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A Lecture by Capablanca (1932)
May 12, 2016
J. R. Capablanca gave a lecture at the Club de Comunicaciones de Prado in Cuba on May 25, 1932.
In printed form, it is about 17 paragraphs long. The second paragraph, translated by Edward Winter:
“Anyone wishing to progress in chess must consider the game as a whole that may be divided into three parts. The first is the phase to which the majority of people devote the most time and study: the opening. The second is called the middle-game, which comes immediately after the opening; this is studied less than the opening and it may be the least studied phase of the three. Lastly, there is the endgame, which is also not studied with the same attention and devotion as are the openings. Eleven years ago I wrote a book, and instead of starting, as all books do, with the opening, I began with the ending, believing that was the proper place to start. You will readily understand that it is much easier to handle one or two pieces than all the pieces together. Moreover, it is a curious but true fact that no player becomes world champion or even a contender for the title unless he gives serious attention to the endgame. Endgames are essential for it is there that most strong masters are weak; that is to say, this phase of the game is not studied with the same attention as the others. To those wishing to progress I would recommend that they study the book to which I referred. It is called Chess Fundamentals and, as I have said, it begins with the endgame. After the endgames my book deals with a series of middle-game positions which are likely to occur in any game and which serve as a model for achieving the desired result. And finally, when you are, so to speak, bored with studying these phases, then is the time to begin studying the openings, for the openings are simply the beginning of the game and must lead to one of the other two phases.”
http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/e...ablanca10.html
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The original of the above is for sale/auction today on eBay. It has a “Buy It Now” listing at $5,000 US, so if you are so inclined, and have $5,000, it can be immediately yours.
It is in Spanish, in a binder. The blurb with it says: “Jose Capablanca - original typed manuscript of 1932 Lecture, with hand correction in pencil by the chess champion.
Listing is for an 11-page original typed manuscript by Jose Raul Capablanca, the legendary World Chess Champion from Cuba - considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game. The document was purchased as part of an archive of Capablanca signed materials. Perhaps his most famous, this lecture was delivered by Capablanca at the Club de Communicaciones de Prado in Cuba on 25 May 1932. An edited version was published in Lunes de Revolucion, 12 December 1960 and that was also translated to English by Edward Winter.
This lecture provides important insight into the mind of the chess genius, and has never appeared in its original unedited form.”
May 12, 2016
J. R. Capablanca gave a lecture at the Club de Comunicaciones de Prado in Cuba on May 25, 1932.
In printed form, it is about 17 paragraphs long. The second paragraph, translated by Edward Winter:
“Anyone wishing to progress in chess must consider the game as a whole that may be divided into three parts. The first is the phase to which the majority of people devote the most time and study: the opening. The second is called the middle-game, which comes immediately after the opening; this is studied less than the opening and it may be the least studied phase of the three. Lastly, there is the endgame, which is also not studied with the same attention and devotion as are the openings. Eleven years ago I wrote a book, and instead of starting, as all books do, with the opening, I began with the ending, believing that was the proper place to start. You will readily understand that it is much easier to handle one or two pieces than all the pieces together. Moreover, it is a curious but true fact that no player becomes world champion or even a contender for the title unless he gives serious attention to the endgame. Endgames are essential for it is there that most strong masters are weak; that is to say, this phase of the game is not studied with the same attention as the others. To those wishing to progress I would recommend that they study the book to which I referred. It is called Chess Fundamentals and, as I have said, it begins with the endgame. After the endgames my book deals with a series of middle-game positions which are likely to occur in any game and which serve as a model for achieving the desired result. And finally, when you are, so to speak, bored with studying these phases, then is the time to begin studying the openings, for the openings are simply the beginning of the game and must lead to one of the other two phases.”
http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/e...ablanca10.html
_________
The original of the above is for sale/auction today on eBay. It has a “Buy It Now” listing at $5,000 US, so if you are so inclined, and have $5,000, it can be immediately yours.
It is in Spanish, in a binder. The blurb with it says: “Jose Capablanca - original typed manuscript of 1932 Lecture, with hand correction in pencil by the chess champion.
Listing is for an 11-page original typed manuscript by Jose Raul Capablanca, the legendary World Chess Champion from Cuba - considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game. The document was purchased as part of an archive of Capablanca signed materials. Perhaps his most famous, this lecture was delivered by Capablanca at the Club de Communicaciones de Prado in Cuba on 25 May 1932. An edited version was published in Lunes de Revolucion, 12 December 1960 and that was also translated to English by Edward Winter.
This lecture provides important insight into the mind of the chess genius, and has never appeared in its original unedited form.”