Arnold Denker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arnold Denker
Denker in 2004
Full name	Arnold Sheldon Denker
Country	United States
Born	(1914-02-21)February 21, 1914 New York City
Died	January 2, 2005(2005-01-02) (aged 90) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
Title	International Master (1950) Honorary Grandmaster (1981)
Peak rating	2340 (July 1978)

Arnold Sheldon Denker (born February 21, 1914 – died January 2, 2005) was a famous American chess player and writer. He won the U.S. Chess Championship twice, in 1944 and 1946. Later in his life, he helped lead many chess groups. The United States Chess Federation even gave him their top award in 2004, calling him the "Dean of American Chess". This means he was seen as a very important leader in American chess.

Becoming a Chess Star

Arnold Denker was born on February 21, 1914, in the Bronx, New York City. He learned chess in 1923 by watching his older brothers play. But he didn't get serious about the game until high school.

At Theodore Roosevelt High School, students played chess for money in the cafeteria. Arnold kept losing his lunch money. Then he found a book by former world chess champion Emanuel Lasker called "Common Sense in Chess". He studied it, and soon he started winning his money back!

Arnold was also a good boxer when he was young. He first got noticed in chess when he won the New York City high school championship in 1929. He was only 15 years old.

In the next ten years, Arnold became one of the best chess players in the U.S. He was a strong rival to other top players like Samuel Reshevsky and Reuben Fine.

Winning the U.S. Championship

In 1940, Arnold Denker won the first of his six championships at the Manhattan Chess Club. He became the U.S. Champion in 1944. He won 14 games, drew 3, and didn't lose any. This was an amazing score!

He called his win against Reuben Fine in that tournament "the game of my life". His winning percentage was the best in U.S. Championship history for a long time. Only Bobby Fischer later beat it in 1963–64.

Arnold successfully defended his U.S. title in 1946. He played a match against Herman Steiner in Los Angeles and won 6–4. In 1950, he earned the title of International Master from FIDE. This was the first year FIDE gave out this title.

Chess During World War II

During World War II, Arnold Denker played chess shows at army bases. He even played on aircraft carriers to entertain soldiers.

In 1945, as the U.S. champion, he played in a special radio match between the USA and the USSR. He played on the top board but lost both games to Mikhail Botvinnik. In 1946, he traveled to Moscow for a return match and lost both games to Vasily Smyslov.

Also in 1946, he played in the big Groningen tournament in Europe. This was the first major chess event after World War II. He played well, even getting draws against Botvinnik and Smyslov.

Some chess experts believe Arnold Denker was unlucky. His best years were during World War II. Not many big chess tournaments happened then. This meant he didn't get to show his full strength on the world stage as much as he could have.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1981, FIDE gave Arnold Denker the honorary title of Grandmaster. This is one of the highest honors in chess.

Later in his life, he became a very important chess organizer. He served on the boards of several major chess groups. These included the American Chess Foundation and the United States Chess Federation (USCF). He was also a big supporter of the Denker Tournament of High School Champions. This important tournament for young chess players is named after him!

Arnold Denker kept playing chess, but not as strongly as he did in his younger days. He also wrote many chess articles. In 1995, he wrote a book called The Bobby Fischer I Knew and Other Stories.

In 1992, Arnold Denker was added to the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame. On June 11, 2004, he received America's highest chess honor. He was named "Dean of American Chess" by the USCF. He was only the third person ever to get this special title.

Arnold Denker graduated from New York University. He married Nina Simmons in 1936. Their marriage lasted 57 years until she passed away in 1993. They had three children: Richard, Mitchell, and Randie.

Arnold Denker died on January 2, 2005, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was 90 years old.

Sample Game

Denker vs. Feit, 1929

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Final position after 23.Bg6–h7

Here is one of Arnold Denker's favorite games. He played this brilliant game when he was only 15 years old!

Denker–Feit, New York 1929 Dutch Defense
1.d4 f5 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 Nf6 6.c4 Be7 7.Nc3 d6 8.d5 e5 9.Ng5 Bc8 10.e4 0-0 11.f4 exf4 12.Bxf4 fxe4 13.Ncxe4 Nxe4 14.Bxe4 Bxg5 15.Qh5 Rxf4 16.Qxh7+ Kf7 17.Bg6+ Kf6 18.Rxf4+ Bxf4 19.Qh4+ Bg5 20.Qe4 Be3+ 21.Kh1 Bh3 22.Rf1+ Kg5 23.Bh7 1–0

Books

Arnold Denker also wrote books about chess:

• If You Must Play Chess, by Arnold Denker, 1947.
• The Bobby Fischer I Knew and Other Stories, by Arnold Denker and Larry Parr, 1995.

See also

In Spanish: Arnold Denker para niños