culture. A tradition that had grown over generations was destroyed within a few years. Many masters died in exile, impoverished and forgotten.
Yet their achievements live on: in the games they played, in the books they wrote, and in the memory of a time when chess was more than just a game – it was a bridge between cultures and people.
"I have dedicated my entire life to chess. It has given me comfort in the darkest times."
- Jan 30, 1933: Nazi seizure of power
- Apr 7, 1933: "Civil Service Law"
- 1933: Lasker emigrates
- Sep 15, 1935: Nuremberg Laws
- Nov 9/10, 1938: Kristallnacht
- 1938: Mieses emigrates to London
- 1945: End of war
At age 73, Jacques Mieses began a new life in London. He continued to play tournaments, won prizes, and was appointed Grandmaster in 1950.
He died in 1954 in London, four days before his 89th birthday – as one of the oldest active chess players in history.