World War II Years
During World War II Denker played exhibitions at army bases and aboard aircraft carriers. In 1945 he played on board one in the USA vs USSR radio match, losing both games to Mikhail Botvinnik, and in 1946 travelled to Moscow for the return match, losing both games against Vasily Smyslov. Also in 1946, he played at the very strong Groningen tournament, scoring 9½ out of 19 and securing draws against Botvinnik and Smyslov.
David Hooper and Ken Whyld note that Denker may have been unfortunate in that his best years came during World War II, when very little competitive chess was being played (Hooper & Whyld 1992).
In 1947 Denker produced an autobiographical game collection in his book: If You Must Play Chess.
Read more about this topic: Arnold Denker
Famous quotes containing the words world, war and/or years:
“Poetry is the only life got, the only work done, the only pure product and free labor of man, performed only when he has put all the world under his feet, and conquered the last of his foes.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Only in war are you holy, and when you are robbers and cruel.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come to us again. All Americans understand the basic lessons of history: that we need to be resolute and able to protect ourselves, to prevent threats and domination by others.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)