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Reshevsky 
 
Samuel Reshevsky
Number of games in database: 1,471
Years covered: 1917 to 1991
Overall record: +545 -214 =656 (61.7%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
      Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
      56 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Nimzo Indian (118) 
    E46 E43 E54 E56 E47
 King's Indian (93) 
    E92 E97 E60 E94 E62
 Grunfeld (50) 
    D97 D81 D83 D92 D82
 Orthodox Defense (40) 
    D51 D50 D55 D62 D52
 English (36) 
    A15 A10 A16 A17 A14
 Queen's Gambit Declined (34) 
    D37 D35 D31 D30 D36
With the Black pieces:
 Ruy Lopez (138) 
    C96 C95 C86 C93 C88
 Sicilian (114) 
    B32 B40 B71 B42 B93
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (95) 
    C96 C95 C86 C93 C88
 Nimzo Indian (76) 
    E33 E54 E46 E56 E21
 King's Indian (64) 
    E94 E60 E69 E79 E81
 Queen's Indian (49) 
    E12 E19 E17 E16 E15
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Larry Evans vs Reshevsky, 1963 1/2-1/2
   Reshevsky vs A Vasconcellos, 1944 1-0
   Botvinnik vs Reshevsky, 1948 0-1
   Reshevsky vs Petrosian, 1953 1/2-1/2
   Reshevsky vs G Treysman, 1938 1-0
   Reshevsky vs Capablanca, 1935 1-0
   Szabo vs Reshevsky, 1953 1/2-1/2
   Reshevsky vs Fischer, 1961 1/2-1/2
   Reshevsky vs Mecking, 1967 1-0
   Reshevsky vs Najdorf, 1952 1-0

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: [what is this?]
   FIDE World Championship Tournament (1948)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Match Reshevsky! by amadeus
   Reshevsky's Best Games of Chess, Vol. I by suenteus po 147
   Guess-the-Move Chess: 1940-1959 (Part 2) by Anatoly21
   The Art of Positional Play by SamAtoms1980
   WCC Index [Zurich 1953] by suenteus po 147
   Garry Kasparov's On My Great Predecessors (4) by AdrianP
   1948 World Chess Championship by Penguincw
   WCC Index [World Championship Tournament 1948] by Resignation Trap
   Rematch for Championship of the West 1953 by Resignation Trap
   Art of War's favorite games 8 by Art of War
   Match for the Championship of the Free World by Resignation Trap
   Second Piatigorsky Cup 1966 by Benzol

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SAMUEL RESHEVSKY
(born Nov-26-1911, died Apr-04-1992) Poland (citizen of United States of America)

[what is this?]
Samuel Herman Reshevsky (Schmul Rzeszewski) was born in Ozorkow, Poland. He learned to play chess at the age of four. At eight years old he was giving simultaneous exhibitions and defeating some of the country's most prominent players.

Following the events of World War 1, Reshevsky immigrated to the United States (1920). As a 9-year old, his first American simultaneous exhibition was with 20 officers and cadets at the Military Academy at West Point. He won 19 games and drew one. He toured the country and played over 1,500 games as a 9-year old in simultaneous exhibitions and only lost 8 games. In his early years he did not go to school and his parents ended up in Manhattan Children's Court on charges of improper guardianship. His benefactor was Julius Rosenwald, founder of Sears & Roebuck, who agreed to provide for Reshevsky's future if he devoted himself to completing his education. Reshevsky then largely abandoned chess for 10 years to pursue a vocation as an accountant, receiving an accounting degree from the University of Chicago in 1933 which was put to use in New York city.

After obtaining his college degree, he devoted himself to tournament chess. Several subsequent successes in international events led to his invitations to both AVRO 1938 and the World Championship Tournament ten years later. Between 1936 and 1942, he had a streak of 75 games without a loss in U.S. Championship competition. He won the US Open in 1944. Pan-American Champion at Hollywood 1945. He played in 21 U.S. Championships, from 1936 to 1981. Over the course of a long international career that continued until he was well over sixty years old, he qualified for the Candidates five times, won the U.S. Championship on six occasions (first time in 1936, last time in 1971) and played a record eleven World Champions ranging from Emanuel Lasker to Anatoly Karpov.

He won matches against several notable Western players, including Svetozar Gligoric, Miguel Najdorf and Robert James Fischer (after Fischer was forfeited while the match was tied). However, he was never able to secure the right to a World Championship match. In 1981, at the age of 70, he tied for 3rd place in the U.S. Championship. In 1984, at the age of 72, he took first place in a grandmaster tournament in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Wikipedia article: Samuel Reshevsky


 page 1 of 59; games 1-25 of 1,471  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves Year Event/LocaleOpening
1. Reshevsky vs Rubinstein 0-124 1917 Warsaw C50 Giuoco Piano
2. Reshevsky vs Factor 0-126 1917 Lodz, PolandC22 Center Game
3. Reshevsky vs Knoller 1-040 1920 New York simC79 Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred
4. P Krueger vs Reshevsky ½-½39 1920 Blindfold gameC48 Four Knights
5. Reshevsky vs Zabludovsky 1-029 1920 Berlin simulC62 Ruy Lopez, Old Steinitz Defense
6. Reshevsky vs L Von Dory 1-016 1920 Berlin simulC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
7. Reshevsky vs Simchow  0-134 1920 New York simD05 Queen's Pawn Game
8. Reshevsky vs L T Haller 1-039 1920 Paterson simD02 Queen's Pawn Game
9. Reshevsky vs M J Clurman ½-½23 1920 New York simB15 Caro-Kann
10. M A Schapiro vs Reshevsky  0-140 1920 New YorkC14 French, Classical
11. Reshevsky vs Stillman 1-020 1920 New York simB21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
12. Reshevsky vs L Schwarz 1-065 1920 20 board simultaneous exhibitionC00 French Defense
13. Reshevsky vs E B Hilliard  1-027 1920 Blindfold gameC30 King's Gambit Declined
14. Reshevsky vs R C Griffith 1-030 1920 LondonC67 Ruy Lopez
15. Reshevsky vs S Katz ½-½29 1920 New York simB21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
16. Reshevsky vs G W Beaumont  1-030 1920 Simultaneous exhibitionC34 King's Gambit Accepted
17. Reshevsky vs Traube 1-017 1920 HanoverA02 Bird's Opening
18. C Jaffe vs Reshevsky 0-117 1920 New York blindfoldC30 King's Gambit Declined
19. Reshevsky vs J Grommer  1-037 1921 Simultaneous exhibitionD02 Queen's Pawn Game
20. Reshevsky vs Ed Lasker 0-129 1921 ChicagoC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
21. Reshevsky vs Dunn  1-051 1921 New York simC58 Two Knights
22. Reshevsky vs W Tevis 1-032 1921 San Francisco simC53 Giuoco Piano
23. Reshevsky vs Longacre  ½-½25 1921 Philadelphia simC68 Ruy Lopez, Exchange
24. Reshevsky vs Burr  1-030 1921 Chicago simC30 King's Gambit Declined
25. Reshevsky vs D D Barkuloo  1-049 1921 Living chess gameD55 Queen's Gambit Declined
 page 1 of 59; games 1-25 of 1,471  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Reshevsky wins | Reshevsky loses  
 

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 55 OF 55 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Nov-26-12  RookFile: We don't have to speculate too much because Reshevsky did beat Botvinnik in a 4 game set to in 1955. Bronstein admitted later that the Candidates 1953 was fixed.
Nov-26-12  ughaibu: RookFile: nice to see you still have your sense of humour.
Nov-26-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: It does not necessarily follow that Reshevsky would have won a longer match vs Botvinnik because he scored 2.5/4 in what was, after all, a team event. Using the same logic, we might conclude that Larsen was the equal of then-champion Spassky due to his result of +1 -1 =1 in the first USSR-Rest of World match, held in 1970.
Nov-26-12  RookFile: I don't think Botvinnik was in great form in 1955. His results that year look like that of an strong GM rather than that of a world dominator. I think he was more preoccupied then with engineering pursuits, while Reshevsky was basically in his prime.
Nov-26-12  SimonWebbsTiger: One thing which could have had crucial importance in a Reshevsky-Botvinnik match could have been openings.

Maybe I am doing Sammy an injustice here; it does seem Botvinnik's approach of thorough preparation, including middlegame positions, would have been too much in view of Sammy's lack of opening knowledge. Add to this the former was well known for severe time trouble too....

Nov-26-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  talisman: happy birthday Sammy.
Nov-26-12  RookFile: Reshevsky would have booked up for Botvinnik, of course. He did the same for Fischer in 1961 and unleashed some interesting opening ideas in that match.
Nov-26-12  Poulsen: <perfidious><Using the same logic, we might conclude that Larsen was the equal of then-champion Spassky due to his result of +1 -1 =1 in the first USSR-Rest of World match, held in 1970.> I would say, that Larsen indeed was very equal to Spassky in 1970 - although Spassky would have an edge off course.

Larsens problem was, that he was - for several reasons - never a really great matchplayer - and thus was destined to never become WCh.

Nov-26-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <Poulsen> I have long believed that in the period spanning roughly 1967-1970, Larsen's tournament record was superior to that of any player, Fischer and the Soviet GMs included. Trouble was, his optimism (which I regard as an important factor in his successes) got punished at the very highest levels, as Bogolyubov's had before him.
Nov-26-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Eduardo Bermudez: The only chess player who beat every one of the world champions from Lasker to Smyslov and as well like special gift to Bobby Fischer !!
Nov-26-12  RookFile: Reshevsky was as elegant as bulldog who would bite your head off.
Nov-26-12  ughaibu: So, his record against world champions, disregarding losses, was: win, win, win, win, win, win, no win, no win, win. . . What's the story with Karpov, Kasparov?
Nov-26-12  RookFile: He played Karpov once. There are other guys with long careers, but the number of guys who played both Lasker and Karpov is small.

Reshevsky vs Karpov, 1976

Nov-26-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  waustad: This is a crowded b'day with Jobava, Chepa and Reshevsky among the famous players. Happy b'day to all. RIP Samuel Reshevsky.
Nov-26-12  RookFile: Are those Star Wars characters? I've only heard of Reshevsky.
Dec-20-12  jerseybob: Reshevsky's list of Notable Games should certainly include the 1970 win vs. Smyslov in USSR vs World, as white in a Lopez, no less.
Jan-11-13  leka: Bobby Fischer wrote in 1964 that Reshevsky was the best chess player from 1946 to 1956.Altough Botvinnik beat Reshevsky from 1936 to 1955 their games 5 wins 7 draws 2 losess.
Jan-11-13  Jim Bartle: A single head-to-head record can't determine who's the better player over an era. Otherwise Gulko would be considered greater than Kasparov.
Jan-11-13  jussu: <the number of guys who played both Lasker and Karpov is small.>

Is there any other? It seems that Botvinnik only played Karpov in a simul, which sort of counts, too (he certainly played Lasker in Nottingham and Moscow 1935). Keres never played Lasker (although they met face to face). Can't think of any other candidates.

Jan-11-13  jussu: One exceedingly stupid person just wrote <Nottingham and Moscow 1935>. Now that I'm thinking about it, Nottingham took place in 1936, while there were tournaments in Moscow both 1935 and 1936, and I think all three featured both Lasker and Botvinnik.
Jan-11-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  keypusher: <jussu: One exceedingly stupid person just wrote <Nottingham and Moscow 1935>. Now that I'm thinking about it, Nottingham took place in 1936, while there were tournaments in Moscow both 1935 and 1936, and I think all three featured both Lasker and Botvinnik.>

Yes, you're right, except for the exceedingly stupid part of course.

Moscow (1935)

Moscow (1936)

Nottingham (1936)

Feb-23-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  technical draw: Reshevsky played in the 1970 Buenos Aires tournament which Fischer won. Fischer had 4 draws Reshevsky had 13 draws. Now drawing can mean that you are too hard to beat (like Petrossian) or to meek to win. In any case even Reshevsky's wins are draw like. I once had a book of Reshevsky's games and I was very happy. But when I started playing the games I said, What the heck is this? Incomprehensible maneuvering and long drawn out strategies.

Even in his notable games above there are 4 draws. That said Reshevsky is still one of the great ones.

Feb-23-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: Well, two of those notable draws shouldn't really be considered draws. Larry Evans vs Reshevsky, 1963 is the famous "Swindle of the Century", and Szabo vs Reshevsky, 1953 is the game where Szabo didn't realize that you should look for mate in two against Reshevsky.
Feb-24-13  RookFile: Reshevsky's mentality when winning was to try to deny his opponent counterplay. Not at all like Tal who just went for the throat. There is a place for the way Reshevsky played. Capa thought his style was a little too restricted - at least that's what he said in "Last Lectures".
Apr-22-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  Gottschalk: "If Reshevsky sees a way to make
he does not feel uncomfortable to think 2h and 25 min to seize the opportunity and turn it into a win."

David Bronstein

Zurich Chess tournament Game 137 Reshevsky versus Euwe.

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