William Norwood Potter
William Norwood Potter (Aug. 27, 1840–Mar. 13, 1895) was an important and intriguing figure in Victorian chess history. Born and raised in London, Potter studied at Oxford University before entering the legal profession as a barrister. However, he was not known for practicing law, but rather for his contributions as a chess master and one of the finest chess journalists of his generation. Potter emerged in the English chess world during the 1860s, mostly through […]
Vera Menchik
Vera Francevna Menchik (Mencikova) was born in Moscow, Russia on February 16, 1906. Her father was Czech and her mother was British. When Vera was 15, the family and she moved to England in 1921. She became affiliated with Géza Maróczy, who started coaching her in 1922. In 1923 she began participating in men’s international tournaments. FIDE established the first world championship for women in July, 1927, which Vera won at the age of 21 […]
Boris Spassky (Part 2 of 2)
After winning the World Chess Championship in 1969 from Tigran Petrosian, it became very apparent that there was no “rest for the weary.” The great American chess player Bobby Fischer quickly emerged as the favorite to challenge Spassky for his crown, securing his spot by winning the 1970 Interzonal and the 1971 Candidates Tournament. Up to this point, Spassky had never lost a single game against the American. He had won all three encounters with […]
Boris Spassky (Part 1 of 2)
Boris Vasiliyevich Spassky was born in Leningrad, Russia, on January 30, 1937. He learned to play chess at the age of five and achieved the rank of International Master by sixteen. In the early stages of his career, he was mentored by the famed Soviet grandmaster Alexander Tolush. In 1955, Spassky won the World Junior Championship in Antwerp, Belgium. That same year, he attained the title of International Grandmaster—the youngest ever at the time—and qualified […]
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