37 Facts About Samuel Reshevsky

Samuel Reshevsky was a contender for the World Chess Championship from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s: he tied for third place in the 1948 World Chess Championship tournament, and tied for second in the 1953 Candidates tournament.

Samuel Reshevsky was an eight-time winner of the US Chess Championship, tying him with Bobby Fischer for the all-time record.

Samuel Reshevsky was an accountant by profession and a chess writer.

Samuel Reshevsky learned to play chess at age four and was acclaimed as a child prodigy.

Samuel Reshevsky played thousands of games in exhibitions all over the US.

Samuel Reshevsky played in the 1922 New York Masters tournament; at that stage, he was likely the youngest player ever to have competed in a strong tournament.

Samuel Reshevsky gave up most competitive chess for seven years, from 1924 to 1931, to complete his secondary education while successfully competing in occasional events during this period.

Samuel Reshevsky graduated from the University of Chicago in 1934 with a degree in accounting and supported himself and his family by working as an accountant.

Samuel Reshevsky moved to New York City and lived there or in its suburbs for the remainder of his life.

Samuel Reshevsky died April 4,1992, in Suffern, New York, of a heart attack.

Samuel Reshevsky won the US Open Chess Championship in 1931 at Tulsa; this event was known as the Western Open at the time.

Samuel Reshevsky shared the 1934 US Open title with Reuben Fine at Chicago.

Samuel Reshevsky won the US Chess Championship in 1936,1938,1940,1941,1942,1946, and 1969.

Samuel Reshevsky tied for first in 1972 but lost the playoff in 1973 to Robert Byrne.

Samuel Reshevsky holds US Championship records for most finishes in the top three places, most games played, and most games won.

Samuel Reshevsky then won first place at the Margate tournament, where he beat, among others, former world champion Jose Raul Capablanca; the game followed the Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined.

Samuel Reshevsky won his third US Open title at Boston 1944.

Samuel Reshevsky was a serious contender for the World Championship from roughly 1935 to the mid 1960s.

In 1950, Samuel Reshevsky was awarded the title of International Grandmaster by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, on its inaugural list.

In 1991 Samuel Reshevsky said the decision not to go was his.

Samuel Reshevsky competed eight times for the US at the Chess Olympiads, six times on, over a 37-year span, helping the US team to win the gold in 1937 and bronze in 1974, and winning an individual bronze medal for his performance on board one in 1950.

Samuel Reshevsky played at Stockholm 1937, Dubrovnik 1950, Helsinki 1952, Munich 1958, Tel Aviv 1964, Lugano 1968, Siegen 1970, and Nice 1974.

Samuel Reshevsky's earlier matches had always had a lead time of several months, which allowed him to prepare his openings, but he proved to be at a distinct disadvantage in this area against Portisch, who was a full-time chess professional and always excellent in his opening preparation.

Samuel Reshevsky was quickly outplayed on the White side of the Queen's Gambit Accepted in the first game and eventually fell on time in a lost position.

Samuel Reshevsky played on top board for the US in the 1955 team match against the USSR, held in Moscow, and defeated World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik over four games, winning one and drawing three.

In 1961 Samuel Reshevsky began a 16-game match with the then-current US Champion Fischer; it was jointly staged in New York and Los Angeles.

Samuel Reshevsky refused to play for the US team in the Chess Olympiads of 1960,1962 and 1966 because Fischer, as US champion, was chosen ahead of him for the top board.

Samuel Reshevsky did finally consent to play on a lower board in 1970, the only time the two men appeared in the same team.

Samuel Reshevsky defeated seven world champions: Lasker, Jose Raul Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine, Max Euwe, Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, and Bobby Fischer.

Samuel Reshevsky competed seriously at least semi-regularly, virtually until his death in New York City in 1992.

Samuel Reshevsky defeated old rival Vasily Smyslov in a tournament game in 1991.

Samuel Reshevsky was a tough and forceful player who was superb at positional play but could play brilliant tactical chess when warranted.

Samuel Reshevsky often used huge amounts of time in the opening, which sometimes forced him to play the rest of the game in a very short amount of time.

Samuel Reshevsky specialized in closed openings with the white pieces, usually opening with 1.

Trouble in games against Samuel Reshevsky was the main reason Fine was never able to win the US Championship.

Samuel Reshevsky's books include Samuel Reshevsky on Chess, How Chess Games Are Won, Great Chess Upsets, and The Art of Positional Play, as well as an account of the 1972 World Championship match between his great rival Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky.

Samuel Reshevsky wrote articles on chess for American Chess Bulletin, Chess Life and Chess Review magazines, and for The New York Times.