18 Facts About Isaac Kashdan

Isaac Kashdan was an American chess grandmaster and chess writer.

Isaac Kashdan played five times for the United States in chess Olympiads, winning a total of nine medals, and his Olympiad record is the all-time best among American players.

Isaac Kashdan resorted to earning a living as an insurance agent and administrator in order to support his family.

Isaac Kashdan played five times for US team in the Chess Olympiads, with his detailed results below:.

Isaac Kashdan won four team medals: three gold, one silver, and five individual medals: two gold, one silver, and two bronze.

In Frankfurt in 1930, Isaac Kashdan took second place and won in Stockholm.

Isaac Kashdan was US Open Champion in 1938 at Boston, and in 1947 at Corpus Christi.

Isaac Kashdan lost both of his games against Alexander Kotov in the 1945 radio match against the USSR, a match which marked the definitive shift in world chess power to the Soviet Union.

Isaac Kashdan appeared on February 9,1956, TV edition of Groucho Marx's show You Bet Your Life, where the host referred to him throughout as "Mr Ashcan", and challenged him to a match for $500.

Isaac Kashdan was awarded the Grandmaster title in 1954, and the International Arbiter title in 1960.

Isaac Kashdan captained the American Olympiad team for Leipzig 1960 to a silver medal finish.

Isaac Kashdan edited the tournament book for the 1966 Piatigorsky Cup tournament.

Isaac Kashdan was the longtime editor of the Los Angeles Times chess column, from 1955 until 1982, when he suffered a disabling stroke.

Isaac Kashdan helped to organize the series of Lone Pine tournaments in the 1970s, which were sponsored by Louis Statham.

Isaac Kashdan was later involved in administration in the United States Chess Federation, serving as a vice-president.

Denker and Parr write that Isaac Kashdan was a powerful tactician, but that his real strength was in the endgame, and that he was very strong with the two bishops.

One of Isaac Kashdan's children had serious health problems, and the family moved to California in the 1940s, because of its better climate.

Isaac Kashdan's only surviving son, Richard Kashdan, is an attorney living in San Francisco.