Albert Becker (5 September 1896 in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

– 7 May 1984 in Vicente López), also known as Alberto Becker, was an

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n– Argentine chess master.

Chess career

Early career

In 1921, he won in Vienna. In 1923, he tied for 4-5th in Frankfurt (23rd DSB Kongress). The event was won by Ernst Grünfeld. In 1924, he tied for 2nd-3rd with Carls, behind Wagner, in Bremen. In 1924, he won a match against

Heinrich Wagner Heinrich Wagner (9 August 1888, Hamburg – 24 June 1959, Hamburg) was a German chess master. In 1920/21, he won in Kiel. In 1921, he took 8th in Hamburg (the 21st DSB Congress, Erhardt Post won), and won in Hamburg (''Quadrangular''). ...

(+3 –1 =4) in Hamburg. In 1924, he won ahead of Post and Gruber in Vienna. In 1925, he tied for 5-7th in Breslau (24th DSB Kongress). The event was won by

Efim Bogoljubow Efim Bogoljubow ( or ), also known as Ewfim Dimitrijewitsch Bogoljubow, ( (); also Romanized ''Bogoljubov'', ''Bogolyubov''; uk, Юхим Дмитрович Боголюбов, Yukhym Dmytrovych Boholiubov; April 14, 1889 – June 18, 1952) ...

. In 1925, he tied for 1st-2nd with Wolf in Vienna. In 1926, he tied for 4-5th in Vienna (10th Trebitsch-Turnier). The event was won by

Rudolf Spielmann Rudolf Spielmann (5 May 1883 – 20 August 1942) was a Jewish-Austrian chess player of the romantic school, and chess writer. Career Spielmann was born in 1883, third child of Moritz and Cecilia Spielmann, and had a younger brother Edgar, an ol ...

. In 1927, he tied for 1st with

Friedrich Sämisch Friedrich Sämisch (20 September 1896 – 16 August 1975) was a German chess player and chess theorist. He was among the inaugural recipients of the title International Grandmaster from FIDE in 1950. Background Sämisch was a bookbinder ...

in Mittweida. In 1927, he tied for 1st with Hans Müller in Vienna. In 1928, he tied for 2nd-5th in Vienna. In July–August 1928, he took 8th in the Amateur World Championship in The Hague. The event was won by

Max Euwe Machgielis "Max" Euwe (; May 20, 1901 – November 26, 1981) was a Dutch chess player, mathematician, author, and chess administrator. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion, a title he held from 1935 until 1937. He served as ...

. In 1928, he took 7th in Vienna. In 1929, he tied for 5-7th in Karlovy Vary, and also inaugurated the

Vera Menchik Vera Francevna Mencikova (russian: Вера Францевна Менчик, ''Vera Frantsevna Menchik''; cz, Věra Menčíková; 16 February 1906 – 26 June 1944), was a Russian-born Czechoslovak chess player who primarily resided in En ...

Club as the first member. The event was won by

Aron Nimzowitsch Aron Nimzowitsch ( lv, Ārons Nimcovičs, russian: Аро́н Иса́евич Нимцо́вич, ''Aron Isayevich Nimtsovich''; 7 November 1886 – 16 March 1935) was a Latvian-born Danish chess player and writer. In the late 1920s, Nimz ...

. In 1930, he took 3rd in Ebensee (

Hans Kmoch Johann "Hans" Joseph Kmoch (July 25, 1894, Vienna – February 13, 1973, New York City) was an Austrian-Dutch-American chess International Master (1950), International Arbiter (1951), and a chess journalist and author, for which he is best known. ...

won). In July 1931, Becker played for Austria at fourth board (+10 –3 =1) in the

4th Chess Olympiad The 4th Chess Olympiad ( cz, 4. Šachová olympiáda), organized by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) and comprising an openAlthough commonly referred to as the ''men's division'', this section is open to both male and female playe ...

in Prague. He won individual gold medal there. In 1931, he won in Vienna (14th Trebitsch). In 1932, he won in Vienna (15th Trebitsch). In 1934, he tied for 1st with

Erich Eliskases Erich Gottlieb Eliskases (15 February 1913 – 2 February 1997) was a chess player who represented Austria, Germany and Argentina in international competition. In the late 1930s he was considered a potential contender for the World Championship. ...

in Linz. In 1934, he tied for 7-9th in Bad Liebwerda (Lázně Libverda). The event (''13.Kongreß des Deutschen Schachverbandes in der Tschechoslowakei'') was won by

Salo Flohr Salomon Mikhailovich Flohr (November 21, 1908 – July 18, 1983) was a Czechoslovak and Soviet chess player and writer. He was among the first recipients of the title International Grandmaster from FIDE in 1950. Flohr dominated many tournam ...

. In 1934, he won in Vienna (17th Trebitsch). In 1935, he took 3rd, behind László Szabó and

Ernő Gereben Ernő Gereben (18 June 1907 – 16 May 1988) was a Hungarian–Swiss chess master whose half-century career extended from the mid-1920s to the late 1970s. Born in Sopron, a Hungarian town at the Austrian border, Ernő Gereben used, until 1935, ...

in Tatatovaros. In 1935, he tied for 3rd-5th in Vienna (18th Trebitsch). In 1936, he took 11th in Zandvoort (

Reuben Fine Reuben C. Fine (October 11, 1914 – March 26, 1993) was an American chess player, psychologist, university professor, and author of many books on both chess and psychology. He was one of the strongest chess players in the world from the mi ...

won). In August 1936, he played for Austria at second board (+11 –2 =5) in unofficial Olympiad in Munich. Becker won individual bronze medal there. In 1937, he took 4th in Teplitz-Schönau (

Karl Gilg Karl Gilg (20 January 1901, in Mankovice (Mankendorf), Austrian Silesia – 4 December 1981, in Kolbermoor, Bavaria) was a German chess International Master from Czechoslovakia. Biography Gilg played for Czechoslovakia in several Chess Olympiads. ...

won). In 1937, he took 3rd in Vienna (Quadrangular). The event was won by

Paul Keres Paul Keres (; 7 January 1916 – 5 June 1975) was an Estonian chess grandmaster and chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s, and narrowly missed a chance at a World Chess Championship match on five ...

Post Anschluss

After the

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...

in March 1938, he tied for 1st with

Ludwig Rellstab Heinrich Friedrich Ludwig Rellstab (13 April 179927 November 1860) was a German poet and music critic. He was born and died in Berlin. He was the son of the music publisher and composer Johann Carl Friedrich Rellstab. An able pianist, he publ ...

in Berlin. In July–August 1938, he tied for 5-7th in Bad Oeynhausen (5th GER-ch). The event was won by Eliskases. In December 1938, he tied for 4-5th in Karlsruhe. In June 1939, he took 5th in Vienna (Eliskases won). Albert Becker was a Captain of the German team in the

8th Chess Olympiad The 8th Chess Olympiad ( es, La 8a Olimpíada de ajedrez, link=no), organised by the Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE), comprised an open tournament, as well as a Women's World Championship contest. The main team event took place bet ...

at Buenos Aires 1939. He played at fourth board (+6 –3 =3), and won team gold medal. In September 1939, when

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

broke out, he along with all members of the German team (Eliskases, Michel, Engels, Becker, Reinhardt) and many other participants of this Olympiad decided to stay permanently in Argentina. In 1944, Alberto Becker took 3rd, behind

José María Cristiá José María Cristiá (October 6, 1907 in Barcelona – March 8, 1984 in Rosario) was an Argentine chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the ob ...

and Pablo Michel, in Buenos Aires (La Regence). Becker was awarded the International Master (IM) title in 1953.

Vera Menchik Club

When

entered the Carlsbad 1929 chess tournament, at a time it was unusual for a woman to play against masters, Becker is said to have joked that any player she defeated would join the "Vera Menchik Club". Becker went on to became the first member of the "club". This story may be apocryphal, however, given that the earliest known source for it is a book printed in 1980, 51 years after when it is said to have occurred. In addition to Becker, the "club" eventually included

Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander (19 April 1909 – 15 February 1974), known as Hugh Alexander and C. H. O'D. Alexander, was an Ireland, Irish-born United Kingdom, British cryptanalyst, chess player, and chess writer. He worked on the ...

Abraham Baratz Abraham Baratz (14 September 1895, Bessarabia – 1975, Paris) was a Romanian–French chess master. History In 1924, Baratz took 2nd, behind Eugene Znosko-Borovsky, in Paris. In 1925, he tied for 1st with Vitaly Halberstadt in the 1st Paris City ...

Eero Böök Eero Einar Böök (9 February 1910 – 7 January 1990) was a Finnish chess player and engineer. Chess career A five-time Finnish champion who represented his country six times in the Chess Olympiad, Böök was awarded the International Master t ...

Edgard Colle Edgard Colle (18 May 1897 – 19 April 1932) was a Belgian chess master. He scored excellent results in major international tournaments, including first at Amsterdam 1926, ahead of Savielly Tartakower and future world champion Max Euwe; fir ...

Harry Golombek Harry Golombek OBE (1 March 1911 – 7 January 1995) was a British chess player, chess author, and wartime codebreaker. He was three times British chess champion, in 1947, 1949, and 1955 and finished second in 1948. He was born in Lambeth to ...

, Mir Sultan Khan, Frederic Lazard,

Jacques Mieses Jacques Mieses (born Jacob Mieses; 27 February 1865 – 23 February 1954) was a German-born British chess player. He was one of the inaugural recipients of the title International Grandmaster from FIDE in 1950. He became a naturalized British ci ...

Stuart Milner-Barry Sir Philip Stuart Milner-Barry (20 September 1906 – 25 March 1995) was a British chess player, chess writer, World War II codebreaker and civil servant. He represented England in chess both before and after World War II. He worked at Bletch ...

Karel Opočenský Karel Opočenský (7 February 1892 – 16 November 1975) was a Czechoslovak chess master. Chess career Opočenský was four-time Czech Champion (1927, 1928, 1938, and 1944). In 1919, he took 2nd, behind František Schubert, in Prague ( Czechoslo ...

, Brian Reilly,

Samuel Reshevsky Samuel Herman Reshevsky (born Szmul Rzeszewski; November 26, 1911 – April 4, 1992) was a Polish chess prodigy and later a leading American chess grandmaster. He was a contender for the World Chess Championship from the mid-1930s to the mid-196 ...

, Lajos Steiner,

George Alan Thomas Sir George Alan Thomas, 7th Baronet (14 June 1881 – 23 July 1972) was a British badminton, tennis and chess player. He was twice British chess champion and a 21-time All-England badminton champion. He also reached the quarterfinals of the ...

, William Winter, and Frederick Yates.Anne Sunnucks, ''The Encyclopaedia of Chess'', St. Martin's Press, 1970, p. 306.

References

External links

Albert Becker at 365Chess.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Becker, Albert 1896 births 1984 deaths Austrian chess players Austrian emigrants to Argentina German chess players Chess Olympiad competitors Argentine chess players Chess International Masters Game players from Vienna 20th-century chess players