Isador Samuel Turover

Who was Isador Samuel Turover?

Isador Samuel Turover was a Belgian-American chess master.

Born in Poland, he moved to Belgium and then to the United States. He was a champion of Baltimore from 1918 to 1921, won the Washington D.C. championship in 1918 ahead of F.B. Walker and took 2nd, behind Vladimir Sournin, in the D.C. championship in 1920, tied for 8-9th at Atlantic City 1921, tied for 4-5th at Bradley Beach 1928, tied for 3rd-4th at Bradley Beach 1929, took 8th at New York 1931, and took 10th at Ventnor City 1944.

Turover settled in the Washington area and had a very successful lumber business. He married Bessie Levin and had three daughters: Sylvia, Naomi and Ruth. Turover became a director of the American Chess Foundation. He is also known as a chess patron and philanthropist. He sponsored Bobby Fischer's attendance in the 1962 Stockholm Interzonal. Throughout his life he offered cash prizes for brilliancies in chess games. For instance in 1930 Turover gave 500 lire brilliancy prize at the tournament in San Remo. In 1974 he established the annual World Brilliancy Prize, the first winner was Michael Stean who received $1,000 for his win against Walter Browne at the 21st Chess Olympiad in Nice.