Bernhard Kagan
Germany- Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch: German Chess Luminary
- Patronage and Support during World War I
- Post-War Tournament Organizer and Publisher
- Literary Contributions and Publications
Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch: German Chess Luminary
Early Life and Chess CareerSiegbert Tarrasch was born in Gródek, now part of Belarus. He later moved to Berlin, Germany, where he primarily participated in local chess tournaments. Tarrasch achieved notable successes, placing 7th in 1898, 7-9th in 1902, 6th in 1903, and 2nd (tied) in 1923. He also shared 4th place in Hanover (1902), 6-7th in Ostend (1907), and 10th in Prague (1908).
Patronage and Support during World War I
During the First World War, Tarrasch extended support to Russian chess players interned in Germany, including Yefim Bogoljubov, Pyotr Romanovsky, and Alexander Seleznov.
Post-War Tournament Organizer and Publisher
After World War I, as European chess activity resumed, Tarrasch played a pivotal role in organizing several international tournaments in Berlin between 1918 and 1920. The most prestigious of these, held at the Kerkau-Palas from September 28 to October 11, 1918, featured grandmasters Emanuel Lasker, Akiba Rubinstein, Carl Schlechter, and Tarrasch himself. In 1921, Tarrasch organized two Berlin matches for Alexander Alekhine, who had recently emigrated from Soviet Russia, against Teichmann and Ziemiss.
Literary Contributions and Publications
Tarrasch was a prolific writer on chess, authoring several monographs. He notably published a book in 1920 about the then-child prodigy Samuel Reshevsky. From 1917 to 1927, he published "Kagans Schachkatalog," and from 1921 to 1932, he was the editor of the quarterly (later monthly) journal "Kagans Neueste Schachnachrichten," which featured reviews of major chess tournaments.
