Carl Carls

Carl Johan Margot Carls ( born September 16, 1880 in Varel, Oldenburg, † September 11, 1958 in Bremen ) was a German chess master.

Chess career

As a 13 -year-old Carl learned the game of chess. He studied a book of Tarrasch, who was by then on his model. During his professional stay in Hanover, he learned the chess master Bernstein and Fahrni, with whom he played many private lots.

In 1898, he took in Cologne for the first time in a tournament of the German Chess Federation. In 1905 he finished third in the Master Tournament of Hamburg 4th place and was awarded the brilliancy prize for the best match. In 1911 he was given the title German Champion. In 1912 he participated in Wroclaw at the 18th Congress of the German Chess Federation for the first time in an international tournament champion. Other achievements include the 1922 second place in Bad Oeynhausen and his performance at the 1927 Chess Olympiad in London: With 9.5 out of 15 he was the best German players. In the amateur world championships in Den Haag 1928, he was ranked 7th 1930 he was at the Chess Olympiad in Hamburg again a member of the German national team.

In 1934, he won the tournament for the championship of Germany in Aachen and received the title Champion of Germany. 1951 FIDE awarded him the title of International Master.

Carl was a good player and very strong position in the final. One commentator characterized a typical Carls - game with the words: The enemy is slowly worn down, dismissed the attack callously and then turned in full sail in a playoff in which the opponent is a little while at a disadvantage and now ruthlessly step by step to the abyss is urged.

Opening

Carl opened his games with White always by train 1.c2 - c4. This opening was therefore also called Carls - opening or Bremer game. Today, this game is called early English opening and is frequently encountered in the tournament practice. In other openings he barely employed, since it his profession had too little time for it.

At Carl's active time the value of this opening was controversial. Before the tournament in Wroclaw 1912 Tarrasch called the first train c4 a very stupid train. Carl returned the favor by defeating in this tournament Tarrasch with white and of course with c4 in a much-publicized game.

Another anecdote is not forgotten: As Carls at a tournament game White had stuck a practical joker before the game secretly Bauer c2 on the board firmly. Carl came to the board, pulled powerfully with the c-pawn - and to the delight of onlookers flew all the characters around.

With black he preferred the Caro- Kann Defence. With this opening, he won in 1914 in Oldenburg, a famous short game against Schuster: 1 e2- e4 c7 - c6 2 d2 -d4 d7 -d5 3 Nb1 - c3 d5xe4 4 Sc3xe4 Ng8 - f6 5 Se4 - g3 - h5 h7 6 Lc1 g5 - h5- h4 7 Lg5xf6 h4xg3 8 Lf6 - e5 Th8xh2! 9 Th1xh2 Qd8 - a5 10 c2 - c3 Da5xe5 11 d4xe5 g3xh2 White gave up. He can not prevent the farmer transforms into a lady and then Black has a character more.

Career

After leaving school Carls completed a commercial apprenticeship and worked as a bank clerk until 1906 in Hanover. Then he moved to Bremen. Here he was one of the founders of the Bremer Credit Bank. In 1908 he became director of this bank.