1927 – New York

Capablanca in 1931

José Raúl Capablanca emerged victorious in one of the strongest tournaments of all time, held from February 19 to March 23, 1927, at the Trade Banquet Hall of the Manhattan Square Hotel. The event, organized by Norbert Lederer and his associates—who had previously orchestrated the highly successful New York 1924 tournament—was intended to determine the next challenger for the world championship title.

Invitations were extended to reigning world champion Capablanca, former champion Emanuel Lasker, and top masters Alexander Alekhine, Frank Marshall, Aron Nimzowitsch, Milan Vidmar, and Efim Bogoljubov. However, the tournament lineup shifted when Lasker declined his invitation, stemming from an ongoing dispute with Capablanca and members of the organizing committee. His absence opened the door for Rudolf Spielmann, who eagerly accepted the spot. Bogoljubov’s request for a $1,500 appearance fee was denied by the committee and his spot was left vacant, leaving a final roster of six participants.

These six masters faced off in mini-match format, with each pairing playing four games, creating a grueling round-robin of 20 games per player. The stakes were high—not just for prestige, but for a world title shot. The generous prize money paid out was as follows: $2,000 for first place, $1,500 for second, and $1,000 for third, with additional payments of $50 per win and $25 per draw for those not finishing in the top three.

STANDING: Maroczy, Lederer, Spielmann, Nimzowitsch, Vidmar, Marshall; SEATED: Alekhine, Capablanca

Capablanca was in great form and won the tournament convincingly, scoring 14 points out of 20 without a single loss. He won every mini-match and finished well ahead of the field. Alekhine claimed second place with a strong showing of his own, thereby earning the right to challenge Capablanca for the world championship.

SOURCE: New York 1927 Tournament Book (Alekhine)