Eugene Antoniadi

     Never heard of him? Me either. It turns out that Eugene Michel Antoniadi (March 1, 1870 - February 10, 1944) was a Greek-French astronomer and an important one at that. 

     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. 

     Marshall had played a world championship match against Lasker earlier the same year. And, between tournaments at Ostend and Carlsbad, Marshall visited Paris and while there was invited, together with Tartakower, to meet a few of the leading Parisian players. 

     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. 

 

 

[Event "Cafe de la Regence Tmt, Paris"] [Site "Paris FRA"] [Date "1907.07.07"] [Round "?"] [White "Frank Marshall"] [Black "Eugene Antoniadi"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "Stockfish 15"] [PlyCount "64"] [EventDate "1907.??.??"] [Source "La Strategie (24"] {Queen's Gambit Declined} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 Ne4 { 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. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. cxd5 Nxc3 8. bxc3 exd5 9. Bd3 (9. Qb3 c6 10. Bd3 O-O 11. Ne2 Nd7 12. O-O Nf6 13. c4 {Korchnoy. V (2650)-Pfleger,H (2520) Bath 1973 is equal.}) 9... Nd7 ( 9... O-O 10. Nf3 c6 11. Qc2 h6 12. O-O Nd7 13. Rae1 c5 {equal. Luik, H-Rozhdestvensky,V Minsk 1957}) 10. Nf3 O-O 11. O-O Re8 (11... Nf6 {was slightly more accurate.} 12. c4 dxc4 13. Bxc4 c5) 12. c4 dxc4 13. Bxc4 Nb6 14. Qc2 {This is hardly bad, but white might have done better to preserve his B with either 14.Bb3 or 14.Bd3.} Bf5 {As Antoniadi himself commented this developing move weakens black's Q-side somewhat, but he was relying on the N to defend it.} (14... Nxc4 {is simple and good. After} 15. Qxc4 Bg4 {the position is completely equal.}) 15. Qxf5 Nxc4 16. Rfc1 Nd6 {In spite of black's Q-side P-majority white is slightly better because of his more active pieces.} 17. Qc5 c6 18. Rab1 {Logical, but a slight inaccuracy,} (18. Ne5 { was preferable because it leaves black very passive and it's difficult to suggest an active plan.} Qd8 19. Nd3 {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... Ne4 19. Qc2 (19. Qb4 {offering to trade Qs was an alternative, but not to Marshall's taste.} Qxb4 20. Rxb4 Re7 {Black should be able to defend himself.}) 19... Rad8 {A slight inaccuracy.} (19... c5 {keeps the balance.} 20. dxc5 Rec8 21. Qb2 Rxc5 22. Rxc5 Nxc5 {with complete equality. }) 20. Ne5 Nd6 {[%mdl 32]} 21. Qa4 {Black need not worry about his a-Pawn because ...Ra8 would win white's a-Pawn.} Nb5 {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. Rxc6 {[%mdl 8192] Marshall considered this sacrifice for 25 minutes, but missed black's obvious reply.} Nxd4 {[%mdl 512] The refutation.} (22... bxc6 {This is the move Marshall expected but after} 23. Nxc6 Qe4 24. Qxb5 Rd5 {he has no more than equality. Five Shootouts were drawn. }) 23. exd4 bxc6 24. h3 {Making an escape square for the K.} (24. Nxc6 { is out of the question.} Qe1+ 25. Rxe1 Rxe1#) 24... Rd6 {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. Nxc6 (25. Rc1 {was not much help.} h6 26. Qb4 Qf6 27. Rc4 Rxe5 28. dxe5 Rd1+ 29. Kh2 Qxf2 30. Rf4 Qg1+ 31. Kg3 Qe3+ 32. Rf3 Qxe5+ 33. Qf4 Qxf4+ 34. Rxf4 {with a won ending.}) 25... Qe4 26. Rc1 Rg6 27. g4 {There is nothing better.} (27. g3 Rxg3+ 28. fxg3 Qe3+) 27... h5 {[%mdl 32]} 28. Qc2 Qf3 29. Qb3 {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.} Qf4 (29... Qxb3 30. axb3 hxg4 31. hxg4 Rxg4+ 32. Kf1 { and black is still winning, but this line only makes it harder on himself.}) 30. Qc3 hxg4 31. Ne5 gxh3+ {Offering the exchange which white cannot accept.} 32. Kh1 (32. Nxg6 Qg5+ 33. Qg3 Qxc1+) 32... Qg5 {White resigned.} (32... Qg5 33. Qg3 Qxc1+ 34. Kh2 Rxg3 35. Kxg3 Qg5+ 36. Kxh3 Re6 {mate in 5 at most.}) 0-1