Kryakvin/Petrova-Matisa: Hero of the Pre-War Olympiads - Grandmaster Vladimirs Petrovs

Autor: Kryakvin, Dmitry; Petrova-Matisa, Galina
Verlag / Hersteller: Elk and Ruby
Erscheinungsjahr: 2022
Sprache: Englisch
Buchumschlag: hardcover
Seiten: 157

A Forgotten Grandmaster: The Life and Games of Vladimirs Petrovs

Vladimirs Petrovs (1908–1943) was a Latvian grandmaster whose achievements in pre-war chess were systematically erased from history. Ranked no. 14 in the world in November 1938 and joint winner at the prestigious Kemeri 1937 tournament, Petrovs defeated Alekhine, Capablanca, Fine, Reshevsky, and Boleslavsky—yet his name disappeared from chess literature for decades.

This biography and game collection, co-authored by chess historian Dmitry Kryakvin and Petrovs' widow Galina Petrova-Matisa, restores the record. The first section presents 52 instructively annotated games and fragments spanning Petrovs' career against the world's strongest players. The second part recounts the personal and tragic dimensions of his life through intimate memoir.

The work combines rigorous chess analysis with rare archival photographs and family documents, offering both competitive players and chess historians a window into a brilliant career cut short and a life disrupted by the upheavals of the Soviet era.

Highlights

• 52 annotated games and fragments analyzed by grandmaster Dmitry Kryakvin, featuring opponents such as Alekhine, Euwe, Capablanca, Keres, and Boleslavsky
• First-hand memoir by Petrovs' widow Galina Petrova-Matisa, documenting their life together and encounters with chess royalty
• Restored historical record of a world-ranked player (no. 14 in 1938) whose legacy was suppressed for decades
• Performance analysis from Kemeri 1937 (rating performance 2709) and other supertournaments, plus Chess Olympiad records
• Rare family and tournament photographs illustrating pre-war chess culture and personal history
• Exploration of chess under Soviet repression and the erasure of inconvenient figures from the historical record

An essential work for anyone studying pre-war chess history, Soviet-era suppression, or the lives of forgotten grandmasters.

FAQ

What does the book cover—just Petrovs' games, or his biography too?
The book has two distinct parts. The first section, by Dmitry Kryakvin, analyzes 52 of Petrovs' games and fragments against major opponents, with instructive annotations. The second part, written by Petrovs' widow, is a personal memoir recounting their family life, travels to tournaments, and the tragedy that befell them—making it both a chess record and a historical testimony.

How strong was Vladimirs Petrovs compared to other grandmasters of his era?
According to Chessmetrics, Petrovs was ranked no. 14 in the world in November 1938. He achieved a performance rating of 2709 at Kemeri 1937 (where he tied for first place), held an even lifetime score of 2.5–2.5 against Alekhine, and defeated multiple world-class players including Capablanca, Fine, Reshevsky, and Boleslavsky.

Why was Petrovs' name removed from chess history?
The verlagstext and memoir indicate that Petrovs' record was systematically erased from chess literature for decades, a consequence of the political upheavals and Soviet repressions of the era. Petrovs' widow's account in the second half of the book explores this suppression and the tragic fate that befell him and his family.