Semmering/Baden (1937) Austria was host to a grandmaster contest in 1937 sponsored by its casinos. Eight chess masters, including the former world champion Jose Capablanca, participated in the double round robin from September 8th until the 27th. The first four rounds were conducted at the Semmering, and then moved to the Hotel Grüner Baum in Baden bei Wien for the duration of the tournament. World champion Max Euwe served as chief arbiter for the first half of games and then was relieved by Rudolph Spielmann for the second half. Young Paul Keres won the event a full point over second place Reuben Fine. The final standings and crosstable: 1st Keres 9 /14 ** ˝˝ ˝˝ 10 ˝1 10 ˝1 11 2nd Fine 8 /14 ˝˝ ** ˝˝ ˝˝ ˝˝ ˝˝ 1˝ 1˝ =3rd Capablanca 7˝/14 ˝˝ ˝˝ ** ˝˝ 1˝ ˝0 ˝1 ˝˝ =3rd Reshevsky 7˝/14 01 ˝˝ ˝˝ ** ˝˝ 11 ˝0 10 5th Flohr 7 /14 ˝0 ˝˝ 0˝ ˝˝ ** 1˝ ˝˝ 1˝ =6th Eliskases 6 /14 01 ˝˝ ˝1 00 0˝ ** ˝1 0˝ =6th Ragozin 6 /14 ˝0 0˝ ˝0 ˝1 ˝˝ ˝0 ** 1˝ 8th Petrov 5 /14 00 0˝ ˝˝ 01 0˝ 1˝ 0˝ ** *Thanks to <Benzol> for putting the finishing touches on this game collection. Original collection: Game Collection: Semmering/Baden 1937, by User: suenteus po 147  page 1 of 3; games 1-25 of 56  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. Flohr vs Keres   ½-½ 57 1937 Semmering/Baden D51 Queen's Gambit Declined 2. Capablanca vs Fine ½-½ 74 1937 Semmering/Baden D19 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch 3. Reshevsky vs V Petrov 1-0 55 1937 Semmering/Baden D27 Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical 4. E Eliskases vs Ragozin   ½-½ 38 1937 Semmering/Baden D55 Queen's Gambit Declined 5. Fine vs Flohr   ½-½ 25 1937 Semmering/Baden D81 Grunfeld, Russian Variation 6. E Eliskases vs Reshevsky 0-1 41 1937 Semmering/Baden D27 Queen's Gambit Accepted, Classical 7. Ragozin vs Keres   ½-½ 40 1937 Semmering/Baden A28 English 8. V Petrov vs Capablanca   ½-½ 24 1937 Semmering/Baden D17 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav 9. Flohr vs V Petrov   1-0 54 1937 Semmering/Baden A28 English 10. Keres vs Fine   ½-½ 41 1937 Semmering/Baden A09 Reti Opening 11. Reshevsky vs Ragozin ½-½ 62 1937 Semmering/Baden D38 Queen's Gambit Declined, Ragozin Variation 12. Capablanca vs E Eliskases   ½-½ 49 1937 Semmering/Baden D55 Queen's Gambit Declined 13. V Petrov vs Keres   0-1 49 1937 Semmering/Baden E61 King's Indian 14. Reshevsky vs Capablanca ½-½ 20 1937 Semmering/Baden D12 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav 15. Ragozin vs Fine 0-1 38 1937 Semmering/Baden D51 Queen's Gambit Declined 16. E Eliskases vs Flohr 0-1 57 1937 Semmering/Baden D93 Grunfeld, with Bf4 & e3 17. Keres vs E Eliskases 1-0 33 1937 Semmering/Baden B50 Sicilian 18. Flohr vs Reshevsky ½-½ 115 1937 Semmering/Baden D19 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch 19. Capablanca vs Ragozin ½-½ 40 1937 Semmering/Baden D64 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox, Rubinstein Attack 20. Fine vs V Petrov 1-0 34 1937 Semmering/Baden A50 Queen's Pawn Game 21. Reshevsky vs Keres 0-1 57 1937 Semmering/Baden E16 Queen's Indian 22. Capablanca vs Flohr 1-0 33 1937 Semmering/Baden D96 Grunfeld, Russian Variation 23. Ragozin vs V Petrov   1-0 57 1937 Semmering/Baden A28 English 24. E Eliskases vs Fine   ½-½ 75 1937 Semmering/Baden D51 Queen's Gambit Declined 25. Keres vs Capablanca ½-½ 56 1937 Semmering/Baden B54 Sicilian  page 1 of 3; games 1-25 of 56    REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)     Jan-08-13    jessicafischerqueen: <Vladimirs Petrovs> last place finish here was a bitter disappointment, given that just a few months earlier he had finished shared 1st at Kemeri (1937), ahead of both <Alekhine> and <Keres>. Earlier in 1937 <Petrovs> had been called up for his one year obligatory military service. He had been given official leave to play in Kemeri. Subsequently, he was diagnosed with active tuberculosis by a military doctor in August 1937, and was decommissioned early for this medical reason. This was a rather serious case, with a mass of tubercular material in the apex of his left lung. His doctor prescribed rest and above all to quit smoking, neither of which <Petrovs> managed to do before the start of <Semmering-Baden>. Due to his illness, on August 23, 1937 he wrote his wife <Galina> and told her he wouldn't come back to Riga before the tournament started because he was afraid of infecting her and their daughter with tuberculosis. He worried frantically that they might already be infected. However, after a horrendous start at <Semmering-Baden> <Petrovs> wrote another letter to his wife imploring her to come to the tournament to lend him emotional and moral support. -Galina Mathis-Petrovs <"Petrovs: Star Extinguished Before its Time"> Riga 2008 NOTE: You need to pick a username and password to post a reply. Getting your account takes less than a minute, totally anonymous, and 100% free--plus, it entitles you to features otherwise unavailable. Pick your username now and join the chessgames community! If you already have an account, you should login now. Please observe our posting guidelines: No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language. No spamming, advertising, or duplicating posts. No personal attacks against other users. Nothing in violation of United States law. See something which violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform an administrator. NOTE: Keep all discussion on the topic of this page. This forum is for this specific tournament and nothing else. 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