Andrew Soltis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Andrew Soltis |
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Soltis in 2015
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| Full name | Andrew Eden Soltis |
| Country | United States |
| Born | May 28, 1947 Hazleton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Title | Grandmaster (1980) |
| FIDE rating | 2407 (June 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2480 (January 1981) |
Andrew Eden Soltis, born on May 28, 1947, is an amazing American chess grandmaster. He is also a well-known author and writes columns about chess. In 2011, he was honored by being added to the United States Chess Hall of Fame.
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Andrew Soltis: A Chess Grandmaster
Andrew Soltis started his chess journey when he was 10 years old. He found a "how-to-play" chess book in a library in Astoria, Queens, where he grew up. He didn't get super interested until he was 14. That's when he joined a local chess club in Astoria. Later, he joined the famous Marshall Chess Club. His very first tournament was the 1961 New York City Junior Championship.
His Amazing Chess Journey
In 1970, Andrew Soltis played for the United States team. His team won a gold medal at the 17th World Student Team Championship. He also had one of the best individual scores, winning 8 out of 9 games! He helped the U.S. team win silver medals in two other championships too.
In 1972, Soltis won an international tournament in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Two years later, he earned the title of International Master. He won more international tournaments in New York in 1977 and 1980. Because of these wins, he was given the highest chess title: International Grandmaster in 1980. This title is usually just called "Grandmaster."
Andrew Soltis won the championship at the well-known Marshall Chess Club a record nine times! He won in 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1986, and 1989. He also played in four U.S. Championships. He even tied for first place in the 1977 and 1982 U.S. Open Championships.
He stopped playing in tournaments around 2002. At his best, in January 1971, he was ranked as the 74th best chess player in the world!
A Prolific Chess Writer
Andrew Soltis has written a weekly chess column for the New York Post newspaper since 1972. He also writes a monthly column called "Chess to Enjoy" for Chess Life magazine. This magazine is the official publication of the United States Chess Federation. His column is the longest-running one in the magazine, starting in 1979. He was named "Chess Journalist of the Year" in 1988 and 2002.
What's really cool is that Soltis earned the International Grandmaster title, but he wasn't a full-time chess player. He worked as a news reporter and editor for the New York Post from 1969 until he retired in 2014. Even after retiring, he kept writing his weekly chess column for the Post.
He is known as one of the most active chess writers ever. He has written or helped write over 100 books and guides about chess! His books have been translated into many languages, like Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Polish. In 2014, his book Mikhail Botvinnik: The Life and Games of a World Chess Champion was named "Book of the Year." Other awards for his books include the 1994 British Chess Federation award for Frank Marshall, United States Champion. He also won the Cramer Award in 2006 for Soviet Chess 1917–1991 and Why Lasker Matters.
His Special Chess Ideas
| This section uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves. |
Andrew Soltis is famous for a special move in the Sicilian Dragon Yugoslav Attack. It's called the Soltis Variation. This move, 12...h5, was a new idea that helped Black avoid getting checkmated. He also gave names to other chess openings, like the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, the Baltic Defense, and the Chameleon Sicilian.
He also helped make names for different pawn shapes and moves popular. Examples include the Marco Hop and the Boleslavsky Hole. He wrote about these in his book Pawn Structure Chess. He also introduced the Russian chess term priyome (which means a special technique or method) to English chess books in Studying Chess Made Easy.
Personal Life
Andrew Soltis graduated from City College of New York in 1969. Since 1981, he has been married to Marcy Soltis. She is also a journalist and plays chess in tournaments.
See also
In Spanish: Andrew Soltis para niños
Images for kids
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Soltis in 2015
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Soltis in 1981
