RIP Robert Byrne 1928-2013

The great American chess Grandmaster and writer Robert Byrne has passed away at 84 years of age.

Robert Byrne was one of the strongest American players of his generation, and the chess columnist for the New York Times from 1972 to 2006.

Byrne earned the International Master title at the 1952 Olympiad in Helsinki and went on to represent the USA at a total of 9 Olympiads, winning seven individual and team medals. He became a Grandmaster in 1964.

Byrne graduated from Yale University in the same year and became a professor of philosophy at Indiana University.

Robert Bryne was born in New York in 1928 and learnt to play chess at 8 years of age. Despite being only a semi-professional chess player until the 1970s, he had a distinguished chess career.

His peak achievement was arguably qualification for the 1974 Candidates thanks to his third place finish at the 1973 Interzonal Tournament in Leningrad, behind Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi.  His Candidates hopes were ended by the might of former champion Boris Spassky.

Robert Byrne was a popular player on the US chess scene for many decades and will be sadly missed. Rest in Peace.

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