Septimo Torneo Internacional de Ajedrez Mar del Plata 1944

104 pages with diagrams, tables and group photograph. Royal octavo (9 1/2" x 6 1/2") issued in wrappers with dark brown lettering to cover and spine, red chess board pictorial on cover. (van der Linde: 5651) First edition.

Starting off as purely South American tournaments, the Mar del Plata events gradually increased in strength and international importance so that, by the 1950s and 1960s, they had developed into tournaments of world wide importance. The First tournament took place in 1928 and contained competitors (seventeen in all) from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. First prize went to Grau (Argentina) followed by Palau and Souza Mendez. Moishe Mieczslaw Najdorf was born near Warsaw Poland on April 15, 1910. He was a pupil of Savielly Tartakower. At the age of 20, he became a Polish National Master. He played for Poland in the 1935, 1937, and 1939 Chess Olympiads. At the Buenos Aires Olympiad in 1939 when World War II broke out, he decided not to attempt to return home, taking Argentine citizenship (1944) and changing his first name to Miguel. His family died in German concentration camps. In 1942, he won at Mar del Plata, with 13.5/17; in 1943, he was second at Mar del Plata, behind Stahlberg, scoring 10/13. In 1943, he won at Rosario. In 1944, he won at La Plata, with 13/16, In 1944, he tied for first with Herman Pilnik at Mar del Plata, with each scoring 12/15, ahead of Paul Michel and Carlos Guimard.

Condition:

Text block separated from wrapper. Jacket spine ends and edges chipped with some loss to head edges else a very good copy in about a very good jacket.