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Ricciardi was born in Smirne (1923, October 13). His family was Sicilian and
moved searching for work from Sicily to Turkey. He was 13 years old when all the family moved in Rodi (about 1940) where he lived up to the years of the Second World War. He was in the Army (Asse) and parachuted on Cipro isle for a commander action. But he was taken prisoner by the british soldiers and that period would affect his future.
In fact, during the captivity, he learned to speak English fluently and it enforced his knowledgement of the languages, so he spoke Italian, Turkey, Greek, French, English and after Iranian as well.
As the war ended, Ricciardi returned in Italy at Induno Olona (Varese) and being one of the few who can read and translate English texts correctly in that first period after the war, he increased his working level very quickly.
He was assumed by TWA at Malpensa intercontinental airport (near Gallarate, Varese) where he worked about for 15 years as chief.
He married, in that period, Anna Dettoni who gave him two daughters.
It was about in 1970 that Ricciardi was called by Agusta Elicopters Industries that, due to his polyglottism, send him in Iran as chargé d’affaires c/o Persian Shah. For this reason, he had to committed the headship of Chess Club (that he refounded) to other persons.
When he ceased this work for pension he shortly gave his consulence to the thai consulate thanks to the introdution of the Earl Corrado Agusta.
Unfortunately health problems began to emerge, probably due to his excessive smoking during his lifetime . So he devoted his time to his loved hobbies: chess and painting, obtaining some success in both matters.
He died of an infarct, on the morning of april 28, 1996 in Gallarate hospital.
Ricciardi’s chess life.
He frequented several chess clubs, of course first of all the Gallarate Chess Club that he refounded on the ashes of the ancient Gallarate Chess Society. But he stayed in Teheran’s chess club as well, where he played for about fifteen years. In his later years, he frequented, during his summer holidays, also Fano’s chess club (Ancona, Italy). Throughout this society people remember him for his excellent skills at his openings and finals.
He loved strategic game, but he played also gambits like the riskious Blackmer-Diemer’s gambit, last study of his life.
In 1983 he gained the first prize of his chess category in the international open at S.Bartolomeo al mare (liguria), and obtained the candidate master title.
Games
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1954
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