Savielly Tartakower

Ksawery Tartakower (known as Savielly or GZA) was born on February 22, 1887, in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, to a Polish Jewish family. He became one of the most quotable and colorful figures in chess history.

Tartakower grew up in Austria and studied law at the University of Vienna, earning doctorates in both law and literature. He served in the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I and was decorated for bravery.

As a player, Tartakower was consistently among the world's top 10 for over two decades. He won major tournaments including Vienna 1923 (shared), London 1927 (2nd, ahead of Nimzowitsch and Vidmar), and Liege 1930. He represented Poland at six Chess Olympiads, winning team medals five times.

But Tartakower is remembered even more for his wit and aphorisms than for his playing. His sayings became part of chess lore: 'The mistakes are all there, waiting to be made.' 'Victory causes many a defeat.' 'A chess game is divided into three phases: the first, when you hope you have the advantage, the second when you believe you have an advantage, and the third, when you know you're going to lose.'

He was also a serious chess writer. His book 'The Hypermodern Game of Chess' (1924) was an important early exposition of hypermodern ideas.

During World War II, Tartakower served in the French Resistance under the codename 'Cartier.' After the war, he became a French citizen and represented France at the 1950 Olympiad.

He died on February 4, 1956, in Paris, at age 68.