Anthony Edward Santasiere (December 9, 1904January 13, 1977) was an American
chess master
A chess title is a title regulated by a chess governing body and bestowed upon players based on their performance and rank. Such titles are usually granted for life. The international chess governing body FIDE grants several titles, the most pres ...
and chess writer, who also wrote extensively on non-chess topics. Santasiere was a middle school mathematics teacher by profession. Santasiere won the 1945
U.S. Open Chess Championship The U.S. Open Championship is an open national chess championship that has been held in the United States annually since .
History
The tournament was originally the championship of the Western Chess Association, and was called the Western Open. I ...
, four New York State championships, and six
Marshall Chess Club
The Marshall Chess Club, in Greenwich Village, New York City, is one of the oldest chess clubs in the United States. The club was formed in 1915 by a group of players led by Frank Marshall. It is a nonprofit organization and a gold affiliate o ...
championships. He competed in four U.S. Chess Championships, with his best finish being a tie for third in 1946. He was a chess organizer.
Early life, education, professional career
Santasiere, of French and Italian ancestry, was born and raised in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, the 12th of 13 children, and grew up in extreme poverty. He graduated from
City College with a degree in
mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
. His studies there were financed by Alrick Man, a wealthy chess enthusiast who had served as president of the
Marshall Chess Club
The Marshall Chess Club, in Greenwich Village, New York City, is one of the oldest chess clubs in the United States. The club was formed in 1915 by a group of players led by Frank Marshall. It is a nonprofit organization and a gold affiliate o ...
. Santasiere represented CCNY in intercollegiate chess. Following graduation, beginning in 1927, Santasiere taught mathematics at the
Angelo Patri
Angelo Patri (November 26, 1876 – September 13, 1965) was an Italian-American author and educator.
His real surname was Petraglia, and he was born in Piaggine (Salerno province) of south-western Italy. Patri came to the United States when he wa ...
Middle School in the
Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
. He also taught mathematics and home room at P.S. 92 in the Bronx. He retired to
South Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
in 1965.
Chess career
Santasiere wrote extensively on chess in the magazine ''
American Chess Bulletin
The ''American Chess Bulletin'' was a chess periodical that was published monthly (November-April) and bi-monthly (May-October) from 1904 to 1962. It was published from New York City. The editor was Hermann Helms (1870–1963), who founded the ma ...
'', from 1930 to 1963; he served as Games Editor, working with Editor
Hermann Helms
Hermann Helms (1870, New York USA – 1963, Brooklyn) was an American chess player, writer, and promoter. He is a member of the United States Chess Hall of Fame, organized as part of the World Chess Hall of Fame.
Biography Chess competition
He ...
.
The chess opening Santasiere's Folly (1.Nf3 d5 2.b4), was originated and developed by him, and is
named for him. Santasiere was also an expert in the
Reti Opening
Reti or Réti may refer to:
Entertainment
* Reti, a character in the video game '' Star Wars: Starfighter''
* Réti endgame study, a chess endgame study by Richard Réti
* Réti Opening, chess opening named after Richard Réti
* ''Reti'' (film), ...
, the
King's Gambit
The King's Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
:1. e4 e5
:2. f4
White offers a pawn to divert the black e-pawn. If Black accepts the gambit, White has two main plans. The first is to play d4 and Bxf4, regaining the gambit p ...
, and the
Vienna Game
The Vienna Game is an opening in chess that begins with the moves:
:1. e4 e5
:2. Nc3
White's second move is less common than 2.Nf3, and is also more recent.
The original idea behind the Vienna Game was to play a delayed King's Gambit with f ...
.
Metropolitan competitor
In the 1930s, Santasiere defeated
Albert Simonson
Albert Charles Simonson (December 26, 1914 in New York City – November 16, 1965 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) was an American chess master. He was one of the strongest American players of the 1930s, and was part of the American team which won the go ...
by (+3 -1) in a match, and also defeated
Fred Reinfeld
Fred Reinfeld (January 27, 1910 – May 29, 1964) was an American writer on chess and many other subjects. He was also a strong chess master, often among the top ten American players from the early 1930s to the early 1940s, as well as a college ...
in match play by (+3 =3 -0). Santasiere competed in 34 consecutive
Marshall Chess Club
The Marshall Chess Club, in Greenwich Village, New York City, is one of the oldest chess clubs in the United States. The club was formed in 1915 by a group of players led by Frank Marshall. It is a nonprofit organization and a gold affiliate o ...
Championships, and represented the Marshall Club for 37 consecutive seasons in the Metropolitan Chess League.
[Denker and Parr]
1920s
In 1922, at age 17, Santasiere won the first of his six Marshall Chess Club Championships.
In 1923, Santasiere tied for 13th/14th place at
Lake Hopatcong
Lake Hopatcong is the largest freshwater body in New Jersey, United States, about in area. Located from the Delaware River and from Manhattan, New York City, the lake forms part of the border between Sussex and Morris counties in the state's n ...
(9th
American Chess Congress The American Chess Congress was a series of chess tournaments held in the United States, a predecessor to the current U.S. Chess Championship. It had nine editions, the first played in October 1857 and the last in August 1923.
First American Che ...
,
Frank Marshall and
Abraham Kupchik Abraham Kupchik (25 March 1892 – 26 November 1970) was an American chess master.
Abraham Kupchik was born into a Jewish family in Brest (then Russian Empire, now Belarus) to parents Pinchas Kupchik and Bessie Kupchik née Perlmutter. His fam ...
won). In 1924, he took third place, behind Marshall and
, at New York. In 1927, he tied for third/fourth at New York (
Albert Pinkus Albert Sidney Pinkus (20 March 1903 in New York City – 4 February 1984 in New York) was an American chess master and writer. In 1943 and 1944, he published an analysis of the Two Knights Defense in ''Chess Review''. His main career was as an explo ...
won). In 1927, he tied for fourth through sixth place at
Rome, New York
Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States, located in the Central New York, central part of the state. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Ro ...
New York State Championship Rudolph Smirka won). In 1928, Santasiere won at
Buffalo (New York State Championship). In 1929, he took third place, behind
Herman Steiner
Herman Steiner (April 15, 1905 – November 25, 1955) was an American chess player, organizer, and columnist.
He won the U.S. Chess Championship in 1948 and became International Master in 1950.
Even more important than his playing career were his ...
and
Jacob Bernstein, at Buffalo (New York State Championship).
[nysca.net, list of champions]
1930s
In 1930, he tied for first with
Norman Lessing
Norman Lessing (June 24, 1911 – October 22, 2001) was an American television screenwriter and producer, playwright, chess master, and chess writer.
Biography
Lessing grew up in New York City, and played a great deal of chess as a youth, reach ...
at
Utica (New York State Championship).
In 1931, he took seventh place in New York (
José Raúl Capablanca
José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera (19 November 1888 – 8 March 1942) was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. A chess prodigy, he is widely renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play.
Capablanc ...
won). In 1931, he tied for third/fourth at Rome (New York State Championship;
Fred Reinfeld
Fred Reinfeld (January 27, 1910 – May 29, 1964) was an American writer on chess and many other subjects. He was also a strong chess master, often among the top ten American players from the early 1930s to the early 1940s, as well as a college ...
won). In 1934, he tied for ninth/tenth at
Syracuse
Syracuse may refer to:
Places Italy
*Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa''
*Province of Syracuse
United States
*Syracuse, New York
**East Syracuse, New York
**North Syracuse, New York
*Syracuse, Indiana
* Syracuse, Kansas
*Syracuse, Miss ...
(
Samuel Reshevsky
Samuel Herman Reshevsky (born Szmul Rzeszewski; November 26, 1911 – April 4, 1992) was a Polish chess prodigy and later a leading American chess grandmaster. He was a contender for the World Chess Championship from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960 ...
won). In 1935, he took seventh at
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
(U.S. Open); (
Reuben Fine
Reuben C. Fine (October 11, 1914 – March 26, 1993) was an American chess player, psychologist, university professor, and author of many books on both chess and psychology. He was one of the strongest chess players in the world from the mi ...
won). In 1938, he tied for 10th/11th at
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
(second US Championship; Reshevsky won). In 1938, he took fifth at
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
(U.S. Open); (
Israel Horowitz
Israel Albert Horowitz (often known as I. A. Horowitz or Al Horowitz) (November 15, 1907 – January 18, 1973) was an American International Master of chess. He is most remembered today for the books he wrote about chess. In 1989 he was induct ...
and
Isaac Kashdan
Isaac Kashdan (November 19, 1905 in New York City – February 20, 1985 in Los Angeles) was an American chess grandmaster and chess writer. He was twice U.S. Open champion (1938, 1947). He played five times for the United States in chess Olymp ...
won).
1940s
He shared first place with
George Shainswit
George Shainswit (January 3, 1918 – September 5, 1997) was a leading American chess player. He played various tournaments including five U.S. Chess Championships.
Biography
George Shainswit was born in New York City, United States on January ...
at
Ventnor City
Ventnor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,210, a decrease of 1,440 in the preceding decade.[Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...]
1944 (the 45th
US Open). He won at
Peoria 1945 (the 46th US Open). In September 1945, he played in a
radio match US vs USSR on tenth board against
David Bronstein
David Ionovich Bronstein (russian: Дави́д Ио́нович Бронште́йн; February 19, 1924 – December 5, 2006) was a Soviet and Ukrainian chess player. Awarded the title of International Grandmaster by FIDE in 1950, he narr ...
, and lost both games. In 1946, he tied for third place in the U.S. Chess Championship, New York City, behind only
Samuel Reshevsky
Samuel Herman Reshevsky (born Szmul Rzeszewski; November 26, 1911 – April 4, 1992) was a Polish chess prodigy and later a leading American chess grandmaster. He was a contender for the World Chess Championship from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960 ...
and
Isaac Kashdan
Isaac Kashdan (November 19, 1905 in New York City – February 20, 1985 in Los Angeles) was an American chess grandmaster and chess writer. He was twice U.S. Open champion (1938, 1947). He played five times for the United States in chess Olymp ...
.
[chessmetrics.com, the Anthony Santasiere career results file] In 1946, he won the New York State Championship for the third time.
In 1946, he drew a four-game match with
Herbert Seidman
Herbert Seidman (17 October 1920 – 30 August 1995) was a U.S. Senior Master of chess born in New York City. He played several times in the U.S. Chess Championship. He was known for his swashbuckling-style. He defeated many notable players, i ...
; one win each, two draws.
In 1949, he took second, behind Sandrin, at
Omaha
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...
(US Open).
1950s
He won a tournament at
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
in 1953. In 1956, he won the New York State Championship for the fourth and final time.
In 1957, Santasiere beat young
Bobby Fischer
Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Championships at the age of 14. In 1964, he won with an 11 ...
, then age 14, in the
West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a suburban township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 48,843, an increase of 2,636 (+5.7%) from the 46,207 counted in the 2010 Census. Open; Fischer would win the first of his eight consecutive U.S. Championships a few months later.
1960s
Santasiere tied for 9-13th places at the 1960
Canadian Open Chess Championship in
Kitchener, with 6/10;
Anthony Saidy
Anthony Saidy (born May 16, 1937) is an International Master of chess, a retired physician and author. He competed eight times in the U.S. Chess Championship, with his highest placement being 4th. He won the 1960 Canadian Open Chess Championshi ...
won.
On Saturday, May 11, 1968, at the Miami Beach Chess Club in Miami Beach, Florida, Santasiere, billed as "The American Chess Champion", competed in a marathon
simultaneous exhibition
A simultaneous exhibition or simultaneous display is a board game exhibition (commonly chess or Go) in which one player (typically of high rank, such as a grandmaster or dan-level player) plays multiple games at a time with a number of other pl ...
versus 21 opponents. Santasiere scored 12 victories (including a victory over Barry Moss), three
draws, four defaults wins, and lost to Hank Bergman and Irving Lynch.
Personal life, later years
He was an enthusiastic amateur painter, painting over 400 oil paintings, and a prolific poet and creative writer on non-chess topics. He played piano, and was a keen chef who frequently hosted dinner parties. He organized many small-size Master events in his apartment in New York.
In 1965, he retired to south
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, where he continued to play tournament chess for a while, and won several local tournaments. A gay man, he lived with a younger man, Hector; friend
Arnold Denker
Arnold Sheldon Denker (February 21, 1914 – January 2, 2005) was an American chess player and author. He was U.S. champion in 1944 and 1946. In later years he served in various chess organizations, receiving recognition from the United States ...
recalls a loving but turbulent relationship between those two, characterizing them as "
Felix and Oscar". On his death Santasiere left his estate to his partner.
Chess books written by Santasiere
*''The Futuristic Chess opening: Santasiere's Folly'' (Paperback) by Anthony Santasiere, Chess Digest Publishers, Dallas 1973
*''The Romantic King’s Gambit in Games and Analysis'', by Anthony Santasiere, Chess Digest Publishers, Dallas 1992 (published posthumously)
*''My Love Affair with Tchigorin'', by Anthony Santasiere
*''Essay on Chess'', by Anthony Santasiere, Chess Digest Publishers, Dallas 1972
*''Larsen-Santasiere Variation 2.P-KB4 Vs. The Sicilian Defense'', Chess Digest Publishers, Dallas 1971
Chess writing style
His chess writing style was flamboyant and highly opinionated; he would frequently criticize or even outright insult other chess players for their perceived lack of "spirituality". In response to a harsh review by
Edward Winter of Santasiere's book ''Essay on Chess'',
Anthony Saidy
Anthony Saidy (born May 16, 1937) is an International Master of chess, a retired physician and author. He competed eight times in the U.S. Chess Championship, with his highest placement being 4th. He won the 1960 Canadian Open Chess Championshi ...
wrote:
It is true that Santasiere wrote badly, wrote poetry that was embarrassing, had extreme views -– yet, carving out a niche as our most flamboyant contemporary romantic, he was unique. He was important as an antidote. My early Marshall C.C. games with him were among my most instructive. As late as the Canadian Open Chess Championship, 1960 (which I won with many uneasy moments), he was able to run up to me and exclaim about a pretty but simple knight sacrifice he’d just played, "I’ve just won the most beautiful game of my life". He really believed it at that moment. A true lover of chess – a type seldom found among top competitors today.[''Anthony E. Santasiere'']
Edward Winter, Chess notes
Non-chess writing
Denker and Parr describe Santasiere's strong
spiritual interests; he advocated what
Henry Adams
Henry Brooks Adams (February 16, 1838 – March 27, 1918) was an American historian and a member of the Adams political family, descended from two U.S. Presidents.
As a young Harvard graduate, he served as secretary to his father, Charles Fra ...
called "
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
anarchy
Anarchy is a society without a government. It may also refer to a society or group of people that entirely rejects a set hierarchy. ''Anarchy'' was first used in English in 1539, meaning "an absence of government". Pierre-Joseph Proudhon adopted ...
". During his life, Santasiere wrote three novels, 13 books of essays, 14 collections of short stories, and 30 volumes of a personal journal.
Playing strength
Santasiere was among the top 15 U.S. players from the late 1920s into the mid 1950s. He never earned an international title in chess, and had minimal international competition. The website
chessmetrics.com, which ranks chess performances on a retrospective basis, calculated a peak rank of No. 53 in the world for May 1931.
[chessmetrics.com, the Anthony Santasiere career ratings chart]
References
External links
*
''Santasiere's Folly'' Batgirl, chess.com
''Santasiere's Thoughts and Remembrances'' Batgirl, chess.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Santasiere, Anthony
1904 births
1977 deaths
20th-century American educators
20th-century American LGBT people
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American non-fiction writers
20th-century chess players
American chess players
American chess writers
American male non-fiction writers
American people of French descent
American spiritualists
American writers of Italian descent
City College of New York alumni
Educators from New York City
Gay chess players
LGBT people from New York (state)
Schoolteachers from New York (state)
Writers from New York City