The Patriarch of Hungarian Chess

Ask any chessplayer today if they recognize the name “Maróczy” and you will probably get a reply that it describes a pawn configuration designed to limit black pawn levers. While technically correct, such a reply would overlook the life and legacy of one of the great grandmasters, organizers, and arbiters in chess history.

Géza Maróczy was the first Hungarian world-class grandmaster. In the most comprehensive biography of him ever written, Hungarian chess historian László Jakobetz traces Maróczy’s life from the earliest years, his maturing to an elite player and his significant contributions to the royal game.

This remarkable book has over 180 annotated games, supplemented by hundreds of rare archival photographs. Also included are Maróczy’s complete tournament and match records, along with crosstables, from Budapest 1892 to his final tournament in the Netherlands in 1947.

Until now, very few books worthy of Géza Maróczy’s influence and chess legacy have been published worldwide. Therefore, I am delighted that this comprehensive biography presents to chess-loving readers the exceptional personalities and chess events of past eras, along with many interesting lessons and insights for the present generation. – from the foreword by Lajos Portisch

Most players are familiar with modern Hungarian grandmasters such as Judit Polgár and Péter Lékó, but it was the great patriarch of Hungarian chess Géza Maróczy who paved the way for them.

About the Author
Hungarian chess historian László Jakobetz was born on March 6, 1967 in Budapest. He is a FIDE master (FM) as well as a senior international correspondence master (SIM). A respected chess instructor, Jakobetz  is the head coach of the largest Hungarian children’s chess club, Barcza Gedeon SC, and several of his students have gone on to become grandmasters.

Jakobetz is also the chairman of the Chess History Committee of the Hungarian Chess Federation. He has been publishing since 1986, and no one has written more about chess in Hungarian. Thus far, he has authored a remarkable 25 volumes and more than a thousand articles.

Since 2021 he has been the founding editor-in-chief of the Magyar Sakkhistória (Hungarian Chess History) magazine and has won numerous professional awards. This is his first book for Russell Enterprises.