43 Facts About Reuben Fine

Reuben C Fine was an American chess player, psychologist, university professor, and author of many books on both chess and psychology.

Reuben Fine was one of the strongest chess players in the world from the mid-1930s until his retirement from chess in 1951.

Reuben Fine was granted the title of International Grandmaster by FIDE in 1950, when titles were introduced.

Reuben Fine declined the invitation and virtually retired from serious competition around that time, although he did play a few events until 1951.

Reuben Fine won five medals in three Chess Olympiads.

Reuben Fine won the US Open all seven times he entered.

Reuben Fine was the author of several chess books, covering endgame, opening, and middlegame.

Reuben Fine was born in the Bronx to Jacob and Bertha Reuben Fine, poor Russian Jews.

Reuben Fine began chess as a young teenager at the famous Manhattan Chess Club, where he hustled for nickels, until he was asked to stop; he used the money to help feed his family.

At this stage of his career, Reuben Fine played a great deal of blitz chess, and he eventually became one of the best blitz players in the world.

Reuben Fine narrowly lost a 1931 stakes match to fellow young New York master Arnold Denker.

Reuben Fine graduated from City College of New York in 1932, at the age of 18; he was a successful student there.

Reuben Fine captained CCNY to the 1931 National Collegiate team title; a teammate was master Sidney Bernstein.

Reuben Fine then decided to try the life of a chess professional for a few years.

Reuben Fine finished ahead of future champion Mikhail Botvinnik, current champion Alekhine, former world champions Max Euwe and Capablanca, and Samuel Reshevsky and Salo Flohr.

Reuben Fine got out to a tremendous start, scoring five wins and a draw in his first six games, but then lost in round seven to Keres, and this wound up as the decisive game for the tournament victor, providing his tiebreak.

In 1939, Reuben Fine became the first world-class player to edit the classic opening guide Modern Chess Openings.

Reuben Fine's book was the most comprehensive on the subject written to that time, included significant original work by Fine, and received worldwide acclaim.

Reuben Fine played a few serious American events during World War II, with international chess at a virtual standstill, and continued his successes with dominant scores.

Reuben Fine won the US Speed Championships of both 1944 and 1945.

Publicly, Reuben Fine stated that he could not interrupt work on his doctoral dissertation in psychology.

Reuben Fine wrote that he didn't want to spend many months preparing and then see the tournament cancelled.

However, it has been suggested that Reuben Fine declined to play because he suspected there would be collaboration among the three Soviet participants to ensure that one of them won the championship.

Edward Winter quoted Reuben Fine as saying financial, professional and scheduling problems all influenced his decision.

Once Reuben Fine completed his doctorate, he did play some more competitive chess.

Reuben Fine participated for the US in the 1950 radio match against Yugoslavia, drawing his only game.

Reuben Fine received the title of International Grandmaster in 1950 from FIDE, on its first official list of titled players.

Reuben Fine was seeded into the 1950 Candidates Tournament at Budapest, but declined his invitation; this tournament was the first to select an official challenger to the World Champion under the auspices of FIDE, the World Chess Federation.

Reuben Fine had a relatively short career in top-level chess, but scored well against top players.

Reuben Fine faced five World Champions: Emanuel Lasker ; Jose Raul Capablanca ; Alexander Alekhine ; Max Euwe ; and Mikhail Botvinnik.

Internationally, Reuben Fine faced the best of his time, and usually more than held his own, with three exceptions.

Finally, against the new generation of American masters which emerged in the late 1940s, Reuben Fine proved he could still perform well: Arthur Bisguier ; Larry Evans ; George Kramer ; and Robert Byrne.

Reuben Fine was inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame in 1986, the charter class.

Reuben Fine continued his successful chess writing career for many years after he retired from competition.

Reuben Fine earned a bachelor's degree from the City College of New York in 1932.

Reuben Fine continued playing chess casually throughout his life.

Later, Reuben Fine turned the article into a book, The Psychology of the Chess Player, in which he provided insights steeped in Freudian theory.

Reuben Fine is not the first person to have examined the mind as it relates to chess: Alfred Binet, the inventor of the IQ test, had studied the mental functionality of good chess players, and found that they often had enhanced mental traits, such as a good memory.

Reuben Fine went on to publish A History of Psychoanalysis and a number of other books on psychology.

In successive rounds, Reuben Fine once defeated Botvinnik, Reshevsky, Euwe, Flohr and Alekhine, and drew with Capablanca.

Reuben Fine served as a visiting professor at CCNY, the University of Amsterdam, the Lowell Institute of Technology, and the University of Florence.

Reuben Fine founded the Creative Living Center in New York City.

Reuben Fine married five times, all but one ending in divorce.