Nicolai Jasnogrodsky (6 August 1859,

Lubny Lubny ( uk, Лубни́, ), is a city in Poltava Oblast (province) of central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of Lubny Raion (district), the city itself is administratively incorporated as a city of oblast significance and does n ...

– 23 April 1914,

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 ...

) was a Russian–born American

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...

master. Jasnogrodsky started to play competitive chess around 1885 in Vienna, and moved to England in the 1880s. He tied for 4-5th at Amsterdam 1889 (B tournament,

Adolf Georg Olland Adolf Georg Olland (13 April 1867 – 22 July 1933) was the leading Dutch chess master in the time before Max Euwe. Born in Utrecht, he was a medical doctor. Olland took 3rd at Amsterdam 1887 (Dirk van Foreest won); shared 1st at Amsterdam 1889 ...

and F. van den Berg won), and in 1890 earned the title of chess master at Amsterdam. Jasnogrodsky became part of the chess fraternity of the

Simpson's-in-the-Strand Simpson's-in-the-Strand is one of London's oldest traditional English restaurants. Situated in the Strand, it is part of the Savoy Buildings, which also contain one of the world's most famous hotels, the Savoy. The restaurant has been "temp ...

by 1891 and made a name for himself as a skilled

simultaneous Simultaneity may refer to: * Relativity of simultaneity, a concept in special relativity. * Simultaneity (music), more than one complete musical texture occurring at the same time, rather than in succession * Simultaneity, a concept in Endogenei ...

and

blindfold A blindfold (from Middle English ') is a garment, usually of cloth, tied to one's head to cover the human eye, eyes to disable the wearer's visual perception, sight. While a properly fitted blindfold prevents sight even if the eyes are open, a ...

player. In London tournaments he took 10th (

Rudolf Loman Rudolf Loman (14 October 1861 – 5 November 1932) was a Dutch chess master, the son of Abraham Dirk Loman. Born in Amsterdam, Loman lived in London for a number of years. He played chess for money against rich Englishmen, like his Dutch pupil Ja ...

won) and tied for 4-5th ( Henry Bird won) in 1891, and took 8th (

Emanuel Lasker Emanuel Lasker (; December 24, 1868 – January 11, 1941) was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher who was World Chess Champion for 27 years, from 1894 to 1921, the longest reign of any officially recognised World Chess Champ ...

won) in 1892. He drew a match with Bird (7.5 : 7.5) at London 1893. In the summer of 1893 Jasnogrodsky came to the United States, attracted by the announcements of the Columbian Chess Congress. He arrived in

on an Arizona steamship on August 11. The Congress was not held due to the lack of sufficient funds, but Jasnogrodsky, like other masters, remained in the New World. He participated in the Impromptu International Tournament where he finished 12th (Emanuel Lasker won). He won the New York State Championship in late 1896, and also tied for 10-11th at New York 1894 (

Wilhelm Steinitz William Steinitz (born Wilhelm Steinitz; May 14, 1836 – August 12, 1900) was an Austrian and, later, American chess player. From 1886 to 1894, he was the first official World Chess Champion. He was also a highly influential writer and che ...

won), lost a match to

Eugene Delmar Eugene Delmar (September 12, 1841, New York – February 22, 1909, New York), was one of the leading United States chess masters of the 19th century and the four-time New York State champion in 1890, 1891, 1895 and 1897. He won a match against Ro ...

(1.5 : 5.5) at New York 1895, won against Manuel Marquez Sterling (5 : 0) in 1895, lost to David Graham Baird (1 : 2) in 1895, and drew a match with

Frank James Marshall Frank James Marshall (August 10, 1877 – November 9, 1944) was the U.S. Chess Champion from 1909 to 1936, and one of the world's strongest chess players in the early part of the 20th century. Chess career Marshall was born in New York Cit ...

(3.5 : 3.5) at New York 1898. He developed the Jasnogrodsky Defense against the

Rice Gambit The Rice Gambit is a chess opening that arises from the King's Gambit Accepted. An offshoot of the Kieseritzky Gambit, it is characterized by the moves 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5 Nf6 6. Bc4 d5 7. exd5 Bd6 8. 0-0 (instead of th ...

(1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 Nf6 6.Bc4 d5 7.exd5 Bd6 8.O-O Bxe5 9.Re1 Qe7 10.c3 Nh5). Jasnogrodsky died at Montefiore Home, Hospital and Country Sanitarium for Chronic Diseases. He was buried in Union Field Cemetery, for members of the New York City's Jewish community.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jasnogrodsky, Nicolai 1859 births 1914 deaths American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent Ukrainian Jews American chess players Jewish chess players Chess theoreticians 19th-century chess players Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States