In Georgia play chess from time immemorial. According to the legend, earlier, when the girl married, to her in a dowry gave the book "The Hero in a Tiger Skin" and chess. Unfortunately, in the chronicle names of the first strongest chess players didn't remain.
In the history of the list of famous Georgian chess players Andria Dadiani - immensely in love with chess, the generous patron of the second half of the XIX century, the strongest Georgian chess player is at the head.
In 1850 at the last prince of Mingrelia David Dadiani and the daughter of the famous Georgian poet Alexander Chavchavadze Ekaterina the third child – Andria was born. In Dadiani's family there were many good chess players, to them didn't concede also Chavchavadze. Therefore no wonder that Andria still "in infantile years" mastered game.
In some years after David Dadiani's death, the Russian emperor Alexander II, with the purpose to attach the Megrelsky principality, called to St. Petersburg Ekaterina Chavchavadze with children, granted annual pension and arranged children in various educational institutions.
To St. Petersburg, and then to the abroad, Ekaterina Chavchavadze took with herself the tutor of children the ecclesiastic, the priest Tevdore Khoshtaria who was the big fan of chess.
In Europe Dadiani's family lived in the winter in Paris, and in the summer in Hamburg. In Paris Andria Dadiani together with friends often visited "chess Mecca" - "la Rezhans's" cafe, participated, and it is rather successful, in various amateur tournaments.
Thus it very diligent seized knowledge. In 1873 he graduated from law department of Haydelberg university. He was fluent Russian, French, German, English and Italian in languages.
In 1874 Andria Dadiani came back to Russia, it was enrolled and I started serving in leyb-guard the regiment located in Tsarskoye Selo. He served to the lieutenant general's rank.
He played with famous chess players (S. Rosenthal, S. Dubois, I.Shumov, I. Kolish and others) in Paris, Rome, Kiev and Tbilisi. Though, of course, occupied with military service it had almost no time for chess. But he spent holiday time the abroad or in Georgia, and actively it used for chess.
In the winter of 1881-1882 he participated in two amateur tournaments held by the Petersburg chess club and in both won first place.
Games and analyses which Andria Dadiani published in various magazines and newspapers, created to it a big name in chess circles. The English chess magazine "The Chess Monthly" popular during this period June - July issue of 1892 completely devoted to works of the Georgian chess player.
In the nineties Dadiani continues military service in the general's rank in Kiev and, of course, doesn't forget also chess. In 1903 in Kiev Andria Dadiani in French he published the book which end-games of its 100 best parties entered. The book appeared limited circulation and is the first book on a chess subject created by the Georgian author. On a red cover of the book gold letters forced out an inscription of "The termination of parties of the prince of Mingrelia Dadiani"
Dadiani was devoted by chess tasks the famous Russian master S. Alapin and an English problemist K. Boyer. Dadiani was the director and the organizer of many chess tournaments, the congresses, appointed various monetary prizes for beautifully won effective parties.
In 1903-1904 he was the honourable president of the international tournament in Monte-Carlo. Tells the following fact about his generosity: The famous French banker Rothschild brought 500 francs in fund of a tournament, and Dadiani – 600 francs. Directing big tournaments, Dadani had chance to battle to strong chess players, but he as to the military of a high rank wasn't allowed to participate in official tournaments. The Georgian patron was the welcome guest owing to the origin, education, chess erudition and generosity.
The last 20 years Dadiani generally lived in Kiev where on June 16, 1910 he died at the age of 60 years.
