Szymon Winawer

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Szymon Winawer

Born in Warsaw, Poland, Szymon Abramowicz Winawer (March 6, 1838 – January 12, 1920) was a leading chess player who won the German chess championship in 1883.

At Paris 1867, his first international tournament, Winawer finished 2nd tied with Steinitz behind Kolisch. He remained one of the world's best players for the next fifteen years. At Paris 1878 Winawer tied for 1st (+14, =5, -3) with Zukertort ahead of Blackburne and George Henry Mackenzie, but took 2nd prize after the play-off. Winawer's best result was a first place tie with Wilhelm Steinitz at Vienna 1882, in what was the strongest chess tournament in history up to that time. After a long absence he returned to chess in the 1890s but by then he had been surpassed by younger players including Tarrasch and Lasker. Winawer continued to play competitive chess into his 60s, and in his career he faced all of the top players from the last third of the 19th century, from Anderssen to Lasker. His rivalry with Blackburne stretched from 1870 to 1901 and they met in competitive games in five consecutive decades. Winawer died in Warsaw on January 12, 1920.

Winawer has several opening variations named for him. The most important is the popular Winawer Variation of the French Defence. His name is also associated with the Winawer Attack in the Ruy Lopez. At Monte Carlo 1901, Winawer's last international tournament, he introduced the Winawer Countergambit in the Slav Defense in a game against Marshall.

In one of his finest games, he beat Steinitz in Nuremberg in 1896 (moves given in Algebraic chess notation):

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Qxd4 Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. O-O-O Re8 8. Bc4 Bxc3 9. Bxc3 Nxe4 10. Qf4 Nf6 11. Nf3 d6 12. Ng5 Be6 13. Bd3 h6 14. h4 Nd5 15. Bh7+ Kh8 16. Rxd5 Bxd5 17. Be4 f6 18. Bxd5 fxg5 19. hxg5 Ne5 20. g6 1-0