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Chess Masterpieces

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First published in 1924. The great London tournament of 1922 saw the newly crowned champion of the world - Capablanca - as well as many of his closest rivals, Alekhine, Bogolyubov, Rubinstein and Vidmar, assemble in the capital of the British Empire for the most powerful demonstration of chess prowess there since 1899. Chess journalist WH Watts seized his opportunity to solicit their opinions as to their favourite wins and appropriate comments. The outcome is this book. Games by the colossi present in London, augmented by the ingenious generation of the hypermodern school Tartakover and Reti, were fleshed out with other master pieces by the former world champion Dr Lasker as well as numerous exploits by other leading masters of the day, as well as those such as Schlechter who had sadly passed away during the recently concluded first world war.
The result was the best series of character sketches of the greats - and including Marshall, Maroczy, Reti, Tarrasch and Tartakower - and the best collection of games by top players to be available at that time.

In that sense this book is an invaluable historical document.