Antoniadi was born in Istanbul (then Constantinople) but spent most of his adult life in France, after being invited there by Camille Flammarion who was another important astronomer. He was a prolific author of more than fifty titles, including popular science works about astronomy, several notable early science fiction novels, and works on psychical research and related topics. He also maintained a private observatory in France.
Flammarion hired Antoniadi to work as an assistant astronomer in his private observatory in 1893 and he worked there for nine years. In 1902, he resigned to yake another position.
Antoniadi was one of the founding members of the British Astronomical Association. In 1892, he joined the BAA's Mars Section and became that section's Director in 1896.
He became a highly respected observer of Mars, and at first supported the notion of famous Martian canals.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was believed that there were canals on Mars. They were a network of long straight lines in the equatorial regions that were observed by astronomers using early telescopes.
The canals were first described by an Italian astronomer in 1877 and later confirmed by other observers. The Italian name given to them meant channels, but wrongly translated into English as canals.
An Irish astronomer made some of the earliest drawings of straight-line features on Mars, although his drawings did not match those of the canals' discoverer.
Around the turn of the century there was speculation that they were engineering works, irrigation canals constructed by a civilization of intelligent aliens indigenous to Mars.
By the early 1900s improved telescopes revealed the canals to be an optical illusion. In 1909, using a large 32.7 inch telescope in Paris, Antoniadi came to the same conclusion.
Antoniadi also made the first map of Mercury, but his maps were flawed by his incorrect assumption that Mercury had synchronous rotation with the Sun.
Synchronous rotation is a result of tidal friction. The Moon has tidal
bulges similar to those on Earth. It is thought that the Moon once rotated much faster than it does today. The friction created by the stretching and squeezing of the Moon caused the Moon’s rate of rotation to slow down until its rotational period was the same as its orbital period. At this point there is no more tidal friction, the rate of rotation stabilizes and the Moon is locked in synchronous
rotation with Earth.
Antoniadi is also famous for his scale of seeing which is commonly used by amateur astronomers, 1 being hopeless and 10 being perfect.
But enough about astronomy! Antoniadi was also a very strong amateur player. His best result, and as far as I know only tournament result, was equal first with Frank Marshall in a small tournament at the Cafe de la Regence in Paris in 1907.
In the tournament Antoniadi tied Marshall for first, scoring +6 –1 =0, his only loss being to de Villeneuve. Besides his win over Marshall, he also defeated Tartakower. In a three game playoff, Marshall won the first game and the other two were drawn.
Up until this tournament Antoniadi had few opportunities to face top rank players, but wrote that he had studied a great deal. The two books he mentioned were ABC des Echecs by Jean Preti and then books by Tarrasch whom he considered one of the best annotators of his time.
Below is his tournament victory over Marshall.
What a surprise when both Marshall and Tartakower were beaten by Antoniadi, who was living in Paris. He died there on February 10, 1944, not quite 74 years old.
Frank Marshall–Eugene Antoniadi0–1Cafe de la Regence Tmt, ParisParis FRA07.07.1907Stockfish 15
Queen's Gambit Declined 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.c3 f6 4.g5 e7 5.e3 e4
This is an old defense which Lasker had recently adopted with success in his
match against Marshall. Later it was discovered that it was better to delay
the N move until after 5...0-0 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 and now 7...Ne4. 6.xe7 xe7 7.cxd5 xc3 8.bxc3 exd5 9.d3 9.b3 c6 10.d3 0-0 11.e2 d7 12.0-0 f6 13.c4 Korchnoy. V (2650)-Pfleger,H (2520) Bath 1973 is equal. 9...d7 9...0-0 10.f3 c6 11.c2 h6 12.0-0 d7 13.ae1 c5 equal. Luik,
H-Rozhdestvensky,V Minsk 1957 10.f3 0-0 11.0-0 e8 11...f6 was
slightly more accurate. 12.c4 dxc4 13.xc4 c5 12.c4 dxc4 13.xc4 b6 14.c2 This is hardly bad, but white might have done better to preserve his B
with either 14.Bb3 or 14.Bd3. f5 As Antoniadi himself commented this
developing move weakens black's Q-side somewhat, but he was relying on the N
to defend it. 14...xc4 is simple and good. After 15.xc4 g4 the
position is completely equal. 15.xf5 xc4 16.fc1 d6 In spite of
black's Q-side P-majority white is slightly better because of his more active
pieces. 17.c5 c6 18.ab1 Logical, but a slight inaccuracy, 18.e5
was preferable because it leaves black very passive and it's difficult to
suggest an active plan. d8 19.d3 White will, after preparation. attack
the a- and b-Pawns with his Rs and his N can go to c5 or back to e5 as
appropriate. 18...e4 19.c2 19.b4 offering to trade Qs was an
alternative, but not to Marshall's taste. xb4 20.xb4 e7 Black should be
able to defend himself. 19...ad8 A slight inaccuracy. 19...c5 keeps
the balance. 20.dxc5 ec8 21.b2 xc5 22.xc5 xc5 with complete equality.
20.e5 d6 21.a4 Black need not worry about his a-Pawn
because ...Ra8 would win white's a-Pawn. b5 This baits a trap into which
Marshall inadvertently falls! He can keep just a smidgen of an advantage with
22.Rc5 or even 22.Qb4 22.xc6 Marshall considered this
sacrifice for 25 minutes, but missed black's obvious reply. xd4
The refutation. 22...bxc6 This is the move Marshall expected but after 23.xc6 e4 24.xb5 d5 he has no more than equality. Five Shootouts were drawn.
23.exd4 bxc6 24.h3 Making an escape square for the K. 24.xc6
is out of the question. e1+ 25.xe1 xe1# 24...d6 Also playable was 24..
.c5, but Antoniadi is going for the K. Oddly, white's position is no longer
tenable; the Q and R are unable to defend the K. 25.xc6 25.c1 was not
much help. h6 26.b4 f6 27.c4 xe5 28.dxe5 d1+ 29.h2 xf2 30.f4 g1+ 31.g3 e3+ 32.f3 xe5+ 33.f4 xf4+ 34.xf4 with a won ending. 25...e4 26.c1 g6 27.g4 There is nothing better. 27.g3 xg3+ 28.fxg3 e3+ 27...h5 28.c2 f3 29.b3 It is evident that it would not br
good strategy for black to exchange Qs because in this position he has a very
decisive attack going. f4 29...xb3 30.axb3 hxg4 31.hxg4 xg4+ 32.f1
and black is still winning, but this line only makes it harder on himself. 30.c3 hxg4 31.e5 gxh3+ Offering the exchange which white cannot accept. 32.h1 32.xg6 g5+ 33.g3 xc1+ 32...g5 White resigned. 32...g5 33.g3 xc1+ 34.h2 xg3 35.xg3 g5+ 36.xh3 e6 mate in 5 at most. 0–1
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