1 JACQUELINE PIATIGORSKY: PATRON, PLAYER, PIONEER Through her sponsorship of the legendary “But my real love was chess. Chess was part Piatigorsky Cup tournaments, creation of my blood. Of course, in the winter there of the Piatigorsky Foundation, and her was no one to play with in Elizabethtown, so representation of the United States in the through a chess magazine I started to play by first Women’s Chess Olympiad in 1957, correspondence, entering tournaments in which Jacqueline Piatigorsky had a profound one played six games at the same time. That was influence on twentieth-century American perfect for me. I had a small pocket set which chess. Jacqueline’s legacy impacted chess on I always carried with me and I studied each the local, national, and international levels. position in great depth. Before mailing out a Many ideas that are taken for granted today, move I was so anxious not to make an error that Jacqueline Piatigorsky and Herman Steiner during a 1953 Television Appearance. such as student chess organizations, were even alone in the woods my heart was beating Photo Jack Case innovations in her time and passions of hers. hard. I went over each variation again and Her activities also helped establish the West again. I had to win.” Coast as a thriving center of chess culture rivaling that of New York. After another series of moves, Jacqueline “…with a chess set, it is impossible to be bored.” and her family settled in Los Angeles, Jacqueline was born in Paris, France, to California. There, Gregor joined the faculty the famed Rothschild banking family. A of the music department at UCLA, while nurse taught her to play chess at an early Jacqueline became further immersed age, when Jacqueline was recovering from in the world of chess. At an auction, she a childhood illness. In her 1988 memoir, met International Master (IM) Herman Jump in the Waves, she wrote that her nurse, Steiner,1 who after learning of her skill, Miss Coque, told Jacqueline that “…with a encouraged her to compete in tournaments chess set, it is impossible to be bored.” More over the board. He was instrumental in the than a salvation from dullness, the game flourishing of her playing career on the soon became both a passion and a refuge national level, recommending that she be to Jacqueline. Though she wrote of feeling invited to the 1951 U.S. Women’s Chess neglected by her parents and oppressed by a Championship. After his death in 1955, nanny during her childhood, chess offered Jacqueline took over the management of her an opportunity to forge her own identity his chess club, the Hollywood Chess Group, independent of her famous family name. and renamed it the Herman Steiner Chess Club in his honor. In 1937 Jacqueline married Gregor Piatigorsky, a world-renowned cellist. The Jacqueline soon rose to the top of the two immigrated to the United States with field of women’s chess and participated in their daughter Jephta at the outset of World the U.S. Women’s Championships six times War II, first settling in Elizabethtown, New in the 1950s and 1960s. Her best result York, where their son Joram was later born. occurred in 1965, when she won second Though she had not received any formal place behind Gisela Gresser.2 She also chess training, her desire to compete led defeated her rival, Woman International her to participate in correspondence chess Master Mona May Karff3 in such a tournaments sponsored by Chess Review. captivating manner that the New York Times Of this period in her life, Jacqueline said: printed their game. 1 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame, 2010. 2 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame, 1992. Gregor2 Piatigorsky and Jacqueline Piatigorsky Pose before the Wall Board 3 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame, 2013. 3 during the 1963 Piatigorsky Cup. Photographer Unknown Participants in the 1957 Women’s Chess Olympiad. Jacqueline, Tigran Petrosian, and Miguel Najdorf Watch Samuel Reshevsky Analyze Photographer Unknown a Game in the 1966 Piatigorsky Cup. Photo Phil Bath Jacqueline took part in another historic first to play at the earlier time, and the game was like ours has an obligation not to be second lack of financial support, and lack of for women’s chess in 1957, representing declared a forfeit. Fischer refused to play to anyone.” However, it was Jacqueline’s qualified representatives, the United the United States in the inaugural Women’s the remainder of the match, which was a attention to detail and persistence that made States had no entrant in the 1965 World Chess Olympiad in Emmen, the Netherlands, disappointment to Jacqueline and the other the event legendary. The competition was Junior Championship,” she established with teammate Gisela Gresser. Jacqueline tournament organizers. In the wake of this held again in 1966, and its success prompted the United States Junior Invitational played on second board, and the team won event, she formed a close friendship with the Los Angeles Times to name Jacqueline its Championship, now known as the U.S. a bronze medal in the historic competition. Samuel Reshevsky, who became her coach. “Woman of the Year.” Junior Closed Championship. The Later that same year, she took her first step Foundation also directed the California in the arena of chess promotion, serving Despite her early setback, Jacqueline’s During the 1960s and 1970s, the patronage Junior Championship and provided money as the chairperson for the U.S. Women’s interest in chess promotion was not of the Piatigorsky Foundation was especially to students who wanted to participate in Chess Championship, which was held in dampened, and she established the prolific. In addition to the aforementioned the National High School Championship. Los Angeles and sponsored by the Herman Piatigorsky Foundation, which had as its goal competitions, the organization sponsored On the local level, the Foundation ran Steiner Chess Club. to boost chess culture in the United States. chess programs directed toward women, the Tournament of Champions, as well as At the time, the idea of a philanthropic senior citizens, public school students, and the Christmas Tournament, designed to During the mid-to-late 1960s, Jacqueline chess organization was so novel that the veterans. It also promoted chess to children promote chess in public schools. participated in tournaments less frequently. Internal Revenue Service denied the group’s in juvenile detention facilities, underserved However, over the course of the same first application for not-for-profit status. communities, and in schools for children After this burst of activity in the 1960s and decade, she dedicated herself more fully to However, she persevered and the Piatigorsky with physical disabilities, impaired vision, 1970s, Jacqueline began to focus more chess promotion, first co-sponsoring a match Foundation became renowned for its and deafness. These activities on the energy on her newfound passions, sculpture between former child prodigy Grandmaster support of American chess both on elite and local level were complemented by the and tennis. The Piatigorsky Foundation (GM) Samuel Reshevsky4 and rising star local levels. Foundation’s efforts on the national level: was dissolved in 1985; however, its visionary GM Bobby Fischer.5 Also supported by the organizing the 1968 Interzonal Playoff influence is still felt today. Jacqueline passed American Chess Foundation, the match was The Foundation’s first and most famous at the Steiner Chess Club and providing away in 2012 at the age of 100 after a long held in both New York and Los Angeles. venture was the organization of the financial support for Bobby Fischer’s World life full of great achievements. The World The match ended prematurely over a 1963 Piatigorsky Cup tournament. This Chess Championship run, the U.S. Chess Chess Hall of Fame is proud to celebrate disagreement over the start time for one competition attracted the best American Championship, and the U.S. Women’s Chess her legacy in this exhibition made possible of the games—Jacqueline had wanted a and international players. Jacqueline Championship. by generous loans and donations from the Sunday game to begin earlier both so that organized it at the urging of Gregor, who Piatigorsky family. she could attend one of Gregor’s concerts said that in the United States there was, Jacqueline took a special interest in and accommodate the travel needs of out-of- “too much emphasis on physical sports and promoting chess among the young. After — Emily Allred, Assistant Curator town audience members. Fischer declined not enough on the intellectual…A country learning that “due to lack of organization, World Chess Hall of Fame 4 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame, 1986 Jacqueline Piatigorsky with her Artwork. 4 5 U.S. Chess Hall of Fame, 1986; World Chess Hall of Fame, 2001. 5 Photographer Unknown, 1966 JACQUELINE PIATIGORSKY (1911-2012) NOVEMBER 6, 1911 1951 OCTOBER 20 - SEPTEMBER 1955 NOVEMBER 3 - 16, 1957 NOVEMBER 1962 SEPTEMBER 1965 AUGUST 1966 MARCH 29 - Jacqueline de Rothschild NOVEMBER 3, 1951 The U.S. Women’s Chess Jacqueline participates The Piatigorsky Foundation Chess Life lists Jacqueline APRIL 10, 1968 is born to Baron Edouard Championship is held in in the Utah Open Chess establishes the Student Piatigorsky as the fifth- The Piatigorsky Foundation de Rothschild and Los Angeles, California. Tournament. She is one of Chess Club of Los Angeles, ranked American woman sponsors the American Germaine Alice Halphen, Jacqueline serves as only three women playing, a subgroup of the Steiner chess player, with a rating team’s entry into the Chess in Paris, France. chairperson of the event, and places ninth in a field Chess Club and one of the of 1902. Olympiad in Lugano, which is sponsored by the of twenty-six players.