1. William James Joseph Lombardy was an American chess grandmaster, chess writer, teacher, and former Catholic priest.
28 Facts About William Lombardy
1. 2.
William Lombardy was one of the leading American chess players during the 1950s and 1960s, and a contemporary of Bobby Fischer, whom he seconded during the World Chess Championship 1972.
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William Lombardy won the World Junior Chess Championship in 1957, the only person to win that tournament with a perfect score.
4.
William Lombardy was born to an Italian-American father and Polish-American mother.
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William Lombardy grew up at 838 Beck Street, Bronx, New York City, in an apartment with his parents and two other families.
6.
When William Lombardy was about 10 he went to Lion's Square Den Park to play stronger chess players.
7.
William Lombardy took out a marble design notebook from a brown paper bag.
8.
William Lombardy did not become a member of the Marshall Chess Club until several years later, when he started to get serious about his chess playing.
9.
In 1957, William Lombardy became the first American to win the World Junior Chess Championship.
10.
William Lombardy was the first US citizen since Steinitz to win an individual world chess title.
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However, William Lombardy decided to retire from tournament competition and become a Roman Catholic priest.
12.
In 1965, William Lombardy tied with Byrne for first at the Western Open in St Louis, and shared first place with Pal Benko at the USA Open Championship in Puerto Rico.
13.
In 1966, William Lombardy took clear first at the Southern Open in Atlanta, and tied with Ivkov for second at the Canadian Open.
14.
William Lombardy was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in June 1967.
15.
William Lombardy played first board for the US Team that won the 1960 World Student Team Championship in Leningrad, USSR.
16.
William Lombardy defeated future world champion Boris Spassky in their individual game.
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William Lombardy's seven times representing the US at the World Student Team Championship is an American record.
18.
In 1976, William Lombardy was on the US team that won a gold medal at the 22nd Chess Olympiad in Haifa.
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In total, William Lombardy won three individual gold medals, between the Men's Chess Olympiads and the World Student Team Tournament :.
20.
In 1971, William Lombardy gave a simultaneous exhibition and lecture at the US Military Academy at West Point.
21.
William Lombardy tied for first with Pal Benko in The USA Open Championship in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1975.
22.
In 1978 and 1979, William Lombardy served as the lead instructor at an "all day", week-long chess camp at Michigan State University.
23.
In November 2011 William Lombardy self-published his autobiographical game collection: Understanding Chess: My System, My Games, My Life.
24.
William Lombardy essayed the move in at least nine official tournament games, scoring three wins, two losses, and four draws:.
25.
At the last minute, Fischer called upon William Lombardy to help him with the match.
26.
In March 2016, The New York Times reported that William Lombardy was embroiled in an eviction battle against his landlord, allegedly being several thousand dollars behind in rent.
27.
William Lombardy accepted the offer but soon thereafter he left New York to live with a friend, Ralph Palmieri, in Martinez, California.
28.
William Lombardy died of a suspected heart attack at Palmieri's home on October 13,2017.