Ian Stuart Fleischman

Ian Fleischman

November 10, 1963 – June 6, 2026

Ian Fleischman was born on November 10, 1963, in New York, New York, and passed away on June 6, 2026, in Staten Island, New York.

Ian was a loving son to Jack Fleischman (Father), Charmion Fleischman (Mother), and Naomi Fleischman (Stepmother), brother to Eric Fleischman, and Grandson to Pearl Hirschman (who helped raise Ian during his childhood). Ian’s greatest passion in life was to play chess and teach chess.

Ian learned how to play chess from his stepmother Naomi at the early age of eight years old and grew up playing chess with his brother Eric. Ian was a quick learner and studied chess enthusiastically throughout his life. Ian’s most notable achievement in chess was beating Grandmaster Maxim (Max) Dlugy (former World Junior Champion), during Mr. Dlugy’s simultaneous chess exhibition in Central Park in the Summer of approximately 2018. Ian also greatly assisted his brother Eric in writing a chess book entitled, “The Richter-Veresov Attack: Qd3 Variation,” which was published in 2023 and included some of Ian and Eric’s best chess games.

Although chess was his passion, Ian also loved playing board games (particularly scrabble, which he was very good at). Ian also loved playing Paddleball with his brother Eric in Starrett City, Brooklyn where they lived from 1976-1980’s. He also loved playing Ping Pong with Eric and their father Jack.

After graduation from South Shore High School, in Brooklyn, New York with honors, Ian attended New York University on a scholarship, but would ultimately earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Brooklyn College, where he would often play chess in the Student Union Building (SUBO). Ian was also a member of the Brooklyn College Chess Club and would often compete with the chess team at college events such as the Pan American Intercollegiate Championship, as well as play in the annual U.S. Amateur Team East Championship, in Parsippany, New Jersey with either the chess team and/or friends and his brother Eric.

Ian loved music particularly Disco music and would often go to discotheques in the 1980’s with his brother Eric. Ian also collected many music albums of his favorite musical artists, while displaying them in his home. His favorite musicians were the Bee Gees. Ian also loved watching movies, and his favorite movie was “Saturday Night Fever,” with John Travolta.

Ian had a warm and gentle manner about him and a beautiful smile! He had many friends who cared about him throughout his life.

Unfortunately, Ian had a history of mental Illness (Schizophrenia) and was hospitalized most of his adult life, but he did have periods of living with his girlfriend Joannie in a beautiful apartment in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, as well as living with roommates in Supported Apartments. Ian spent the last 5 years of his life hospitalized at a New York State psychiatric facility. While there, he developed Squamous skin cancer, which metastasized and developed into Stage 4 cancer. Sadly, Ian refused treatment for cancer, preferring to live as naturally and wholistically as possible without the aid of medications or treatment for both his medical and psychiatric conditions particularly at the end of his life.

Ian died peacefully in a skilled nursing facility in Staten Island, New York, while his brother Eric and good friend Clifford were by his side playing chess in honor of Ian!

Ian is survived by his bother Eric and is already greatly missed and will be forever remembered.