José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera 3rd classical world champ from 1921-1927
José Raúl Capablanca, y Graupera (19 November 1888 – 8 March 1942) nicknamed “The Human Chess Machine, was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. A chess prodigy, he is considered by many as one of the greatest players of all time, widely renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play. His skill in rapid chess lent itself to simultaneous exhibitions. José Raúl Capablanca, the second surviving son of a Spanish army officer,[3] was born in Havana on November 19, 1888.[4] According to Capablanca, he learned to play chess at the age of four by watching his father play with friends, pointed out an illegal move by his father, and then beat his father.[5] Between November and December 1901, he beat Cuban champion Juan Corzo in a match on 17 November 1901, two days before his 13th birthday.[1][2] However, in April 1902 he came in fourth out of six in the National Championship, losing both his games with Corzo.[7] In 1905 Capablanca joined the Manhattan Chess Club, and was soon recognized as the club's strongest player.[4] He was particularly dominant in rapid chess, winning a tournament ahead of the reigning World Chess Champion, Emanuel Lasker, in 1906.[4] He represented Columbia on top board in intercollegiate team chess.[8] In 1908 he left the university to concentrate on chess.[4][6] His victory over Frank Marshall in a 1909 match earned him an invitation to the 1911 San Sebastian tournament, which he won ahead of players such as Akiba Rubinstein, Aron Nimzowitsch and Siegbert Tarrasch. Capablanca finally won the world chess champion title from Lasker in 1921. Capablanca was undefeated from 10 February 1916 to 21 March 1924, a period that included the world championship match with Lasker. Capablanca lost the title in 1927 to Alexander Alekhine, who had never beaten Capablanca before the match. Following unsuccessful attempts to arrange a rematch over many years, relations between them became bitter. Capablanca continued his excellent tournament results in this period but withdrew from serious chess in 1931. He made a comeback in 1934, with some good results, but also showed symptoms of high blood pressure. His last major tournament was the AVRO tournament of 1938, where he performed disappointingly. He died in 1942 of a brain hemorrhage. Perhaps the greatest natural player ever, “Capa” often defeated world-famous opponents with apparent ease. He was a master of positional play, but could also play great tactical chess. Handsome and elegant, he is one of the most beloved and admired champions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Ra%C3%BAl_Capablanca https://worldchesshof.org/hof-inductee/jos%C3%A9-ra%C3%BAl-capablanca