Jean (Jan) Taubenhaus (14 December 1850, in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

– 14 September 1919, in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

) was a Polish–born French

chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

master.

Biography

Taubenhaus was a foremost Warsaw chess player in late 1870s. In 1880, he settled in Paris. In the 4th international Congress of the German Chess Association (DSB) at Hamburg in July 1885, he took 14th place. His best achievement was the London tournament of 1886, where he tied for 3rd-4th places together with

Isidor Gunsberg Isidor Arthur Gunsberg (also spelled ''Günzberg'', ; 1 November 1854 – 2 May 1930) was a Hungarian chess player, best known for narrowly losing the 1891 World Chess Championship match to Wilhelm Steinitz. Biography Gunsberg began his caree ...

, after

Joseph Henry Blackburne Joseph Henry Blackburne (10 December 1841 – 1 September 1924) was a British chess player. Nicknamed "The Black Death", he dominated the British scene during the latter part of the 19th century. Blackburne learned the game at the relatively late ...

and

Amos Burn Amos Burn (31 December 1848 – 25 November 1925) was an English chess player, one of the world's leading players at the end of the 19th century, and a chess writer. Burn was born on New Year's Eve, 1848, in Hull.Richard Forster, ''Amos Burn: ...

, in strong London competition. He had significant victories over Blackburne, unchallenged leader of English chess, and Gunsberg, Steinitz's opponent in later match for the world championship. In 1886, he took 6th at Nottingham. In 1887, he took 19th at Frankfurt (5th DSB Congress). In 1888, he took 8th at Bradford. In 1889, he tied for 12th–13th at New York (6th US Congress). In 1890, he took 10th at Manchester (6th BCA Congress). Living in Paris, Taubenhaus gave lessons at the

Café de la Régence The Café de la Régence in Paris was an important European centre of chess in the 18th and 19th centuries. All important chess masters of the time played there. The Café's masters included, but are not limited to: * Paul Morphy * Françoi ...

, where he played every day. In 1890, he took 2nd, behind Alphonse Goetz, at the Cafe. In 1892, he took 9th at the Cafe. In 1893–95, he stayed in America. In October 1893, he took 8th at New York. Then he played in Argentina and Cuba. In 1899, he played in Warsaw competition. In 1901, he took 3rd, behind Stanislaus Sittenfeld and

Adolf Albin Adolf Albin (14 September 1848 – 22 March 1920) was a Romanian chess player. He is best known for the countergambit that bears his name and for authoring the first chess book written in Romanian. Life He was born in Bucharest, Romania t ...

, at Paris (Quadrangular). In 1902, he took 2nd, behind

Dawid Janowski Dawid Markelowicz Janowski (25 May 1868 – 15 January 1927; often spelled ''David'') was a Polish chess player. Several opening variations are named after Janowski. Biography Born into a Jewish-Polish family in Wołkowysk, Russian Empire ...

, at Paris (Quadrangular). In 1902, he tied for 1st with Janowski at Paris (Pentagonal). In 1903, he tied for 10–11th at Monte Carlo. In 1905, he took 14th at

Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...

. In 1905, he won at Paris. In 1906, he took 7th at Ostend (el. 2nd stage). In 1913/14, he took 14th at St Petersburg. Taubenhaus played several memorable matches. He drew with Sittenfeld (Paris, 1891); lost to

Siegbert Tarrasch Siegbert Tarrasch (; 5 March 1862 – 17 February 1934) was a German chess player, considered to have been among the strongest players and most influential theoreticians of the late 19th and early 20th century. Life Tarrasch was born in Bresla ...

(Nuremberg 1891, 1892),

Jacques Mieses Jacques Mieses (born Jacob Mieses; 27 February 1865 – 23 February 1954) was a German chess player. Mieses, who was Jewish, fled the Nazi regime in 1938 and later became a British citizen. Hooper, David and Kenneth Whyld 1996. ''The Oxford comp ...

(Glasgow, 1895), Janowski (Paris 1903, 1905), Miguel Angel Gelly (Buenos Aires, 1907), Walter Romain Lovegrove (Paris, 1912); and won against Andrés Clemente Vázquez (Havana 1894/95), Albin (Paris, 1901), Benito Villegas (Buenos Aires, 1907),

Richard Teichmann Richard Teichmann (24 December 1868 – 15 June 1925) was a German chess master and a chess composer. He was known as "Richard the Fifth" because he often finished in fifth place in tournaments. But in 1911 he scored a convincing win in Karl ...

(Paris, 1911). Taubenhaus is the author of ''Traité du Jeu d’Échecs'', published in 1910.

Mephisto

Taubenhaus was a primary operator of the remote-controlled Mephisto chess player machine. The third automaton Mephisto was made by Charles Godfrey Gumpel, and unlike its predecessors The Turk and Ajeeb, it had no hidden operator and functioned by electro-mechanical means. Gumpel took a few years to build it and it was first shown in 1876 at his

Leicester Square Leicester Square ( ) is a pedestrianised town square, square in the West End of London, England, and is the centre of London's entertainment district. It was laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, which was named after the recently built Leice ...

home in London. It was the first automaton to win a chess tournament when it was entered in the Counties Chess Association at London in 1878. Mephisto was operated by

in the main. It was shown regularly for 10 years, and at one time had its own club in the UK. When Mephisto went to the Paris Exposition in 1889 it was operated by Taubenhaus. After 1889 it was dismantled and its subsequent whereabouts are unknown.

Notable chess games

Johann Nepomuk Berger vs. Jean Taubhausen, Hamburg 1885, 4th DSB Congress, Ruy Lopez, Morphy Defense, Tarrasch Variation, C77, 0–1
The best game prize!
Jean Taubhausen vs. Joseph Henry Blackburne, London 1886, French Defense, Classical Variation, C14, 1–0Jean Taubenhaus vs. William Pollock, Nottingham 1886, King's Gambit Accepted

Allgaier Gambit The King's Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. f4 White offers a pawn to divert the black e-pawn. If Black accepts the gambit, White may play d4 and Bxf4, regaining the gambit pawn with domination, or direct ...

, Thorold Attack, C39, 1–0
Jean Taubenhaus vs. Dawid Janowski, Paris 1903, match, Ruy Lopez, Closed, C87, ½–½Geza Maroczy vs Jean Taubenhaus, Monte Carlo 1903, R1 2/10, Ruy Lopez, Closed, Averbakh Variation, C87, 0–1Jean Taubenhaus vs. Andrey Smorodsky, Sankt Petersburg 1914, Sicilian Defense, Classical Variation, B58, 1–0

External links

201 chess games of Jean Taubenhaus

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taubenhaus, Jean 1850 births 1919 deaths 19th-century French chess players 19th-century French sportsmen 20th-century French chess players 20th-century French sportsmen 19th-century Polish Jews Chess players from the Russian Empire People from Congress Poland Polish chess players Jewish chess players Chess players from Warsaw Emigrants from Congress Poland to France