Arthur William Dake (April 8, 1910 – April 28, 2000) was an American International Master in chess. He was famous for being one of the top players in the world during the 1930s. Dake was a part of the American team that won the gold medals in the chess Olympiads in 1931, 1933, and 1935.
Born in Portland, Oregon, Dake found work as a boxer, taxi driver, and bootlegger before focusing on chess full-time. He learned to play chess in 1930 at the age of twenty and shocked everyone when he started competing at the top level within just a year. He played three times for the U.S in the Chess Olympiads, never losing a single game.
Dake played against some of the most famous players of his time, including Alexander Alekhine, whom he helped prepare for the World Championship match. He also served as one of Bobby Fischer's trainers for a brief period.
After retiring from competitive chess in the 1940s, Dake wrote a chess column for the Oregon Journal from 1959 to 1973. He died in April 2000, aged 90, having spent around 70 years contributing to the chess world. His notable games include his victory against future world champion Mikhail Botvinnik in the 1935 Moscow international tournament.