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Arthur Feuerstein
A Feuerstein 
 

Number of games in database: 159
Years covered: 1954 to 2010
Last FIDE rating: 2088
Highest rating achieved in database: 2395
Overall record: +52 -65 =42 (45.9%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games.

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Most played openings
A07 King's Indian Attack (12 games)
B43 Sicilian, Kan, 5.Nc3 (9 games)
A15 English (6 games)
D35 Queen's Gambit Declined (6 games)
A02 Bird's Opening (5 games)
A65 Benoni, 6.e4 (4 games)
A80 Dutch (4 games)
D10 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav (3 games)
B23 Sicilian, Closed (3 games)
A70 Benoni, Classical with 7.Nf3 (3 games)

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FIDE player card for Arthur Feuerstein

ARTHUR FEUERSTEIN
(born Dec-20-1935, died Feb-02-2022, 86 years old) United States of America

[what is this?]

Arthur Feuerstein, originally from the Bronx, played in several Manhattan Chess Club championships. In 1955, he took second in the New York State Championship. In 1956, Feuerstein was the highest scorer on board one in the US Intercollegiate Championship and won the US Speed Championship. He played in several US Chess Championships, finishing =6th-8th in the 1957/58 event. In 1960, the first United States Armed Forces Chess Championship (USAFCC) was held at the American Legion Hall of Flags in Washington, D.C. There were 12 invited participants. Air Force Captain John Hudson and Army SP4 Feuerstein tied for first place. Feuerstein was four times New York state champion. Hudson was a bombardier-navigator on B-52 bombers and a former US Amateur champion.

At age 21, Feuerstein won the U.S. Junior Blitz Championship, leaving newcomer Bobby Fischer in a close second place. The game between them ended in a draw. Feuerstein had a record of (+1−1=3) against Fischer, Feuerstein getting a win against Fischer in the 1956 Greater New York City Open.

In 1957, Feuerstein was selected alongside Anthony Saidy and William Lombardy to play in the Fourth World Student Team Chess Championship, where the United States team took fifth place. The following year, the team was chosen to represent the U.S. again, in Varna, where they finished sixth.

In 1973, Feuerstein was involved in a car accident that left him in a coma for six weeks. When he recovered, he was unable to speak English very well, but he did remember how to play chess. Feuerstein continued to play chess after the accident, and in fact was rated as one of the top 10 players in his age group in the world when he was 65 years old.

Wikipedia article: Arthur Feuerstein

Last updated: 2023-11-28 05:35:54

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 page 1 of 7; games 1-25 of 159  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. A Feuerstein vs E Marchand 1-0381954N.Y. State ChampionshipD00 Queen's Pawn Game
2. A Feuerstein vs J E Bennett 1-0131955New YorkE60 King's Indian Defense
3. R Klugman vs A Feuerstein  0-1491955Manhattan CC-ch 5556A48 King's Indian
4. A Feuerstein vs Lombardy  0-1361955Manhattan CC-ch 5556D11 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
5. B Owens vs A Feuerstein  0-1581955Manhattan CC-ch 5556A62 Benoni, Fianchetto Variation
6. A Feuerstein vs M Pavey  1-0341955Manhattan CC-ch 5556A02 Bird's Opening
7. A Pinkus vs A Feuerstein  ½-½421955Manhattan CC-ch 5556A73 Benoni, Classical, 9.O-O
8. A Feuerstein vs A Reiter  ½-½241955Manhattan CC-ch 5556D78 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.O-O c6
9. M Schroeder vs A Feuerstein  0-1541955Manhattan CC-ch 5556A07 King's Indian Attack
10. A Feuerstein vs M Siegel  1-0281955Manhattan CC-ch 5556A02 Bird's Opening
11. A Turner vs A Feuerstein  0-1431955Manhattan CC-ch 5556A74 Benoni, Classical, 9...a6, 10.a4
12. A Feuerstein vs R Benedicto  1-0691955Manhattan CC-ch 5556A04 Reti Opening
13. S Bernstein vs A Feuerstein  1-0601955Manhattan CC-ch 5556E73 King's Indian
14. A Feuerstein vs A Bisguier  0-1471955Manhattan CC-ch 5556E45 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3, Bronstein (Byrne) Variation
15. Denker vs A Feuerstein  0-1321955Manhattan CC-ch 5556A48 King's Indian
16. M Harrow vs A Feuerstein  1-0411955Manhattan CC-ch 5556B13 Caro-Kann, Exchange
17. A Feuerstein vs A Kevitz  ½-½201955Manhattan CC-ch 5556A02 Bird's Opening
18. A Feuerstein vs Lombardy  1-0451956New YorkA03 Bird's Opening
19. Shainswit vs A Feuerstein 0-1291956Third Rosenwald TrophyA65 Benoni, 6.e4
20. A Feuerstein vs E Hearst  1-0391956Third Rosenwald TrophyD30 Queen's Gambit Declined
21. A Bisguier vs A Feuerstein ½-½401956Third Rosenwald TrophyA70 Benoni, Classical with 7.Nf3
22. A Feuerstein vs Fischer ½-½311956Third Rosenwald TrophyE63 King's Indian, Fianchetto, Panno Variation
23. S Bernstein vs A Feuerstein 0-1561956Third Rosenwald TrophyB20 Sicilian
24. A Turner vs A Feuerstein  1-0251956Third Rosenwald TrophyE92 King's Indian
25. A Feuerstein vs H Seidman  1-0721956Third Rosenwald TrophyA07 King's Indian Attack
 page 1 of 7; games 1-25 of 159  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Feuerstein wins | Feuerstein loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
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Mar-11-11  BIDMONFA: Arthur Feuerstein

FEUERSTEIN, Arthur
http://www.bidmonfa.com/feuerstein_...
_

Jan-01-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  GrahamClayton: A slight correction to Feuerstein's biography. He finished =1st with Captain John Kudson of the US Air Force in the 1960 US Armed Forces Championship, with both players scoring 10-1 in the 12 player round-robin event held at Washington, DC. At this time, Feuerstein was ranked as a Specialist Fourth Class, and was serving in the US Army in France.
Jan-03-12  wordfunph: Feuerstein (FYOORsteen)

"Horowitz’s and Reinfeld’s book How to Think Ahead in Chess really helped me with the openings."

- Arthur Feuerstein

Jan-10-12  TheFocus: In January 2012 <Chess Life>, there is an article about Arthur Feuerstein.

My article <The Feuerstein - Fischer Connection> is mentioned in Jim West's blog which also has a link to the <Chess Life> story.

http://jimwestonchess.blogspot.com/...

Mar-01-12  wordfunph: "You have to remember to kibbitz your games."

- Arthur Feuerstein (he meant that it is helpful to walk away from the board and come back in the role of observer, seeing the position as if it were new)

*Chess Life March 2012, as related by his friend Sherman Boim

Dec-20-15  TheFocus: Happy Birthday, Arthur!

Very thankful you allowed me to interview you. It was a good article.

Aug-26-16
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <wordfunph: "You have to remember to kibbitz your games.">

The one time we met at the board afforded me but little chance to put this piece of advice into practice: I had to make my final twenty moves to the time check in under a minute.

Sep-22-18  thegoodanarchist: <TheFocus>

Is he titled? What year, if any?

Dec-20-18
Premium Chessgames Member
  Check It Out: I see several of his draws and a loss to Fischer. Where is his win over Fischer?
Feb-04-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: According to Al Lawrence on Facebook, Arthur Feuerstein died yesterday.
Feb-04-22  Granny O Doul: He seemed like a pleasant guy when I met him, which seems to have been most people's experience, so let me just call him a pleasant guy. I had heard about the car accident mentioned in his Wikipedia article, but never was very clear about its actual effect on him, and this seems likely to remain the case.
Feb-04-22  TheFocus: <Granny O Doul: He seemed like a pleasant guy when I met him, which seems to have been most people's experience, so let me just call him a pleasant guy. I had heard about the car accident mentioned in his Wikipedia article, but never was very clear about its actual effect on him, and this seems likely to remain the case.>

I remember when I interviewed Arthur, that he lost all his chess memory and ability to play after that car wreck. He had to relearn how to play chess, and successfully became a master again.

Very sad to hear about Arthur's death. He treated me very nicely in our e-mails.

Feb-04-22  Granny O Doul: I remember that in 1983, he was only about 2200 and ten years later, 2300.
Feb-05-22  chessperson2222222: Farewell, Mr. Art. You will be sorely missed. RIP
Feb-06-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  fredthebear: From the USCF page: https://new.uschess.org/news/arthur...
Feb-06-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  MissScarlett: Is the DOD confirmed as the 2nd?
Feb-08-22  tryany2: 1) Does anyone have a copy of the fischer-feuerstein connection article? I've been trying to track it down.

2) He forget everything in that accident. He lost almost all of his memories. As the article suggests, this included what a toothbrush was. But he actually never forgot how to play chess. It was part of him.

3) He died Feb 2. He had the latest issue of Chess life, a chess book, and his chess set all within arms reach.

Feb-08-22  tryany2: thegoodanarchist: <TheFocus>

Is he titled? What year, if any?

He def achieved master. After the accident, the USCF gave him the title of "Lifetime Master".

Feb-08-22  Z free or die: Better take a snapshot of his FIDE card before they retire his number.

https://ratings.fide.com/profile/20...

He didn't have any FIDE titles.

Feb-08-22  tryany2: His highest rating I'm aware of was a 2395 in 72. I'm not sure if it was higher before the accident. His FIDE rating card doesn't include a lot of information. Would love to find out if there's a way to see the peak rating of folks from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

https://old.chesstempo.com/gamedb/p...

He was def a master. And then received Life Master. I think he was just shy of Intl master but not 100 sure.

Feb-08-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  nizmo11: from the Chessmetrics site:
Chessmetrics Player Profile: Arthur William Feuerstein Born: -
Best World Rank: #85 (on the July 1957 rating list) [2559]
Highest Rating: 2559 on the June 1957 rating list, #86 in world
Best Individual Performance: 2533 in New York, 1956, scoring 2/5 (40%) vs 2601-rated opposition

from the same July 1957 rating list:
#88 Bobby Fischer 2558 14y4m (#6 all-time among players aged 14y4m)

Nov-27-23
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <Granny: I remember that in 1983, he was only about 2200 and ten years later, 2300.>

Art and I met at the board, as mentioned above, in one of the USATE events in the early 1990s, and he was indeed roughly 2300 then.

Nov-27-23  Granny O Doul: I was once told that I played like Feuerstein "because of the squares, you know?" It must be a Bronx thing.
Nov-28-23  Caissanist: <tryany2> Olimpbase.org has a search function that gives a history of a player's FIDE ratings from 1970 (the first official FIDE rating list) up to 2001. It confirms that Feuerstein's 1972 rating of 2395 was his highest.
Jan-28-24  whiteshark: „Regarding Arthur Feuerstein, what is memorable is not that game (L Kaufman vs A Feuerstein, 1972) nor another one we played in New York a couple years later. It is that we played a third game in the 1980s, when I was surprised to see his rating had fallen from the 2400s to barely over 2200, although he was by no means old. I won in just 13 moves, and after the game he had no recollection of having ever played against me or even knowing who I was. I learned the explanation: he had been in a terrible auto accident, which wiped out almost all of his memories, including how to play chess. As part of his therapy, he learned chess all over again, and managed to become a chess master from scratch! Looked at from that perspective, his 2200+ rating was quite an achievement!“

-- Larry Kaufman, Chess Board Options (A Memoir of Players, Games and Engines), New In Chess 2021

RIP

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