July 1921. On the deck of the midnight steamship which goes from New-York to Buenos Aires were the usual comings and goings of the last moment before the departure. I was talking to one of the passengers when flashes lit up behind me; apparently, an important person had just come aboard. My companion looked over my shoulder and said:
- "We have a celebrity aboard. Kreutzer."
As I didn't seem to understand, he added:
- "Franz Kreutzer, the famous world chess champion. He has toured the United States from East to West, coming out of every tournament victorious and is now going to South America to add more titles to his collection."
All at once, memories came back to me. Of course, I knew who Kreutzer was. I had heard stories and read articles about this singular phenomenon and his unexplained genius which had stunned the world of chess.
