Kostic, the son of a merchant, was born in Vrsac, Kingdom of Hungary, at the time part of Austria-Hungary. He learned chess around the age of ten and made rapid progress while studying where he honed his chess skills by playing against the many strong players there.
In 1910 he moved to Cologne and traveled extensively throughout the Americas playing matches against local champions and giving simultaneous blindfold exhibitions. Kostic also defeated Frank Marshall, Jackson Showalter and Paul Leonhardt in matches. At Havana in 1919, his winning streak ended with a 5–0 loss to Capablanca. Capablanca wrote that his own career peaked with this match. In 1916-18, while in the United States he also played in a few tournaments.
Kostic is famous for his 1923 to 1926 tour of Australasia, the Far East, Africa, India and Siberia (!), places which, at the time, were chess deserts.
During World War II, Kostić was imprisoned in a concentration camp by a Nazi SS because he declined to participate in Nazi sponsored “Free Europe” tournaments that were intended to glorify the Nazi regime. After the war his chess was contined to minor tournaments. His final appearance was at a veteran’s tournament in Zurich in 1962 which he won. He died in Belgrade in 1963 at the age of 76.
The following game is an instructive example of a Rook invading the seventh rank via the c-file. Ladislav Prokes (1884-1866, 81 years old) was a Czech player and problem composer who was born in Prague. He was joint Czechoslovak champion with Karel Hromadka in 1921.
[Event "Bardejov"]
[Site ""]
[Date "1926.07.24"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Borislav Kostic"]
[Black "Ladislav Prokes"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A34"]
[Annotator "Stockfish 18"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "1926.??.??"]
{ A34: Symmetrical English} 1. c4 c5 2.
Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 {The Symmetrical English is a flexible system thay can lead to
complex, strategic middlegame positions.} d5 {Black's main option is to
continue the symmetry with 3...c5, Either way the results are not much
different.} 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. g3 g6 6. Bg2 Bg7 7. O-O Nb6 {A poor retreat.
Either 7...Nc6 or 7...O-O were better.} 8. d3 Nc6 9. Be3 Nd4 10. Rc1 {It can't
be forseen at this point, but this is the key to white's win. Another good
plan is 10.Qd2 and 11.Bh6} (10. Qd2 O-O 11. Bh6 Bd7 12. Bxg7 Kxg7 13. Rfc1 {
white stands well.}) 10... f5 {This elementary error, surprising from a player
of Proles strength, fataly weakens black's position. Castling was correct.} 11.
Nd2 {White still has the advantage after this,but the tactical shot 11.Bxf4
was even better.} (11. Bxd4 cxd4 12. Nb5 {Threatening Nc7+} O-O 13. Nc7 Rb8 14.
Ng5 {The N invasion has left white with a decisive advantage.}) 11... e5 {
Black's position looks impressive, but it's flawed because of his exposed K as
Kostic ex[ertly demonstrates.} 12. Nb3 Qe7 13. Bxd4 cxd4 {Watch how deftly
Kostic infiltrates black's position!} 14. Nd5 Nxd5 15. Bxd5 {Black's K is
caught in the center and he cannot complete his development.} Qd6 16. Rc5 {
[%mdl 32]} Rb8 17. Qc2 Bd7 {White's next move frees up the R.} 18. Bg2 O-O {
Black has finally castled, but his position is too open to save the game.} 19.
Rd5 {[%mdl 2048] White is on the roll.} Qe7 {Somewhat better would have been
19...Qc6 preventing white's next move.} 20. Qc7 $18 Rfd8 21. Na5 Qe8 {This
results in an abrupt end.} (21... Rbc8 {Holds out longer, but whit's position
is still decisive.} 22. Qxb7 Bf6 (22... e4 23. Qxa7 {is hopeless for black.}))
22. Nxb7 {There is no saving the game and black plays a few more moves on
momentum.} Rdc8 23. Qxd7 Qxd7 24. Rxd7 Rc2 25. Bd5+ Kh8 26. Nd6 h5 27. Nf7+ Kh7
28. Nxe5 Rbxb2 {The two Rs on the 2nd rank look nice, but they don't
accomplish anything.} 29. Bb3 Rxe2 30. Nc4 {Black resigned.} 1-0
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