José Raúl Capablanca

"The Chess Machine." The greatest natural talent before Fischer, Capablanca went eight years without losing a single game and made chess look effortless.

The Cuban Prince

José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera was born on November 19, 1888, in Havana, Cuba. His father was a Spanish army officer stationed in Cuba. The story of Capablanca's introduction to chess has become one of the most romantic in chess history: at age four, he reportedly learned the game by watching his father play, then pointed out an illegal move the elder Capablanca had made. Whether or not the story is literally true, it captures something essential about Capablanca: he seemed to absorb chess through pure intuition, without the grinding study that other champions required.

Capablanca's rise was astonishing in its ease. He defeated the Cuban champion Juan Corzo in a match at age 12. He visited the Manhattan Chess Club in New York at age 17 and defeated its champion, Oscar Chajes. In 1909, he toured the United States, playing 602 games in simultaneous exhibitions and losing only 12. The following year, he played a match against the American champion Frank Marshall and won 8-1 with 14 draws.

His breakthrough at the international level came at the 1911 San Sebastian tournament, one of the strongest ever held. Capablanca, unknown to many of the participants, won the event ahead of virtually every top player in the world. It was one of the most stunning debuts in chess history.

The Unbeaten Machine

From February 10, 1916, to March 21, 1924, Capablanca did not lose a single game of competitive chess. In an era when draws were common and tactical blunders were not, this streak was extraordinary. He won tournament after tournament, often with seemingly effortless superiority, finding the best moves with a speed and certainty that baffled his opponents.

Capablanca's style was the antithesis of Romantic chess. He did not attack for the sake of attack or sacrifice for the sake of beauty. He played the moves that the position required, no more and no less. His pieces always seemed to be on the right squares. His endgame play was celebrated as the finest in the world: he could convert the smallest advantages into victories with a technique that seemed almost mechanical in its precision.

Capablanca vs Marshall, New York 1918

Frank Marshall had spent years preparing a devastating refutation of Capablanca's favorite Ruy López opening. When he finally unleashed it, Capablanca improvised a brilliant defense at the board and won anyway.

Champion and Decline

Capablanca finally won the World Championship in 1921, defeating Lasker 4-0 with 10 draws in a match played in Havana. The victory seemed inevitable; Capablanca had been the strongest player in the world for years. He was handsome, charismatic, and celebrated as a national hero in Cuba, which issued a postage stamp in his honor.

The fall came in 1927, when Alexander Alekhine defeated Capablanca in a 34-game match in Buenos Aires. Capablanca had underestimated his opponent and arrived insufficiently prepared. The loss devastated him. He demanded a rematch, but Alekhine avoided him for the rest of his career, a slight that Capablanca never forgave.

Capablanca continued playing at a high level throughout the 1930s, winning several major tournaments, but he never regained the title. His health declined in the late 1930s, and he suffered a stroke while watching a game at the Manhattan Chess Club in March 1942. He died on March 8, 1942, at the age of 53.

"I have not given any drawn games because I consider the draw a purely negative result. I have not given any games won by me where I have not felt that I have been able to do my best." — José Raúl Capablanca