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Sultan Khan 
 
Mir Sultan Khan
Number of games in database: 132
Years covered: 1929 to 1935
Overall record: +65 -39 =27 (59.9%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      1 exhibition game, odds game, etc. is excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Queen's Pawn Game (21) 
    D02 D05 D04 A46 E10
 Queen's Indian (6) 
    E16 E15 E12 E17 E18
 French Defense (4) 
    C01 C11 C00
With the Black pieces:
 Queen's Pawn Game (9) 
    A46 D02 A40
 Nimzo Indian (9) 
    E38 E24 E23 E43 E44
 Ruy Lopez (7) 
    C88 C74 C78 C84 C79
 Orthodox Defense (7) 
    D55 D53 D50 D52
 Queen's Indian (5) 
    E15 E16
 Caro-Kann (5) 
    B15 B10 B14 B12
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Sultan Khan vs Capablanca, 1930 1-0
   Tylor vs Sultan Khan, 1932 0-1
   Sultan Khan vs H K Mattison, 1931 1-0
   Ahues vs Sultan Khan, 1930 0-1
   Sultan Khan vs Flohr, 1932 1-0
   Sultan Khan vs Marshall, 1930 1-0
   Rubinstein vs Sultan Khan, 1930 1/2-1/2
   Euwe vs Sultan Khan, 1932 1/2-1/2
   Euwe vs Sultan Khan, 1931 1/2-1/2
   Sultan Khan vs G A Thomas, 1932 1-0

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Mir Sultan Khan by samsloan
   Sultan Khan: Chess Biography by jessicafischerqueen
   Mir Sultan Khan - the unsung Grandmaster by MTuraga
   Liege 1930 by suenteus po 147
   99_Scarborough 1930 by whiteshark
   London International Chess Congress, 1932 by Resignation Trap
   Hastings 1932/33 by Phony Benoni
   When Sultans played Chess by Open Defence
   Hastings 1930/31 by suenteus po 147
   toso51's favorite games by toso51

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Mir Sultan Khan
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MIR SULTAN KHAN
(born 1905, died Apr-25-1966) India

[what is this?]
Mir Sultan Khan was born in 1905 in Mittha in the Punjab, British India. His prowess at the Indian variety of chess brought him to the notice of Colonel Nawab Sir Umar Hayat Khan who taught him the European game.

After winning the All-India Championship in 1928 (+8, =1, -0) he went to England and quickly came to the notice of English masters William Winter and Frederick D Yates who helped him overcome his lack of theoretical knowledge. He was British Champion in 1929, 1932 and 1933.

He played on three British Empire Olympiad teams in 1930, 1931 and 1933 and participated in some international events. He was 2nd at Liege 1930, 3rd at Hastings 1930-31 and 3rd= at London 1932. In matches he beat Savielly Tartakower (+4, =5, -3) in 1931 and lost to Salomon Flohr (+1, =3, -2) in 1932.

He returned to India with Sir Umar in December 1933 and played very little serious chess again. He passed away in Sargodha, Pakistan in 1966.

Wikipedia article: Mir Sultan Khan


 page 1 of 6; games 1-25 of 132  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Yates vs Sultan Khan 1-046 1929 LondonC17 French, Winawer, Advance
2. I Pleci vs Sultan Khan 0-140 1930 LiegeE23 Nimzo-Indian, Spielmann
3. Sultan Khan vs G A Thomas  1-041 1930 8, Scarborough it ENGC22 Center Game
4. Sultan Khan vs Weenink 1-070 1930 LiegeC29 Vienna Gambit
5. Przepiorka vs Sultan Khan 1-069 1930 LiegeB32 Sicilian
6. Yates vs Sultan Khan 0-142 1930 3, Scarborough it ENGB33 Sicilian
7. K Ruben vs Sultan Khan 1-074 1930 Hamburg olm GERE15 Queen's Indian
8. Sultan Khan vs Marshall 1-026 1930 LiegeC22 Center Game
9. W Winter vs Sultan Khan 1-033 1930 7, Scarborough it ENGD50 Queen's Gambit Declined
10. Sultan Khan vs Capablanca 1-065 1930 Hastings 1930/31E12 Queen's Indian
11. Sultan Khan vs G A Thomas 0-144 1930 LiegeC00 French Defense
12. Sultan Khan vs Rubinstein 0-182 1930 2, Scarborough it ENGC77 Ruy Lopez
13. Rubinstein vs Sultan Khan 1-042 1930 Hamburg olm GERA46 Queen's Pawn Game
14. R P Michell vs Sultan Khan 0-196 1930 11, Scarborough it ENGD52 Queen's Gambit Declined
15. Ahues vs Sultan Khan 0-146 1930 LiegeE43 Nimzo-Indian, Fischer Variation
16. Sultan Khan vs Menchik 1-025 1930 6, Scarborough it ENGB13 Caro-Kann, Exchange
17. Colle vs Sultan Khan 0-145 1930 Hastings 1930/31A46 Queen's Pawn Game
18. Rubinstein vs Sultan Khan ½-½80 1930 LiegeA47 Queen's Indian
19. Sultan Khan vs R P Michell 1-025 1930 Hastings 1930/31E47 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Bd3
20. Sultan Khan vs E G Sergeant  1-035 1930 1, Scarborough it ENGB29 Sicilian, Nimzovich-Rubinstein
21. Ahues vs Sultan Khan  1-030 1930 Hamburg olm GERB30 Sicilian
22. Sultan Khan vs Colle  0-147 1930 10, Scarborough it ENGB03 Alekhine's Defense
23. V Soultanbeieff vs Sultan Khan 0-128 1930 LiegeE16 Queen's Indian
24. H Taubmann vs Sultan Khan  0-134 1930 Hamburg ol (Men)E24 Nimzo-Indian, Samisch
25. Maroczy vs Sultan Khan 1-041 1930 5, Scarborough it ENGC01 French, Exchange
 page 1 of 6; games 1-25 of 132  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Sultan Khan wins | Sultan Khan loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 8 OF 8 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Oct-25-10  Namelesz: A pesar de que era un simple sirviente y de la clase baja. Él era un genio, así es como le describió el gran Capablanca.

Que descanse en paz.

This man was a great player, "a genius" Capablanca said about him. His short career in Chess and the fact that he was illiterate is a true pity and it deeply agonizes me. What a waste of talent.

RIP

Here you can find more info about this genius:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir_Su...

http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/...

Regards.

Feb-07-11  montree: Truly a great legend of the game. Even as an illiterate his calculation and profound understanding of the game of chess, amazed top players of the world at that time. His whimsical 'master' seeing that he was becoming more famous than him, quickly returned to his native land, thus depriving the chess world to have more of this genius.
Mar-11-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: It's criminal that FIDE never gave him even an IM title. He was one of the strongest players in the world during his short career, and surely deserved the GM title. He was probably stronger than Carlos Torre, another player with a short career from a Third World country, whom FIDE did award the GM title.
Mar-11-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: <FSR> Yes, he played some beautiful chess games in a short span of time. I think the only English language book is the one by Coles. If you just want the content, the recent reprint by HS is recommended.
Mar-12-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: <parisattack> Yes, I own and have read Coles' book. An extraordinary story.
Mar-12-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: <FSR> Yes, now I remember you from my old Forum; sorry on that! I suspect you own the original BCM hardback, also.
Mar-12-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: <parisattack> I do, but you have nothing to apologize for. :-)
May-31-11  SvetlanaBabe: "Minor Masters" don't beat the likes of Tartakower in matches and lose narrowly to Flohr.
May-31-11  Sho: What has been Mr. Khan's legacy in India?

That is, all I've ever read about him seems to be from a western perspective. One would think that he would be the "Grandfather of Indian Chess" or something similar, but I've yet to read anything to that effect.

How is he remembered at home?

Jun-08-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: For anyone who's interested - someone on eBay is selling Coles' book on Sultan Khan, which you don't see often: http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Chess-B...
Jun-08-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  parisattack: <FSR: For anyone who's interested - someone on eBay is selling Coles' book on Sultan Khan, which you don't see often: http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Chess-B...;

Tough to find little book. HB but no DJ as issued as I recall.

Jun-08-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  TheFocus: <FSR> and <paris> Got the Sultan Khan on my watch list.

Just bought 7 Fischer books this weekend. No one bid against me. That rarely happens.

Jun-10-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: <Sho: What has been Mr. Khan's legacy in India?

That is, all I've ever read about him seems to be from a western perspective. One would think that he would be the "Grandfather of Indian Chess" or something similar, but I've yet to read anything to that effect.

How is he remembered at home?>

I have no idea, but he was actually from "British India" and the area where he lived is now (after the 1947 partition of "India" into India and Pakistan) in Pakistan.

Jun-10-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <FSR: It's criminal that FIDE never gave him even an IM title. He was one of the strongest players in the world during his short career, and surely deserved the GM title. He was probably stronger than Carlos Torre, another player with a short career from a Third World country, whom FIDE did award the GM title.>

When FIDE awarded their initial GM and IM titles in 1950, does anyone know what the criteria might have been?

It is amazing that Sultan Khan never got a title. He was a tremendous talent.

Jun-10-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Elo on page 65 of his book "The Rating of Chessplayers: Past and Present" says, "Selections were limited to players then living, but not necessarily currently active, and were based on subjective and, to a certain extent, political considerations." Eleven of the players awarded the Grandmaster title were from the USSR, 13 from other European countries, two from the U.S., and one from Argentina. I don't know whether Pakistan, a country only three years old, was even a member of FIDE, so Sultan Khan probably had no one to lobby for him. It would have been nice if the representatives of the other federations had said, "Hey, what about that Sultan Khan guy? Is he still alive? If so, he surely deserves a title.", but apparently that didn't happen. On the following page, Elo writes, "Death came too soon for some of the strongest players in history, who remain unrecognized by the international titles carried by other players ...." He lists Sultan Khan as one such player - but given that SK died in 1965, this is rather misleading.
Jun-10-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <FSR> This sentence by Elo from page 66 rather smacks of self-justification, near as I can tell.

Let's see........27 players awarded GM titles in '50....that's Najdorf, Fine and Reshevsky as the three from the Western Hemisphere (can't really be anyone else, though it's odd that Kashdan didn't receive one), and most of the rest would also be obvious.

Jun-10-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Self-justification? I don't know if Elo had any input into who FIDE awarded the GM and IM titles. FIDE didn't adopt the Elo rating system until 1971 or so, after SK was dead.
Aug-09-11  Antiochus: 138 games him to download are here:

http://www.phileo.demon.co.uk/uk_br...

Sep-02-11  Meister326: Mir Sultan Khan was a great talent who could play with anyone. Too bad he went back to India, because it was a loss for the chess world.
May-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  PhilFeeley: <TheFocus: <FSR> and <paris> Just bought 7 Fischer books this weekend. No one bid against me. That rarely happens. >

There are 7 Fischer books? I can only think of one. I guess you mean books about Fischer. Which ones?

Sep-01-12  Karpova: While he won the British Championship at Hastings in 1933, the Women's Championship was won by Fatimah (also from India) - she won with <großer Überlegenheit>.

From page 253 of the 1933 'Neue Wiener Schachzeitung'

Does anyone know something about her?

Dec-23-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  samsloan: Do not blame FIDE or anybody else for this omission. Nobody knew where Sultan Khan was. He had just gone back to India with his master and had not been heard from since. Even his death was not reported in the news. Nobody in the world of chess even knew that he was from a part of India that had become Pakistan. Check the news reports from that time and you will see than other than an occasional question about "What ever happened to Sultan Khan?" there were no reports and nobody had any information about him, dead or alive. It was not until several years after he had died that we found out that he was dead.

Sam Sloan

Jan-12-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  kingscrusher: Sulthan Khan video annotation playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?ann...

Jan-29-13  joegalby: there should be a great movie about this genius
Feb-27-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  whiteshark: Photo: Chess champion of Great Britain, Mir Sultan Khan, plays 24 games simultaneous at the Empire Chess Club (London, 1931). http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...
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