Contents
José Raúl Capablanca
Winning the world chess championship and mastering apparently simple positions.
San Sebastián · World championship
- Born
- 19 November 1888
- Birthplace
- Havana, Cuba
- Died
- 8 March 1942
More people
José Raúl Capablanca
José Raúl Capablanca was a Cuban chess player and world champion from 1921 to 1927. His fluent positional play and endgame skill influenced later generations of champions.
Early life
Chess at home
Recalled learning the game by watching his father.
Young competitor
Defeated Juan Corzo in a match while still a boy in Havana.
Career
- 1909–1911
International breakthrough
Beat Frank Marshall in a match and won the strong San Sebastián tournament.
- 1921–1927
World champion
Took the title from Emanuel Lasker before losing it to Alexander Alekhine.
- 1930s
Later competition
Returned after a break and remained a formidable tournament player.
Achievements
San Sebastián
Won against a field of leading European players.
World championship
Defeated Lasker without losing a game.
Chess Fundamentals
Published an enduring instructional book.
Beyond work
Diplomatic work
Held a position with Cuba’s foreign service.
Baseball
Enjoyed the sport and played while studying in New York.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Biography and achievements ↗Photo: Anonymous Unknown author (Keystone-France). Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
