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Rudolf Spielmann
Spielmann 
 

Number of games in database: 1,349
Years covered: 1903 to 1941
Overall record: +535 -330 =459 (57.7%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 25 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Vienna Opening (92) 
    C29 C28 C26 C25 C27
 French Defense (91) 
    C01 C11 C12 C14 C10
 Sicilian (69) 
    B40 B20 B74 B29 B56
 Ruy Lopez (57) 
    C77 C66 C84 C78 C86
 Caro-Kann (42) 
    B15 B13 B10 B18 B12
 French (41) 
    C11 C12 C10 C13 C00
With the Black pieces:
 Queen's Pawn Game (87) 
    D02 A46 A40 E10 D00
 Ruy Lopez (83) 
    C61 C63 C77 C78 C60
 Orthodox Defense (67) 
    D51 D52 D55 D63 D60
 French Defense (65) 
    C14 C01 C13 C11 C02
 Queen's Gambit Declined (36) 
    D37 D30 D35 D39
 Tarrasch Defense (30) 
    D32 D33
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Spielmann vs B Hoenlinger, 1929 1-0
   Spielmann vs R Wahle, 1926 1-0
   Spielmann vs R L'hermet, 1927 1-0
   Spielmann vs Flamberg, 1914 1-0
   Rubinstein vs Spielmann, 1912 0-1
   Spielmann vs M Walter, 1928 1-0
   Spielmann vs Rubinstein, 1911 1-0
   Spielmann vs M Elyashiv, 1903 1-0
   Spielmann vs J Mieses, 1910 1-0
   Spielmann vs Tartakower, 1909 1-0

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Abbazia (1912)
   Baden-bei-Wien (1914)
   Scheveningen (1923)
   Semmering (1926)
   25. DSB Kongress (1927)
   Berlin Jubilee (1907)
   Schultz Memorial, Stockholm (1919)
   Bad Pistyan (1922)
   Scheveningen (1905)
   San Sebastian (1912)
   Trebitsch Memorial (1933)
   Karlsbad (1929)
   Vienna (1908)
   Ostend Masters (1907)
   Karlsbad (1911)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Spielmann: Chess Biography by jessicafischerqueen
   The Last Romantic Harkened Fredthebear by fredthebear
   Some S-upermen of Yesteryeary When FTB was a Cub by fredthebear
   0ZeR0's collected games volume 280 by 0ZeR0
   The Games of Rudolf Spielmann by rbaglini
   The Games of Rudolf Spielmann by Timothy Glenn Forney
   0ZeR0's collected games volume 281 by 0ZeR0
   1920s Roar by Fredthebear by fredthebear
   Rudolf Spielmann's Best Games by KingG
   Art of Sacrifice in Chess - Spielmann by jgrob12
   Art of Sacrifice in Chess, R. Spielmann by mjk
   Art of Sacrifice in Chess, R. Spielmann by nakul1964
   Art of Sacrifice in Chess, R. Spielmann by nakul1964
   Art of Sacrifice (Spielmann) by Qindarka

GAMES ANNOTATED BY SPIELMANN: [what is this?]
   Spielmann vs Rubinstein, 1911


Search Sacrifice Explorer for Rudolf Spielmann
Search Google for Rudolf Spielmann

RUDOLF SPIELMANN
(born May-05-1883, died Aug-20-1942, 59 years old) Austria

[what is this?]

Rudolf Spielmann was born in Vienna, Austria. Nordic Champion in 1919 and German Champion in 1927, his notable tournament achievements included 3rd= at St. Petersburg 1909, 1st at Abbazia (1912), 2nd at San Sebastian (1912), 1st at Baden-bei-Wien (1914), 1st at Stockholm 1919, 1st= at Teplitz-Schonau 1922, 1st at Semmering (1926), one-half point ahead of Alexander Alekhine 3rd at Berlin 1928 and 2nd at Karlsbad (1929). In matches Spielmann scored victories over Aron Nimzowitsch in 1908, Richard Reti in 1910 and 1921, Savielly Tartakower in 1910 and 1921, Gideon Stahlberg in 1930, Vasja Pirc in 1931 and Efim Bogoljubov in 1932, but lost three consecutive matches to Erich Eliskases for the Austrian title.

Friendly, pleasant and sensitive as a person, Spielmann's chess style stood in stark contrast. He loved complex positions and combinations which would give flight to his imagination and in the age of Hypermodernism he seemed to belong to an earlier, more romantic time.

Being Jewish, Spielmann fled Nazi Germany, first for the Netherlands in 1934, then to Prague in 1938 and in 1939 escaped to Sweden. According to his close relatives (cited on p. 86 of Michael Ehn, Rudolf Spielmann, Koblenz, Germany, 1996) he locked himself in his room and was later found starved to death. Another version is that he suffered from a 'Parkinson's disease'-like illness, which worsened rapidly at the end. Spielmann was admitted to the Asö hospital, where he died. The official cause of death was 'Hypertonie und Cardiosclerosis' (ibid. p. 91). He was the brother of Leopold Spielmann.

Spielmann's book 'The Art of Sacrifice' remains a classic. He is known as 'The Last Romantic'.

Wikipedia article: Rudolf Spielmann

Last updated: 2025-03-29 08:35:33

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 54; games 1-25 of 1,349  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. A Wagner vs Spielmann 0-1261903BerlinD11 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
2. Spielmann vs M Elyashiv 1-0291903Munich CC tC39 King's Gambit Accepted
3. E Cohn vs Spielmann 1-0291904Coburg-AC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
4. Spielmann vs Moewig 1-0401904Coburg-AC29 Vienna Gambit
5. Spielmann vs P Kaegbein 1-0371904Coburg-AC39 King's Gambit Accepted
6. Spielmann vs F Koehnlein 1-0391904MunichC29 Vienna Gambit
7. Spielmann vs O Bernstein ½-½281904BerlinC39 King's Gambit Accepted
8. Spielmann vs Vidmar 0-139190414th DSB Congress - Hauptturnier AC14 French, Classical
9. M Lange vs Spielmann 0-139190414th DSB Congress - Hauptturnier AD63 Queen's Gambit Declined, Orthodox Defense
10. Spielmann vs Duras 0-1481904Coburg-AC29 Vienna Gambit
11. A Nimzowitsch vs Spielmann 1-0421905Nimzowitsch - Spielmann, 1st MatchC45 Scotch Game
12. Spielmann vs A Nimzowitsch 1-0191905Nimzowitsch - Spielmann, 1st MatchB15 Caro-Kann
13. A Nimzowitsch vs Spielmann 1-0201905Cafe Orlando di Lasso offhandC44 King's Pawn Game
14. A Nimzowitsch vs Spielmann  1-0351905Nimzowitsch - Spielmann, 1st MatchC45 Scotch Game
15. A Nimzowitsch vs Spielmann ½-½361905Nimzowitsch - Spielmann, 1st MatchC45 Scotch Game
16. Spielmann vs P Leonhardt 0-1321905HamburgC39 King's Gambit Accepted
17. Spielmann vs J W te Kolste  1-0291905ScheveningenC29 Vienna Gambit
18. Spielmann vs B Leussen 0-1421905ScheveningenB72 Sicilian, Dragon
19. P Leonhardt vs Spielmann 1-0331905ScheveningenC01 French, Exchange
20. R Loman vs Spielmann 0-1351905ScheveningenC84 Ruy Lopez, Closed
21. Spielmann vs Marshall 0-1351905ScheveningenC42 Petrov Defense
22. Spielmann vs A Reggio 1-0241905ScheveningenC30 King's Gambit Declined
23. G Oskam vs Spielmann  1-0411905ScheveningenC44 King's Pawn Game
24. G Schories vs Spielmann 0-1251905ScheveningenC82 Ruy Lopez, Open
25. Spielmann vs Swiderski ½-½681905ScheveningenC25 Vienna
 page 1 of 54; games 1-25 of 1,349  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Spielmann wins | Spielmann loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 9 OF 10 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Sep-17-14  ljfyffe: That would be Anton Olson - Rudolf Spielmann.
Nov-19-14  kamagong24: one of my favorite players Rudolf Spielmann!
Dec-25-14  andrewjsacks: It is an interesting phenomenon, the mild-mannered man with the slashing attacking style. Also, heading Santa's reindeer team in fog can be dangerous. Spielmann was indeed courageous!
Feb-01-15  thegoodanarchist: <Karpova: Long article with many puzzles by Jeremy Silman <Rudolf Spielmann, the Lethal Gentleman!>, October 15, 2013: http://www.chess.com/article/view/r...

You have done an excellent service to readers of this site by posting the link to that fine article by Jeremy Silman.

JS doesn't say it in the article, but in another book that he co-wrote with Serewan he stated of Spielmann that his main goal in life was to acquire enough money to buy unlimited quantities of beer!

Feb-25-15  Mating Net: What a sharp dresser. I love the outfit Mr. Spielmann.

An inspiration for ZZ Top, no doubt. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wR...

May-10-15  Calli: Yes, even Spielmann once had hair:
http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/a...
May-15-15  TheFocus: <We cannot resist the fascination of sacrifice, since a passion for sacrifices is part of a chessplayer's nature> - Rudolf Spielmann
May-15-15  TheFocus: <A good sacrifice is one that is not necessarily sound but leaves your opponent dazed and confused> - Rudolph Spielmann
May-15-15  TheFocus: <In the opening a master should play like a book, in the mid-game he should play like a magician, in the ending he should play like a machine> - Rudolph Spielmann.
May-19-15  TheFocus: <Spielmann is, in fact, the hardest-working of all the masters, continually searching out the flaws in his game and striving to eliminate them> - Aron Nimzowitsch.
Aug-03-15  whiteshark: Quote of the Day

"Lasker's style was like clear limpid water--with a dash of poison in it!"

-- Spielmann

Dec-17-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  Check It Out: I second <thegoodanarchist> in his praise for the Spielmann article by Silman (and <Karpova> for posting it). there are dozens of puzzles, and they are not easy!

Here is the link again:

http://www.chess.com/article/view/r...

Nov-21-18  blackburne: Spielmann took refuge in Sweden during World War II. Chess helped him move forward. Article in spanish with tournaments, simultaneous, games and photos of Spielmann in Sweden:

http://www.ajedrezdeataque.com/04%2...

Mar-14-19  The Kings Domain: What happened to his "Notable Games"?
Mar-14-19  whiteshark: <The Kings Domain: What happened to his "Notable Games"?>

This applies not only to Spielmann, but also - found arbitrarily - to

Reuben Fine ; Wolfgang Uhlmann ; Friedrich Saemisch ; Salomon Flohr ; Andras Adorjan ; Lawrence Day

Seems to be an programming/algo error.

Mar-15-19  The Kings Domain: Chessgames should bring them back, especially the one of Spielmann, whose brilliant games should be immediately accessible to everyone.
Apr-05-19  Violin sonata: There is one of the video analysis about his game in agadmator's chess channel on YouTube, with an interesting title "Before Tal and Nezhy, there was Rudolf Spielmann"

https://youtu.be/ciOmSv2zHHo

Apr-19-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: Here's a list of Spielmann's matches (Source: chessmetrics.com, Spielmann's player profile, event details page.)

Leonhardt-Spielmann Match (Munich), 1906 = (3.5/7, 50%)

Mieses-Spielmann Match (Regensburg), 1910 +4 (6/8, 75%)

Spielmann-Tartakower I (Vienna), 1913 -3 (4/11, 36%)

Spielmann-Teichmann (Leipzig), 1914 -2 (2/6, 33%)

Nimzowitsch-Spielmann Match (Stockholm), 1920 -2 (0/2, 0%)

Dyckhoff-Spielmann Match (Munich), 1921 +2 (2/2, 100%)

Maier-Spielmann Match (Munich), 1921 = (1/2, 50%)

Spielmann-Tartakower II (Vienna), 1921 +1 (3.5/6, 58%)

Réti-Spielmann Match (Vienna), 1921 +3 (4.5/6, 75%)

Nielson-Spielmann Match (Gothenburg), 1924 +2 (3.5/5, 70%)

Pirc-Spielmann Match (Rogatska Slatina), 1931 +2 (2/2, 100%)

Euwe-Spielmann Match (Amsterdam), 1932 -2 (1/4, 25%)

Eliskases-Spielmann I (Linz), 1932 -1 (4.5/10, 45%)

Bogoljubow-Spielmann Match (Semmering), 1932 +1 (5.5/10, 55%)

Spielmann-Stoltz Match (Stockholm), 1932 +3 (4.5/6, 75%)

Landau-Spielmann Match (Amsterdam), 1933 +2 (2/2, 100%)

Berndtsson-Kullberg-Spielmann Match (Gothenburg), 1933 = (1/2, 50%)

Lundin-Spielmann Match (Stockholm), 1933 = (0.5/1, 50%)

Spielmann-Ståhlberg Match (Stockholm), 1933 +1 (1.5/2, 75%)

Spielmann-van den Bosch Match (Amsterdam), 1934 = (2/4, 50%)

Eliskases-Spielmann II (Semmering), 1936 -1 (4.5/10, 45%)

Eliskases-Spielmann III (Semmering), 1937 -2 (4/10, 40%

Apr-19-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  beatgiant: I do have some questions about that list.

On the chessmetrics site, there are listed Spielmann-Tartakower I (Vienna), 1913; Spielmann-Teichmann II (Leipzig), 1914; Spielmann-Tartakower III (Vienna), 1921.

If we are to believe this numbering, there should have been a Spielmann-Teichmann I sometime before 1913, and there should have been a Spielmann-Tartakower II sometime between 1913 and 1921. What I think is more likely is the person who entered the data confused Tartakower with Teichmann, so I edited the list accordingly.

So the questions are: Was there another Spielmann-Techmann match? Was there another Spielmann-Tartakower match?

The Lundin-Spielmann Match score is given as 0.5/1. Here on chessgames.com we've got the game E R Lundin vs Spielmann, 1933 which is supposed to be from that match and is a win for Lundin. So the 0.5/1 score is incomplete.

The question is: what was the actual score of the Lundin Spielmann Match?

Apr-19-19  fabelhaft: <The question is: what was the actual score of the Lundin Spielmann Match?>

Lundin won 3.5-2.5, see p.11 here:

http://www.schack.se/tfsarkiv/histo...

Apr-19-19  fabelhaft: The Ståhlberg vs Spielmann match the same year was won by Ståhlberg, 5-3 over eight games:

http://www.schack.se/tfsarkiv/histo...

Apr-19-19
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <fabelhaft> thanks

<beatgiant> you are a marvel!

May-05-19  Pyrandus: Es lebe der Letzte Romantiker!
May-05-19  Strategsson: Spielmann reminds me a lot of the Swedish GM Jonny Hector. They share the same deceivingly sweet-tempered and peaceful appearance but with the apparent inner nature of a complete berserk.
Aug-06-19  The Kings Domain: Bring back the notable games!
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