Moscow 1925

The tournament that inspired Chess Fever. Bogoljubov won ahead of Lasker and Capablanca in the first major international tournament held in the Soviet Union. The event was filmed and became one of the most important cultural moments in chess history.

Chess Fever

The 1925 Moscow tournament was the subject of the classic Soviet comedy film "Chess Fever" (Shakhmatnaya Goryachka), which featured cameo appearances by many of the tournament participants, including Capablanca. The film captures the chess mania that swept Moscow during the event, with crowds gathering outside the tournament hall and chess sets selling out across the city.

Bogoljubov, who had left the Soviet Union for Germany, won with 15.5/20, half a point ahead of Emanuel Lasker. Capablanca, the World Champion, finished third. The tournament demonstrated that Soviet chess was producing world-class talent and helped establish chess as a national priority in the USSR.