Vlastimil Fiala
Hardback
Description:
Oldřich Duras (30 October 1882,+ 5 January 1957, Prague, then Czechoslovakia) was a phenomenal Czech chess master of the early 20th century, he was so outstanding that the
FIDE awarded him the title of International Grandmaster in 1950, when the title was first introduced, in recognition of his excellent achievements. Here in front of me I have part one of an upcoming three volumes, this first volume covers the rising start of a young chess genius among top level players.
In the autumn of 1899, when still nineteen, he joined the Czech Chess Club in Prague and less than six years later, in July 1905, he won the title of the chess master at the Barmen Tournament. Second Volume will deal with the period 1906-1910 and Third volume Three with the final part of his active chess career 1911-1914. Vlastimil Fiala describes in his preface to these work that there lays a labor of ten years work in these books. Duras was not only an outstanding chessmaster, but Duras also left behind scores of high quality chess studies and problems and I am not speaking about his journalistic and literary activities.
In 1903 Duras was invited to play in Hilversum 1903, where he won from the 2nd to the 12th round all games, but it was not good enough for a first place.
In 1904 at the Kongress des Deutschen Schachbundes, Duras had the opportunity to meet the late great Aaron Nimzowitsch, then 18 years old. Nimzowitsch had to wait eight years to win again, against Duras, his total score with Nimzowitsch was (+3-2=3). In 1905 Duras came a second time to the Netherlands and played in the theatre hall of the Kurhaus Hotel, from which there is a beautiful view of the North Sea. Duras and Swiderski shared the 4th and 5th prizes, which in those days was a staggering som. One of the peaks of 1905 was the 4th Chess Congress at Bremen, 12-29 August 1905, where he made an excellent 3th place.
Conclusion: A master piece of chess research! (From the review of John Elburg).
Total of 189 annotated games by contemporaries, 496 pp.