Bled 1931 chess tournament

Bled 1931 chess tournament was a major chess tournament proposed by Milan Vidmar and held in 1931 in Bled and Ljubljana, Slovenia, then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. His idea was well received in both Ljubljana (his birthplace) and the nearby health resort of Bled. An organizing committee was set up, and at the end of July 1931, following the 4th Chess Olympiad in Prague, this committee commissioned Hans Kmoch to conduct the negotiations with the competitors for a double round tournament to be held at Lake Bled.[1]

José Raúl Capablanca could not be invited due to his disputes with world champion Alexander Alekhine. Noted master and writer Al Horowitz noted that Alekhine used his position as world champion to keep Capablanca out of the event.[2] Akiba Rubinstein was invited, but was replaced by Stoltz because Rubinstein accepted the invitation too late.[3]

Fourteen leading chess masters accepted their invitations. The players stayed at the Hotel Toplice and it was here that most of the tournament except Round 19 (held in Ljubljana) took place. Round one started in the large salon on August 23. Alekhine won decisively, not losing a single game and winning the tournament 5½ points ahead of Efim Bogoljubow.[4] His gambit style was humiliating for the other players.[5]

Crosstable
Bled 1931
#Player1234567891011121314Total
1 Alexandre Alekhine (France) **1½11½½1½1½111½½½1½1111½½1120½
2 Efim Bogoljubov (Germany)0½**½0110½111½100½010011½11115
3 Aron Nimzowitsch (Denmark)00½1**00½½110½½½½1½½1½1½110½14
4 Isaac Kashdan (United States)½½0011**½½0½1½00½½1½1011½½½½13½
5 Milan Vidmar (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)0½1½½½½½**½0½0½½½011½½½1½1½½13½
6 Salo Flohr (Czechoslovakia)0½00001½½1**½½10½11½11½0½1½½13½
7 Gösta Stoltz (Sweden)000½1½0½½1½½**11½1½½½100011½13½
8 Savielly Tartakower (Poland)0½01½½11½½0100**½½½0½½11½½½½13
9 Rudolf Spielmann (Austria)½½1½½0½½½1½0½0½½**½½0½001½1112½
10 Borislav Kostić (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)0½10½½0½000½½½½1½½**½½011½1112½
11 Géza Maróczy (Hungary)00110½01½½00½0½½1½½½**½1½½½½12
12 Edgar Colle (Belgium)00000½00½0½111001110½0**0½1110½
13 Lajos Asztalos (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)½½½000½½½0½010½½0½0½½½1½**0½9½
14 Vasja Pirc (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)00001½½½½½½½0½½½0000½½001½**8½

References
  1. "Bled 1931". Chessgames.com. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  2. The World Chess Championship: A History, by I.A. Horowitz, Macmillan, New York, 1973
  3. Salo Flohr (1976). Far-near (to 45th anniversary of tournament at Lake Bled).
  4. "bled". Xoomer.alice.it. 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  5. "Baden-Baden 1925, San Remo 1930, Bled 1931 and Moscow 1956". Endgame.nl. Archived from the original on 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
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