Jacob Bernstein

{{Short description|American chess master (1885–1959)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}

Jacob Bernstein (February 24, 1885 – December 21, 1959) was an American chess master.

Born into a Jewish family in Kaunas, Lithuania,Edward Winter, [http://chesshistory.com/winter/winter150.html#10319._Two_old_stories Chess Notes 10321], cites Lietuvos žinios, 1 May 1923 he lived in New York. He won three consecutive New York State Chess Championships (1920–1922),{{cite web |url=http://sicherman.net/chess/nyschamps.html |title=New York State Chess Champions 1878–1972 |publisher=Monmouth.com |date= |accessdate=2023-04-20 }} and shared 1st with Herman Steiner in 1929, but lost a tiebreak to him.{{cite web|author=The Web Novice |url=http://www.chessdryad.com/articles/wall/art_09.htm |title=California Chess Reminiscences |publisher=Chessdryad.com |date= |accessdate=2011-11-11}}

He also tied for 8–9th at New York 1913 (Rice tournament, José Raúl Capablanca won),{{cite web |url=http://xoomer.alice.it/cserica/scacchi/storiascacchi/tornei/1900-49/1913nyrice.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110605084249/http://xoomer.alice.it/cserica/scacchi/storiascacchi/tornei/1900-49/1913nyrice.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 5, 2011 |title=New York Rice 1913 |publisher=Xoomer.alice.it |date= |accessdate=2011-11-11 }}

tied for 5–6th at New York 1915 (Capablanca won),{{cite web |url=http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~goeller/marshall/tournaments/index.html |title=The Frank James Marshall Electronic Archive and Museum: Tournament and Match Record |publisher=Rci.rutgers.edu |date= |accessdate=2011-11-11 |archive-date=2008-07-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704144338/http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~goeller/marshall/tournaments/index.html |url-status=dead }} tied for 7–8th at New York 1916 (Rice tournament, Capablanca won),{{cite web |url=http://xoomer.alice.it/cserica/scacchi/storiascacchi/tornei/1900-49/1916nyork.htm |title=New York, Torneo Rice 1916 |publisher=Xoomer.alice.it |date= |accessdate=2011-11-11 |archive-date=2020-08-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805191730/https://xoom.virgilio.it/jump.html |url-status=dead }}

and lost a match to Abraham Kupchik (1.5 : 3.5) at New York 1916.{{cite web|url=http://www.chessmetrics.com |title=Welcome to the Chessmetrics site |publisher=Chessmetrics.com |accessdate=2011-11-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060414132700/http://www.chessmetrics.com/ |archivedate=April 14, 2006 }}

After World War I, he tied for 3–6th at New York 1922 (Edward Lasker won),{{cite web |url=http://www.astercity.net/~vistula/resz_s.htm |title=Samuel Reshevsky – szachowe cudowne dziecko |publisher=Astercity.net |accessdate=2011-11-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928222456/http://www.astercity.net/~vistula/resz_s.htm |archivedate=2011-09-28 }}

took 13th at Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary) 1923,{{cite web|url=http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/winter06.html |title=Chess Notes by Edward Winter |publisher=Chesshistory.com |date= |accessdate=2011-11-11}}

and tied for 7–10th at Pasadena 1932 (Alexander Alekhine won).{{cite web|author=The Web Novice |url=http://www.chessdryad.com/articles/acb/art_01.htm |title=American Chess Bulletin |publisher=Chessdryad.com |date= |accessdate=2011-11-11}}

{{cnspan|He married Yiddish stage actress Nellie Casman in 1948, and lived in New York City. They remained married until his death in 1959.|date=February 2024}}