Competitions
Over six decades, Jacques Mieses contested more than 20 matches against the strongest players of his time – from Emanuel Lasker to Vera Menchik. These duels, often played over several weeks, were the supreme discipline of chess and demanded not only playing skill, but also psychological strength and endurance.
Stuttgart · Won +2 =1 -0
A first in chess history: the first-ever match between two internationally recognized masters played without sight of the board. At the Königsbau in Stuttgart, Mieses and Schlechter played three serious games blindfolded on consecutive evenings — and Mieses won, even though Schlechter would challenge Lasker for the World Championship just one year later. All three games Mieses opened with his trademark Scandinavian Defense. "Never before have two renowned masters measured their strength in this manner," Mieses himself wrote in the Stuttgarter Neues Tagesblatt.
DetailsEmanuel Lasker, 1889
Leipzig · Lost +0 =3 -5
Both were in their early twenties, both from Leipzig – but Lasker won decisively and later became the second World Champion. This early encounter shows Mieses' membership in the absolute world elite of his youth. It was the duel of two rising talents who would take different paths.
Akiba Rubinstein, 1909
Berlin · Lost +3 =2 -5
The most dramatic match! Mieses won the first three games – they were Rubinstein's only defeats of the entire year 1909! Although Rubinstein recovered and still won the match, Mieses demonstrated that he could shine even against the absolute world elite. A triumph of attacking play against the master of positional strategy.
Berlin · Lost +2 =4 -7
A match under wartime conditions. The two had known each other since the 1880s and embodied different chess philosophies: Tarrasch the classical school, Mieses the romantic. The prize – half a pound of butter – shows the hardships of the time. Despite the defeat, a testament to the passion for the game amid World War.
View matchVera Menchik, 1942
London · Lost +1 =5 -4
At 77 years old, Mieses faced the reigning Women's World Champion. The match ended narrowly in favor of Menchik – proof of Mieses' unbroken playing strength in old age. Menchik, the strongest female player of her time, had already defeated numerous male masters. That Mieses delivered a balanced match at over 75 years old was remarkable.
Gerald Abrahams, 1945
Glossop · Won 4½–1½
At eighty years of age, Mieses defeated one of England's strongest players. Abrahams, a Liverpool barrister, inventor of the Abrahams-Noteboom Variation and himself a brilliant tactician, had beaten Mieses six years earlier at Bournemouth, where Mieses refused a draw five times. Now came the revenge: six games in the small town of Glossop, a convincing victory for the octogenarian. Weeks later, Mieses won his famous brilliancy prize at Hastings.
All Competitions Overview
| Year | Opponent | Location | Result | Score | Special Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1889 | Emanuel Lasker | Leipzig | Lost | +0 =3 -5 | Duel of two 24-year-olds; Lasker later became World Champion |
| 1894 | Carl Walbrodt | Berlin | Draw | +5 =3 -5 | |
| 1895 | David Janowski | Paris | Draw | +6 =0 -6 | Dramatic match without draws |
| 1895 | Jean Taubenhaus | Glasgow | Won | +3 =0 -2 | Victory over the Paris-based master |
| 1895 | Richard Teichmann | London | Lost | +1 =1 -4 | First match against Teichmann |
| 1904 | Richard Teichmann | London | Lost | +1 =1 -4 | Second match against Teichmann, nine years after the first |
| 1897 | Horatio Caro | – | Draw | – | Caro of the "Caro-Kann Defense" |
| 1905 | Paul Leonhardt | – | Won | – | |
| 1908 | Frank Marshall | Café Kerkau, Berlin | Lost | +4 =1 -5 | Mieses led 4½–3½ after 8 games, then lost both final games |
| ~1905–1912 | Rudolf Spielmann | ? | Lost | ? | Against the master of sacrificial play; exact details still being researched |
| 1909 | Akiba Rubinstein | Berlin | Lost | +3 =2 -5 | Mieses sensationally won the first 3 games – Rubinstein's only defeats of the year |
| 1909 | Carl Schlechter | Stuttgart | Won | +2 =1 -0 | Blindfold chess! First-ever match between two masters played without sight of the board. All 3 games with the Scandinavian |
| 1916 | Siegbert Tarrasch | Café Kerkau, Berlin | Lost | +2 =4 -7 | The last major German chess match of the First World War; prize: half a pound of butter; referee: Lasker |
| 1942 | Vera Menchik | London | Lost | +1 =5 -4 | Against the Women's World Champion; Mieses was 77 years old |
| 1945 | Gerald Abrahams | Glossop | Won | 4½–1½ (6 games) | At 80 years old! Revenge for Bournemouth 1939. Abrahams was considered one of England's best after Blackpool |
Matches vs. Tournaments
While tournaments brought together multiple players over few rounds, matches were intensive duels between two masters over many games. They required deep preparation for the specific opponent and psychological endurance. For Mieses, they were an opportunity to unfold his attacking style over several games.
Statistics
Of his over 20 documented matches, Mieses won about one-third, lost half, and drew several. His opponents read like a Who's Who of chess: Lasker, Rubinstein, Tarrasch, Janowski, Schlechter – all world-class players. That Mieses still won a match at 80 years old underscores his extraordinary longevity.
Replay Games
Interested in specific games from these matches? Visit the Games section with interactive chess viewer.
Learn more about Mieses' career and opponents in our FAQ.