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Samuel Reshevsky
Reshevsky 
 

Number of games in database: 1,634
Years covered: 1917 to 1991
Overall record: +594 -218 =690 (62.5%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 132 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Nimzo Indian (128) 
    E46 E56 E43 E59 E54
 King's Indian (98) 
    E92 E60 E97 E95 E69
 Grunfeld (53) 
    D81 D97 D83 D92 D82
 Orthodox Defense (46) 
    D51 D50 D55 D60 D62
 Queen's Gambit Declined (41) 
    D37 D35 D31 D30 D36
 English (38) 
    A15 A10 A16 A14 A17
With the Black pieces:
 Ruy Lopez (143) 
    C96 C95 C93 C86 C69
 Sicilian (128) 
    B32 B40 B83 B42 B93
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (99) 
    C96 C95 C93 C86 C84
 King's Indian (78) 
    E69 E60 E95 E94 E67
 Nimzo Indian (78) 
    E33 E54 E46 E52 E56
 Queen's Indian (48) 
    E12 E19 E17 E16 E15
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Reshevsky vs Petrosian, 1953 1/2-1/2
   Botvinnik vs Reshevsky, 1948 0-1
   L Evans vs Reshevsky, 1963 1/2-1/2
   Reshevsky vs A Vasconcellos, 1944 1-0
   Lasker vs Reshevsky, 1936 0-1
   J Mieses vs Reshevsky, 1935 0-1
   Reshevsky vs Najdorf, 1957 1-0
   Reshevsky vs Capablanca, 1935 1-0
   Reshevsky vs Fischer, 1961 1/2-1/2
   Reshevsky vs Geller, 1953 1/2-1/2

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

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Syracuse (1934)
   United States Championship (1936)
   United States Championship (1938)
   Kemeri (1937)
   United States Championship (1940)
   United States Championship (1942)
   United States Championship (1946)
   Havana (1952)
   56th US Open (1955)
   Third Rosenwald Trophy (1956)
   Reshevsky - Najdorf (1952)
   Amsterdam (1950)
   United States Championship 1957/58 (1957)
   Buenos Aires (1960)
   Zuerich Candidates (1953)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Match Reshevsky! by docjan
   Match Reshevsky! by amadeus
   Challenger of 48 Reshevsky_125 by Gottschalk
   Best Games of Chess (Reshevsky) by passion4chess
   Best Games of Chess (Reshevsky) by Qindarka
   Reshevsky's Best Games of Chess, Vol. I by suenteus po 147
   Veliki majstori saha 23 RESHEVSKY (Marovic) by Chessdreamer
   0ZeR0's collected games volume 75 by 0ZeR0
   2 Rgrrgrr at Fredthebear by fredthebear
   How Chess Games are Won (Reshevsky) by Qindarka
   How Chess Games are Won (Reshevsky) by igiene
   2 Red Robin Riding Hood went around by fredthebear
   American Chess Bulletin 1921 by Phony Benoni
   The Art of Positional Play by SamAtoms1980


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SAMUEL RESHEVSKY
(born Nov-26-1911, died Apr-04-1992, 80 years old) Poland (federation/nationality United States of America)

[what is this?]

Samuel Herman Reshevsky (Szmul 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 he 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 1931, 1934 (tied with Reuben Fine), 1944, and 1955 (on tiebreak over Nicolas Rossolimo). 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 almost 80, he qualified for the Candidates five times. He won the U.S. Championship eight times (1936, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1946, and 1969), a record he shares with Bobby Fischer. He tied for first in 1972 but lost the playoff in 1973 to Robert Byrne. He played 11 World Champions, 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 the powerful Reykjavik Open, which featured many grandmasters. (1)

Wikipedia article: Samuel Reshevsky; (1) http://www.365chess.com/tournaments...

Last updated: 2023-12-31 22:30:50

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 66; games 1-25 of 1,634  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Reshevsky vs Rubinstein 0-1241917Blindfold gameC50 Giuoco Piano
2. Reshevsky vs S Factor 0-1261917LodzC22 Center Game
3. C Jaffe vs Reshevsky 0-1171920New York blindfoldC30 King's Gambit Declined
4. Reshevsky vs Traube 1-0171920HanoverA02 Bird's Opening
5. Reshevsky vs R Griffith 1-0301920Blindfold gameC67 Ruy Lopez
6. Reshevsky vs J Zabludowski 1-0291920Simul, 20bC62 Ruy Lopez, Old Steinitz Defense
7. Reshevsky vs K Romeikat  ½-½381920Berlin (simul)B01 Scandinavian
8. Reshevsky vs L von Dory 1-0161920SimulC35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
9. Reshevsky vs Saemisch 0-1381920BerlinE50 Nimzo-Indian, 4.e3 O-O 5.Nf3, without ...d5
10. P Krueger vs Reshevsky ½-½391920Blindfold gameC48 Four Knights
11. Reshevsky vs Euwe 0-1151920Simul, 20bC83 Ruy Lopez, Open
12. Reshevsky vs M Gency 1-0371920Simul, 20bC30 King's Gambit Declined
13. Reshevsky vs M Herzfeld 1-0521920Simul, 20bC66 Ruy Lopez
14. Reshevsky vs L Schwarz 1-0651920Simul, 20bC00 French Defense
15. Reshevsky vs G W Beaumont 1-0301920Simul, 15bC34 King's Gambit Accepted
16. Reshevsky vs M J Clurman ½-½231920Simul, 20bB15 Caro-Kann
17. Reshevsky vs A Simchow  0-1341920Simul, 20bD05 Queen's Pawn Game
18. Reshevsky vs F Knoller 1-0401920Simul, 20bC79 Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred
19. Reshevsky vs S Katz ½-½291920Simul, 20bB21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
20. Reshevsky vs L S Stillman 1-0201920Simul, 20bB21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
21. M A Schapiro vs Reshevsky 0-1401920Exhibition gameC14 French, Classical
22. Reshevsky vs E B Hilliard 1-0271920Blindfold gameC30 King's Gambit Declined
23. Reshevsky vs J H Longacre ½-½251921Simul, 20bC68 Ruy Lopez, Exchange
24. Reshevsky vs S Sharp ½-½271921Simul, 20bC31 King's Gambit Declined, Falkbeer Counter Gambit
25. Reshevsky vs A Beckman 1-0201921Simul, 20bD46 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
 page 1 of 66; games 1-25 of 1,634  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 44 OF 65 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jan-14-10  nescio: <chancho> No, there were other reasons for Euwe's failure. Age tells most strongly in the later phases of a tournament. In the first half of Zurich/Neuhausen 1953 for example a 52-year old Euwe played the most enterprising chess of his life with some very beautiful games, but he faded in the second half. In 1948, however, he lost already the first four games.
Jan-14-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: <nescio> Euwe Lost 10 games finishing next to last at Zurich/Neuhausen. (Stahlberg at the bottom.) Euwe was getting old and in addition may have been in a serious slump when he played at The Hague/Moscow 1948. I'm speculating here of course...
Jan-14-10  AnalyzeThis: I actually like Euwe. One thing about him was, he was an amateur, even when he was world champion. He was the last of the true amatuers. This term refers not to playing strength but the level of professionalism involved in training and preparation.
Jan-14-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: Euwe also won an amateur heavyweight title in Boxing if I remember correctly. He had many interests outside of Chess unlike Fischer who lived only for Chess.
Jan-14-10  AnalyzeThis: Fischer said about him - "There's something wrong with this guy - he's too normal."
Jan-14-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: That's Fischer for you.

http://www.tsblogs.com/newstradamus...

Jan-14-10  parisattack: <AnalyzeThis: I actually like Euwe. One thing about him was, he was an amateur, even when he was world champion. He was the last of the true amatuers. This term refers not to playing strength but the level of professionalism involved in training and preparation.>

There are some very fine endgames in his From My Games book. I think he will be remembered for being so generous in giving Alekhine a quick re-match. I loved his Chess Archives publication and still browse them from time-to-time.

Yes, I am sure Euwe seemed 'strangely normal' to Fischer!

Jan-14-10  nescio: <AnalyzeThis> The paradox is that Euwe wasn't an amateur in 1948. Two years before, after the Groningen tournament, he decided to become a professional, which proved to be a psychological mistake of the first order.

After Botvinnik deservedly won the championship Euwe went back to teaching mathematics and you can see the quality of his games steadily improving until he reached a peak in his creativity again at Zurich/Neuhausen.

Jan-14-10  AnalyzeThis: Like a lot of things, it comes down to how you define terms. Bobby Fischer wouldn't have called Euwe a professional, at any point in his career. Like I said, this does not have to do with actual playing strength. Basically the difference between Fischer and Euwe was what chancho wrote - Euwe had a variety of interests, while Fischer lived chess.
Jan-15-10  nescio: <AnalyzeThis> For me it's simple: Euwe was a professional from 1946 to 1949 because he paid his bills from the revenues of his chess activities. That he also had other interests isn't important, because everyone had and has them, except perhaps Niemzowitsch and Fischer.
Jan-15-10  AnalyzeThis: He wrote some great books, of course. I enjoyed his Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur book.
Jan-15-10  whatthefat: <chancho>

Unfortunately from the angle given it's impossible to tell whether Black is giving pawn and move odds.

Jan-15-10  Petrosianic: <Euwe also won an amateur heavyweight title in Boxing if I remember correctly.>

Denker had some skill as a boxer too.

Jan-15-10  nescio: <AnalyzeThis: He wrote some great books, of course. I enjoyed his Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur book.>

I'm not going to contradict you every time, but I never heard of that book. If it's this one: http://store.doverpublications.com/... I can assure you that Euwe probably left the writing to mr. Walter Meiden. Euwe was sometimes too nice and lend his name to some dubious publications, but he is still responsible for its content of course. If I'm in Amsterdam and have the time I'll search the library of the Max Euwe Centrum for this one.

Jan-15-10  Petrosianic: I'm starting to piece this together a little better. The Winterthur accords in 1946 had planned to add the winners of both Groningen and Prague to the list of Candidates. It was never definite, since they didn't finalize anything at Winterthur. When they met at The Hague next year, they dropped this. The story we always hear is that they decided that Prague was "too weak", but it seems just as likely that they didn't want an odd number of players in the tournament (since Botvinnik had won Groningen). The real mistake seems to have been that they voted on this No Substitutions rule, which ended up giving them an odd number of players anyway.

I also found an I.A. Horowitz editorial in which he comments that the USCF had told FIDE that they wanted to pick their two representatives from the 1946 US Championship, rather than just giving the spots to Reshevsky and Fine outright. Obviously this didn't happen, and maybe it should have (since Reshevsky won the tournament).

Odd, that they knew that Fine was out of practice and having trouble finding time for chess that they flat out disallowed substitutions in the lineup. But it would have been a mess anyway, since Fine dropped out at the last minute. Even if substititions had been allowed, neither Najdorf nor anyone else had spent months preparing for the tournament. And the other players, Reshevsky included, had spent time preparing for Fine, not Najdorf. Maybe Fine is the goat here.

Jan-15-10  AnalyzeThis: Nescio. That is the book. Whoever wrote it, it's good. I've read it, you haven't. Enough said.
Jan-15-10  TheFocus: <nescio> <AnalyzeThis: He wrote some great books, of course. I enjoyed his Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur book.>

<I'm not going to contradict you every time, but I never heard of that book. If it's this one: http://store.doverpublications.com/... I can assure you that Euwe probably left the writing to mr. Walter Meiden. Euwe was sometimes too nice and lend his name to some dubious publications, but he is still responsible for its content of course. If I'm in Amsterdam and have the time I'll search the library of the Max Euwe Centrum for this one.>

<AnalyzeThis>< Nescio. That is the book. Whoever wrote it, it's good. I've read it, you haven't. Enough said.>

Part of a series. The others that I know of are "Chess Master vs. Chess Master" and "Chess Master vs. Grandmaster." <nesio> Are you trying to imply that Euwe lent his name to this series and did nothing in them? And, you haven't even read them? Euwe wrote many books, about 30 I believe. I don't think he had to lend his name out willy-nilly, but if you have some examples, please share them here. You might try reading a book before passing judgment on it. Nuff said.

Jan-15-10  Petrosianic: Fine's dropping out is reported in February 1947. The magazine came out in the middle of the month so the telegram must have been sent in late January or early February. The announcement makes no reference to the No Substitutions rule, but Euwe is quoted as saying that he hopes Najdorf or Stahlberg might replace Fine. Neither did, but both played in the Interzonal later that year.

The March issue has a blurb saying that Bogoljubow objected that he should be included in the championship tournament, too. That would have been interesting, and not in a good way. Chessmetrics had him at #13 in June 1943 when he was last active, and no higher than #18 after the war. Still pretty good, but not good enough to have the slightest chance of winning the championship tournament.

The chances of him being included were zero. The fact that he lived in Germany was, alone, enough to guarantee his absence. But even without that, the reasoning behind including him is fuzzy. "We're supposed to give you a title shot, because Alekhine gave you two?"

Out of curiosity, I checked the database to see what Bogo's record against the other candidates was:

Bogo vs. Botvinnik +0-1=0
Bogo vs. Smyslov +0-0=0
Bogo vs. Reshevsky +0-1=0
Bogo vs. Euwe +10-11=22
Bogo vs. Keres +0-4=5
Bogo vs. Fine +0-1=1

Without meaning to be unkind, if Bogo had been in the tournament, he would quite probably have finished last.

Jan-15-10  AnalyzeThis: I think that even Euwe would have slapped Bogo around in the 1948 tournament. It's just as well he stayed home.
Jan-15-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: This is what Bogo said regarding his play as the new generation came along:

<"The young people have read my book, now I have no chance.">

Jan-16-10  Petrosianic: You know, I've heard that quote, and never stopped to ask, what was Bogo's book anyway? Nimzo had <My System>, of course, but what did Bogo write? I'd like to see it.

You know, people like Bogo, Janowski, and Larsen get dissed a lot because they couldn't stand toe to toe with the absolute cream of the crop. But they were murder on lesser players, and their games are probably very entertaining and worthy of more study than I've given them. Lasker-Janowski was a blowout, of course, but Janowski and Marshall played several matches. I looked at them years back, and there was some good rock 'em sock 'em chess in there.

Jan-16-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: <Petrosianic> I'm not sure if there's a book out there written by Bogo. Maybe something on the two Alekhine matches? Or his Moscow win from 1925? Or perhaps he meant to say that the young players had his style of play figured out? Who knows?
Jan-16-10  nescio: <Petrosianic> <chancho>

E. Bogoljubow: Schach-Schule, Konkordia Verlag Bühl-Baden, 1935

An instruction manual for German youth players.

http://cgi.ebay.nl/E-Bogoljubow-Sch...

Jan-16-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: <nescio> Thanks for that.
Jan-16-10
Premium Chessgames Member
  Stonehenge: My Father has quite a few opening books by Euwe from the thirties :) He also has the 1948 tournament book.
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