Editing Joshua Waitzkin

{{short description|American chess player (born 1976)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}} 
{{Infobox chess player
| name                = Joshua Waitzkin
| image               = Joshua Waitzkin.jpg
| caption             = Waitzkin in 2005
| country             = United States
| birth_date          = {{Birth date and age|1976|12|4}}
| birth_place         = New York City, U.S.
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| title               = [[International Master]] (1993)
| peakrating          = 2480 (July 1998)<ref>{{cite web|title=Joshua Waitzkin - Chess Games|url=http://chesstempo.com/gamedb/player/227192|website=chesstempo.com|language=en|access-date=January 31, 2016|archive-date=August 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813184447/https://old.chesstempo.com/gamedb/player/227192|url-status=live}}</ref>
| FideID              = 2005158
}}

'''Joshua Waitzkin''' (born December 4, 1976) is an American former [[chess]] player, martial arts world champion, and author. As a child, he was recognized as a [[prodigy (chess)|prodigy]], and won the U.S. Junior Chess championship in 1993 and 1994. The film ''[[Searching for Bobby Fischer]]'' is based on his early life.

==Early life and education==
Waitzkin first noticed the game of chess being played while walking with his mother in New York City's [[Washington Square Park]] at the age of six. At age seven, Waitzkin began studying the game with his first formal teacher [[Bruce Pandolfini]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/9N4uoekuP7E Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20100612133934/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N4uoekuP7E Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media |date=n.d. |title= Josh Waitzkin: The Art of Learning|series=ABCNews NOW: Perspectives with JuJu Chang |medium=News feature segment|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N4uoekuP7E |format=videotape |time=2:36–3:49 |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] }}{{cbignore}}</ref> During his years as a student at [[The Dalton School|Dalton]] he led the school to win seven national team championships between the third and ninth grades, in addition to his eight individual titles. In 1999, Waitzkin enrolled at [[Columbia University]], where he studied philosophy.<ref>{{cite web|title=Notable Alumni|url=https://gs.columbia.edu/notable-alumni|website=gs.columbia.edu|language=en|access-date=May 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715014713/https://gs.columbia.edu/notable-alumni|archive-date=July 15, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Waitzkin|first1=Fred|title=Searching for Bobby Fischer: A Father's Story of Love and Ambition|date=2017|publisher=Open Road Media|isbn=9781504043038|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JYPvDQAAQBAJ&q=josh+waitzkin+columbia+philosophy&pg=PT7|language=en|access-date=March 5, 2021|archive-date=August 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813184446/https://books.google.com/books?id=JYPvDQAAQBAJ&q=josh+waitzkin+columbia+philosophy&pg=PT7|url-status=live}}</ref>

At ten years old, Waitzkin played a notable game featuring a [[Sacrifice (chess)|sacrifice]] of his [[queen (chess)|queen]] and [[rook (chess)|rook]] in exchange for a [[checkmate]] six moves later. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1328833 |title=Joshua Waitzkin vs Edward A Frumkin (1987) Heaven Can Waitzkin |date=January 6, 2005 |website=www.chessgames.com |access-date=October 22, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-date=July 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705005348/https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1328833 }}</ref> At 11, Waitzkin and fellow prodigy [[K. K. Karanja]] were the only two children to [[draw (chess)|draw]] with World Champion [[Garry Kasparov]] in an exhibition event where Kasparov [[simultaneous exhibition|played simultaneously]] against 59 youngsters.<ref name="Bio - Josh Waitzkin">{{Cite web |url=https://www.joshwaitzkin.com/josh |title=Bio |website=Josh Waitzkin |access-date=August 19, 2020 |archive-date=November 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107062444/https://www.joshwaitzkin.com/josh |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/23/nyregion/pupils-no-match-for-kasparov-even-simultaneously.html |title=Pupils No Match for Kasparov, Even Simultaneously |first=Maura |last=Reynolds |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 23, 1988 |access-date=October 22, 2022 |archive-date=January 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130105450/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/02/23/nyregion/pupils-no-match-for-kasparov-even-simultaneously.html |url-status=live }}</ref> At age 13, he earned the title of National Master, and at age 16 became an [[International Master]].<ref name="Bio - Josh Waitzkin" />

Waitzkin has not played in a [[US Chess Federation]] tournament since 1999,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://main.uschess.org/assets/msa_joomla/MbrDtlMain.php?12435545 |title=USCF membership info |publisher=Main.uschess.org |access-date=December 4, 2011 |archive-date=August 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813184448/http://www.uschess.org/assets/msa_joomla/MbrDtlMain.php?12435545 |url-status=live }}</ref> and his last [[FIDE]] tournament was before 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=2005158 |title=Waitzkin FIDE card |publisher=Ratings.fide.com |access-date=December 4, 2011 |archive-date=October 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004033943/http://ratings.fide.com/card.phtml?event=2005158 |url-status=live }}</ref> Waitzkin has also stated in an interview his reasoning for leaving chess:<blockquote>When people ask me why I stopped playing chess ... I tend to say that I lost the love. And I guess if I were to be a little bit more true, I would say that I became separated from my love; I became alienated from chess somewhat ... The need that I felt to win, to win, to win all the time, as opposed to the freedom to explore the art more and more deeply, and I think that started to move me away from the game and also chess for me was so intimate. It was something that I loved so deeply that when I started to become alienated from it, I couldn't do it in an impure way.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/lj1gxz5puaQ Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20080530153029/http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=lj1gxz5puaQ Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj1gxz5puaQ|title=Josh Watzkin discusses ideas from his book "The Art of Learning", martial arts and why he stopped playing chess}}{{cbignore}}</ref></blockquote>

===Film portrayal===
The script for [[Paramount Pictures]]' 1993 film ''[[Searching for Bobby Fischer]]'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''[[Innocent Moves]]'') was based on a 1988 book by Waitzkin's father, [[Fred Waitzkin]]: ''Searching for Bobby Fischer: The Father of a Prodigy Observes the World of Chess''. Waitzkin makes a cameo in the film, in a scene in the last quarter of the movie (at 1:21:52) where his father is watching a young Josh play Vinnie ([[Laurence Fishburne]]) from a bench. The real Waitzkin (16 years old at the time) can be seen wearing a black jacket/white hoodie playing chess right next to the film's version of Waitzkin and is sitting across from Josh's father (Joe Mantegna).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108065/trivia|title=Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) - IMDb|via=www.imdb.com|access-date=December 7, 2016|archive-date=March 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312015126/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108065/trivia|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Author==
Waitzkin is the author of two books: ''Attacking Chess:  Aggressive Strategies, Inside Moves from the U.S. Junior Chess Champion'' (1995) and ''The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance'' (2008),  an autobiographical discussion of the learning process and performance psychology drawn from Waitzkin's experiences in both chess and the martial arts.<ref>{{cite podcast |host=Tim Ferriss |title=The Tim Ferriss Show:#204: Tools of Titans: Josh Waitzkin Distilled |date=November 27, 2016|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tim-ferriss-show/id863897795?mt=2 |access-date=April 11, 2018}}</ref> He is also the spokesperson for the ''[[Chessmaster]]'' video game series, and is featured in the game giving advice and game analysis.<ref name="The Art of Learning Project">{{cite web|title=The Art of Learning Project|url=http://theartoflearningproject.org/about/|access-date=November 29, 2017|archive-date=September 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902233008/http://theartoflearningproject.org/about/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Rocky Citro, [https://web.archive.org/web/20170511072829/http://www.welearnchess.com/the-old-josh-waitzkin-chessmaster-tutorials/ "The Old Josh Waitzkin Chessmaster Tutorials"], ''We Learn Chess'', March 14, 2016</ref>

Waitzkin has a chapter giving advice in [[Tim Ferriss]]' book ''[[Tools of Titans]]''.

==Martial arts==
As a young adult, Waitzkin's focus shifted to the martial art [[tai chi]].  He holds several US national medals and a 2004 world champion title in the competitive sport of tai chi [[pushing hands]].{{cn|date=September 2024}}  Waitzkin also became a championship coach, leading Grandmaster [[William C. C. Chen]]'s US Pushing Hands Team to several titles at the Tai Chi World Cup in Taiwan, guiding teammates [[Jan Lucanus]] and [[Jan C. Childress]] to their world titles. Waitzkin is also a black belt in [[Brazilian jiu-jitsu]] under world champion and Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenomenon [[Marcelo Garcia (grappler)|Marcelo Garcia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://onthemat.com/articles/Josh_Waitzkin_Interview_01_25_2008.html |title=Josh Waitzkin Interview &#124; On the Mat &#124; Worlds Largest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi and No Gi Belt Database |publisher=On the Mat |date=January 25, 2008 |access-date=December 4, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129095410/http://www.onthemat.com/articles/Josh_Waitzkin_Interview_01_25_2008.html |archive-date=November 29, 2011  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://neijia.wordpress.com/2008/05/02/josh-waitzkin-interview/ |title=Josh Waitzkin interview « Another neijia blog |publisher=Neijia.wordpress.com |date=May 2, 2008 |access-date=December 4, 2011 |archive-date=September 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921015234/http://neijia.wordpress.com/2008/05/02/josh-waitzkin-interview/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Waitzkin is the co-founder of MGInAction.com and The Marcelo Garcia Academy, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu school located in New York City.

==Personal life==
On April 23, 2010, Waitzkin married Desiree Cifre,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cranesongphotography.com/2011/01/brooklyn-botanic-garden/ |title=Wedding Under the Cherry Blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden |publisher=cranesongphotography.com |access-date=August 12, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117180936/http://cranesongphotography.com/2011/01/brooklyn-botanic-garden/ |archive-date=January 17, 2013  }}</ref> a screenwriter and former contestant on ''[[The Amazing Race 9|The Amazing Race]]''.

In an interview with [[Andrew_Huberman|Dr Andrew Huberman]] on the podcast, The Huberman Lab in January 2025, Waitzkin reported that he had drowned while doing breathwork in a swimming pool.<ref name="Interview - Josh Waitzkin">{{cite web |last1=Huberman |first1=Andrew |title=Josh Waitzkin: The Art of Learning & Living Life |url=https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/josh-waitzkin-the-art-of-learning-living-life |website=The Huberman Lab |access-date=31 January 2025}}</ref> He also mentioned that he broke his back while sparring during a Jiu Jitsu training session. This injury ultimately led to Waitzkin retiring from competitive Jiu Jitsu and instead begun coaching others in it.

His grandmother was artist [[Stella Waitzkin]].<ref name="Interview - Josh Waitzkin" />

On May 5, 2025, it was announced that Waitzkin had been working with the [[Boston Celtics]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] as a consultant. Subsequent reports detailed that Waitzkin had been working closely with [[Joe Mazzulla]] since the [[2022–23 NBA season]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Celtics Hire Former Chess Prodigy Josh Waitzkin As Performance Consultant|url=https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap-amp/280288/Celtics-Hire-Former-Chess-Prodigy-Josh-Waitzkin-As-Performance-Consultant|access-date=May 15, 2025|website=basketball.realgm.com|language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Jewish chess players]]
* [[Searching for Bobby Fischer]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{chessgames player|id=17030}}
* [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10170841 "Chess Champion Offers Success Strategies for Life"] audio interview by [[NPR]] on May 14, 2007, about the book ''The Art of Learning''
* [http://www.theartoflearningproject.org/ The Art of Learning Project]
* [https://archive.today/20110724062753/http://wishtank.org/four-interviews-with-josh-waitzkin/ Interviews with Josh Waitzkin]
* [[Edward Winter (chess historian)|Edward Winter]], [http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/waitzkin.html Searching for Bobby Fischer (Joshua Waitzkin)]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Waitzkin, Joshua}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:American chess players]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]
[[Category:American chess writers]]
[[Category:American male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American martial artists]]
[[Category:Chess International Masters]]
[[Category:Dalton School alumni]]
[[Category:Columbia College (New York) alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Jewish chess players]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:Chess players from New York City]]