Held at a seaside resort in San Sebastián, Spain, where all the players' expenses were paid, the International Chess Tournament of the Gran Casino invited only masters who had performed well in strong tournaments, creating one of the strongest chess tournaments ever. In round thirteen, Akiba Rubinstein and Jose Raul Capablanca played the Tarrasch Defense.
Commonly believed to have been strongest player never to play for the World Chess Championship, Akiba Rubinstein's family expected him to become a rabbi, but he turned to chess at a young age; after WWI he played inconsistently, possibly because of a severe social anxiety which worsened over time. Jose Raul Capablanca excelled in simple game-play and accurate endgames, earning him the nickname "Chess Machine;" he was undefeated in match and tournament play from 1916 to 1924, held the World Chess Champion title from 1921 to 1927, and is generally regarded as one of the best players of all time.
