A Great Chess Triumvirate
By Lisa Joanna Feinstein Chess has always been a game to intrigue and facinate the Jewish mind, Jn the days of old Europe, when the Jews lived in semi-exile,' they excelled at the game, but not on a national basis. Who knows but what great dhess minds remained shrouded in the veil of the Ghetto in Poland and in Russia before the first war? It remained for Mikhail Botwiimick of Russia, the anti-Semitic Alexander Alekhine^ now dead; Dr. Max Evwe of HoUand and Jose Capablanoa of Cuba to dominate the international scene in this facinating and intricate game.
In recent years, however, a new generation of champions has arisen, a Jewish generation that has won honors not only on these shores, but overseas as well. Three of them in particular are outstanding—Samuel Rashevsky, Isaac Kashdan and Reuben Fine. Each has a story filled with drama, filled with suspense and brinmadng with achievement.
Of the trio Reshevsl^r is the best known, partly because of his career as a child prodigy. Now 35 years ago, this great player came to this cotmtry in 1921 Irom Poland at the age of 10. Even at that age he had acquired a reputation which was augmented by exhibitions he gave in countries outside of Poland. He made his American debut in 1921 at West Point, when he single-handedly tackled a team of 20 players and he lived up every bit to his name, conquering ,11 ten without losing a game.
But Rashevsky's sponsors did not seek to capitalize on his amazing ability. It was more importanat to them that he should grow up as a normal youth and so he was sent to high school and to the University of Chicago, temporarily retired. When he returned to the game he swept all opposition before hino, capturing the Western championship, the New York State Clhess Association honors and two tournaments in England, in one of which he overcame Capablanca, a former world's champion. It was relatively easy for him to sweep the American title in 1936 and he has been virtually unchallenged since.
In his early years, Reshevsky's mental greatness was not limited to clhess. He could solve the most intricate problems of the Talmud, often astonishing Jewish scholars
in so doing.
Rashevsky's fame was not limited to has American conquests. When he returned to Europe for the first time he had the satisfaction of winning the Master's tournament at Margate, England, defeating Capablanca among others. He then
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annexed the British Chess Federation laurels and was judgiad on the basis of these triumpihs one of the leading players in the world. In more recent years he has been playing sporadically but when he engages a rival at the boards his skill remains almost insurmountable.
Closely assodated with Baslhevsjc'
because of his consximmate strategy and success internationally is Isaac Kashdan. At the age of 41 he is a past master at the board, for he has won his spurs at international events many years ago, Tn fact he forced Rashevsky to share the U.S. championship with him for eight months before the Brooklyn master defeated his rival from Flat-bxish in 1943 to regain sole possess- . ion of the bauble. Back hi 1928 Kashdan starred at the International Chess Federation at the Hague and was the aoe of the U.S. team that placed second in the Olympic competitions. He was awarded a special medal for making the best individual score of any of the many p\syexs representing the 17 coimtries in the field. This honomr he augmented a few years later when he emerged the victor in the race for International Gonfalons.
Perhaixs the brightest feather in Kashdan's crown is 'his sensational engagement in 1933, when he em-\ilated the most famous of all chessmen by plaing against 400 opponents across 100 boards. Four rivals were pitted against him on each board. It was a severe test his rapity in thinking in dealing his rapity in thinkinv in dealing with new situations as they came, remembering at the same time what had transpassed, was little short of stupefying. But Kashdan was up to it and acquitted hiuself nobly.
The third of this towering triumvirates is Reuben Fine, the yoimgest of the three, he was bom in New York in 1914 and likewise gained both American and International distinction. Like.Kashdan he cnce toppled the mighty Rashevsky wiiming the U.S. rapid-transit honors in a "lighning competition. With RashevslQr he was invited to go to England to compete against other greats and he /-'-
lost only two games out of a dozen. In 1943 he visited Gautamala and engaged in 204 games. He won 180 of these, drew in 20 and lost only 4. Tmo other performances were at "blmdfold" chess. That is he did not see either the board or Itttie --■-
pieces. In neither case did he lose a game. In the first he won nine games and drew one, in the second he won eight and drew two. When he won the U.S. Open tournament in 1940 his closest rival was a West (Continued on Page 43)
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