25 Facts About Akiba Rubinstein

Akiba Kiwelowicz Rubinstein was a Polish chess player.

Akiba Rubinstein is considered to have been one of the greatest players never to have become World Chess Champion.

Akiba Kiwelowicz Rubinstein was born in Stawiski, Congress Poland, to a Jewish family.

Akiba Rubinstein was the youngest of 12 children, but only one sister survived to adulthood.

Akiba Rubinstein learned to play chess at the relatively late age of 14, and his family had planned for him to become a rabbi.

Between 1907 and 1912, Akiba Rubinstein established himself as one of the strongest players in the world.

Akiba Rubinstein's playing after the war never regained the same consistency as it had pre-1914.

Akiba Rubinstein won at Vienna in 1922, ahead of future World Champion Alexander Alekhine, and was the leader of the Polish team that won the 1930 Chess Olympiad at Hamburg with a record of thirteen wins and four draws.

Akiba Rubinstein won an Olympic silver at the 1931 Chess Olympiad, again leading the Polish team.

Akiba Rubinstein came in fourth place in the London 1922 tournament, after which the new world champion Jose Raul Capablanca offered to play him in a match if he could raise the money, which he was unable to do.

Akiba Rubinstein closed out 1922 with another appearance at Hastings, which he won, but his tournament record during 1923 was disappointing as he came in just twelfth place at Carlsbad and tenth at Maehrisch-Ostrau.

Akiba Rubinstein attempted to participate in the New York tournament that spring but was excluded from the event due to a limited number of available slots, all of which were filled.

Akiba Rubinstein embarked on an exhibition tour of the United States in early 1928; although a match with reigning US chess champion Frank Marshall was proposed along with an international tournament, it never materialized.

Akiba Rubinstein tied third with Max Euwe at Bad Kissingen and then delivered a poor performance in Berlin.

Akiba Rubinstein had his best post-WWI showing during 1929, when he dominated the Ramsgate tournament in Britain and had excellent showings at Carlsbad and Budapest.

Akiba Rubinstein played well in a few Belgian events that year, and then third place at Scarborough.

Akiba Rubinstein skipped Bled 1931 despite an invitation, played well at Antwerp, but came in dead last at Rotterdam.

Akiba Rubinstein was a well-known coffee drinker, and was known to consume the hot beverage in large quantities before important matches.

Akiba Rubinstein spent the last 29 years of his life living at home with his family and in a sanatorium because of his severe mental illness.

Akiba Rubinstein is a tragic, mentally ill character in the novel The Luneburg Variation about chess masters, obsession and revenge, by Italian writer Paolo Maurensig.

However, while in the mental clinic Akiba Rubinstein was visited by Alberic O'Kelly on a number of occasions and he provided the latter with some chess guidance.

Akiba Rubinstein was one of the earliest chess players to take the endgame into account when choosing and playing the opening.

Akiba Rubinstein was exceptionally talented in the endgame, particularly in rook endings, where he broke new ground in knowledge.

Akiba Rubinstein originated the Rubinstein System against the Tarrasch Defense variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined: 1.

Akiba Rubinstein is credited with inventing the Meran Variation, which stems from the Queen's Gambit Declined but reaches a position of the Queen's Gambit Accepted with an extra move for Black.