Sultan Khan: The Indian Servant Who Became Chess Champion of the British Empire

by Daniel J. King

Hardly anyone paid attention when Sultan Khan arrived in London on April 26, 1929. A humble servant from a village in the Punjab, Khan had little formal education and barely spoke English. He had learned the rules of Western chess only three years earlier, yet within a few months he created a sensation by becoming the British Empire champion. Sultan Khan was taken to England by Sir Umar Hayat Khan, an Indian nobleman and politician who used his servant's successes to promote his own interests in the turbulent years before India gained independence. Sultan Khan remained in Europe for the best part of five years, competing with the leading chess players of the era, including World Champion Alexander Alekhine and former World Champion Jose Raoul Capablanca. His unorthodox style often stunned his opponents, as Daniel King explains in his examination of the key games and tournaments in Khan's career. Daniel King has uncovered a wealth of new facts about Khan, as well as dozens of previously unknown games. For the first time he tells the full story of how Khan, a Muslim outsider, was received in Europe, of his successes in the chess world and his return to obscurity after his departure for India in 1933.

Genres: Chess

372 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2020

About the author

Daniel King is a chess grandmaster. He has been a professional chess-player for over 25 years representing his country on numerous occasions. In addition, he is a games consultant, television presenter, live commentator, freelance journalist, and an award-winning author of 15 books.

Reviews

[Zardoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less of a biography and more of a collection of Sultan Khan’s chess games. Khan was attached to the household of Sir Umar Hayat Khan an Indian noble who used his servant’s chess ability to score political points in England.
The games are interesting and are in chess notation (which is not really understandable to the casual reader) with a few diagrams here and there. So, the book is best read with a chessboard nearby. I did find that chess games.com had many of Khan’s games on their website as well.
There is a skeleton of a narrative of Sultan Khan’s life. I had hoped for more detail and research from the author.

[Kunal Patankar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was recommended to read this book by a very talented French Chess player and a good friend.

The story and accomplishments of Sultan Khan took me by surprise, not because of its significance but because no one in my memory even knows about him.

Being a 3 time Champion for the British empire when India was their colony and he was a servant, is such an interesting combination.

Totally enjoyed reading this one. Being a chess player myself was an added bonus to enjoy this book :)