Martial art: How real warriors fare at the chessboard

It’s the world’s greatest war game, but that doesn’t mean that generals and admirals are natural stars at chess.

As Memorial Day approaches, we take a moment to consider the mixed record military men and women have compiled at chess. Some of those who served in the ranks have certainly left their mark on the game.

Alexandre Deschapelles, the Frenchman considered the unofficial world champion in the early 19th century, lost an arm while fighting in some of the fiercest battles under Napoleon (a so-so player himself).

Scottish-born George Henry Mackenzie served in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps in India and fought for the Union Army in the Civil War before dominating American chess in the 1870s and 1880s. British champion C.H. O’D. Alexander and noted chess authors Stuart Milner-Barry and Harry Golombek were part of the Bletchley Park group recruited to crack German codes during World War II.

But some of the greatest players, from Paul Morphy and Emanuel Lasker to Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov and reigning world champ Magnus Carlsen, never wore a uniform. What that says about chess, the military and how the two interact is an interesting question.

Savielly Tartakower, the witty Russian-born Polish-Austrian master who was one of the world’s top players in the first half of the 20th century, may have had one of the most remarkable military records of any chess great. He fought for the Austro-Hungarian army on the Russian front during World War I, with some accounts saying he was wounded in the stomach.

After two decades as a chess professional and writer following his service, Tartakower was competing in the Buenos Aires Olympiad in 1939 when war once again broke out in Europe. Instead of waiting out the war in Argentina, Tartakower returned to Europe and joined the Free French forces under Charles de Gaulle, serving under the pseudonym Lt. Georges Cartier.

Golombek tells an amusing story of how he was given leave from his artillery unit in Northern Ireland in 1941 to anchor a team match for England arranged against a group of players assembled from allied nations.

“I anticipated an easy victory,” he later wrote, “as my opponent was an unknown Lt. Cartier of the Free French Army. I had the delightful disappointment of discovering that le lieutenant Cartier was no less a person than my old friend Dr. Tartakower. … Though by now approaching his middle 50s, he was as gallant and determined as ever in his fight for what he believed to be right.”

Still a strong player, Tartakower would defeat his old friend with a clever move at the end of a tough struggle. “Cartier” gives away the deception by adopting a line in the Torre Attack pioneered by Tartakower himself. Play is finely balanced, but Black is saddled with an inferior bishop that will be his downfall.

An appropriately clever tactical idea wins for the lieutenant: 40. Ke3 Rd6 (see diagram) 41. Nb3! (a nice trick, but also one that had to be exactly calculated) cxb3 (no better was 41…Ra6 42. Nc5 Ra7 [Rb6 43. Nd7+] 43. Rd7 and wins) 42. Rxd6+ Ke5 43. Rb6! bxa2 44. Rb5+, and Golombek resigned, later noting that Black can’t save himself with 44…Kd6 45. Rxa5 b3 46. c4!, and White wins after 46…Bc8 47. Kd4 Bg4 48. Ra6+ Kf7 48. Kc5, and the c-pawn will advance to glory while Black’s advanced pawns remain frozen.

Tartakower-Golombek, British vs. Allies Match, 1941

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5 Be7 4. Nbd2 d5 5. e3 c5 6. c3 Nbd7 7. Bd3 b6 8. O-O Bb7 9. Qc2 h6 10. Bh4 O-O 11. Ne5 Nxe5 12. dxe5 Nd7 13. Bg3 f6 14. exf6 Bxf6 15. e4 Bh4 16. Rae1 Bxg3 17. hxg3 c4 18. Be2 Nc5 19. exd5 exd5 20. Nf3 Qf6 21. Nd4 Rae8 22. Bh5 Rxe1 23. Rxe1 Ne4 24. Bf3 a6 25. Re2 b5 26. Bxe4 dxe4 27. Qd2 Rd8 28. Qe3 b4 29. Rd2 a5 30. Qe2 Qf7 31. Qg4 Kh8 32. Kh2 Rd5 33. Kg1 Rd8 34. Qf4 Qxf4 35. gxf4 Kg8 36. Kf1 Kf7 37. g3 Kf6 38. Ke2 g5 39. fxg5+ hxg5 40. Ke3 Rd6 41. Nb3 cxb3 42. Rxd6+ Ke5 43. Rb6 bxa2 44. Rb5+ Black resigns.

• David R. Sands can be reached at 202/636-3178 or by email dsands@washingtontimes.com.