CHESS #1404

Mir Sultan Khan was the first great modern Subcontinental player. He learnt the international rules circa 1925, at around 22. Sir Umar Hayat Khan Tiwana, a wealthy zamindar with estates near Sargodha (Pakistani Punjab) was his patron. In 1928, Sultan won the All-India Championships. Sir Umar, an Empire loyalist with political ambitions, moved to Britain for an extended stay in 1929 and took Sultan along.

Sultan won the British Championship on debut and embarked on a remarkable career becoming a world championship contender. He knew no opening theory, and often got into horrible tangles. But his skills and creativity usually pulled