Anthony Santasiere

Anthony Edward Santasiere (9 December 1904 – 13 January 1977) was an American chess master. Santasiere was a high school mathematics teacher by profession. His hobbies included creative writing and oil painting.

Chess career

Santasiere wrote extensively on chess in the magazine American Chess Bulletin. He is the author of the book The Romantic King's Gambit. The chess opening Santasiere's Folly (1.Nf3 d5 2.b4) is named for him.

1920s

In 1923, Santasiere tied for 13th/14th place in Lake Hopatcong (Frank Marshall and Abraham Kupchik won). In 1924, he took third place, behind Marshall and Carlos Torre, in New York. In 1927, he tied for third/fourth in New York (Albert Pinkus won). In 1927, he tied for fourth through sixth place in Rome ( New York State Championship; Rudolph Smirka won). In 1928, Santasiere won in Buffalo (New York State Championship). In 1929, he took third place, behind Herman Steiner and Jacob Bernstein, in Buffalo (New York State Championship). In 1930, he tied for first with Norman Lessing in Utica (New York State Championship).

1930s

In 1931, he took seventh place in New York (José Raúl Capablanca won). In 1931, he tied for third/fourth in Rome (New York State Championship; Fred Reinfeld won). In 1934, he tied for ninth/tenth in Syracuse (Samuel Reshevsky won). In 1935, he took seventh in Milwaukee (Reuben Fine won). In 1938, he tied for 10th/11th in New York (second US Championship; Reshevsky won). In 1938, he took fifth in Boston (Israel Horowitz and Isaac Kashdan won).

1940s

He shared first place with Shainswit at Ventnor City 1943, took second place, behind Reshevsky, at Boston 1944 (the 45th US Open), and 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 and lost both games. In 1949, he took second, behind Sandrin, in Omaha (US Open).

1950s

He won a tournament in Italy in 1953.[1] In 1957, Santasiere beat young Bobby Fischer in the West Orange Open.[2]

1960s

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 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.

Books written by Santasiere

Notes

  1. ↑ Di Felice, Gino (2010). Chess Results, 1951-1955, p. 264. McFarland & Company, Inc.
  2. ↑ Di Felice, Gino (2010). Chess Results, 1956-1960, p. 179. McFarland & Company, Inc.

References

External links