Ostend 1907 (Masters)
Incomplete record. This archive holds 402 of the 413 games played; 11 are missing.
The 1907 season at the Belgian resort of Ostend ran as several sections at once, and the Masters' Tournament was the biggest of them all: a single round-robin of thirty players, arguably the largest all-play-all field ever assembled at top level. After six weeks of play Ossip Bernstein and Akiba Rubinstein finished level as joint winners on 19½ points, a single half-point ahead of Jacques Mieses and the young Aron Nimzowitsch.
The largest round-robin ever
Ostend staged more than one event in 1907. Alongside the elite six-player Championship Tournament — a separate contest won by Siegbert Tarrasch, who was crowned "World Champion Tournament Player" — a far broader Masters' Tournament was thrown open to thirty competitors. Running them all as a single all-play-all made this the largest top-level round-robin ever held, a scheduling feat that kept the boards busy at the Casino from the middle of May to late June.
The field mixed established masters with rising talent: Bernstein, Rubinstein, Mieses, Nimzowitsch, Leo Forgács, Richard Teichmann, Oldřich Duras, Georg Salwe, Georg Marco, and many more. One entrant, Paul Johner of Switzerland, had to withdraw after only six games; his results were annulled from the official table, which is why the winners' score reads out of twenty-eight rather than the full slate.
Bernstein and Rubinstein tie at the top
The long haul came down to a razor's edge. Ossip Bernstein and Akiba Rubinstein each scored 19½ and could not be separated, sharing first prize. Just behind them, Jacques Mieses and Aron Nimzowitsch tied for third on 19, so that four players filled the top places within a single point of one another. Forgács (18½), Teichmann (18), Duras (17½) and Salwe (17) rounded out the leading group.
For Rubinstein it was part of a rapid rise: 1907 was the year people began to talk of him as a real championship contender. Bernstein confirmed his place among the world's strongest players. The tie left them joint champions.
“In his happiest vein.”
A brilliancy at the seaside
Even a tournament this large had its moments of art. Jacques Mieses won the brilliancy prize for a brilliant Vienna Game win over Eugène Znosko-Borovsky, a game in which the British Chess Magazine judged him to be at his happiest. That game, and the sheer size of the group chasing the two winners, are what the Masters' section is best remembered for.
Final standings
The standings below are the historical final result. Only 395 of the 406 games played survive in our source; the remaining 11 are lost and appear as · in the cross table.
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| =1 | Bernstein, Ossip Samuel | 19½/28 | +16 -5 =7 | games |
| =1 | Rubinstein, Akiba | 19½/28 | +14 -3 =11 | games |
| =3 | Mieses, Jacques | 19/28 | +17 -7 =4 | games |
| =3 | Nimzowitsch, Aron | 19/28 | +14 -4 =10 | games |
| 5 | Forgacs, Leo | 18½/28 | +12 -3 =13 | games |
| 6 | Teichmann, Richard | 18/28 | +14 -6 =8 | games |
| 7 | Duras, Oldrich | 17½/28 | +15 -8 =5 | games |
| 8 | Salwe, Georg | 17/28 | +12 -6 =10 | games |
| 9 | Marco, Georg | 16½/28 | +9 -4 =15 | games |
| =10 | John, Walter | 16/28 | +8 -4 =16 | games |
| =10 | Tartakower, Saviely | 16/28 | +11 -7 =10 | games |
| =12 | Znosko Borovsky, Eugene | 15/28 | +9 -7 =12 | games |
| =12 | Cohn, Erich | 15/28 | +11 -9 =8 | games |
| =12 | Spielmann, Rudolf | 15/28 | +12 -10 =6 | games |
| 15 | Blackburne, Joseph Henry | 14½/28 | +10 -9 =9 | games |
| 16 | Perlis, Julius | 13½/28 | +10 -11 =7 | games |
| 17 | Swiderski, Rudolf | 13/28 | +9 -11 =8 | games |
| =18 | Schories, Georg | 12½/28 | +11 -14 =3 | games |
| =18 | Suechting, Hugo | 12½/28 | +4 -7 =17 | games |
| =20 | Billecard, Maurice | 12/28 | +8 -12 =8 | games |
| =20 | Cohn, Wilhelm | 12/28 | +9 -13 =6 | games |
| 22 | Leonhardt, Paul Saladin | 11½/28 | +6 -11 =11 | games |
| =23 | Von Scheve, Theodor | 11/28 | +8 -14 =6 | games |
| =23 | Metger, Johannes | 11/28 | +5 -11 =12 | games |
| =25 | Shoosmith, Hector William | 9½/28 | +7 -16 =5 | games |
| =25 | Lee, Francis Joseph | 9½/28 | +7 -16 =5 | games |
| =27 | Van Vliet, Louis | 8½/28 | +6 -17 =5 | games |
| =27 | Jacob, Friedrich | 8½/28 | +6 -17 =5 | games |
| 29 | Mortimer, James | 5/28 | +4 -22 =2 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bernstein, Ossip Samuel | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2 | Rubinstein, Akiba | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 3 | Mieses, Jacques | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 4 | Nimzowitsch, Aron | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | · | 1 | |
| 5 | Forgacs, Leo | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | · | 1 | |
| 6 | Teichmann, Richard | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 7 | Duras, Oldrich | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 8 | Salwe, Georg | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 9 | Marco, Georg | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | |
| 10 | John, Walter | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | |
| 11 | Tartakower, Saviely | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | · | 0 | |
| 12 | Znosko Borovsky, Eugene | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | · | 0 | |
| 13 | Cohn, Erich | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 14 | Spielmann, Rudolf | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | · | 1 | |
| 15 | Blackburne, Joseph Henry | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | · | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | |
| 16 | Perlis, Julius | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 17 | Swiderski, Rudolf | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | · | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 18 | Schories, Georg | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | · | 0 | |
| 19 | Suechting, Hugo | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | · | 1 | |
| 20 | Billecard, Maurice | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | |
| 21 | Cohn, Wilhelm | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | · | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 22 | Leonhardt, Paul Saladin | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | |
| 23 | Von Scheve, Theodor | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | · | ½ | 1 | |
| 24 | Metger, Johannes | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| 25 | Shoosmith, Hector William | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | · | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 26 | Lee, Francis Joseph | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | · | 1 | |
| 27 | Van Vliet, Louis | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | · | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | |
| 28 | Jacob, Friedrich | 0 | 0 | 1 | · | · | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | · | · | 0 | · | ½ | ½ | 0 | · | · | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | · | 0 | 1 | |
| 29 | Mortimer, James | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player. · = game played but lost (not preserved in our source).