So the news broke this week that Checkers is a solved game. It only took 12 computers nineteen years to figure it out, but it's done. However, with this news I found one of the most interesting tidbits ever.

Do you know who Marion Tinsley is? I'd bet anyone 20:1 they don't know who he is. Dr. Marion Tinsley is the greatest Checkers (Draughts) player to ever live. He was world champion for 45 years, played thousands and thousands of games in that time, and during that time he lost 7 (seven) of them. SEVEN. That's astronomical and absolutely stunning.

Marion Tinsley was an amalgam of the longevity of Lasker, the invincilibility of Petrosian and the perfection of Fisher. His career is unique in any game or sport. From 1950 to 1995 Tinsley never lost a single tournament, or even shared first place with another player. He took part in nine world championship matches, winning them all, usually by an embarrassingly large margin. In the 45-year period he played in thousands of tournaments, matches and exhibitions, playing many tens of thousands of games. Of these he lost exactly seven games. "Tinsley was as close to perfect as is humanly possible," writes Jonathan Schaeffer.

Read more: Chessbase.com