A fine addition to my collection of wonderful annotations (H/T Edward Winter)
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Tartakower annotated White’s first move as follows (H/T Edward Winter):
“An opening which the master from Bremen has been playing, almost without exception, for about 30 years.
Just recently, however, I learned that in annotating the game Eliskases v L. Steiner, which Black won prettily …, the German master and journalist Leonhardt expressed his joy that this tortuous opening, which comes from the Eastern Jews (Ost-Juden) Nimzowitsch and Tartakower, will lose some of its worth.
With such remarks, Leonhardt is certainly doing his homeland a disservice. His hope of flattering official circles may well backfire and he may well be “corrected” for publishing assertions which are:
1. untrue, since the opening was introduced by the Englishman Staunton;
2. maladroit, since the system was developed by the German Carls;
3. ridiculous, since in the game in question, Eliskases v L. Steiner, the move 1.c4 was played by a good Tyrolean, whereas it was refuted by a Semitic player;
4. preposterous, since in chess we take pleasure in seeking truth, without players’ personalities playing any role;
5. unhealthy, since in chess we prefer to be rid of political, ethnological, etc. discussions; and finally;
6. harmful, since the German authorities recommend their citizens not to make attacks on foreigners.”