Background
Member of a Mingrelian (Western Georgia) princely family of Svan descent, son of David Dadiani and his wife Ekaterine, Andria Dadiani was born in Zugdidi, W. Georgia.
Member of a Mingrelian (Western Georgia) princely family of Svan descent, son of David Dadiani and his wife Ekaterine, Andria Dadiani was born in Zugdidi, W. Georgia.
He graduated from Heidelberg University Faculty of Law in 1873.
Later, he served as a lieutenant-general of the Russian army. In 1864 he met Thomas Wilson Barnes while vacationing in Homberg, Germany. Prince Andrei Dadiani was a chess player, sponsor and organizer.
He helped sponsor or organize the Belle Epoch chess tournaments at Monte Carlo in 1901, 1902 and 1903 and Barmen in 1905.
Due to his position, Dadiani participated in very few tournaments. Besides winning amateur tournament Homberg in 1864 and placing second in Kiev 1900, he came in 1st in Saint St. Petersburg 1881-1882.
He is also said to have played in a tournament in Rome between 1867 and 1881, but this is unsubstantiated. Many of his games were published by Numa Preti in "Louisiana Strategie" and by William Steinitz in his "International Chess Magazine." "British Chess Magazine" dedicated its June-July 1892 issue to Dadiani.
In 1903 Mikhail Chigorin was invited to the Monte Carlo tournament.
Prince Dadiani, operating under the idea that Chigorin had insulted him on an earlier occasion, refused to sponsor the tournament if Chigorin remained. The committee honored Dadiani"s wishes and excluded Chigorin. Dadiani did indemnify Chigorin for the inconvenience to the sum of 1500 francs which was slightly more than the value of third prize.
After his death some people accused Dadiani of having falsified or pre-arranged his brilliancies.
Emmanuel Schiffers published a book of Prince Dadiani"s end-games, "Fins de Partie de South.A.S. le Prince Dadian de Mingrelie" and Tengiz Giorgadze published "Ygraet A. Dadiani" ("Play Andrey Dadiani") in "Soviet Georgia".