Edward Winter, Chess Notes and Capablanca

by Frederic Friedel
4/27/2020 – Last month Edward Winter announced his decision, due to other commitments, to curtail his Chess Notes column, which began in 1982. Additions are now made only occasionally, but thousands of C.N. items and hundreds of feature articles remain online. It is a body of work unlike any other, covering a vast array of topics and spawning four anthologies. Edward Winter is also the author of one of the most acclaimed books in chess history: his monograph on Capablanca.

Master Class Vol.4: José Raúl Capablanca Master Class Vol.4: José Raúl Capablanca

He was a child prodigy and he is surrounded by legends. In his best times he was considered to be unbeatable and by many he was reckoned to be the greatest chess talent of all time: Jose Raul Capablanca, born 1888 in Havana.

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To summarize, even broadly, the contents of Chess Notes is impossible, and you can never imagine what may come next in a column which has no interest in cultural or linguistic barriers. For instance, C.N. 4400 was about the comic book The Mighty Thor; C.N. 4401 was a detailed study of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and chess.

For newcomers and regular readers the Factfinder is a perfect entry-point. Just dip in and immerse yourself in the wonderful world of history and lore, a world in which the Editor and his correspondents carefully present original information and avoid loose statements and speculation. Insistence on such standards has had an enormous, positive influence on chess literature.

Or dip in via the Archives page, which lists hundreds of feature articles catering for every taste. Apart from "pure" history (Edward Winter has made a particular study of the world chess championship), there are hundreds of articles ranging from Sergei Prokofiev (in English and Russian versions) to - a relatively recent addition – a set of pithy thoughts about chess. Those who like puzzles are well served, as are those with an interest in music and prodigies. The article Chess and Women is another favourite. Or perhaps you would like to know about the 20 or so books on Magnus Carlsen in Edward Winter's vast chess library. Whatever the topic, Chess Notes provides material that is fresh, another good example being the lengthy article on the 1972 Spassky-Fischer match.

Articles are marked by reliable scholarship and proper documentation, but also deadpan humour. Brilliant writers like C.J.S. Purdy are given detailed, appreciative treatment. Chess figures at the opposite end of the quality scale get their just deserts from a website which is rigorously objective and forthright. Good chess writers have nothing to fear, and everything to gain; Chess Notes is generous in its praise of top-quality authors.

Four books have resulted from the Chess Notes series: Chess Explorations, Kings, Commoners and Knaves, A Chess Omnibus and Chess Facts and Fables. In his Foreword to A Chess Omnibus Jan Timman wrote:

"Writers on chess history and the games of yesteryear are not normally pathfinders or perfectionists, but Edward Winter is an exception, taking great pains not only to tackle difficult research tasks but also to present the facts precisely. Throughout his writings he keeps the reader fully aware of the source of the information offered, and such respect for truth, which is also respect for the reader, is rare indeed in chess literature."

Capablanca, by Edward Winter

Just over 30 years ago, Edward Winter brought out a monograph about Capablanca which prompted testimonials of a kind that few writers have received. The McFarland webpage includes these appreciations:

- "By humanizing someone who was always deemed larger than life, and was idolized by chessplayers and non-chessplayers alike, Edward Winter, the world's greatest and most respected chess historian, has given us a piece of literature that has become a legend unto itself, and is universally viewed as one of the greatest books ever written about chess." Jeremy Silman.

- "Undoubtedly one of the best chess books I have read." Nigel Short.

- "A magnificently researched work by the world's most renowned chess historian." Yasser Seirawan.

- "A gem. I think Capablanca would have chosen it as the best of all the books on him. It represents a tremendous amount of work. A wealth of material has been amassed with the precision and care of a devotee. It is also a beautifully produced tome, with that sober elegance so characteristic of Capablanca himself." Olga Capablanca Clark.

The original hardback edition of Capablanca is out of print, but the 2011 paperback edition is still available, and a personally inscribed signed copy can be acquired direct from the author. Some of his other books can also be ordered from the same page.

Editor-in-Chief emeritus of the ChessBase News page. Studied Philosophy and Linguistics at the University of Hamburg and Oxford, graduating with a thesis on speech act theory and moral language. He started a university career but switched to science journalism, producing documentaries for German TV. In 1986 he co-founded ChessBase.

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EnzoL EnzoL 5/11/2020 11:14
@Tim Bogan Thank you for your message. When quoting incorrect grammar, insert [sic] after the misspelled word. I'm very happy you caught "past." Shows you're a true whiz indeed. Speaking of the past, you're also a whiz at deleting your previous posts. I'm a whiz too so I saved your posts and can copy-and-paste them just in case you forget. But I'll play nice and won't; you've already embarrassed yourself enough. Copy?
EnzoL EnzoL 5/4/2020 03:04
@Tim Bogan Thank you for your message. I enjoyed your copy-and-past explanation; I understand you needed several days to Google that. Since we're on the subject of grammar you would've known I wasn't talking about Winter since I wrote "I'm glad IT'S over." "It" wasn't and can't refer to him. Correctly, I would've written "Speaking of Winter, I'm glad he's over" or, I could've written "Speaking of Chess Notes, I'm glad it's over." I also capitalized it in the second sentence. Since we're talking about Edward Winter, I decided to play with words so as to combine his last name with the season (not to be taken literally). By the way, the capitalization of seasons depends on reference. For example: Summer Olympics, Spring Break, etc. I know you'll need to Google that one too so take your time. That being said, I accept your apology. No harm done.
EnzoL EnzoL 5/1/2020 10:09
@Tim Bogan Thank you for your message. Winter as in the season. If you haven't noticed, there's a global pandemic called COVID-19 that roughly began in Winter. So with regards to the season, I'm glad it's over. Also, I am never forced against my will to do anything. For that to happen my life would really need to be in danger to do something to diminish the suffering caused by the force. As far as being offended, by what may I presume? You're in mourning because your daily visit to a chess history site has ceased? That's a bit of an exaggeration, I hope. But what will you do now? Life will go on. The real mourning will occur if we don't get through this darkness of night. Stay safe and be well.
EnzoL EnzoL 4/30/2020 06:25
Ah! What's in a name? That's your response after I addressed each of your concerns? You didn't answer my questions. Only the thought of anonymity interested you, which, by the way, is nothing new. This has been a conversation for many years and by many chess researchers. In every field of study from mathematics, astronomy, to art and music, I have never come across an "historian" who has not revealed himself. For someone like Winter to be so interested in the documentation of others has little to offer from his own. Speaking of Winter, I'm glad it's over.
OGUSG OGUSG 4/30/2020 04:53
Edward Winter, who has published Chess Notes under his own name for nearly 40 years, is now accused of using anonymity by @EnzoL, who refuses to give his own name.
- Olimpiu G. Urcan
EnzoL EnzoL 4/30/2020 02:33
@OGUSG Thank you for your message. First of all, you have failed to note the positive comments made by myself and chessbibliophile. We stated his work was valuable and monumental as repeated by Frederic. Secondly, you mention hiding behind an anonymous handle. As if Winter doesn't do the same. Have you met him? Does he play in chess tournaments? Has he ever showed up to a chess conference regarding research? Sounds anonymous to me. Notice, however, I am not implying he doesn't exist; just plays an anonymous role. I understand the need for privacy but if you want to call out researcher's mistakes like he did regarding Keene and Evans, show up to a conference. Give a lecture at a university or chess tournament like others have. You take it like we're attacking the man. We're not. We're simply saying that he's not an historian in the traditional sense (or modern, whichever you prefer). You can't possibly say his work is "exciting" and fun to read like real history books such as: "Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared Diamond, "A World Lit Only by Fire" by William Manchester, and a personal favorite of mine, "1776" by David McCullough. And last but not least, I don't need to provide credentials to state facts (or opinions, for that matter). It's like asking a person for their record every time they speak. Now that's what I call BS.
OGUSG OGUSG 4/29/2020 06:00
@Enzol and @chessbibliophile I'm sorry to say this so bluntly but what you're writing there is sheer nonsense. It reveals you know very little about actual historical research per se and the different writing styles or methods. Edward Winter is by far the leading chess historian of the 1990s and 2000s and there's no doubt about it. Who are *you* to say who's a "historian" and who is not? What are *your* qualifications? What have *you* written or researched for the past 3 decades in this field? What have *you* contributed? I invite you to let me see your real names and let's have a look at your record and qualifications. If not, cut out this BS. You've been more than likely enjoying - free of charge, I might add - and using (and perhaps, indeed, misusing) his Chess Notes column for a long time yet claim such absurdities while hidden behind an anonymous handle on the Internet. That's pitiful. I have a B.A. and an Advanced Masters diploma in History – a subject I’ve been studying since the mid-1990s – and I’ve seen all sort of historians and researchers, each with their own writing style and approach to research. Every single serious historian and researcher I've worked with since then or I'm working with at the moment – in chess or outside chess - shared with me their high opinion about Winter's works, writing and research standards.
- Olimpiu G. Urcan
Frederic Frederic 4/29/2020 10:40
@EnzoL: "... his work is monumental and very valuable". It has served me extremely well for two decades, I have enjoyed visiting Chess Note and learned hugely from it. CN is the ylem from which so many writers are formed.
Timman is right in his assessment of Winter's unique diligence and his erudite presentation.
EnzoL EnzoL 4/29/2020 03:15
Winter is an archivist, not an historian. I couldn't agree more with chessbibliophile. R.G. Collingwood stated it best in his great book, The Idea of History: "History constructed by excerpting and combing the testimonies of different authorities I call scissors-and-past history. And to ask what it means is to step right outside the world of scissors-and-paste history into a world where history is not written by copying out the testimony of the best sources, but by BY COMING TO YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS." Aside from from this, his work is monumental and very valuable. But that's it. Jan Timman wrote "He is particularly skilled at sifting research material from a multitude of sources throughout the world and drawing everything together in the form of elegant essays and notes which take our knowledge forward." And this, I agree.
chessbibliophile chessbibliophile 4/28/2020 04:31
“The world's greatest and most respected chess historian…”
That’s rather going overboard. One does not become the “greatest” historian merely by compiling information and archival material alone. One also needs to form a balanced perspective on a specific historical period, schools of thought and great players. Winter is often found wanting here. Nevertheless, he shares the honours as an historian with Tim Harding, John Hilbert, Vlastimil Fiala, John Donaldson, Sergei Voronkov and Tony Gillam to mention a few. Fair play and objectivity elude him, though. His hostility to late Ken Whyld is well-known. In the end he could not bring himself to write four lines of obituary on the elderly historian who still held his younger peer and harsh critic in high esteem. By the way, "José Raúl Capablanca" by Miguel Sanchez (McFarland.2015) is a proper biography:
https://en.chessbase.com/post/miguel-snchez-capablanca-a-chess-biography
Winter’s book on the Cuban genius only remains a compendium, in fairness to his work, a valuable one at that.
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