Donald Byrne (June 12, 1930–May 6, 1976) was one of the USA's strongest chess players during the 1950s and 1960s. He won the U.S. Open in 1953, was awarded the International Master title from FIDE (English: World Chess Federation) in 1962, and played for or captained five U.S. Chess Olympiad teams between 1962 and 1972. His brother Robert was also a leading player of that time.
Byrne was a professor of English. He taught at Penn State University from 1961 until his death, having been invited there to teach and to coach the varsity chess team, the first in the country.
Byrne died of complications arising from Lupus. He was inducted into the Chess Hall of Fame in 2002.
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