British Chess Magazine Obituary
Source
British Chess Magazine, April 1954, page 107
Language: English | Type: Obituary
Obituary — J. Mieses
April 1954
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| Publication | British Chess Magazine |
|---|---|
| Date | April 1954 |
| Page | 107 |
| Language | English (Original) |
| Type | Obituary |
| Occasion | Death on February 23, 1954 |
The obituary honors Jacques Mieses as the last link to a forgotten era of romantic chess. He died on February 23, 1954, in a London nursing home, just before his 89th birthday.
Mieses was a contemporary of the great romantics Zukertort, Charousek, and Chigorin. Unlike many of his generation, he refused to adopt the classical school of Steinitz and Tarrasch. Throughout his life, he preferred the dynamic over the static, attack over defense.
Openings and Playing Style
Mieses' choice of openings reflected his romantic approach to chess:
With White:
- Scotch Game
- Danish Gambit
- Vienna Game
With Black:
- Scandinavian Defence (Centre Counter Defence)
Particularly noteworthy: With the then-unusual Scandinavian Defence, Mieses achieved great success at major tournaments: Ostend 1907, Karlsbad 1907, Vienna 1908, and St. Petersburg 1909.
A previously little-known facet: In his early years, Mieses was not only a tournament player but also a problem composer and was described as a phenomenal problem solver.
This ability for tactical analysis shaped his later playing style and explains his numerous brilliancy prizes for spectacular combinations.
The obituary highlights a remarkable historical fact: At his appearance at Hastings 1945/46, Mieses was the last living participant of the legendary original tournament of 1895.
50 years between his first and last Hastings appearance – a unique bridge between the epochs of chess history.
Career and Unpredictability
Mieses' career began promisingly:
- 2nd place Nuremberg 1888
- 3rd place Leipzig 1888 (same year)
- 3rd place Breslau 1889 (behind Tarrasch and Burn)
The obituary also mentions his unpredictability: In 1907, he first won the tournament in Vienna, but then only placed tied 16th–18th in Karlsbad – a typical example of the fluctuations in his form.
The obituary lists several brilliancy prizes that Mieses received for spectacular combinations:
- Victory against Janowski Paris 1900
- Victory against Reggio Monte Carlo 1903
- Victory against Znosko-Borovsky Ostend 1907
- Victory against Schlechter Vienna 1908
Literary Recognition
The game Mieses–Reggio (Monte Carlo 1903) was included as Diagram 52 in Reuben Fine's standard work "The Middle Game in Chess" – albeit without source attribution.
Chess Books
The obituary mentions three English-language books by Mieses that enjoyed "a long and wide popularity in English":
- "The Chess Pilot" (Der Schachlotse)
- "Manual of the End-game"
- "Instructive Positions from Master Chess"
Liverpool Congress 1923
The author of the obituary recalls an encounter with Mieses at the Liverpool Congress 1923. Together they bought ties in Dale Street. He describes Mieses as "courteous and cultured man, precise in speech and with something of the military in his bearing" – a polite and cultured man with precise expression and military bearing.
Camden Town 1939
A second visit took place in 1939 in Camden Town. At this time, Mieses was "seriously-crippled" – severely disabled as a late consequence of the Kemeri car accident 1937. He had left Germany under great difficulties and was now living in exile in London.