View source for Samuel Reshevsky

{{Short description|Polish-American chess grandmaster (1911–1992)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox chess player
|name = Samuel Reshevsky
|image = Samuel Reshevsky 1964.jpg
|caption = Reshevsky in 1964
|full_name = Samuel Herman Reshevsky
|birthname = Szmul Rzeszewski
|country = {{ubl|United States (after 1924)|Poland (before 1924)}}
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1911|11|26}}
|birth_place = [[Ozorków]], [[Congress Poland]], [[Russian Empire]]
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1992|4|4|1911|11|26}}
|death_place = New York City
|title = [[Grandmaster (chess)|Grandmaster]] (1950)
|peakranking = No. 25 (July 1972)
|peakrating = 2565 (July 1972)
}}

'''Samuel Herman Reshevsky''' (born '''Szmul Rzeszewski'''; November 26, 1911<ref>[[Andy Soltis]] has claimed in ''[[Chess Life]]'' that Reshevsky told a number of people that he was actually born in 1909. In an interview with [[Hanon Russell]] the year before his death, however, Reshevsky stated that the 1911 date was accurate. See {{cite book |last=Winter |first=Edward G. |year=1999 |title=Kings, Commoners and Knaves: Further Chess Explorations |publisher=Russell Enterprises |isbn=9781888690040 |page=202 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8d4XAQAAMAAJ}}</ref> – April 4, 1992) was a Polish [[chess prodigy]] and later a leading American [[chess]] [[Grandmaster (chess)|grandmaster]]. He was a contender for the [[World Chess Championship]] from the mid 1930s to the late 1960s. He tied for third place in the [[World Chess Championship 1948|1948 World Chess Championship tournament]], tied for second in the  [[Zurich 1953 chess tournament|1953 Candidates tournament]], and was a Candidate as late as 1968. He was an eight-time winner of the [[US Chess Championship]], tying him with [[Bobby Fischer]] for the all-time record.

He was an [[accountant]] by profession, and also a chess writer.

==Early life, early chess exhibition and competition==
{{multiple image
| total_width = 200
| caption_align = center
| direction = vertical
| image1 = Samuel Reshevsky versus the World.JPG
| caption1 = Reshevsky in 1920 (at age eight) giving a [[simultaneous exhibition|simultaneous chess exhibition]] in Paris; he won all games.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zalman |first1=Jonathan |title=This Week in Chess History: Samuel Reshevsky |url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/this-week-in-chess-history-samuel-reshevsky-8-whoops-twenty-graybeards-in-paris |access-date=16 August 2021 |work=Tablet |date=May 15, 2015}}</ref>
| image2 = Fairbanks Chaplin Reshevsky 1921.jpg
| caption2 = Reshevsky playing chess with [[Douglas Fairbanks]] as [[Charlie Chaplin]] watches them during filming of the American silent film ''[[The Three Musketeers (1921 film)|The Three Musketeers]]'' in 1921
| image3 = ReshevskyChild.jpg
| caption3 = Reshevsky playing chess in 1922
}}
Reshevsky was born at [[Ozorków]] near [[Łódź]], [[Congress Poland]], to a [[Jewish]] family.<ref name=oxford335>{{cite book |last1=Hooper |first1=David |author-link1=David Vincent Hooper |last2=Whyld |first2=Kenneth |author-link2=Kenneth Whyld |year=1992 |title=[[The Oxford Companion to Chess]] |edition=Second |isbn=0-19-866164-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000hoop/page/335 335] |publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref> He learned to play chess at age four and was soon acclaimed as a [[chess prodigy|child prodigy]]. At age eight, he was beating many accomplished players with ease and giving [[simultaneous exhibition]]s.

In November 1920, his parents moved to the United States to make a living by publicly exhibiting their child's talent. Reshevsky played thousands of games in exhibitions all over the US. He played in the 1922 New York Masters tournament; at that stage, he was likely the youngest player ever to have competed in a strong tournament; in it, he defeated former World Championship match contender [[David Janowski]].

For a period in his youth, Reshevsky did not attend school, for which his parents appeared in District Court in [[Manhattan]], facing a charge of improper guardianship. However, [[Julius Rosenwald]], wealthy co-owner of [[Sears, Roebuck and Company]] in Chicago, soon afterward became Reshevsky's [[Benefactor (law)|benefactor]], and he guaranteed Reshevsky's future on the condition that he would complete his education.<ref name="CGC_Biog">{{cite web |url=https://www.chessgames.com/player/samuel_reshevsky.html |website=www.chessgames.com |title=Samuel Reshevsky chess biography; Chess Games |access-date=2025-05-20}}</ref>

Reshevsky never became a truly professional chess player. He gave up most competitive chess for seven years, from 1924 to 1931, to complete his secondary education while successfully competing in occasional events during this period.<ref name="CGC_Biog"/>

Reshevsky graduated from the [[University of Chicago]] in 1934 with a degree in accounting, and supported himself and his family by working as an accountant. He moved to New York City and lived there or in its suburbs for the remainder of his life. He and his wife, Norma Mindick, had three children. As a religious [[Orthodox Jew|Jew]], Reshevsky would not play on the [[Shabbat|Sabbath]] or on the major [[Jewish holidays|Jewish festivals]]; his games were scheduled accordingly.<ref name=oxford335/>

==Death==
Reshevsky died April 4, 1992, in [[Suffern, New York]], of a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thomas |first=Robert McG. Jr. |date=1992-04-07 |title=Samuel Reshevsky Is Dead; Chess Grandmaster Was 80 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/07/nyregion/samuel-reshevsky-is-dead-chess-grandmaster-was-80.html |access-date=2022-09-11 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Chess career==
===American results===
Reshevsky won the [[US Open Chess Championship]] in 1931 at [[Tulsa]]; this event was known as the Western Open at the time.<ref>{{cite web |last=Helms |first=Hermann |date=November 1931 |title=Western Chess Title Won by Reshevsky |work=American Chess Bulletin |pages=170–171 |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1020993}}</ref> He shared the 1934 US Open title with [[Reuben Fine]] at Chicago.<ref>{{cite book |last=di Felice |first=Gino |chapter=35th ACF Congress Chicago, Illinois, July 21 – August 1, 1934 |title=Chess Results 1931–1935 |date=17 October 2006 |isbn=978-0786427239 |pages=222–224 |publisher=McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1020525}}</ref>

Reshevsky won the [[US Chess Championship]] in 1936, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1946, and 1969. He also tied for first in 1972 but lost the playoff in 1973 to [[Robert Byrne (chess player)|Robert Byrne]]. He competed in a record 21 US Championships and achieved a plus score every time except for 1966–1967, when he scored just 4½/11.<ref>[http://www.chessmetrics.com the Reshevsky career results file], www.chessmetrics.com {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060414132700/http://www.chessmetrics.com/ |date=2006-04-14 }}</ref> He also holds US Championship records for most finishes in the top three places (15), most games played (269), and most games won (127).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Soltis |first1=Andy |author-link=Andy Soltis |last2=McCormick |first2=Gene H. |year=1997 |title=The United States Chess Championship 1845–1996 |edition=Second |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0786428564 |pages=223–225}}</ref>

===International results===
{{AN chess|pos=secright}}
Reshevsky's international career began in 1935 with a trip to England, where he won at [[Great Yarmouth]] with 10/11.<ref>{{cite web |title=Samuel Revshesky |work=Chess.com |url=http://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-players/samuel-reshevsky |access-date=30 May 2013}}</ref> He then won first place at the [[Margate]] tournament, where he beat, among others, former world champion [[José Raúl Capablanca]]; the game followed the [[Queen's Gambit Declined#Exchange Variation|Exchange Variation]] of the [[Queen's Gambit Declined]]. The game score follows: 
{{Chess diagram small 
|tright
|Reshevsky vs. Capablanca, 1935
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |rl|rd|kd|pd
|  |  |  |  |ql|  |pd|
|  |  |  |  |  |rd|  |
|  |  |  |pl|  |pl|  |
|  |rl|nl|  |pl|  |  |
|  |  |  |kl|  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |qd|  |
|Final position after 56.Kd2
}}
:Reshevsky vs. Capablanca, Margate 1935 <br />1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.cxd5 exd5 6.e3 Be7 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Qc2 c5 9.Nf3 c4 10.Bf5 Re8 11.0-0 g6 12.Bh3 Nf8 13.Bxc8 Rxc8 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.b3 Qa5 16.b4 Qd8 17.Qa4 a6 18.b5 Re6 19.Rab1 Rb8 20.Rb2 Be7 21.bxa6 Rxa6 22.Qc2 Ne6 23.Rfb1 Ra7 24.a4 Nc7 25.Ne5 Qe8 26.f4 f6 27.Ng4 Qd7 28.h3 Kg7 29.Nf2 Ba3 30.Ra2 Bd6 31.Nfd1 f5 32.Nb5 Ra5 33.Nxc7 Bxc7 34.Nc3 Qd6 35.Qf2 b6 36.Qf3 Rd8 37.Rab2 Qe7 38.Rb4 Rd7 39.Kh1 Bd8 40.g4 fxg4 41.hxg4 Qd6 42.Kg1 Bc7 43.Kf2 Rf7 44.g5 Bd8 45.Ke2 Bxg5 46.Rxb6 Qa3 47.Kd2 Be7 48.Rb7 Rxa4 49.Qxd5 Ra5 50.Qxc4 Rh5 51.Kd3 Qa8 52.Qe6 Qa3 53.Rd7 Rhf5 54.Rb3 Qa1 55.Rxe7 Qf1+ 56.Kd2 {{chessAN|1–0}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Reshevsky vs. Capablanca, Margate 1935 |website=[[Chessgames.com]] |url=http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1224079}}</ref>

A year later Reshevsky shared third place at the [[Nottingham 1936 chess tournament]]. In 1937 he shared first at [[Kemeri]], Latvia, and in 1938 shared fourth in the famous [[AVRO tournament]] in the Netherlands, which featured arguably the eight strongest players in the world. Reshevsky won his third US Open title at Boston 1944.

Reshevsky was a serious contender for the [[World Chess Championship|World Championship]] from roughly 1935 to the late 1960s. He was one of five chess grandmasters to compete in the [[World Chess Championship 1948|World Championship match tournament]] in [[The Hague]]/Moscow 1948 and finished in joint third place with [[Paul Keres]], behind [[Mikhail Botvinnik]] and [[Vasily Smyslov]]. This tournament was organized because World Champion [[Alexander Alekhine]] had died in 1946 while holding the title, which was an unprecedented situation.

In 1950, Reshevsky was awarded the title of [[Grandmaster (chess)|International Grandmaster]] by [[FIDE]], the World Chess Federation, on its inaugural list. Although eligible, he did not play in the [[World Chess Championship 1951|Candidates Tournament in Budapest]]. It has generally been believed that he was barred from attending by the [[US State Department]] due to the [[Cold War]].<ref>''From Morphy to Fischer'', [[Israel Horowitz]], Batsford, 1973</ref> The only other eligible active player from a [[NATO]] country, [[Max Euwe]] of the Netherlands, also did not play. In 1991, however, Reshevsky said the decision not to go was his.<ref>[http://www.chesscafe.com/text/resha.pdf An Interview with Reshevsky, Part 1], by Hanon W. Russell, 1991, page&nbsp;9</ref>

The following [[Zurich 1953 chess tournament|Candidates in Zurich 1953 tournament]] was probably Reshevsky's best chance to qualify for a World Championship match, but he finished in joint second place with [[David Bronstein]] and Keres, two points behind Smyslov. Bronstein, in his last book, ''Secret Notes'', published in 2007 just after his death the previous year, confirmed long-standing rumours by writing that the nine [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] grandmasters (out of a field of 15 players) at Zurich were under orders from both their chess leadership and the [[KGB]] not to let Reshevsky win the tournament under any circumstances, with Smyslov being the preferred victor. Bronstein claims that when Reshevsky maintained his strong contention late into the two-month event, the Soviets prearranged several results in games amongst themselves to successfully prevent Reshevsky's overall victory<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bronstein |first1=David |author-link1=David Bronstein |last2=Voronkov |first2=Sergey |year=2007 |title=Secret Notes |publisher=Edition Olms|location=Zurich |isbn=978-3-283-00464-4 |pages=131–137}}</ref>{{publisher needed |date=November 2019}}, while also ensuring that Reshevsky faced the maximum test in his own games against the Soviet players. Bronstein had earlier (1995) written that he was ordered by the Soviet delegation leader to win as Black against Reshevsky in the second cycle at Zurich and managed to do so after a very hard struggle.<ref>''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'' by David Bronstein and Tom Furstenberg, London 1995, Cadogan Chess</ref> Several other writers, including GM [[Alexei Suetin]] (who was the second of [[Tigran Petrosian]] at Zurich 1953), also confirmed the Soviet [[collusion]] in Zurich.<ref>{{cite book |last=Suetin |first=Alexei |author-link=Alexei Suetin |year=1998 |title=Chess Through The Prism of Time |publisher=Institute of Physical Culture and Sport |location=Moscow |page=113}}</ref>

Reshevsky qualified for one more Candidates in 1967 but lost the subsequent quarterfinal match to [[Viktor Korchnoi]] the following year.

===Olympiad results===
Reshevsky competed eight times for the US at the [[Chess Olympiad]]s, six times on {{chessgloss|first board|board one}}, over a 37-year span, helping the US team to win the gold in 1937 and bronze in 1974, and winning an individual bronze medal for his performance on board one in 1950. His complete results were (+39−12=49) in 100 games, for 63.5 percent. He played at [[7th Chess Olympiad|Stockholm 1937]], [[9th Chess Olympiad|Dubrovnik 1950]], [[10th Chess Olympiad|Helsinki 1952]], [[13th Chess Olympiad|Munich 1958]], [[16th Chess Olympiad|Tel Aviv 1964]], [[18th Chess Olympiad|Lugano 1968]], [[19th Chess Olympiad|Siegen 1970]], and [[21st Chess Olympiad|Nice 1974]].

==Match player==
In 1952, New York hosted the first eight games of an informal match for "The Championship of the Free World" between Reshevsky and [[Poland|Polish]]-[[Argentina|Argentine]] grandmaster [[Miguel Najdorf]]. An additional five games were played in Mexico City and five more in [[San Salvador]]. Reshevsky won the match, 11–7. The following year a rematch took place in [[Buenos Aires]]. Reshevsky again won, 9½–8½.

In his long career, Reshevsky proved a formidable match player. In 1941, he defeated [[Israel Albert Horowitz|I. A. Horowitz]] in a US Championship playoff match by (+3−0=13). In 1942, he defeated [[Isaac Kashdan]] by (+6−2=3). In 1952, he defeated [[Svetozar Gligorić]] by (+2−1=7). In 1956, he defeated [[William Lombardy]] by (+1−0=5). In 1957, he defeated [[Arthur Bisguier]] by (+4−2=4). In 1957, he defeated [[Donald Byrne]] by (+7−3=0). In 1960, he defeated [[Pal Benko]] by (+3−2=5).<ref>{{cite book |last=Reshevsky |first=Samuel |author-link=Samuel Reshevsky |year=1976 |title=Great Chess Upsets |publisher=Arco Publishing |location=New York |page=167}}</ref>

Reshevsky lost his first match in 1964, but it was a four-game playoff match following the [[Amsterdam]] 1964 Interzonal, where he had tied for 8th–9th with the Hungarian Champion [[Lajos Portisch]]. The final spot for advancement to the Candidates Match was at stake and there was little time between the end of the Interzonal and the start of the match. Reshevsky's earlier matches had always had a lead time of several months, which allowed him to prepare his openings, but he proved to be at a distinct disadvantage in this area against Portisch, who was a full-time chess professional and always excellent in his opening preparation. Reshevsky was quickly outplayed on the White side of the Queen's Gambit Accepted in the first game and eventually fell on time in a lost position. In the second game, he played sharply with Black, but Portisch was able to exchange the queens and a pair of rooks, thus draining much of the tension in the position. A draw by threefold repetition of position soon ensued. In his last game with White, Reshevsky had to go for broke. An Open Sicilian arose, but Portisch seized the initiative on the queenside; having gained a clear advantage, he was able to translate it into a crushing kingside attack, thus winning the match and the final Candidates spot. Amsterdam 1964 was the first meeting between these two chess greats, and Portisch was to prove a difficult opponent for Reshevsky, whose lifetime score against him was (+0−4=9).

Reshevsky played on top board for the US in the 1955 team match against the USSR, held in Moscow, and defeated World Champion [[Mikhail Botvinnik]] over four games, winning one and drawing three.

==Rivalry with Bobby Fischer==
{{refimprove section|date=February 2021}}
[[File:Samuel Reshevsky 1968.jpg|thumb|Reshevsky in 1968]]
Once [[Bobby Fischer]] made his debut at age 14 in the US Championship with the 1957–1958 event, he dominated completely, winning on each of his eight attempts, leaving Reshevsky, the seven-time former champion, back in the chasing pack. There was little love lost between the two players, separated by over 30 years in age. Ahead of the [[Buenos Aires]] 1960 tournament, Reshevsky reportedly said, "I would settle for 19th place – if Fischer placed 20th."<ref>{{cite book |last=Soltis |first=Andrew |author-link=Andrew Soltis |year=2003 |title=Bobby Fischer Rediscovered |publisher=Batsford |isbn=0-7134-8846-8 |page=69}}</ref> Reshevsky in fact won the Buenos Aires 1960 tournament, with Fischer well back; this was the only time Reshevsky finished ahead of Fischer in an international tournament.

In 1961 Reshevsky began a 16-game match with the then-current US Champion Fischer; it was jointly staged in New York and Los Angeles. Despite Fischer's recent meteoric rise, consensus opinion favored Reshevsky. After eleven games and a tie score (two wins apiece with seven draws), the match ended due to a scheduling dispute between Fischer and match organizer [[Jacqueline Piatigorsky]], with Reshevsky receiving the winner's share of the prize fund.<ref>''Profile of a Prodigy'', by [[Frank Brady (writer)|Frank Brady]]</ref>

In the 1967 [[Sousse]] [[Interzonal]], Fischer turned up 53 minutes late (only seven minutes short of an automatic time forfeiture) for his game with Reshevsky, and made his opening move without a word of apology. Reshevsky, who had been convinced that Fischer had withdrawn from the tournament, lost the game badly and complained furiously to the organizers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Plisetsky |first=Dmitry |year=1994 |title=Russians vs Fischer |publisher=Chess World |isbn=5-900767-01-9 |page=151}}</ref> Despite losing that game, Reshevsky advanced to the next stage. Reshevsky also refused to play for the US team in the Chess Olympiads of 1960, 1962 and 1966 because Fischer, as US champion, was chosen ahead of him for the top board. He did, however, finally consent to play on a lower board in 1970, the only time the two men appeared in the same team.

Although Reshevsky and Fischer had one of the fiercest rivalries in chess history, Fischer greatly respected the older champion, stating in the late 1960s that he thought Reshevsky was the strongest player in the world in the mid-1950s. This was around the time when Reshevsky defeated World Champion [[Mikhail Botvinnik]] in their four-game mini-match, which was the top board of the US vs. USSR team match held in Moscow.

During his long chess career, Reshevsky played eleven of the first twelve world champions, from [[Emanuel Lasker]] to [[Anatoly Karpov]], the only player to do so (he met [[Garry Kasparov]] but never played him). He defeated seven world champions: Lasker, [[José Raúl Capablanca]], [[Alexander Alekhine]], [[Max Euwe]], Mikhail Botvinnik, [[Vasily Smyslov]], and Bobby Fischer.

==Important tournament titles==
Aside from US Championships, Reshevsky's important tournament titles included: 
[[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]] 1934, 
[[Hastings International Chess Congress|Hastings]] 1937–1938, 
[[Leningrad]]/Moscow 1939, 
Hollywood 1945 ([[Pan American Chess Championship|Pan American Championship]]), 
New York 1951 ([[Maurice Wertheim]] Memorial), 
[[Havana]] 1952, 
New York 1956 ([[Lessing Rosenwald]] Trophy), 
[[Dallas]] 1957, 
[[Haifa]]/[[Tel Aviv]] 1958, 
[[Buenos Aires]] 1960, 
[[Netanya]] 1969, 
[[Reykjavík]] Open 1984, at age 72.<ref>[[chessmetrics]].com, the Reshevsky player file</ref>

Reshevsky competed seriously at least semi-regularly, virtually until his death in New York City in 1992. He defeated old rival [[Vasily Smyslov]] in a tournament game in 1991.

==Style==
Reshevsky was a tough and forceful player who was superb at positional play but could also play brilliant tactical chess when warranted. He often used huge amounts of time in the [[Chess opening|opening]], which sometimes forced him to play the rest of the game in a very short amount of time. That sometimes unsettled Reshevsky's opponents, but at other times resulted in [[Blunder (chess)|blunders]] on his part. Reshevsky's inadequate study of the opening and his related tendency to fall into [[Time trouble|time pressure]] may have been the reasons that, despite his great talent, he never became world champion; he himself acknowledged this in his book on chess upsets. This shortcoming was similarly noted by GM [[Larry Evans (chess grandmaster)|Larry Evans]] in commentary contained in Fischer's book ''[[My 60 Memorable Games]]''.<ref>''My 60 Memorable Games'' by [[Bobby Fischer]], Simon & Schuster, New York 1969</ref>

Reshevsky specialized in [[Closed Game|closed openings]] with the white pieces, usually opening with [[1.d4]], and was a virtuoso with the Exchange Variation of the [[Queen's Gambit Declined]]. He rarely opened with [[1.e4]] against strong opposition. With the black pieces, he employed a broad and varied repertoire during his long career.

Contemporary American GM [[Arnold Denker]] complimented Reshevsky's extraordinary tenacity and fighting spirit and noted that Reshevsky developed a vital advantage in his great head-to-head battles with his main American rival, GM [[Reuben Fine]], particularly in US Championships from the mid 1930s through the early 1940s. Trouble in games against Reshevsky was the main reason Fine was never able to win the US Championship.<ref>''The Bobby Fischer I Knew And Other Stories'' by [[Arnold Denker]] and [[Larry Parr (editor)|Larry Parr]], San Francisco 1995, Hypermodern Press, {{ISBN|1-886040-18-4}}</ref>

==Writings==
Reshevsky's books include ''Reshevsky on Chess'' (1948), ''How Chess Games Are Won'' (1962), ''Great Chess Upsets'' (1976), and ''The Art of Positional Play'' (1978), as well as an account of the 1972 World Championship match between his great rival Bobby Fischer and [[Boris Spassky]]. He also wrote articles on chess for ''[[American Chess Bulletin]]'', ''[[Chess Life]]'' and ''[[Chess Review]]'' magazines, and for ''[[The New York Times]]''.

===Books by Reshevsky===
* ''Learn Chess Fast!'', {{ISBN|4-87187-865-1}}
* ''The Art of Positional Play in Chess'', {{ISBN|4-87187-459-1}}
* ''Great Chess Upsets'', {{ISBN|4-87187-510-5}}
* ''First Piatigorsky Cup International Grandmaster Chess Tournament'', {{ISBN|4-87187-843-0}}
* ''Reshevsky on Chess: The U.S. Champion Tells How He Wins,'' {{ISBN|978-4871875356}}
* ''How Chess Games Are Won'' 
* ''Reshevsky's Best Games of Chess''
* ''Reshevsky on the Fischer-Spassky Games''

==Quotes==
* "By playing slowly during the early phases of a game I am able to grasp the basic requirements of each position. Then, despite being in time pressure, I have no difficulty in finding the best continuation. Incidentally, it is an odd fact that more often than not it is my opponent who gets the jitters when I am compelled to make these hurried moves."{{cn|date=August 2020}}
* His self-description, "My style is somewhere between that of [[Mikhail Tal|Tal]] and [[Tigran Petrosian|Petrosian]]", is sometimes circulated as an ironic comment (given that these two players are considered to represent opposite extremes of style) but makes more sense in its full context; from his book ''Great Chess Upsets'' : <blockquote>I am essentially a positional player, although I can conduct an assault with precision and vigor, when the opportunity arises. My style lies between that of Tal and Petrosian. It is neither over-aggressive nor too passive. My strength consists of a fighting spirit, a great desire to win, and a stubborn defense whenever in trouble. I rarely become discouraged in an inferior situation, and I fear no one.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sands |first1=David R. |title=In taxing times, a salute to the greatest accountant in chess history |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/apr/10/in-taxing-times-a-salute-to-the-greatest-accountan/ |access-date=25 August 2020 |work=[[The Washington Times]] |date=10 April 2018}}</ref></blockquote>

==Notable games==
[[Chessgames.com]] 10 game list.<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=11209 Notable games Profile section]</ref>
* Reshevsky vs. Capablanca, 1935 {{chessAN|1–0}}<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1224079 chessgames.com – Margate ENG, rd 4, Apr-27]</ref>  
* Lasker vs. Reshevsky, 1936 {{chessAN|0–1}}<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1008309 chessgames.com – Nottingham ENG, rd 11, Aug-22]</ref>  
* Reshevsky vs. G Treysman, 1938 1–0<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1282941 chessgames.com – New York, NY US, rd 3, Apr-04]</ref>  
* Reshevsky vs. F Vasconcellos, 1944 1–0<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1277969 chessgames.com – Boston, MA US, rd 17, Aug-10]</ref>  
* Botvinnik vs. Reshevsky, 1948 0–1<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1032174 chessgames.com – Hague NLD/Moscow RUS, rd 14, Apr-18]</ref>  
* Reshevsky vs. Najdorf, 1952 1–0<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1101450 chessgames.com – Dallas, TX US, rd 3, Dec-02]</ref>  
* Reshevsky vs. Petrosian, 1953 {{chessAN|½–½}}<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1106248 chessgames.com – Zurich SUI, rd 2, Aug-31]</ref>  
* Szabo vs. Reshevsky, 1953 ½–½<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1136792 chessgames.com – Zurich SUI, rd 19, Oct-04]</ref>  
* Reshevsky vs. Geller, 1953 ½–½<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1048629 chessgames.com – Zurich SUI, rd 24, Oct-13]</ref>
* Larry Evans vs. Reshevsky, 1963 ½–½<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1252040 chessgames.com – New York, NY US, rd 9, Dec-29]</ref>
* Reshevsky vs. Fischer, 1961. 11-game match.<ref>[http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=80180 chessgames.com – "11 game fiasco."]</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Jewish chess players]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book
 | last=Gordon |first=Stephen W.
 | year=2011
 | title=Samuel Reshevsky
 | publisher=McFarland
 | isbn=978-0-7864-6093-9}}
*{{cite book
 |last=Kasparov|first=Garry|author-link=Garry Kasparov
 |year=2004
 |title=[[My Great Predecessors]], part IV
 |publisher = [[Everyman Chess]]
 |isbn=1-85744-395-0}}
*{{cite book
 | last=Soszynski |first=Marek
 | year=2018
 | title=The Great Reshevsky: Chess Prodigy and Old Warrior
 | publisher=Forward Chess}}
*{{cite book
 | last=Soszynski |first=Marek
 | year=2023
 | title=Rare and Ruthless Reshevsky
 | publisher=MarekMedia
 | isbn=9798223380665}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Chessgames player|11209}}
*{{OlimpBase player|mgmygkuo}}
*1991 Interview: [http://www.chesscafe.com/text/resha.pdf Part 1] • [http://www.chesscafe.com/text/reshb.pdf Part 2]
*[http://www.chessdryad.com/articles/wall/art_11.htm Reshevsky in California] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223044406/http://www.chessdryad.com/articles/wall/art_11.htm |date=February 23, 2007 }}
*[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE6D61738F934A35757C0A964958260&sec=&pagewanted=print New York Times obituary]
*[http://www.peterspioneers.com/Chaplin.jpg Samuel Reshevsky as a boy with Charlie Chaplin, 1921]
*[http://www.peterspioneers.com/Reshevsky.jpg young Samuel Reshevsky with promoter and game board maker William Drueke, 1919]
*[http://www.peterspioneers.com/WRSD.htm main article Drueke family lineage and involvement with Samuel Reshevsky]
*[https://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/reshevsky1.html "The Chess Prodigy Samuel Reshevsky" by Edward Winter]

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|ach}}
{{succession box|
 before=[[Frank Marshall (chess player)|Frank Marshall]]|
 title=[[United States Chess Championship|United States Chess Champion]]|
 years=1936–1944|
 after=[[Arnold Denker]]
}}

{{succession box|
 before=[[Arnold Denker]]|
 title=[[United States Chess Championship|United States Chess Champion]]|
 years=1946–1948|
 after=[[Herman Steiner]]
}}

{{succession box|
 before=[[Larry Evans (chess grandmaster)|Larry Evans]]|
 title=[[United States Chess Championship|United States Chess Champion]]|
 years=1969–1972|
 after=[[Robert Byrne (chess player)|Robert Byrne]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}
{{American chess grandmasters}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reshevsky, Samuel}}
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1992 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Ozorków]]
[[Category:Chess Grandmasters]]
[[Category:Chess Olympiad competitors]]
[[Category:American chess players]]
[[Category:Polish chess players]]
[[Category:Jewish chess players]]
[[Category:American chess writers]]
[[Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Polish emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Polish Orthodox Jews]]
[[Category:American Orthodox Jews]]
[[Category:University of Chicago alumni]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Łódź Voivodeship]]
[[Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:American male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:20th-century chess players]]
[[Category:People from Spring Valley, New York]]