Kemeri 1937: The Fateful Tournament
A tournament that changed Mieses' life forever
Tournament Overview
- Date: June–July 1937
- Location: Ķemeri (Kemeri), Latvia
- Format: International Master Tournament
- Winners: Salo Flohr, Vladimirs Petrovs, Samuel Reshevsky (tied)
- Mieses' Age: 72 years
The Spa Town of Kemeri
Ķemeri was a popular spa resort on the Latvian Baltic coast in the 1930s, known for its sulphur springs and elegant spa house. The town attracted international guests and provided the perfect setting for a high-class chess tournament.
The 1937 tournament assembled the world elite: Besides the eventual winners Flohr, Petrovs and Reshevsky, Alekhine, Keres, Fine and many other top masters competed. At 72, Mieses was one of the oldest participants – a veteran still competing against the younger generation.
The Accident
During or around the tournament, the 72-year-old 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. The injuries left him with a permanent walking disability that would accompany him for the rest of his life.
When asked what had happened, he later replied laconically:
"It was my move."
The pun connects the traffic accident with the chess term "to move". Typical of Mieses' gallows humour even in serious situations.
The Consequences
Eyewitness Account 1939
An acquaintance visited Mieses in 1939 on a Sunday morning at his lodgings in Camden Town, London. He found a seriously crippled Mieses – a late consequence of the Kemeri accident.
Mieses had recently left Germany under great difficulties and was marked by the flight and his physical limitations.
Despite his disability, Mieses refused to use a walking stick throughout his life. He forced himself to conceal his suffering – a sign of his indomitable will.
Connection to the 1938 Emigration
Just one year after the accident, the 73-year-old Mieses had to flee Nazi Germany after the Kristallnacht pogrom – with only 15 Reichsmarks in his pocket and a severe walking disability.
The flight to England was particularly arduous under these circumstances. But Mieses did not give up: He continued to play tournaments, won brilliancy prizes and was named FIDE Grandmaster in 1950.
→ More about Mieses' emigration and life in exile
Sources
- British Chess Magazine, April 1954 (Obituary)
- Edward Winter: Chess Notes – Jacques Mieses
More Tournaments
International Debut Hastings 1895
Tournament of the Century Berlin 1897
3rd Place - Home Success Vienna 1898
Emperor's Jubilee Monte Carlo 1903
7th Place Cambridge Springs 1904
8th–9th Place San Sebastián 1911
Capablanca's Breakthrough Liverpool 1923
1st Place – Tournament Victory! Baden-Baden 1925
New Beginning After War Kemeri 1937
The Fateful Tournament Kemeri 1937
The Fateful Tournament Chess Olympiads
London 1927 · Prague 1931