Many things happened on the 31st of October:
– Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the Wittenberg Church
– Michelangelo finished “The Last Judgement” in the Sistine Chapel
– Benito Mussolini became the Prime Minister of Italy
However, we chessplayers don’t bother ourselves with such trivialities. For us, this date is significant for another reason.
Because on 31 October 1892, in Moscow, a certain Alexander Alexandrovich was born.
A certain Alexander Alexandrovich, who would be once asked by his math teacher whether he has solved a certain problem and he would answer: “Yes! Bishop to g4!”
A certain Alexander Alexandrovich, who would become one of the strongest players in the world, by the age of 22.
A certain Alexander Alexandrovich who would dethrone Jose Raul Capablanca in one of the most celebrated, exciting and surprising matches in World Championship history.
A certain Alexander Alexandrovich who would continue to amaze the chess public with his inventive play, dazzling sacrifices and mind-boggling outbursts of creativity 1
A certain Alexander Alexandrovich who would allegedly lose many games in the later stages of his career due to ‘little alcohol problems’. Happy birthday anniversary to one of the greatest players of our time.
Remember, remember the 31st of… October!
(If you like posts as these, check our complete list of Chess Birthdays )