Mir Sultan Khan (1905-1966) was generally considered to have been the strongest chess master of his time from Asia. He was also the first Asian chess master since As-Suli (Arab) to have been recognized in Europe.
Mir Sultan Khan was born in 1905 in Mittha, Punjab, British India. His prowess at the Indian variety of chess brought him to the notice of Colonel Nawab Sir Umar Hayat Khan who taught him the European game. After winning the All-India Championship in 1928 he went to England and quickly came to the notice of English masters William Winter and Fred Dewhurst Yates who helped him overcome his lack of theoretical knowledge. He was British Champion in 1929, 1932 and 1933.
Chessmetrics ranked him sixth in the world in May 1933, behind only Alekhine, Kashdan, Flohr, Capablanca, and Euwe. He returned to India with Sir Umar in December 1933 and played very little serious chess again. He passed away in Sargodha, Pakistan in 1966.
Sultan Khan not only won the British chess championship in 1929, 1932 and 1933 but also represented Britain in three chess Olympiads as its leading player.
Sultan Khan had the rare distinction of beating the legendary Jose Raoul Capablanca of Cuba, who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. He also defeated Dr. Savely Tartakovar, a renowned player in a match of 11 games.
Mir Sultan Khan was born in 1905 in Mittha, Punjab, British India. His prowess at the Indian variety of chess brought him to the notice of Colonel Nawab Sir Umar Hayat Khan who taught him the European game. After winning the All-India Championship in 1928 he went to England and quickly came to the notice of English masters William Winter and Fred Dewhurst Yates who helped him overcome his lack of theoretical knowledge. He was British Champion in 1929, 1932 and 1933.
Chessmetrics ranked him sixth in the world in May 1933, behind only Alekhine, Kashdan, Flohr, Capablanca, and Euwe. He returned to India with Sir Umar in December 1933 and played very little serious chess again. He passed away in Sargodha, Pakistan in 1966.
Sultan Khan not only won the British chess championship in 1929, 1932 and 1933 but also represented Britain in three chess Olympiads as its leading player.
Sultan Khan had the rare distinction of beating the legendary Jose Raoul Capablanca of Cuba, who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. He also defeated Dr. Savely Tartakovar, a renowned player in a match of 11 games.