Best Past Chess Players And How They Died

The 1900’s was an interesting timeline for chess because chess legends were here, playing chess with each other a time. And what’s not worse than every chess legend facing death? Nothing, really.

1: Mikhail Tal

 Mikhail Tal, the Latvian-Soviet chess player died at the age of 55 which when you think about it, not really that long. He only lasted 1 year as a world champion (1960-1961) and which he was the 8th world champion. His nickname was “Misha” and his earned nickname in chess was the “The Magician From Riga”. He also had a rare condition called, “Lobster Claw Syndrome”. This condition made him only have three fingers on his right hand. Now, let’s see how “The Magician From Riga” died.

  He was in a tournament, trying to win his game,  and then was sent to a Moscow hospital because of a haemorrhage in the oesophagus which made him die.

2: Bobby Fischer 

 Bobby Fischer, an American chess grandmaster died at the age 64, also not that long but does represent the chessboard’s squares. Bobby’s nickname was “The Bad Boy Of Chess” which in my opinion, is the best nickname I’ve ever heard. Even though he won 57.23% of his games, he drew 29.77% of his games! Nearly beating every  opponent he came across, let’s see how “The Bad Boy Of Chess” died.

  He loved alcohol so much that he was sent to prison in Japan and after that, he died of Kidney disease, high blood pressure, and more of high age.

3: José Raúl Capablanca

 José Raúl Capablanca, a Cuban chess grandmaster died at the age of 54, also not long, 1 year away from when Mikhail died. He was also world champion for 6 years (1921-1927)! José Raúl Capablanca is nicknamed “The Human Chess Machine” because he learned chess at age 4 and he beat a the Cuban champion, Juan Corzo, at age 13! Outstanding skills, let’s see how “The   Human Chess Machine” died.

 In 1942, José was in New York and then he died of a stroke at the age of 54.

4: Emanuel Lasker

 Emanuel Lasker, a German chess grandmaster died at the age of 72, really long compared with the other chess players that have died. If the age is not shocking, then he has been world champion for 27 years (1894-1921)! That’s 4 times more than 

José Raúl Capablanca! I couldn’t find his nickname but he was a great mathematician. Anyways, let’s see how Emanuel Lasker died.

  Lasker died of a kidney infection in New York on January 11, 1941, at the age of 72, as a charity patient at the Mount Sinai Hospital.

5: Wilhelm Steinitz

 Wilhelm Steinitz, an American-Austrian professional chess player died at the age of 64, equivalent to Bobby Fischer. From 1886 to 1894, he was the first World Chess Champion. He was also a highly influential writer and chess theoretician. Steinitz’s nickname was “The Austrian Morphy". Anyways, let’s see how “The Austrian Morphy” died.

  In the Manhattan State Hospital (Wards Island) on August 12, 1900, of a heart attack.