View source for Andor Lilienthal

{{Short description|Soviet-Hungarian chess grandmaster (1911–2010)}}
{{family name hatnote|Arnoldovich|Lilienthal|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox chess player
|image= A Lilienthal.jpg
|image_size =
|caption= 
|name = Andor Lilienthal
|birthname = Andor Arnoldovich Lilienthal
|country = Hungary<br/>Soviet Union
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1911|5|5|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Moscow, Russian Empire<!--SEE MOS:GEOLINK-->
|death_date = {{Death date and age|2010|5|8|1911|5|5|df=yes}}
|death_place = Budapest, Hungary 
|title = [[Grandmaster (chess)|Grandmaster]] (1950)
|peakrating= 2450 (July 1971)
}}

'''Andor (André, Andre, Andrei) Arnoldovich Lilienthal'''<ref>George Négyesi (editor), ''Champions' Friend, Friendship's Champion: Lilienthal's Hundred Best Games'', Caissa Chess Books, 2001, p. 18.</ref><ref name="Finep.216">[[Reuben Fine]], ''The World's Great Chess Games'', Dover Publications, 1983, p. 216. {{ISBN|0-486-24512-8}}.</ref> (5 May 1911 – 8 May 2010) was a Hungarian and Soviet chess player. In his long career, he played against ten male and female [[World Chess Championship|world champions]], beating [[Emanuel Lasker]], [[José Raúl Capablanca]], [[Alexander Alekhine]], [[Max Euwe]], [[Mikhail Botvinnik]], [[Vasily Smyslov]], and [[Vera Menchik]].<ref name="Adzic">Slobodan Adzic, [http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2419 He Has Beaten Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine as well as Old Age!], ChessBase News, May 30, 2005.</ref><ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1011505 Lilienthal!]. [[Chessgames.com]]. Retrieved on 2009-05-28.</ref>

At the time of his death, he was the oldest living grandmaster (since surpassed by [[Yuri Averbakh]]), and the last surviving person from the [[Grandmaster (chess)#Official status (1950 onwards)|original group of grandmasters]] awarded the title by [[FIDE]] in 1950.

==Biography==
Lilienthal, of Jewish origin, was born in Moscow, [[Russian Empire]], and moved to Hungary at the age of two.<ref name="HooperWhyldp.226">[[David Hooper (chess player)|David Hooper]] and [[Kenneth Whyld]], ''The Oxford Companion to Chess'' (2nd ed. 1992), Oxford University Press, p. 226. {{ISBN|0-19-866164-9}}.</ref><ref>Négyesi, p. 11.</ref> He played for Hungary in three [[Chess Olympiad]]s: [[5th Chess Olympiad|Folkestone 1933]] (scoring +7&minus;0=6 as the reserve, the fifth player on the team), [[6th Chess Olympiad|Warsaw 1935]] (scoring +11&minus;0=8 on second board), and [[7th Chess Olympiad|Stockholm 1937]] (scoring +9&minus;2=6 on {{chessgloss|first board}}, leading his team to the [[silver medal]]).<ref>Árpád Főldeák ''Chess Olympiads 1927–1968'', Dover Publications, 1979, pp. 91, 110, 143. {{ISBN|0-486-23733-8}}.</ref> He won the individual [[gold medal]] for his board (reserve and second board, respectively) at the 1933 and 1935 Olympiads, and had the fourth-best result on first board in 1937.<ref>B. M. Kažić, ''International Championship Chess: A Complete Record of FIDE Events'', Pitman, 1974, pp. 24, 28, 31. {{ISBN|0-273-07078-9}}.</ref> His total score in the Olympiads was 75.51%.<ref name="Négyesip.15">Négyesi, p. 15.</ref>

[[File:Lilienthal Torino.JPG|left|thumb|Lilienthal at the Turin 2006 Olympiad]]
Emigrating to the [[Soviet Union]] in 1935, Lilienthal became a Soviet citizen in 1939.<ref name="HooperWhyldp.226"/> He played in the [[USSR Chess Championship]] eight times.<ref>Bernard Cafferty and [[Mark Taimanov]], ''The Soviet Championships'', Cadogan Chess Books, 1998, pp. 41, 48, 52, 56, 59, 62, 67, 81. {{ISBN|1-85744-201-6}}.</ref> His best result came in the 1940 championship, when he tied for first with [[Igor Bondarevsky]], ahead of Smyslov, [[Paul Keres]], [[Isaac Boleslavsky]], Botvinnik, and 14 other players.<ref>Cafferty and Taimanov, p. 48.</ref> He qualified for the [[Candidates Tournament]] once, in 1948.<ref name="Négyesip.15"/>

From 1951 until 1960 he was [[Tigran Petrosian]]'s trainer.<ref name="Adzic"/> Lilienthal began a friendship with Vasily Smyslov in 1938, and was Smyslov's {{chessgloss|second}} in his world championship matches against Botvinnik.<ref name="Adzic"/> He retired from tournament play in 1965 and returned to Hungary in 1976.<ref name="HooperWhyldp.226"/> His last tournament was Zamárdi 1980, where he finished sixth in the B group, scoring +3&minus;1=11.<ref>Négyesi, p. 233.</ref>

Lilienthal remained actively involved in the chess world into his ninth decade. He died on 8 May 2010, at the age of 99. It was reported that he had been ill for some time.<ref name="hirzona.hu">{{cite web|url=http://hirzona.hu/2010/05/elhunyt-lilienthal-andor/ |title=Elhunyt Lilienthal Andor &#124; Hirzóna |access-date=2010-06-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513202114/http://hirzona.hu/2010/05/elhunyt-lilienthal-andor/ |archive-date=2010-05-13 }}</ref> At the time of his death, he was the oldest living grandmaster.

According to [[Boris Spassky]], [[Robert James Fischer]] approved only three chess players who could carry his coffin at his funeral: Andor Lilienthal, [[Lajos Portisch]], and Boris Spassky.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.chess.com/blog/Spektrowski/boris-spassky-2016-interview|title=Boris Spassky 2016 interview |date=9 June 2016 }}</ref>
{{clear left}}

==Notable games==
{{AN chess|pos=secright}}
Lilienthal was one of the few players with an even record against Capablanca.<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?yearcomp=exactly&year=&playercomp=either&pid=&player=Lilienthal&pid2=&player2=Capablanca&movescomp=exactly&moves=&opening=&eco=&result= Capablanca vs. Lilienthal games]. [[Chessgames.com]]. Retrieved on 2009-05-28.</ref><ref>Chess historian [[Edward Winter (chess historian)|Edward Winter]] remarks that "Capablanca was the most difficult chess master to beat the world has ever seen. In his adult career he lost a grand total of just thirty-four tournament and match games." [[Edward Winter (chess historian)|E. G. Winter]] (editor), ''World Chess Champions'', Pergamon Press, 1981, p. 64. {{ISBN|0-08-024094-1}}. Many top-class players, including [[Ossip Bernstein]], [[Efim Bogolyubov]], [[Reuben Fine]], [[Géza Maróczy]], [[Jacques Mieses]], [[Aron Nimzowitsch]], [[Savielly Tartakower]], and [[Milan Vidmar]], never won a game against Capablanca. ''Id.'' at 63.</ref> Lilienthal's "most celebrated victory"<ref name="Finep.216"/> is his win commanding the white pieces against Capablanca at [[Hastings International Chess Congress|Hastings]] 1934–35:

{{Chess diagram small
 |tright
 |Lilienthal vs. Capablanca
 |  |  |rd|  |kd|  |  |rd
 |  |  |pd|nd|  |pd|pd|  
 |  |pd|  |  |  |nd|  |pd
 |pd|  |  |  |pl|pl|  |  
 |  |  |qd|  |pl|  |  |bl
 |pl|  |pl|  |  |  |  |  
 |  |  |ql|  |nl|  |pl|pl
 |rl|  |  |  |  |rl|kl|  
 |Position after 19.dxe5
}}
{{block indent|1='''1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 b6 6. f3 d5 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 Ba6 9. e4''' Offering a pawn sacrifice introduced by [[Alexander Alekhine]]–[[Erich Eliskases]], Hastings 1933–34. '''9... Bxc4''' 9...dxe4 10.fxe4 g5 11.Bg3 Nxe4 12.Be5, followed by Qc2 or Bd3, gives White an {{chessgloss|attack}}.<ref name="Négyesip.45">Négyesi, p. 45.</ref> '''10. Bxc4 dxc4 11. Qa4+ Qd7 12. Qxc4 Qc6''' Eliskases got a satisfactory game after 12...Nc6.<ref name="Négyesip.45"/> '''13. Qd3 Nbd7 14. Ne2 Rd8 15. 0-0 a5 16. Qc2 Qc4 17. f4 Rc8 18. f5 e5 19. dxe5''' (diagram) '''Qxe4?''' Lilienthal analyzes 19...Qc5+ 20.Bf2! Qxe5 21.Bd4 Qxe4 22.Qxe4 Nxe4 23.Bxg7 Rh7 24.f6 "and Black's position is hopeless." On 19...Nxe5, White retains the initiative with 20.Nf4, for example 20...Nfd7 21.Rad1 0-0 22.Nd5 threatening 23.Ne7+ or 23.f6.<ref name="Négyesip.47">Négyesi, p. 47.</ref> 19...Nxe4 20.Rf4 Qc5+ 21.Kh1 Ng5 22.Bf2 is strong for White.<ref name="CloadKeenepp.36–37">Notes by [[Harry Golombek]] in the ''[[British Chess Magazine]]'', 1935, reprinted in Reg Cload and [[Raymond Keene]], ''Battles of Hastings: A History of the Hastings International Chess Congress'', Pergamon Press, 1991, pp. 36–37. {{ISBN|0-08-037791-2}}.</ref> '''20. exf6!!''' A spectacular [[queen sacrifice]]. '''20... Qxc2''' No better is 20...Qxh4 21.fxg7 Rg8 22.f6! followed by Rf4; if 22...Nxf6 23.Qf5 Ke7 and now 24.Rae1 or 24.Qe5+ wins.<ref name="CloadKeenepp.36–37"/><ref name="HorowitzReinfeldpp.43–45">[[I. A. Horowitz]] and [[Fred Reinfeld]], ''Chess Traps, Pitfalls & Swindles: How to Set Them and How to Avoid Them'', Simon and Schuster, 1954, pp. 43–45. {{ISBN|0-671-21041-6}}.</ref> '''21. fxg7 Rg8 22. Nd4''' Threatening a murderous check from e1.<ref name="Négyesip.47"/> '''22... Qe4''' If 22...Qa4, 23.Rae1+ Ne5 24.Rxe5+ Kd7 25.Rd5+ Ke8 26.Re1#.<ref name="Finep.216"/> On 22...Qd2, 23.Rae1+ Ne5 24.Rxe5+ Kd7 25.Rd5+ Ke8 26.Re1+ wins.<ref name="Négyesip.47"/> As in the game, Black loses back the queen after 22...Qxc3 23.Rae1+ Ne5 24.Rxe5+ Kd7 25.Re7+ Kd6 26.Nb5+ or 22...Qd3 23.Rae1+ Ne5 24.Rxe5+ Kd7 25.Rd5+.<ref name="CloadKeenepp.36–37"/> '''23. Rae1 Nc5 24. Rxe4+ Nxe4 25. Re1 Rxg7 26. Rxe4+ Kd7 {{chessAN|1–0}}'''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1090860 |title=Andre Lilienthal vs. Jose Raul Capablanca, Hastings (1934/35) |website=[[Chessgames.com]] }}</ref> Seeing that 27.Re7+ Kd6 28.f6 and 29.Bg3+ wins, Capablanca resigned.<ref name="Négyesip.47"/>}}

The game is famed, and Lilienthal relates, "wherever I went on an [[simultaneous exhibition|exhibition]] tour, both in the [[Soviet Union]] and elsewhere, chess players and fans always asked me to show them how I sacrificed the queen against the great Cuban."<ref name="Négyesip.47"/> When [[Bobby Fischer]] noticed Lilienthal in the audience at his [[Fischer–Spassky (1992 match)|1992 return match]] against [[Boris Spassky]], Fischer greeted him with the remark "Pawn e5 takes f6."<ref>Négyesi, p. 5.</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Jewish chess players]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Andor Lilienthal}}
* {{Chessgames player|65392}}
* {{OlimpBase player|m0s2gq2h}}
* [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1011505 Lilienthal!] Collection of wins by Lilienthal against notable players.
* [[Dmitry Gorodin|Gorodin, Dmitry]] (2002). [https://web.archive.org/web/20040616211704/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles172.pdf Andor Lilienthal and His Contribution to the History of Modern Chess]. Chesscafe.com.
* [[Vladimir Anzikeev|Anzikeev, Vladimir]]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060615035550/http://www.64.ru/?/en/magazine/year=2006&no=5&part=202&article=768 The Last of the Chess Mohicans], ''[[64 (chess magazine)|64]]'', May 2006
* [[Edward Winter (chess historian)|Winter, Edward]], [http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/index.html#6569._A._Lilienthal Chess Note 6569, A. Lilienthal]. Photographs of Lilienthal from the collection of Edward Winter. Chesshistory.com.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100522234249/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article7133215.ece Obituary]
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/crosswords/chess/12lilienthal.html Obituary in the New York Times]
* [https://en.chessbase.com/post/he-played-ten-world-champions Chessbase: He played ten World Champions!]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lilienthal, Andor}}
[[Category:1911 births]]
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[[Category:Chess Grandmasters]]
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[[Category:Chess players from Moscow]]