Capablanca

Havana, Nov. 20 (JIT) - A Jose Raul Capablanca immortalized by the talent of plastic artist Máisel Lopez will welcome those who visit the Chess Study Center Isla, in Havana.

We could not think of a better tribute on the 136th anniversary of his birth than to review from different angles all his greatness, which has become a source of inspiration for children who are approaching the Game of Science for the first time.

“Since I was a child, chess has inspired me. I have always played it with passion and Capablanca has been an idol for me”, Máisel assured JIT, while explaining why he chose the title El Camino de Capablanca for his mural painting.

From his perspective, the road is represented by an immense chessboard, full of pieces, on whose final square is the king that the Cuban became in 1921, when he won the world crown, defeating the German Emanuel Lasker.

Capablanca—born in Havana on November 19, 1888—is the flagship figure of chess in Cuba and a universal reference. Most of the great players who succeeded him on the throne have considered it essential to study his unmistakable style and vision of the game.

“It will not be the only Capablanca, because my admiration is so great that I plan to make others in different spaces related to chess,” said Máisel, known for his series Colossus which since 2015 distinguishes with emotional children's faces open spaces in the capital.

Several of the main Cuban grandmasters and international masters attended Tuesday's event. Dylan Berdayes, Omar Almeida, Aramís Álvarez, Luis Manuel Pérez, and Luis Lázaro Agüero were among those who offered a simultaneous session convened for the occasion, along with an online match between school players from Cuba and Russia.