Tsar Nicholas II, Matilda and the Russian Chess Championship

by Macauley Peterson
12/7/2017 – The secret star of the Russian Championships is the villa in which they are played. Today it is a museum but it was once owned by Matilda Kschessinskaya, the famous ballerina and lover of the future Tsar Nicholas II. The love-story of the Tsar and the ballerina was recently turned into a movie ("Matilda"). Vladimir Fedoseev leads the "Superfinal" after five rounds. | Photo: H X YouTube along with numerous other historical photos

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Fedoseev on fire

If you are bored with the turn of events in London classic (with only two decisive games in five rounds), look into Russian "superfinal", where the clash between hungry young talents, seeking to make a name for themselves, and experienced players such as seven-time Russian Champion Peter Svidler. So far the tournament has created a lot of decisive and creative games, and dramatics moments to delight spectators and chess fans alike.

Continuing a tradition of "chess in museums" spearheaded by Russian Chess Federation president Andrey Filatov, the playing hall of the Russian Championships in the Museum for the Political History of Russia. The house was once owned by the Prima ballerina Matilda Kschessinskaya, who was romantically involved with Tsar Nicholas II and other Grand Dukes of the Romanovs. In 1917, after the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks dispossessed her and took up their quarters in the building which today is a museum. Recently, Matilda Kschessinskaya made news again because the controversial Russian film "Matilda" was inspired by her life. (See below for the historical context of the venue from ChessBase's Andre Schulz, and the trailer of the film.)

Playing hall

Chess and art go together at the Russian Championships | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili 

The first four rounds saw one person taking the roll of 'chief' and another as his deputy! Vladimir Fedoseev, whoese flamboyant and uncomrpomising style has already earned him a lot of fans in his brief time joining top events, is currently leading with four wins and a draw. The Russian's play reminds me of the 'magician from Riga', 8th World Champion Mikhail Tal. Like the Latvian genius, Fedoseev plays risky, and sometimes 'incorrect' chess!

His wins are not usually calm and technical (although Fedoseev still posesses many qualities of a universal player), they entail original positions frought with difficult crossroads where, just as the with Tal before him, has cause '2+2 to sometimes equal 5'. His winning streak of four out of four is such a great result — in fact — many experts might have predicted that +4 is enough to win the tournament outright. Yet Fedoseev achieved this score in just the first four rounds.

Vladimir Fedoseev

Vladimir Fedoseev | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili 

Even so, the lead was far from secure, as he could feel the breath of another strong, young and ambitious player on the back of his neck! Daniil Dubov started with three wins of his own before drawing with the defending Russian Champion, Alexander Riazantsev in Round 4. But the 21-year-old Muscovite faltered in the fifth round, losing with the white pieces to veteran Evgeny Tomashevsky.

Dubov played an unorthodox Vienna Game, with a novel position on the board already after move 9.Rb1:

 
Daniil Dubov vs. Evgeny Tomashevsky
Position after 9.Rb1

Black was completely equal, and Dubov sacrificed his a-pawn in an attempt to get an attack going on Tomashevsky's king. But black defended calmly until seizing his chance to strike.

 
Daniil Dubov vs. Evgeny Tomashevsky
Position after 30.Nf6

Black invaded with 30...Bxd4 31.cxd4 Qc3 with Rc4 coming to target the weak d4-pawn. Dubov resigned on move 40.

Daniil Dubov

Daniil Dubov | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

Fedoseev was also finally stopped in Round 5, by Ernesto Inarkiev, but the draw leaves him a full point ahead of Dubov heading into the tournament's only rest day on Friday. His performance so far has entailed two smooth wins with white and two topsy-turvy yet interesting games with black. His first round win against Riazantsev is particularly stunning, according to GM Elshan Moradiabadi.

Vladimir Fedoseev vs. Alexander Riazantsev (annotated by GM Elshan Moradiabadi)
 
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1.d4 Fedoseev's game against Matlakov is a true example of his risk-taking uncompromising style but I find his first round win as his finest game in the event so far. Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 Bb4+ 4.Nd2!? An interesting choice; Riazantsev is a very solid and well-prepared player. He is not the kind of player one trifles with in the well-knwon lines. So Fedoseev tries something that is trendy but not fashionable yet! d5 5.Bg2 0-0 6.Ngf3 b6 7.0-0 Bb7 This is the tabiya of this line. In fact, Riazantsev himself was on the white side of this opening not long ago in the last leg of the FIDE Grand Prix where he lost to Gelfand. 8.a3 This does not make so much of a difference compared to cxd5. 8.cxd5 exd5 9.a3 Bd6 10.b4 Nbd7 11.Bb2 Re8 12.e3 Ne4 13.Qb3 Ndf6 14.Rac1 a5 15.b5 a4 16.Qd3 Ra5 17.Bc3 Nxc3 18.Rxc3 Ne4 19.Rc2 Qd7 20.Rb1 Qe7 21.Rbc1 Bxa3 22.Rxc7 Bxc1 23.Rxe7 Rxe7 24.Qc2 Nxd2 25.Nxd2 Bxd2 26.Bxd5 Bb4 27.Ba2 Bd6 28.Kf1 g6 29.d5 a3 30.Qc4 Rc7 31.Qh4 Rc1+ 32.Kg2 Rxb5 33.e4 Rb2 34.Qf6 Bc5 35.d6 Rxf2+ 36.Qxf2 0-1 (36) Nakamura,H (2793)-Pichot,A (2556) chess.com INT 2017 8...Be7 9.cxd5 exd5 10.b4 a5 11.b5 c6 12.bxc6 Nxc6 13.Bb2 Fedoseev follows Riazantsev! 13.e3 b5 14.Ne5 Bd6 15.Bb2 a4 16.Qb1 Rb8 17.Bc3 Ba8 18.Nxc6 Bxc6 19.Nf3 Qe7 20.Ne5 Rfc8 21.Bh3 Bd7 22.Nxd7 Nxd7 23.Qb2 Rc6 24.Rfc1 h5 25.Ba5 Rxc1+ 26.Qxc1 Nf6 27.Bf1 h4 28.Be1 hxg3 29.hxg3 g6 30.Qc6 Kg7 31.Bxb5 Bxg3 32.Bf1 Ng4 33.Qxd5 Qh4 34.Qg2 Bh2+ 35.Kh1 Bd6+ 36.Kg1 Bh2+ 37.Kh1 Rb2 38.Qh3 Nxf2+ 39.Bxf2 Qxf2 40.Bc4 Qc2 41.Bd5 Bd6 42.Rf1 f5 43.e4 Rb1 44.Rg1 Rxg1+ 45.Kxg1 Qd1+ 46.Kg2 Qd2+ 47.Kf1 Qxd4 48.Qf3 f4 49.Kg2 Kf6 50.Bc6 Qc4 51.Kh3 Qb3 52.Kg2 Ke5 53.Bd5 Qb2+ 54.Kh3 Bxa3 55.Kg4 Qc1 56.Kg5 Qe3 57.Qd1 f3+ 58.Kxg6 Bb2 59.Qxa4 f2 60.Qb5 Qg3+ 61.Kf7 Qf3+ 62.Ke8 Kf4 63.Bc4 Be5 64.Qd7 Qg3 65.Qd2+ Kxe4 66.Qd5+ Kf4 67.Qd2+ Ke4 68.Qd5+ Kf4 69.Qd2+ 1/2-1/2 (69) Wei,Y (2728)-Yu,Y (2749) Beijing 2017 13...a4 and Riazantsev trusts Gelfand! 14.Ne5 Here comes the Novelty. 14.Qb1 b5 15.Ne5 Qb6 16.Nxc6 Bxc6 17.Bc3 Rfc8 18.e3 Bd7 19.Bb4 Bxb4 20.Qxb4 Rc7 21.Nf3 Rac8 22.Ne5 Bf5 23.Ra2 Ne4 24.Rb2 Nc3 25.Ra1 f6 26.Nf3 Kf7 27.Rd2 Rc4 28.Qb2 Ne4 29.Re2 b4 30.Nh4 Bg4 31.h3 Bxe2 32.Qxe2 g6 33.axb4 Qxb4 34.Qg4 Qb7 35.Bxe4 dxe4 36.Kg2 Rc2 37.d5 Rxf2+ 38.Kg1 f5 39.Qd1 Rcc2 40.Qd4 Qb2 0-1 (40) Riazantsev,A (2651)-Gelfand,B (2719) Palma de Mallorca 2017 14...Nxe5 The most solid response from Riazantsev. Yet it might be the move that hands over the advantage to white, as future and more thorough analyses will show. 14...b5 15.Nd3 Na5 16.Nc5 with a complex position; it is not what Riazantsev probably wanted for his first round. 15.dxe5 Ne4 16.Nxe4 dxe4 17.Qc2 Qd5! Riazantsev sees a very important in-between move. 18.Rfd1 Rfc8 19.Qb1! Of course Fedoseev finds the most complex and principled position. 19.Rxd5 Rxc2 20.Rd7 Bf8 21.Rxb7 Rxb2 22.e3 Re8 23.Rc1 isn't fun either. Although Black should be able to hold after b5 24.Bf1 Bxa3 25.Rcc7 h5 26.Bxb5 Rxe5 27.Bxa4 Rxb7 28.Rxb7 19...Qb3 20.Rd7 Bc6 21.Rxe7 Kf8 22.Rxf7+ Kxf7 23.Bh3 Re8 more or less forced. 24.Qc1 Bd5 25.Bd4 Kg8 26.Rb1 Qc4 27.Qe3 White has made a lot of progress while Black has to deal with the permanent damage to his pawn structure and his king. If this position could be hold, only an AI may be able to handle it! But a difficult task to for a human! Be6? The first serious mistake! 27...Qc2 28.Rc1 Qb3 should help black to hold. 28.Bg2 Rad8? Things just get worse! However, one can hardly find a good move for Black! 28...Bd5 29.Bxe4 Bxe4 30.Qxe4 b5 would at least keep some of Black's hopes alive. 29.Rb4 Rxd4 29...Qa6 30.Bxe4 b5 is also losing technically, however Riazantsev moves are equivalent to resignation. 30.Rxc4 Rd1+ 31.Bf1 Bxc4 32.Qxe4 b5 33.f4 Ra1 34.Qe3 Be6 35.Qc3 Black never wins the pawn on a3 and White's pawn will start rolling on the kingside soon. Rb1 36.Qc6 Re7 37.Kf2 The rest is matter of technique! b4 38.axb4 Rxb4 39.Bg2 Kf7 40.Qd6 Rb5 41.Qa6 Rb4 42.Qa5 Rd4 43.Ke3 Rdd7 44.Qxa4 Ra7 45.Qb4 g6 46.Bc6 Ra6 47.Qd6 Rd7 48.Qc5 Rd8 49.Bb5 Rc8 50.Qb4 Ra7 51.Bd3 Rac7 52.Kf3 Bd5+ 53.e4 Ba8 54.Qd6 Rc3 55.Kg4 Bc6 56.e6+ Ke8 57.Qd4 1–0
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Fedoseev,V-Riazantsev,A-1–02017E16Russian super final1

Never too late for the Nimzo-Indian

Bologan's way to the Nimzo-Indian was very long and difficult, but now the Moldavian grandmaster recommends the Nimzo-Indian to players of all levels because it’s complex and simple at the same time.


Dubov remains in second, despite his loss. His best win so far came in the third round against tail-ender Evegeny Romanov:

Daniil Dubov vs. Evgeny Romanov (annotated by GM Elshan Moradiabadi)
 
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1.c4 Dubov is capable of playing both c4 and d4. e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 This line has seen a number of times in the heroic matches between Karpov and Kasparov. Ever since, it has been a source of debate but its popularity has declined. 5.Bg2 5.Nd5 This is common these days among elites. Bc5 5...e4 One of the few games in Anand's career in which he got caught in his opponent's preparation. This game gave some extra credit to the line. 6.Nh4 0-0 7.Bg2 d6 8.a3 Bc5 9.0-0 Re8 10.e3 g5 11.b4 Bb6 12.Bb2 Nxd5 13.cxd5 Nd4 14.d3 gxh4 15.dxe4 Ne6 16.dxe6 Rxe6 17.e5 hxg3 18.hxg3 Qg5 19.exd6 Rxd6 20.Qb3 h5 21.Rad1 Rh6 22.Rd5 Qe7 23.Qc4 Bg4 24.Qf4 Rg6 25.Re5 Qd6 26.Be4 1-0 (26) Nakamura,H (2790)-Anand,V (2762) Moscow 2016 6.Bg2 d6 7.0-0 0-0 8.d3 Nxd5 8...h6 9.e3 a6 10.a3 Ba7 is another common rout. 9.cxd5 Nd4 10.Nxd4 exd4 11.Bd2 a5 12.e4 dxe3 13.fxe3 Qg5 14.Rf4 Bd7 15.a4 Rae8 16.d4 Bb6 17.Qb3 Qd8 18.Qc4 Re7 19.b4 axb4 20.a5 Ba7 21.Qxb4 c5 22.dxc6 Bxc6 23.Qb3 Bxg2 24.Kxg2 Qd7 25.Raf1 Rc8 26.Rf5 h6 27.R1f2 Bb8 28.Bb4 Qc6+ 29.R2f3 Rcc7 30.Be1 Qe8 31.g4 Re4 32.h3 Rce7 33.Bf2 R4e6 34.Rb5 Bc7 35.Rxb7 Qa8 36.Rb5 Re8 37.Qd5 Qxd5 38.Rxd5 Rb8 39.Bg3 g6 40.h4 Ra8 41.Be1 Re4 42.g5 h5 43.Rb5 Ra7 44.Kf1 Re8 45.Ke2 Rea8 46.Rf6 Ra6 47.Bb4 Bxa5 48.Rxa5 Rxa5 49.Bxa5 Rxa5 50.Rxd6 Kf8 51.Rf6 Ra3 52.Kf3 Ke7 53.Ke4 Ra5 54.Rf4 Rb5 55.d5 Rb3 56.Kd4 Ra3 57.e4 Rb3 58.Ke5 Rd3 59.Rf1 Rh3 60.Ra1 Rxh4 61.d6+ Kd7 62.Ra7+ Ke8 63.Ra8+ Kd7 64.Rf8 1-0 (64) Carlsen,M (2865)-Adams,M (2738) Baden-Baden 2015 5...0-0 6.0-0 d6 7.d3 Re8 8.Nd5 Now we are revisiting the same fashionable line after a few moves transposition. Nxd5 9.cxd5 Ne7 10.d4 e4 10...exd4 11.Nxd4 Bc5 12.e3!? seems to promise a good and solid position to white. Yet it is not an impossible route for black. 12.e4 c6 11.Ng5 The players are following a recent game between Gelfand and Wojtaszek h6 12.Nxe4 Nxd5 13.a3 Ba5 14.Nd2 Nf6 15.b4N a logical novelty. 15.Nc4 c6 16.Nxa5 Qxa5 17.f3 d5 18.Qc2 Qb6 19.e3 Nd7 20.Bd2 c5 21.Rae1 cxd4 22.exd4 Qxd4+ 23.Kh1 Nf6 24.Bc3 Qc5 25.Qd2 Bf5 26.g4 Bg6 27.Bd4 Qd6 28.Bxf6 Qxf6 29.Qxd5 Qxb2 30.f4 Red8 31.Qxb7 Qxb7 32.Bxb7 1/2-1/2 (32) Gelfand,B (2737)-Wojtaszek,R (2737) Heraklio 2017 15...Bb6 16.e3 c6 We soon will have QGD type position, where white's bishop on g2 is misplaced. 17.a4 a5 18.bxa5 18.b5 cxb5 19.axb5 Bg4 20.Qa4 d5 21.Ba3 Qd7 22.Rfc1 with an unclear position where black has a simple plan against white's king. 18...Bxa5 19.Qc2 d5 20.Nb3 Bc7 21.Bd2 Bg4 21...Ne4 with the idea of landing the knight on d6 looks much better. 22.Nc5 Nd6!
And black has a very comfortable position.
22.a5 Be2 23.Rfb1 Ne4 24.Nc5 24.Bxe4 dxe4 25.Nc5 Bf3 25...Bb5 26.Nxe4 Qc8 black has enough compensation 26.Rxb7 Qc8 27.Qc4 looks very good for white but only an engine would consider entering such positions. 24...Nxc5 25.Qxc5 Ba6 26.Bf1 Bd6 27.Qb6 Bc7 28.Qc5 Bd6 29.Qb6 Bc7 30.Qb3 Dubov has finally something to play for without any risk. So he decides to grind as much as he can! Bxf1 31.Kxf1 Ra7 32.Qd3 Qa8 33.Bc3 Qc8 34.Kg2 h5 35.h4 g6 36.Rb3 Qg4 37.Rab1 Bxa5?! A poor practical decision. Now Romanov has to live with a long suffering due to weakness on c6. 37...Rb8 38.Bb4 Ra6 39.Bd2 Ra7 is passove but solid. 38.Bxa5 Rxa5 39.Rxb7 Ra2 40.R1b2 Rxb2 41.Rxb2 Qe4+ 42.Qxe4 dxe4 This position should lead to a draw but it is not dead drawn! For further clairty look at Ponomariov-Carlsen Melody Amber 2010! 43.Kh3 Re6 44.g4 The only practical way. The setback is thay the amount of material reduces on the board. hxg4+ 45.Kxg4 Kf8 46.Kf4 Ke7 47.Ra2 Ke8 48.Rb2 Ke7 49.Rc2 Kd6 50.Kg5 Dubov tries to get his king to g7. Romanov has not panicked yet. Ke7 Sloppy but OK! 50...Kd7! 51.Rc5 Rd6! and white cannot progress. 52.Kh6 52.Re5?? f6+ 52...Rf6 51.Rc5 Kf8? This one is a serious mistake. 51...Kd6 52.h5 gxh5 53.Rf5 Ke7 54.Kxh5 Rd6 55.Kg4 Rd5 56.Rf4 f6 57.Rxe4+ Kf7 and black manages to play c5 in order to get a drawish rook and pawn endgame. 52.h5 gxh5 53.Rf5! accurate. 53.Kxh5? Rf6 equalizes. 53...Rg6+ 54.Kxh5 Ke7 55.Rf4 Rg2 56.Kh4? almost let go of winning chances. Ke6? returns the favor. 56...f6! 57.Rxe4+ Kf7 Now the rook is sort of trapped. 58.Rf4 Ke6 59.Rf3 59.Kh3 Rg5 60.Re4+ Kf7 and c5 saves the day. 59...Rg5 60.Rg3 Rf5 61.f4 c5 with probable draw. 57.Rxe4+ Kd6 58.Rf4 Ke6 59.Kh3 Rg5 60.Re4+ Kd6 61.Rg4 Rd5 62.Rg8! Now Black will never ever manage to play c5. The game is over! two weak pawns and material deficit would lead to the gloomy end for Romanov. Kd7 63.Ra8 Rg5 64.Ra7+ Ke8 65.Rc7 Rg6 66.Rb7 Kf8 67.Kh2 Ke8 68.Ra7 Kf8 69.Ra1 Ke7 70.Rg1 Rh6+ 71.Kg2 Kd6 72.Rc1 Rh5 73.Kf3 Rf5+ 74.Ke2 Ra5 75.Rc2 Rb5 76.Kf3 Ra5 77.Kf4 Now white's king is in the picture! Rb5 78.f3 Ra5 79.Rh2 f6 80.e4 Ke6 81.Rc2 Kd6 82.e5+ Kd7 83.Kf5 A great technical victory by Dubov.
1–0
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Dubov,D-Romanov,E-1–02017A29Russian super final 3

The English Opening Vol. 1

Williams main teaching method behind this set of two DVDs is to teach you some simple yet effective set ups, without the need to rely on memorising numerous complicated variations.


With six rounds to go it is too early to talk about a winner but it's beginning to look like Fedoseev's to lose. One can never underestimate Svidler either. After a setback in the second round against Dubov, Svidler posted wins in rounds three and five and should be ready to charge if the two young bucks stumble.

Peter Svidler

Svidler looks ready to pounce | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili

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Live commentary

Commentary by GM Evgenij Miroshnichenko | Source: ChessCast  


The Women's Championship

Alina Kashlinskaya

Alina Kashlinskaya | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili 

In the women's tournament Alina Kashlinskaya was leading with with 3 / 4, but lost in round five to IM Ekaterina Kovalevskaya, blowing the tournament wide open. Kashlinskaya's sense of danger failed her in the following position with her last move 17.Rb1:

 
Alina Kashlinskaya vs. Ekaterina Kovalevskaya
Position after 17.Rb1

Kovalevskaya grabbed her chance with 17...f5!. White suddenly has no time for 18.b4 but could take her chances in the complications after 18...fxe4! 19.bxc5 exf3 although Black has a very strong attack. Instead 18.Be2 Qh4+ 19.Kd1 fxe4 left White's position in tatters.

That left an opening for Valentina Gunina who won over Aleksandra Goryachkina after the later went for a speculative exchange sacrifice rather than defend a slightly worse endgame.

Joining her on 3½ / 5 was Olga Girya, who won with black against Alisa Galliamova in the longest game of the fifth round.

 
Alisa Galliamova vs. Olga Girya
Position after 78...b3

Black's b-pawn is becoming dangerous, but White is still holding after 79.Rc8. Instead, as her time ticked down precariously, Galliamova played 79.Kd2 Kg6! 80.Rc5? (again Rc8 to swing over to g8 and g2 was the best chance to hold) 80...Rh7 and once the h-pawn drops, it's all over.

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Elshan Moradiabadi contributed to this report


Russian Championships in historical villa

by Andre Schulz

Host of the Russian Championship, the so-called "superfinal" is St. Petersburg. The venue of the championship is the Museum for the Political History of the USSR.

A hundred years ago, in November 1917, the Russian Revolution swept away the political and social order of Tsarist Russia. Tsar Nicholas II was deposed and an interim bourgeois government was eventually chased away by the communists. In Russia, more than anywhere else in Europe, the nobility had accumulated great wealth by exploiting farmers and the poor. The hatred of the nobility erupted in the revolution and the Bolsheviks used this hatred to seize power.

Famous villa in St. Petersburg

A famous villa: from the balcony Lenin held his first speeach to the masses after his return from exile | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili 

The revolution led to civil war and at the end of this civil war the nobility had either fled the country or was killed. The splendid estates of the nobility were almost completely destroyed, and even their graves were plundered and demolished. Their palaces in the cities were requisitioned. Tsar Nicholas II, who belonged to the Romanov dynasty, and his family were murdered in Ekatarinburg.

The three cousins George V., King of England, Emperor Wilhelm II, and Tsar Nicholas II — whose grandmother was Queen Victoria of England — played a decisive role in the outbreak of the First World War. In Russia, the policitical clumsiness of Tsar Nicholas II also led to his downfall.

The Russian-Japanese war in 1904/05 had put the Tsarist empire into great economic difficulties and led to revolutionary unrest that lasted until 1907. Instead of initiating urgent social reforms and adapting Russia's backward society to the rest of Europe, Nicholas II. tried to stop the riots with power and armed suppression. Ten years later his reign came to an end and a period of great social upheaval began.

nurses from the Red Cross

Nurses from the Red Cross were the secret heroes of many a war | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili 

The history of Russia is linked to this year's Russian Championships. The venue is a villa which before the revolution belonged to Matilda Kschessinskaya (born 1872), lover of the future Tsar Nicholas II.

Matilda Kschessinskaya was Prima ballerina at the Mariinski theatre and enchanted her public through her verve and gracefulness. Her relationship to the Tsarevich ended in 1894 after Nicholas II had married the German princess Alix von Hessen-Darmstadt, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

However, Nicholas II was still a frequent visitor of the celebrations in the house of Matilda who, after the end of her relationship with Nicholas II, entertained a "ménage à trois" with the two Romanov Grand Dukes Sergey Mikhailovich and his cousin Andrey Vladimirovich. When Matilda's son Vladimir was born in 1902 a paternity quarrel broke out between the cousins.

Pictures from the property of Matilda Kschessinskaja | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili 

In 1917 Matilda Kschessinskaya was disowned — her wealth and rumours of dubious business dealings had given her a bad reputation among the public. But even before coming to power the Bolsheviks took quarter in the villa of the Prima ballerina, and when Lenin returned from his exile in Switzerland he gave his first speech to the masses from the balcony of the building which was later chosen to become the Revolutionary Museum. However, Matilda Kschessinskaya went to court to sue against her dispossession and even won the process — not that anyone cared.

hand-written letters

Hand-written letters | Photo: Eteri Kublashvili 

In 1920, Matilda Kschessinskaya fled from Russia and in 1921 she married Andrey Vladimirovich Romanov in Paris and became princess Romanova-Kschessinskaya. Her other lover, Grand Duke Sergey Mikhailovich stayed in Russia and was shot by the Bolsheviks — his corpse was thrown into a shaft.

In 1929, Kschessinskaya opened a school for ballet, and among her students were Lady Margot Fonteyn, Lady Alicia Markova, André Eglevsky and Tamara Toumanova. She lived a long life — Matilda Kschessinskaya died 1971 in Paris at the age of 99.

Recently, her fate made headlines again when the Russian director Alexey Efimovich Uchitel turned the love story between Nicholas II and the dancer into "Matilda", an opulent costume film. The film met with violent protests in Russia because some Russian tsarists felt that the depiction of the love story was a bit profane.

Trailer for "Matilda" (2017)

Translation from German: Johannes Fischer

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Macauley served as the Editor in Chief of ChessBase News from July 2017 to March 2020. He is the producer of The Full English Breakfast chess podcast, and was an Associate Producer of the 2016 feature documentary, Magnus.

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