Vienna 1898 chess tournament

Standing: Schwarz, Schlechter, Fahndrich, Caro, Maróczy, Showalter, Marco, Alapin, Halprin, Baird and Burn
Sitting: Tarrasch, Blackburne, Pillsbury, Steinitz, Chigorin, Janowsky, Schiffers and Lipke

The tournament celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria's accession to the throne of Austria-Hungary.[1] Main organiser was Baron Albert Freiherr von Rothschild who also financed the Vienna tournaments of 1873, 1882, 1903,[2] and 1908. The players visited his Heugasse palace on 31 May 1898. Rounds were played in the club house of the Wiener Schachklub at Schottengasse 7. Hugo Fahndrich was the tournament director at Kaiser Jubiläumsturnier 1898.[3] The time limit was thirty moves in two hours. Twenty great masters (only Emanuel Lasker and Rudolf Charousek were absent at Kaiser-Jubiläumsturnier) played double rounds from 1 June to 25 July.

Vienna 1898, Kaiser-Jubiläumsturnier
# Player 1234567890123456789Total
1  Siegbert Tarrasch (German Empire) XX0110½1½½½1½1½½111111111127½
2  Harry Pillsbury (United States) 10XX10½110½001½11111½11111111111 27½
3  David Janowski (France) / Poland 0101XX111100½½11½011111100½11111 25½
4  Wilhelm Steinitz (United States) / Austria 00XX½110½½11½1½½011111011111 23½
5  Carl Schlechter (Austria-Hungary) / Austria ½0XX½½11½½½½½1½111½11111 21½
6  Mikhail Chigorin (Russia) 100001½½XX1001½01001111011100111 20
7  Amos Burn (England) ½0½1½½0001XX½½½½½0½01101111111 20
8  Paul Lipke (German Empire) ½½1100½½10XX½½½½½011½1½½11½½ 19½
9  Géza Maróczy (Austria-Hungary) / Hungary ½010½½½½½½XX½½11½½0101½½11 19½
10  Simon Alapin (Russian Empire) / Lithuania ½0½000½0½0½0½½½½½½XX½111001011½11011 18
11  Joseph Henry Blackburne (England) ½½00½1½½½1½½½1½0XX½½½0½0½½0011½1 17
12  Emanuel Schiffers (Russia) 0000001001½100½½XX11½1½111½1 17
13  Georg Marco (Austria-Hungary) / Romania 0000½010½100½½00½110XX11½1½1½110 16½
14  Jackson Showalter (United States) 00½00000000010110100XX½111110110 15
15  Carl August Walbrodt (German Empire) / Netherlands 00001000011001½100½0½0XX0011½011 14½
16  Alexander Halprin (Austria-Hungary) / Russia 00110000½01000½½½00011XX½½½1 14
17  Horatio Caro (German Empire) / England 0000½0½001½½½011½0½00000½½XX11½1 12½
18  David Graham Baird (United States) 0000000000100000½½010000½010½100XX½1 8
19  Herbert William Trenchard (England) 000000000000½½0000½0½0010000½0½0½0 XX5

 Adolf Schwarz (Austria-Hungary)/ Hungary withdrew after playing eight games.[4][5]

Tarrasch and Pillsbury ended equal after two cycles and had to play an extra play-off match. The additional games were played from 27 until 30 July 1898.

Vienna 1898, Play-off
# Player 1234Total
1 Siegbert Tarrasch 101½
2 Harry Pillsbury 010½

Tarrasch won 6000 Kronen (a lot of money), and Pillsbury 4400 Kronen.[6]

References

Literature

Hugo Fähndrich: Internationales Kaiser-Jubiläums-Schachturnier, 1981, ISBN 3-283-00057-3