Fred Reinfeld Limited Editions, Volume VIII: Kemeri International Tournament 1937

124 Typescript and stenciled leaves on rectos only with tables and index. Quarto (10 3/4" x 8 1/4") bound in red cloth with cover label in black lettering. Reinfeld Limited Editions number 8. (Betts25-131; (Biblioteca van Der Niemeijeriana: 5556) First edition.

65 games (of the 135 played), annotated from various sources and arranged by openings; with indices of players, annotators and sources. Chief annotations: Bernstein, Euwe, Kmoch and Reinfeld.

Kemeri 1937 was a chess tournament held in the resort town Ķemeri, Latvia, at the Gulf of Riga from 16 June to 8 July 1937. There were three co-winners: Samuel Reshevsky, Salo Flohr and Vladimir Petrov. Petrovs was one of the world's leading chess players in the late 1930s, but Kemeri 1937 was Alexander Alekhine's penultimate tune up for his impending rematch with World Champion Max Euwe. In a result that augured poorly for his prospects in the rematch, Alekhine managed only shared 4th with Paul Keres. His misfortunes began as early as round 4, in which he lost with the white pieces against Vladas Ivanovich Mikenas. This frustrated him so badly that, according to Mikenas, Alekhine would not speak to him for the next three days. As it turned out, this lost point made the difference between clear 1st and shared 4th place. In the end, however this tournament was most notable for the career-best performance of Latvian home town favorite Vladimir Petrov. An understandably buoyant Petrov, who was awarded the Latvian Grandmaster title on the strength of his achievement. Due to the political tragedies that befell the Baltic states in World War II, he became a victim of the Soviet oppression and perished in Kotlas (Russia) gulag in 1943. Later charges of Nazi war crimes were levelled against Karlis Alexandrs Ozols who finished tied for last place in Kemeri. Endre Steiner finished sixth after Alekhine and Keres with a +11 score. Saviely Tartakower finished clear seventh by a half point and a half point behind him for eighth was Reuben Fine of the Untied States. After Fine in descending order was Gideon Ståhlberg with +8 1/2, Vladas Mikėnas at +8, and tied Ludwig Rellstab, Eero Böök, Fricis Apšenieks with +7 1/2, Teodors Bergs (+6 1/2), Movsas Feigins and Salo Landau (+5 1/2), Wolfgang Hasenfuss and Karlis Ozols (+3 1/2).

Condition:

Corners bumped and rubbed, spine ends and hinges rubbed, some staining else a good to very good copy.