The Tactics & Strategies of the World Champion (1895-1912) Isidore Weiss in Draughts

The world champion Isidore Weiss, the "Napoleon of draughts", had an exceptional position among the grandmasters of draughts. Even today when his games are outdated and the game plan in many of them has been completely refuted by new theories, when they are reenacted, one is always struck by the charm of a natural talent, the broad strategic setup, the keen eye on the only weakness in the counterplay, and not least because of the fine feeling of playing, which allowed this French master to orient himself in unfamiliar situations. He liked the surprising move, also in his games, and he often made moves that many others would strongly disapprove of. These surprising moves can be found in all his constructions, especially in his end games. The risky combination game gave Weiss the opportunity for brilliant feats of ingenuity. Where is the player who nowadays still dares to play Weiss openings, since the monster of the theory took possession of the game? If one compares Weiss games from more than 100 years ago to the current position game, one sees what was won, but also what was lost. Romanticism predominates in the former, the latter is a product of study, often dry and understandable only to the initiate. What wonderful promotional value those old parties have retained!