Savielly Tartakower (also known as Xavier Tartakower) was a French and Polish International Chess Grandmaster of Jewish descent, born in 1887 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. He was regarded as one of the leading players in the world between World War I and World War II, and his influence on the game, specifically in chess openings, is still felt today.
Tartakower's early life was often held under tragic circumstances. His father and mother were killed in a robbery in Rostov-on-Don in 1911, and he lost his medical studies when he served in the Austrian army during World War I. Following the war, he immigrated to Paris where he earned a degree in jurisprudence.
After World War I, Tartakower became a leading light in the world of chess. He won a number of major international tournaments including Vienna 1922, London 1927 and Liège 1930. He was one of the 27 original recipients of the Grandmaster title from the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1950.
In 1950, Tartakower published his book 'My Best Games of Chess 1905–1954' which is a substantial work offering his best games with instructive and entertaining annotations. In other respects he was a journalist who contributed articles and columns to multiple newspapers and magazines and was famed for his wit and aphorisms.
Although he remained active in tournaments through the 1950s, his health began to decline and he passed away in Paris in 1956. Tartakower's legacy in chess continues today through openings he created, his additions to established openings and his chess aphorisms.