TARRASCH, SIEGBERT (1862–1934), German chess master. Born in Breslau, Tarrasch became a physician and practiced in Nuremberg. A man of great culture, he became one of the most successful chess players of his period. His tremendous ability was proved by his many victories in tournaments. In matches he defeated Frank James Marshall and Jacques Mieses and drew with Mikhail Tchigorin and Carl Schlechter. But he was overshadowed by Emanuel *Lasker and when in 1908 he played Lasker for the world championship he was convincingly defeated. His doctrine, which he expressed in his book Die moderne Schachpartie (1916), was influenced by *Steinitz. The difference is that he laid greater emphasis on the strong center and maneuvering space. His other important books were Dreihundert Schachpartien (1909) and Das Schachspiel (1931; The Game of Chess, 1935).


F. Reinfeld (ed.), Tarrasch's Best Games of Chess (1947). ADD. BIBLIOGRAPHY: W. Kamm, Siegbert Tarrasch. Leben und Werk (2004).

[Gerald Abrahams]
