Albert Pinkus


Albert Sidney Pinkus was an American chess master and author. In 1943 and 1944, he published an analysis of the Two Knights Defense in Chess Review. His main career was as an explorer of remote regions, from which he brought back zoological and botanical specimens.

Biography

Pinkus won the Hallgarten Tournament in 1925, and the Junior Masters' Tournament in 1927. In both events he out-scored Isaac Kashdan.

Explorer

In 1932, he embarked on a series of ten expeditions to the jungles of British Guiana and Venezuela to collect zoological and botanical specimens.

Stockbroker

In 1939, he returned to New York to work on Wall Street as a stockbroker and resumed his chess career.
He tied for fourth/fifth at New York 1940, tied for third/fourth at Ventnor City 1941, tied for third at New York 1942, shared third at Ventnor City 1942, took fifth place at New York 1944, and tied for second/third at Ventnor City 1944.
Pinkus won twice in the Manhattan Chess Club Championship and shared second in 1955. He also won the New York State Chess Championship in 1947. He played in several radio matches: USA vs. USSR, New York vs. La Plata, USA vs. Yugoslavia.
Although he was never awarded an international title in chess, his peak playing strength places him at or close to the International Master class.