Allen Kaufman

American chess player

Allen Kaufman
Born	1933 (age 90–91) New York City
Known for	American Chess Foundation, Chess-in-the-Schools

Allen Kaufman (born 1933) is an American chess master and the former Executive Director of the American Chess Foundation^[1] and Chess-in-the-Schools.^[2]

Kaufman, a longtime member of the Marshall Chess Club and former president and vice-president,^[3] competed nationally in chess in the 1950s. In 1954, Kaufman finished seventh in the U.S. Open.^[4] In 1957 at the U.S. Open, while ultimately finishing out of contention, Kaufman was in first place after the fourth round^[5] and tied for third after the sixth round.^[6] In 1958, Kaufman came in sixth in the U.S. Open. The winner, Eldis Cobo Arteaga, lost his only game to Kaufman.^[7]

As the executive director of the American Chess Foundation, Kaufman expanded their program of teaching chess to school-age children, leading to the name change of the organization to "Chess-in-the-Schools". Kaufman is an advocate of chess as mental training and believes that chess increases children's reading and reasoning skills.^[8]

At the American Chess Foundation, Kaufman aided the chess prodigy Gata Kamsky in his defection from the Soviet Union in 1989.^[9] He was also instrumental in the formation of the Samford Chess Fellowship and is former secretary of the fellowship committee.^[1]^[10] Kaufman has a Morphy Number of 4 through, for example, Arthur Bisguier and Norman T. Whitaker.^[1]

Kaufman was a friend of Bobby Fischer in his teen years.^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Allen Kaufman Chessgames Biography
^ Chess in the Schools, New York City
^ "When Chess Was King of the City", New York Observer, September 14, 2015.
^ U.S. Open 1954, New Orleans
^ “KAUFMAN ON TOP IN NATIONAL OPEN; Gains Undisputed Possession of First Place in Chess Tourney at Cleveland", The New York Times, August 10, 1957.
^ "CO-LEADERS PLAY TO DRAW IN CHESS; Donald Byrne and Berliner in Stalemate at National Open—Bisguier Upset", The New York Times, August 12, 1957.
^ U.S. Open 1958, Rochester
^ “In Harlem, a Chess Champion Passes On His Moves and Enthusiasm”, The New York Times, December 29, 1999.
^ Getlin, Josh. After Defection, Chess Whiz Kid Wants to Be King, Los Angeles Times, May 29, 1989.
^ John Donaldson is the New Secretary of the Samford Fellowship Committee, June 23, 2011
^ Nicholas, Peter, and Clea Benson. Life is not a Board Game. The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 8, 2003