Play Chess Against Savielly Tartakower

Savielly Tartakower (1887-1956), grandmaster, soldier of France and the most quotable writer in chess, sits across the board. Set the strength, clock, color and starting position, then press Start game.

Play Tartakower now

Portrait of Savielly Tartakower — Savielly Tartakower, 1887-1956.

Black · Savielly Tartakower10:00

Choose the settings, then press Start game.

White · You10:00

Savielly Tartakowerhistorical player

Preparing the board.

Set the game on the right. Start unlocks the board and starts the side-to-move clock.

Set up your game against Savielly Tartakower

Savielly Tartakower stays selected. Choose the playing strength, clock, color and starting position.

OpponentSavielly TartakowerStrength1500Clock10+5You playWhite

Opponent

Savielly Tartakower remains selected while you choose the settings for this game.

Savielly Tartakower1887-1956

Playing strength

Legend playing strength100-point steps

1500

1500Tartakower, 1500 Elo target2600

Time control

The first number is the starting time in minutes. The second is the increment after each completed legal move.

Your color

Starting position optional

All chess legends

Start game locks these settings and begins the selected clock. Change setup unlocks them for a new game.

About Savielly Tartakower

Savielly Tartakower playing Carlos Torre in 1925

Savielly Tartakower (1887-1956) was a grandmaster, journalist, lawyer and the sharpest wit the game has known. Born in Russia to Austrian parents, he later played for Poland and France and fought with the Free French in the Second World War. A leading master between the wars, he won tournaments across Europe and left his name on a durable Queen's Gambit Declined system. His aphorisms and his books, above all 500 Master Games of Chess with Julius du Mont, made him the most quoted author in chess.

An opening bears his nameThe Tartakower Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined is played at every level

Two-time Polish championWon the national championship in 1935 and 1937

Original grandmasterOne of the 27 players awarded the first FIDE grandmaster titles in 1950

The game's great witCredited with: the mistakes are all there, waiting to be made

1887
Born in Rostov-on-Don
Savielly Tartakower was born on 22 February 1887 to Austrian parents in southern Russia and later earned a law doctorate in Vienna.
1924
Chronicler of the hypermoderns
His book Die hypermoderne Schachpartie, published in the mid-1920s, became the movement's most ambitious chronicle.
1930
Wins at Liège
Took first prize at Liège 1930, one of his best tournament victories in a decade full of them.
1935
Polish champion
Won the first of his two Polish championships, adding a second in 1937.
1940
Lieutenant Cartier
After the fall of France he joined de Gaulle's Free French forces in London, serving under the name Cartier.
1950
Among the first grandmasters
FIDE named him one of the 27 original grandmasters when the title was created.
1952
500 Master Games
Published 500 Master Games of Chess with Julius du Mont, the anthology that taught generations of readers.
1956
Dies in Paris
Died on 4 February 1956 in Paris. His epigrams are quoted wherever chess is played.