Bernhard Gregory

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Bernhard Gregory (born April 10, jul. / 22. April  1879 greg. In Tallinn / Estonia ; † 2. February 1939 in Berlin-Schmargendorf ) was a strong Berlin chess master in the first half of the 20th century . Its highest historical rating was 2493 in 1916.

Life

Bernhard Gregory was born in Reval, today's Tallinn, as the son of the lawyer and senator Ferdinand Oscar Gregory and Alexandrine Emmi Gregory, née Gordofski.

As the son of wealthy parents, he attended the Knights and Cathedral School in Reval from 1885 to 1893 . The language of instruction from 1885 was Russian , but German and Estonian were spoken at home . At this school he learned to play chess at the age of 8 with the support of his father.

In 1898 - two years after his father's death in Reval - he first went to Munich to study chemistry and technical sciences, later he continued his studies in Berlin .

When he was still a student at the age of 23, he married Ida Hempel from Leipzig , who was only 18 years old . The marriage took place in London on September 2, 1902. From 1904 the young couple lived in Berlin-Schöneberg . In 1903 daughter Iselin Gregory was born, in 1905 another daughter Maud Dolly Gregory. The couple separated in 1914, Ida Gregory and her daughters moved back to their parents in Leipzig, Bernhard Gregory stayed in Berlin. During this time - from 1904 to 1914 - he was an active chess player in Berlin and a respected chess master. As can be seen from the correspondence with his wife, he was often in his parents' house in Reval (Tallinn) during these years. His daughter Iselin gave birth to a daughter Alice Gregory (married Kahl) in 1930. Alice Kahl born Gregory (residing in Leipzig) is Bernhard Gregory's only grandchild. They still have items from the estate of his first marriage, including a. his chess table from the Berlin apartment.

Since he was born in the province of Estonia , which was then under Russian rule, he was listed as a “ stateless person ” and not drafted into military service in World War I. In a letter he complained that he was being treated as an " enemy foreigner " by the Berlin authorities .

In 1927 Gregory probably retired from professional chess.

In 1931 his first marriage was finally divorced and in the same year he married his second wife Helene, nee. Walsleben, there are no children from this marriage. In 1932, after several attempts, he received his naturalization certificate as a German, so that his daughters were no longer stateless, but German.

There are no more records as to whether he still actively participated in chess tournaments after 1914 or even won championships. When his inheritance contract was notarized in 1931, however, the chess master Paul Johner from Berlin-Charlottenburg was present as a witness.

Gregory worked as an engineer and inventor in various positions in Berlin, which he kept as his place of residence until his death. He died on February 2, 1939 in Berlin, probably of cancer .

successes

  • 1st – 2nd Place in Reval 1904
  • 6th place in Barmen 1905
  • 1st - 3rd Place in Barmen 1905
  • 5th place in Nuremberg 1906
  • 6-7 Place in Berlin 1907
  • 2nd place in Berlin 1908
  • 3rd place in Saint Petersburg 1909
  • 5th place in Berlin 1910
  • 1st place in Breslau in 1912
  • 6-7 Place in Berlin 1920

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Entry in the baptismal register of the Olaikirche zu Reval (Estonian: Tallinna Oleviste kirik)
personal data
SURNAME Gregory, Bernhard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Estonian-German chess player
DATE OF BIRTH April 22, 1879
PLACE OF BIRTH Reval
DATE OF DEATH February 2, 1939
Place of death Berlin-Schmargendorf