Carmine Nigro ( /ˈnaɪɡroʊ/ ny-groh; January 2, 1910, New York City, New York – August 16, 2001, Peachtree City, Georgia) was Bobby Fischer's first chess coach. Fischer later became an internationally recognized chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion.
Nigro was an American chess expert of near master strength and an instructor (Brady 2011:20). Nigro was President of the Brooklyn Chess Club. This is where he met Bobby Fischer and in 1951 became his first chess coach. Nigro (rated 2028) hosted Fischer's first chess tournament at his home in 1952. After joining the club Fischer rarely missed the Friday meetings.
"Mr. Nigro was possibly not the best player in the world, but he was a very good teacher." – Bobby Fischer, Bobby Fischer's Games of Chess (1959)
Later (1956) Nigro moved to Florida and became a professional golf instructor. He did not give up teaching chess, though, and in 1996 he taught chess at the Meyer Jewish Academy. In 1999 Nigro moved to Peachtree City, Georgia to be close with his son Bill Nigro. And in 2001, this is where he died at the age of 91.