1. Joined
    21 Feb '06
    Moves
    6830
    27 Jul '06 23:56
    As I read of the premature death of a promising English chess player, Jessie Gilbert, at the age of 19, my thoughts turned to other chess players who died before their time. One I knew personally was Ian Welch, who was drowned when he was only 20 or so. He was a great player, though always overshadowed by Peter Wells, who was the same age and lived nearby.

    Harry Pillsbury died of syphilis at the age of 34. Leonid Stein was the dark horse of soviet chess, and I used to wonder if he would ever play Fischer for the World Championship. But he died of a heart attack when 39. One of the best players never to become World Champion was Rudolf Charousek, who died of TB at 26. Even Vera Menchik, although she had a somehow old face, was only 38 when she was killed by a german bomb. I'm already older than all of these.
  2. Joined
    21 Feb '06
    Moves
    6500
    28 Jul '06 00:05
    Originally posted by Fat Lady
    As I read of the premature death of a promising English chess player, Jessie Gilbert, at the age of 19, my thoughts turned to other chess players who died before their time. One I knew personally was Ian Welch, who was drowned when he was only 20 or so. He was a great player, though always overshadowed by Peter Wells, who was the same age and lived nearby. ...[text shortened]... ld face, was only 38 when she was killed by a german bomb. I'm already older than all of these.
    You forgot Alekhine, who was assassinated I beleive...


    It is a pity, because the chessworld is deprived of good players, but, such is life I guess.
  3. Joined
    21 Feb '06
    Moves
    6830
    28 Jul '06 00:08
    Well Alekhine was over fifty when he died, and if you consider that you're only as young as the woman you feel, then he was nearer seventy.
  4. Standard memberArrakis
    D_U_N_E
    Account suspended
    Joined
    01 May '04
    Moves
    64653
    28 Jul '06 03:411 edit
    Originally posted by Shinidoki
    You forgot Alekhine, who was assassinated I beleive...


    It is a pity, because the chessworld is deprived of good players, but, such is life I guess.
    Alekhine wasn't assassinated. He choked to death on a 3" piece of meat in a restaurant! He was a very bad alcoholic - so bad that one of his simul exhibitions had be be called off cause during play he was urinating on the floor!
  5. Joined
    27 Mar '05
    Moves
    88
    28 Jul '06 10:251 edit
    Alekhine was actually found dead in his hotel room.

    http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3005

    This article contains a police photo of Alekhine, supposedly as he was found, slumped over in his chair.

    According to the article, there are still questions about his death.

    "The BCF confirmed that an agreement had been met (for a World Championship match against Botvinik) and arrangements made in a telegram delivered to Alekhine on March 23, 1946.

    Alekhine was in a hotel in Estoril, Portugal. He was found dead in his room on the morning of March 25. The date of his death is usually given as March 24th, and this may be a result of assuming he had died on the previous evening. The date on his grave notes March 25 (see picture below). The cause of death given was either by his choking on a piece of meat or by a heart attack, though the exact circumstances remain to this day a matter of debate."



    Another was Carl Schlechter, who died in Budapest of pneumonia and starvation in 1918, at the ripe old age of 44. He was a top five player from about 1900 until his death, and is best remembered for nearly beating Lasker in 1910. In a ten game match, Schlechter had won the fifth game, and there had been 8 draws. Had he drawn the 10th and final game, he MIGHT have become World Champion (there is also controversy about this...some sources say this was not a World Championship match, others say that it was a WC match, but that Schlechter had to win by two games in order to claim the title, meaning he would have had to win rather than draw the last game... but Lasker's victory in game 10 made the debate moot).
  6. Joined
    09 Aug '01
    Moves
    54019
    28 Jul '06 16:183 edits
    "You forgot Alekhine, who was assassinated I beleive... "

    an example of "never believe what you read on the internet." maybe i should start a rumor that alekhine is alive and playing guitar at graceland.
Back to Top

Cookies help us deliver our Services. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn More.I Agree