Reydama capablanca biography

JOL: When we last met in Budapest, you told me that you had been to Cuba and visited Capablanca's grave.

Can you tell us about the circumstances of your visit?

GB : In 2016, I went to Cuba.

Reydama capablanca biography

The popularity that chess enjoyed and the memories that Sylvain Zinser and GM Florin Georghiu had brought back to me from the 1966 Olympics, the resurrection of the ‘Capablanca Memorial’ by the mythical Che Guevara, had all aroused my curiosity.

I have to say that the only contacts that allowed me to understand the reality of what the Cubans were going through were a few chess players, I'll mention GM Silvino Garcia and IM José Luis Vilela. Visiting Capablanca's tomb made me realise just how important he still is to Cubans today.

It's probably the most imposing tomb of a chess player that exists.

JOL: How long did it take you to write this first volume?

GB : It took me more than a year to wri