Play Chess Against Samuel Reshevsky

Samuel Reshevsky (1911-1992), the child prodigy who became a seven-time US champion, sits across the board. Set the strength, clock, color and starting position, then press Start game.

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Portrait of Samuel Reshevsky — Samuel Reshevsky, 1911-1992.

Black · Samuel Reshevsky10:00

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White · You10:00

Samuel Reshevskyhistorical player

Preparing the board.

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Set up your game against Samuel Reshevsky

Samuel Reshevsky stays selected. Choose the playing strength, clock, color and starting position.

OpponentSamuel ReshevskyStrength1500Clock10+5You playWhite

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Samuel Reshevsky1911-1992

Playing strength

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1500

1500Reshevsky, 1500 Elo target2600

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All chess legends

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About Samuel Reshevsky

Young Samuel Reshevsky giving a simultaneous exhibition

Samuel Reshevsky (1911-1992) was the most famous chess prodigy before Bobby Fischer, giving simultaneous exhibitions across two continents before he turned ten. After stepping away to finish his education he returned to win seven US championships and to tie for third in the 1948 world championship tournament. A gritty positional fighter notorious for time pressure, he never played on the Sabbath and stayed dangerous at grandmaster level into his eighties.

Seven-time US championWon or shared the national title from 1936 to 1972, a span of 36 years

Prodigy at eightToured Europe giving simultaneous exhibitions before his ninth birthday

Beat world champion BotvinnikDefeated the reigning champion at the 1955 USA-USSR match in Moscow

Title contender at 36Tied for third at the 1948 world championship tournament, behind Botvinnik and Smyslov

1911
Born in Poland
Szmul Rzeszewski was born on 26 November 1911 in Ozorkow, then part of the Russian Empire, today in Poland.
1919
The eight-year-old sensation
Gave simultaneous exhibitions across Europe at eight, then toured the United States, astonishing crowds with his play against adults.
1924
Steps away to study
His parents ended the touring so he could go to school. He later graduated from the University of Chicago with an accounting degree.
1935
Wins Margate ahead of Capablanca
Back at the board, he took first prize at Margate 1935, finishing ahead of former world champion José Capablanca.
1936
US champion
Won the first of his seven US championships, beginning three decades of dominance at home.
1948
World championship contender
Tied for third at The Hague and Moscow tournament that crowned Botvinnik, the closest he came to the title.
1955
Beats Botvinnik
Defeated the reigning world champion at the USA-USSR team match in Moscow, one of the most celebrated single results of the decade.
1961
The abandoned Fischer match
His match with the 18-year-old Bobby Fischer collapsed in a scheduling dispute at 5.5-5.5 and was never finished.
1972
Seventh title at 60
Shared the US championship at age 60, 36 years after his first, and kept playing elite events into his seventies.
1992
Dies in New York
Died on 4 April 1992 at 80. His six decades at the top, from child star to veteran grandmaster, have no parallel in American chess.