Understanding Chess: My System, My Games, My Life

William Lombardy made his mark in chess early and often. In 1954, at the age of 16, he became the youngest player ever to win the New York State Championship. Still in his teens, he became the first American to win the World Junior Chess Championship. His 11-0 record in his 1957 title run still stands today. He followed up by leading the U.S. Student team to the gold medal at the 1960 Student Olympiad. He has been a mainstay of American chess for decades, participating in seven Olympiads, many U.S. Championships, and winning three U.S. Open titles. Along the way, he briefly retired from competitive play when he entered the priesthood, being ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1967, only to return as Bobby Fischer's sole second in Reykjavik during the "Match of the Century" against Boris Spassky, where Fischer was ultimately crowned World Champion. The 119 annotated games (including several unpublished games and 37 supplemental appendix games) are embellished by anecdotes and observations drawn from Lombardy's remarkable career, spanning almost 60 years, from the early 1950's to the present.