The book of sorrow

Jan Timman b. 14 Dec 1951 (Amsterdam), d. 18 Feb 2026 (Arnhem) GM 1974. 9x NED-ch (1974, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1996, 1997), 11x Olympic team member (1972-2004). World Ch candidate several times; runner-up to Karpov in the 1993 FIDE WCh match. Winner of many elite events incl. Amsterdam IBM, Bugojno, Wijk aan Zee, Sarajevo, Rio de Janeiro, and Linares. Peak FIDE: 2680, world no. 2 (1990). The leading non-Soviet challenger of the 1980s, known as 'The Best of the West'. A creative, fighting player with broad strategic culture, he also became a major author and endgame-study specialist. Timman had a markedly human, even bohemian relationship with chess: museums, literature and late-night life interested him almost as much as opening files. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Bruno Parma b. 30 Dec 1941 (Ljubljana), d. 6 Feb 2026 IM 1961, GM 1963. World Junior ch in The Hague 1961, 2x SLO-ch (1959, 1961), 3rd Slovene GM after Vidmar and Pirc. Shared 3rd in YUG-ch 1968; long-time Yugoslav/Slovene team representative. Peak FIDE: 2540, world no. 46 (1978). A compact, highly professional grandmaster from the great Yugoslav school. He was often described as a very hard man to beat and carried the reputation of a sober technician. Parma's career was less spectacular than some of his peers', but it had the durability and seriousness typical of strong Yugoslav masters of his time. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Mihai Șubă b. 1 Jun 1947 (Bucharest), d. 26 Oct 2025 (Spain) IM 1975, GM 1978. 3x ROU-ch (1980, 1981, 1985), 3rd in Las Palmas iz 1982, peak world no. 20 (1986). World Senior co-ch 2008, European Senior ch 2011. Renowned author of 'Dynamic Chess Strategy'. Peak FIDE: 2580. One of the most original Romanian grandmasters and a late starter by top-level standards, having taken chess seriously only in late adolescence. He became a leading expert on the Sicilian Hedgehog and one of the clearest advocates of dynamic, non-dogmatic positional thinking. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Daniel Naroditsky b. 9 Nov 1995 (San Mateo), d. 19 Oct 2025 (North Carolina) FM 2007, GM 2013. World U12 ch (2007), USA junior ch (2013), multiple USA-ch participant, member of USA team at World TCh 2015. One of the world's strongest blitz and bullet specialists; USA National Blitz ch 2025 with 14/14. Peak classical FIDE: 2647. Far more than an over-the-board grandmaster, Danya became one of the most influential teachers and commentators of the streaming era. He combined elite practical speed with exceptional explanatory clarity and an unusually warm public persona. His death at 29 shocked chess well beyond the tournament world. A huge amount of modern online chess culture bears his imprint. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Vlastimil Hort b. 12 Jan 1944 (Kladno), d. 12 May 2025 (Eitorf) GM 1965. 5x CSR-ch (1970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977), WCh candidate 1977-78, peak world no. 6 (1977). Winner of many strong events incl. Hastings 1967/68 and Skopje 1969; long-time top-board player for Czechoslovakia and later Germany. A first-rate grandmaster and one of the great raconteurs of chess. Hort was universally loved for his wit, self-irony and humane public voice, which made him a natural commentator long after his peak playing days. He had a broad, classical style and a remarkable gift for surviving bad positions. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Friðrik Ólafsson b. 26 Jan 1935 (Reykjavík), d. 4 Apr 2025 (Reykjavík) GM 1958. 6x ISL-ch, 2x Nordic ch, Iceland's first GM. Shared 1st Hastings 1955/56, candidate-level player, President of FIDE 1978-1982. Peak FIDE: 2570. The pioneer who put Iceland on the world chess map before the Fischer boom made the country symbolic. Ólafsson combined serious playing strength with legal and administrative distinction, later serving as FIDE president. He was elegant, cultured and never noisy about his own status. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Boris Spassky b. 30 Jan 1937 (Leningrad), d. 27 Feb 2025 (Moscow) GM 1955. 10th World Champion (1969-1972), WCh finalist also in 1966 and 1972. 2x URS-ch (1961, 1973), 7x Olympic team member with 13 medals. Peak FIDE: 2690, world no. 2. One of the most naturally gifted universal players in chess history. Spassky could attack in open positions, manoeuvre in quiet ones, and switch styles with unusual ease; even his opponents stressed how difficult he was to prepare for. His grace in the 1972 Fischer match made him larger than Cold War caricature. History often reduces him to the man who lost to Fischer, but that is too small a frame: Spassky was a genuine champion and one of the most complete players ever to hold the title. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Robert Hübner b. 6 Nov 1948 (Cologne), d. 5 Jan 2025 (Cologne) GM 1971. 4x WCh candidate, peak world no. 3 (1981). Olympic board-1 gold medallist (1972), 11x Olympiad team member, Germany's strongest player since Lasker. Peak FIDE: 2640. Austere, brilliant and deeply original, Hübner was among the most enigmatic elite players of the late 20th century. He was also a papyrologist, linguist and superb annotator, famous for analytical precision that could become almost self-destructive perfectionism. He often seemed too intellectually honest for the practical compromises elite sport demands. His relatively low mental toughness prevented him form achieving even more. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Zenón Franco Ocampos b. 12 May 1956 (Asunción), d. 1 Oct 2024 (Spain) GM 1990. First Paraguayan GM, long-time top player of his country. Olympic board-1 gold medallist at Lucerne 1982, joint board-1 winner at Novi Sad 1990. Prolific author for Gambit and noted trainer. Peak FIDE: 2542. Franco combined practical strength with rare literary productivity. For many players his books were their first clear introduction to dynamic attack, defence and modern explanatory prose. He also had the distinction of carrying Paraguayan chess almost single-handedly at the top international level for years. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Andreas Dückstein b. 2 Aug 1927 (Budapest), d. 28 Aug 2024 IM 1956, honorary GM 2024. 3x AUT-ch (1954, 1956, 1977), long-time Austrian no. 1, dangerous attacker with notable wins against Euwe, Botvinnik and Spassky. Peak FIDE: 2430. An old-school attacking master whose reputation was built less on formal title inflation than on the respect of other players. Dückstein's career bridged pre-computer and late modern chess, and his best games show exactly why Austrian chess valued him so highly. FIDE finally awarded him the honorary GM title only months before his death. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Aleksandar Matanović b. 23 May 1930 (Belgrade), d. 9 Aug 2023 (Belgrade) GM 1955. 3x YUG-ch (1962, 1969, 1978), many international first prizes, regular Yugoslav Olympiad representative. Co-founder of Chess Informant in 1966 and driving force behind Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. Peak FIDE: 2525. A strong grandmaster in his own right, but historically even more important as one of the men who reorganized chess knowledge before the digital age. Chess Informant's language-neutral symbols and ECO codes reshaped preparation worldwide. Few non-world champions have had such structural influence on how chess was studied. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

András Adorján b. 31 Mar 1950 (Budapest), d. 11 May 2023 GM 1973. European junior ch 1969/70, World Junior runner-up 1969, HUN-ch 1973 (=1st) and 1984, member of the gold-medal Hungarian Olympiad team in 1978. Peak FIDE: 2570, world no. 20 (1984). One of the most individual voices in post-war chess. Adorján was a leading Grünfeld expert, a gifted attacker and, as an author, an unapologetic provocateur whose slogan 'Black is OK!' became famous. He also worked with Kasparov and Leko in world-championship preparation. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Włodzimierz Schmidt b. 10 Apr 1943 (Poznań), d. 1 Apr 2023 IM 1968, GM 1976. 7x POL-ch (1971, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 1990, 1994), 14x Olympic team member (1962-1994), winner or co-winner of many events incl. Lublin 1970, Malmö 1977, Bagneux 1980 and Vinkovci 1986. Senior Trainer from 2004. One of the pillars of Polish post-war chess and, for years, a fixture of domestic elite competition. Schmidt combined longevity with serious professionalism and remained deeply involved as trainer and mentor after his prime. His national-championship appearances and Olympiad service made him one of the most enduring Polish representatives of his era. He was excellend blitz player and natural born tactician. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Iván Faragó b. 1 Apr 1946 (Budapest), d. 12 Dec 2022 IM 1974, GM 1976. HUN-ch 1986, Olympiad team silver in Malta 1980, best individual scorer of all teams there three years later; numerous national-team medals in Euro TCh. Peak FIDE: 2540, world no. 44 (1981). A strong Hungarian all-rounder who spent decades slightly below the most famous names from his country, but was fully capable of world-class performances in team events. He had the reputation of a passionate professional and remained active for more than half a century. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Yuri Averbakh b. 8 Feb 1922 (Kaluga), d. 7 May 2022 (Moscow) GM 1952. URS-ch 1954, WCh candidate 1953, chairman of the USSR Chess Federation 1973-1978. Endgame theoretician, arbiter, composer, historian and author of numerous classic manuals. First centenarian FIDE GM. Averbakh's tournament career alone would guarantee remembrance, but his real chess immortality rests on endgames and scholarship. Generations learned technical play from his books, and his name became shorthand for rigorous endgame knowledge. He also outlived all his contemporaries at the top and became a living archive of 20th-century chess. His family name was originally spelled Auerbach as he was descendant of German Jews. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Borislav Ivkov b. 12 Nov 1933 (Belgrade), d. 14 Feb 2022 GM 1955. First World Junior ch (1951), 3x YUG-ch (1958, 1964, 1972), WCh candidate 1965, 12x Olympiad team member with 10 team medals and several board medals. Winner of many strong events incl. Mar del Plata 1955, Zagreb 1965 and IBM Amsterdam 1974. Peak FIDE: 2560. An elegant representative of the great Yugoslav generation, strong enough to reach the Candidates and durable enough to remain dangerous across decades. Ivkov belonged to the group that made Yugoslavia the main non-Soviet collective force in post-war chess. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Evgeny Sveshnikov b. 11 Feb 1950 (Chelyabinsk), d. 18 Aug 2021 IM 1975, GM 1977. USSR top-flight player, winner/co-winner of many events; long-time theoretician and writer. His name is permanently attached to the Sveshnikov Sicilian, one of the most important opening systems of the late 20th century. Peak FIDE: 2610, world no. 25 (1978). One of those rare grandmasters whose theoretical contribution became larger than any single tournament result. Sveshnikov stubbornly rehabilitated a once-suspect Sicilian structure until it became mainstream elite practice. The line's later adoption by world champions was the ultimate vindication of his faith. He also became Senior World Champion couple of time. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

István Csom b. 2 Jun 1940 (Sátoraljaújhely), d. 28 Jul 2021 IM 1967, GM 1973. HUN-ch 1972 and 1973 (=1st), Olympiad gold with Hungary in 1978, winner of Pula zonal 1975 and many international events. Also IA. Peak FIDE: 2545, world no. 39 (1974). A serious, dependable grandmaster from Hungary's deep reservoir of strength. Csom rarely dominated headlines, but he lasted, scored, and contributed in the sort of team settings that define whole chess cultures. Before turning fully toward chess he preferred football and basketball. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Lubomir Kavalek b. 9 Aug 1943 (Prague), d. 18 Jan 2021 (Reston) GM 1965. 2x CSR-ch, 3x USA-ch, world no. 10 (1974), 9x Olympiad player for Czechoslovakia and USA. Winner of many strong tournaments incl. Amsterdam 1968, Caracas 1970, Lanzarote and Netanya 1973. Later columnist, organizer and Hall of Fame member. Kavalek was the complete public grandmaster: elite player, political émigré, organizer, columnist and elegant spokesman for chess. His attacking brilliancy against Gufeld became famous, but he was far more than a tactician; he was one of the most successful U.S.-based tournament players of the 1970s. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Dumitru Svetuşchin b. 25 Jul 1980 (Moldavian SSR), d. 4 Sep 2020 (Chișinău) GM 2002. MDA-ch 2000, 10x Olympiad team member, noted trainer of the Moldovan national teams. Peak FIDE: 2621. One of the strongest Moldovan grandmasters of his generation and a long-time student of the Chebanenko school. He was known as a solid positional player, particularly strong in the endgame, and friends remembered him as well-read, athletic and unexpectedly versatile outside chess. Mental issues handicapped his career. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Wolfgang Uhlmann b. 29 Mar 1935 (Dresden), d. 24 Aug 2020 (Dresden) GM 1959. 11x GDR-ch, WCh candidate 1971, 11x Olympiad player, board-1 gold in Tel Aviv 1964. East Germany's dominant player for more than three decades. Peak FIDE: 2575, world no. 19 (1978). The leading chess figure of East Germany, and one of the last major specialists identified almost personally with the French Defence. Tuberculosis in youth interrupted his life, but also gave him time to immerse himself in study. He remained loyal to his city and represented a whole vanished chess world with dignity. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Arianne Caoili b. 22 Dec 1986 (Manila), d. 30 Mar 2020 (Yerevan) WIM 2001. Asian girls U16 ch 2000, Oceania women's ch 2009, 7x Women's Olympiad participant for Philippines and Australia. Outside chess she worked in consulting and public affairs; later adviser in Armenia. Caoili was one of the most recognisable women in chess outside the top title track: bright, articulate, photogenic, socially gifted and genuinely international in profile. She moved easily between chess, media and public life. She became wife of GM Levon Aronion. She died at 33 from injuries after a car crash. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Pál Benko b. 15 Jul 1928 (Amiens), d. 25 Aug 2019 (Budapest) GM 1958. 2x WCh candidate, record 8x USA Open winner, major Olympiad performer for Hungary and USA, Hall of Fame member. Composer, endgame columnist, opening pioneer of the Benko Gambit and Benko Opening. Peak FIDE: 2530. A beautiful example of the multi-talented old grandmaster: top player, composer, analyst, endgame specialist and opening innovator. Benko's life also had dramatic political edges, including his defection to the West and his famous decision to give Fischer a Candidates place in 1970. His opening ideas entered elite praxis so thoroughly that his surname became standard vocabulary (Benko Gambit). Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Eva Moser b. 26 Jul 1982 (Tamsweg), d. 31 Mar 2019 (Graz) WGM 2003, IM 2004. Austria's first WGM and strongest female player of her country in modern times. Austrian women's ch, also winner of the open Austrian ch (2006). Participant in Women's WCh 2008. Peak FIDE: 2471. Moser was a fighter, ambitious enough to pursue open events rather than remain inside a separate women's circuit. That made her unusually visible in Austrian chess, where she became a symbol of female competitive strength at the highest domestic level. She died at only 36 after a battle with leukaemia. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Nino Khurtsidze b. 28 Aug 1975, d. 22 Apr 2018 (Tbilisi) WGM 1993, IM 1999. World girls U16 ch (1991), 2x World girls U20 ch (1993, 1995), European girls U20 ch (1992), GEO-ch open (1998) - the only Georgian woman to do so, 5x women's GEO-ch. Peak FIDE: 2472. Khurtsidze came from the deepest women's chess nation of all, yet still carved out a profile that was distinctly her own. She was admired for active, initiative-seeking play and good positional feel, and her win of the open Georgian championship remains a singular achievement. She died at 42 after a battle with cancer. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

William Lombardy b. 4 Dec 1937 (New York City), d. 13 Oct 2017 (Martinez) GM 1960. World Junior ch 1957 with perfect 11/11 - still unique, one of the top USA players of the 1950s-60s, leader of the gold-winning USA student team in 1960, Fischer's second in the 1972 WCh match. Olympiad team gold in 1976. Lombardy's biography already reads like fiction: prodigy, grandmaster, Catholic priest, writer, teacher and close Fischer associate. His most famous victory over Spassky in student competition (Leningrad 1961) and his flawless world-junior title ensured on Soviet gave him chess immortality. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Arthur Bisguier b. 8 Oct 1929 (New York City), d. 5 Apr 2017 GM 1957. USA-ch 1954, 3x USA Open ch, 2x Interzonal participant, 5x Olympiad player, later promoter, writer and ambassador of American chess. Winner also of National Open, Lone Pine and many domestic events. A major U.S. figure across generations, remembered affectionately as the 'Dean of American Chess'. Bisguier's peak years came just before Fischer's full dominance, which partly obscures how serious a player he was. He was also an early high-level practitioner of the Berlin Defence, decades before its revival became fashionable. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Mark Taimanov b. 7 Feb 1926 (Kharkov), d. 28 Nov 2016 (St Petersburg) IM 1950, GM 1952. URS-ch 1956, WCh candidate in 1953 and 1971, 23x URS-ch participant. Several opening systems bear his name, most famously the Sicilian Taimanov. World-class concert pianist. Peak FIDE: 2600. A cultured Soviet grandmaster in the old classic sense: technically excellent, theoretically significant and artistically active outside chess - he was semi-professional pianist. His 0-6 loss to Fischer in 1971 became a historical symbol, but it distorts his true stature as a quarter-century top-20 player. Known for his longetivity and energy, he became father of twins at 78. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Mark Dvoretsky b. 9 Dec 1947 (Moscow), d. 26 Sep 2016 (Moscow) IM 1975. Moscow ch 1973, =5th URS-ch 1974, long regarded as perhaps the world's strongest IM. Legendary trainer of Yusupov, Dolmatov, Dreev and others; author of landmark manuals on endgames, technique and calculation. Peak FIDE: 2540. Dvoretsky was the stern conscience of ambitious chess study. His books demanded concentration and punished laziness, which is precisely why serious players revered them. As a trainer he shaped elite careers without ever needing the fame of a world-title run himself. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Viktor Korchnoi b. 23 Mar 1931 (Leningrad), d. 6 Jun 2016 GM 1956. 4x URS-ch (1960, 1962, 1964, 1970), 2x WCh challenger (1978, 1981), numerous Candidates cycles across four decades. One of the greatest players never to become world champion. Peak FIDE: world no. 2. Combative almost beyond belief, Korchnoi was chess as permanent resistance. He could defend, counterattack, provoke, exhaust and outlast; even when he was objectively worse, the game often still felt dangerous for the opponent. His political defection only intensified the myth. Arguable the best chess player even not to become World Champion. He was super strong for years: he was WCh contender at 50, and still in TOP20 at 68! Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Walter Browne b. 10 Jan 1949 (Sydney), d. 24 Jun 2015 (Las Vegas) GM 1970. 6x USA-ch, 11x National Open winner, 7x American Open winner, 3x World Open winner, 2x USA Open ch. Olympiad medallist for Australia and USA. Peak FIDE: 2590, world no. 14. No one embodied the fighting spirit of the American Swiss-system circuit better than Browne. Fast, practical, relentless and often chaotic in the best sense, he made nearly every position playable and nearly every event dramatic. His side career in poker only reinforced the image. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Dragoljub Velimirović b. 12 May 1942 (Valjevo), d. 22 May 2014 (Belgrade) IM 1972, GM 1973. YUG-ch 1975, 6x Olympiad player, peak world no. 20 (1986). His name is attached to the Velimirović Attack in the Sicilian Defence. Peak FIDE: 2575. A pure attacking romantic of the Yugoslav school. Velimirović loved initiative, tactical fire and sharp Sicilians, and his games remain a standard source for sacrificial inspiration. He was one of those players whose personality came through unmistakably in his openings. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Gyula Sax b. 18 Jun 1951 (Budapest), d. 25 Jan 2014 IM 1972, GM 1974. European junior ch 1972, HUN-ch 1976 and 1977 (=1st), winner of Rovinj-Zagreb 1975, Vinkovci 1976, Las Palmas 1978, Amsterdam IBM 1979 and Wijk aan Zee 1989 (=1st). Candidate after Subotica iz 1987. Peak FIDE: 2610, world no. 12. A formidable Hungarian grandmaster from the country’s exceptionally deep generation between Portisch and the Polgár era. Sax was versatile rather than doctrinaire, strong in both dynamic and technical play, and often stronger than his international reputation suggests. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Vugar Gashimov b. 24 Jul 1986 (Baku), d. 11 Jan 2014 (Heidelberg) GM 2002. One of Azerbaijan's greatest players, peak world no. 6 (2009), winner of Acropolis 2005 and Reggio Emilia 2010/11, 2x Cappelle-la-Grande winner/co-winner. Important member of Azerbaijan's golden team era. Peak FIDE: 2761. Gashimov combined top-10 class with rare warmth and tactical freshness. He was especially feared in rapid and blitz, where intuition and imagination came to the fore. The annual Gashimov Memorial is itself evidence of how deeply he was loved in Azerbaijani chess. He died at only 27 from a recurrent malignant brain tumour. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Alla Kushnir b. 11 Aug 1941 (Moscow), d. 2 Aug 2013 (Tel Aviv) WIM 1962, WGM 1976. 3x Women's WCh challenger (1965, 1969, 1972), 1970 Soviet women's ch, 3x Women's Olympiad winner (USSR 1969, 1972; Israel 1976). Later World Chess Hall of Fame inductee. For years the clear world no. 2 behind Gaprindashvili, which in that period meant genuine greatness. Kushnir's repeated title challenges and her near-miss in the 1972 match show how narrow the margin sometimes was. She later became one of the emblematic immigrant stars of Israeli chess. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Elena Donaldson-Akhmilovskaya b. 11 Mar 1957 (Leningrad), d. 18 Nov 2012 (Kirkland) WGM 1977. Soviet women's ch 1978 and 1986, winner of the women's Candidates 1986, challenger for Women's World Championship the same year. USA women's ch 1990 and 1994, tied 1st in 1993. Peak FIDE: 2435. One of the strongest Soviet female players of her time, later reborn as a major figure in American women's chess after her dramatic move west during the 1988 Olympiad. The elopement story is famous, but it should not overshadow her genuine class as a player. She died at 55 from complications of brain cancer. Her life contained more abrupt turns than most chess biographies ever do. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Svetozar Gligorić b. 2 Feb 1923 (Belgrade), d. 14 Aug 2012 (Belgrade) GM 1951. Record 11x YUG-ch, 15x Olympiad player, team gold in Dubrovnik 1950, board-1 gold in Munich 1958. WCh candidate 3 times, one of the world's best players in the 1950s and 1960s. Musician and writer. Peak FIDE: 2600. Quite possibly the greatest player Yugoslavia ever produced, and certainly one of the most beloved. Gligorić's opening understanding, sportsmanship and social grace made him a friend of nearly every giant of his generation, Fischer included. He also beat reigning and former world champions often enough to prove his class was real, not ceremonial. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Yuri Razuvaev b. 10 Oct 1945 (Moscow), d. 21 Mar 2012 IM 1973, GM 1976. Tournament winner at Dubna, Polanica-Zdrój, London 1983, Dortmund 1985, Jūrmala 1987, Reykjavík 1990, Reggio Emilia 1996 and others. Leading trainer, journalist and Honoured Coach of Russia. Peak FIDE: 2625. Razuvaev belonged to that rich Soviet category of player-trainer-intellectuals whose names recur everywhere once one looks closely enough. He may have been less famous than the most public stars, but strong players knew exactly how substantial he was - both as competitor and as a coach. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Elaine Pritchard b. 7 Jan 1926, d. 7 Jan 2012 WIM 1957. 4x British women's ch (1939, 1946, 1956, 1965), World Girls ch 1936 and 1937, one of England's leading female players for decades. Also successful in blindfold and correspondence play. Pritchard was one of the last living links to pre-war British chess and carried that continuity with quiet authority. A child prodigy who remained relevant for decades, she had a range beyond ordinary over-the-board competition and moved easily between different chess disciplines. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Larry Evans b. 22 Mar 1932 (New York), d. 15 Nov 2010 (Reno) IM 1952, GM 1957. 5x USA-ch (1951, 1952, 1962, 1968, 1980), 8x Olympic team member (1950-1976, 64.5%; gold in Haifa). 14th in Amsterdam iz 1964; 2x winner Canadian Open (1956, 1966), =1st Portimão 1975; =2nd Venice 1967. Fisher's candidate matches in 1972 WCh cycle. Prolific chess author and journalist. For decades many American readers met chess through his columns, books and opinions. He started young enough to become the Marshall Chess Club's youngest champion of his day Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Jānis Klovāns b. 9 Apr 1935 (Ruba), d. 5 Oct 2010 (Riga) IM 1976, GM 1997. 9x LAT-ch (1954-1986), 2x Olympic team member (1992-2000). 3x 1st in World Senior Ch (1997, 1999, 2001). Soviet Army officer by profession. Arguably the oldest player to obtain GM title for current achievements. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Bent Larsen b. 4 Mar 1935 (Thisted), d. 9 Sep 2010 (Buenos Aires) GM 1956. 6x DEN-ch (1954-1964), 6x Olympic team member (1954-1970, 68.8%). Four times World Ch candidate. 3x Interzonal winner (Amsterdam 1964, Sousse 1967, Biel 1976). Reached semifinal of candidate matches three times (lost to Tal, Spassky and famously 0-6 to Fischer back in 1971). Apart from WCh performance he won more than 20 major international tournaments. Winner of first Chess Oscar in 1967. Famous from extravagant and non-orthodox treatment of openings. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Bill Hook b. 28 May 1925 (New Rochelle), d. 9 May 2010 Legendary chess master from Virgin Islands. 17x Olympic team member (1968-2008, 59.6%; individual gold in 1980). The oldest participant ever of any Olimpiad (83 years old). 9th in Americal zonal in Quito in 1969. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Andor Lilienthal b. 5 May 1911 (Moscow), d. 8 May 2010 (Budapest) GM 1950; raised in Hungary left for USSR in 1938. 1st= URS-ch (1940). 3x Olympic team member for Hungary (1933-1937, 75.5%). 8th in candidate tournament in 1950 (Budapest). Then chess trainer and second. Came back to Hungary in 1960s. His most famous win vs Capablanca in 1935. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Florencio Campomanes b. 22 Feb 1927 (Manilla), d. 3 May 2010 (Baguio) 5th FIDE president (1982-1995). Good chess player. 2xPHI-ch (1956, 1960), 5x Olympiad team member (1956-1966) Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Vasily Smyslov b. 24 Mar 1921 (Moscow), d. 27 Mar 2010 (Moscow) 7th World Champion (1957-1958) after beating Botvinnik; WCh contender in 1954 (drew 12-12 with Botvinnik). WCh candidate 8 times (1948-1985; he was 64 as he lost to Kasparov in the candidates final). 2xURS-ch (1949, 1955). 9x Olympic team member (1952-1972; nine team wins; only lost 2 games out of 113). Winner of many international tournaments; known from his robust, positional play. Also qualified opera baritone singer. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Miroslav Filip b. 27 Oct 1928 (Prague), d. 27 Apr 2009 (Prague) IM 1953, GM 1955. 3x CSR-ch (1950, 1952, 1954), 12x Olympic team member (1952-1974, 58.8%). 7th in Göteborg iz 1955; 8th Amsterdam candidate tourn 1956. 5th in Stockholm iz 1962; =7th Curacao candidate tourn 1963. 1st Prague 1956, 2nd Marienbad 1960, 2nd Buenos Aires 1961, 2nd Bern 1975. He later became renowned chess author and journalist. He was 205 cm tall (6'9''). Most famous win vs Tal in 1962. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Héctor Rossetto b. 8 Sep 1922 (Bahia Blanca), d. 22 Jan 2009 (Buenos Aires) IM 1950, GM 1960. 5x ARG-ch (1942, 1944, 1947, 1961, 1972), 6x Olympic team member (4 team medals, best ind. result in 1952), 2x qualified for interzonals: 18th in Portoroz 1958, 17th Amsterdam 1964. 1st Mar del Plata 1949 and 1952, 1st Rio de Janeiro 1952, 1st Barcelona 1952, 1st Montevideo 1961. Director of 1978 Chess Olympiad. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Albin Planinec (f. Planinc) b. 18 Apr 1944 (Briše), d. 20 Dec 2008 (Ljubljana) GM 1972. 2x SLO-ch (1968, 1971), YUG team member in Nice Ol 1974, 2x Euro TCh member (1970, 1973). 1st in Vidmar mem in 1969, 1st in Varna 1970, 2nd in Skopje 1971, shared 1st (with Petrosian) in Amsterdam, IBM 1973, shared 3rd in Wijk an Zee 1974. Famous from his aggressive, gambit-prone style, most brilliant win vs Vaganian in 1974. Ruined by chronic mental illness he died in psychiatric hostipal. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Nikola Karaklajić b. 24 Feb 1926 (Belgrade), d. 16 Dec 2008 (Belgrade) Serbian player, writer, trainer, organizer, arbiter, journalist, chess ambassador. IM 1955. 2x YUG-ch 1955, Ol team member in 1956 (team silved), 2nd (team) Euro TCh 1957, 2nd (team) in Student WTCh 1955. shared 1st in Smederevska Palanka 1956, 1st Bognor Regis 1962, 1st Amsterdam, IBM 1964, shared 1st Casablanca 1974. Top Elo 2490 (1971). By profession he was music radio journalist. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Robert Wade b. 10 Apr 1921 (New Zealand), d. 29 Nov 2008 (London) British IM, writer, arbiter, coach. NZL-ch (1944, 1945, 1948), 6th Beverijk (1949), 6th Heidelberg (1949), 5th Venice (1950). 18th/21 Saltsjobaden iz (1952). GBR-ch (1952, 1970). 5th Reykjavik (1964). 6x in English Olympiad squad, 1x in NZ team. IA 1958. Batsford publishers editor in 1960s, then Batsford Chess Library manager. Drew GM Chandler in a club game in 2006, aged 85. In 2008 entered Staunton Memorial as regular player, scoring 0/11. 1. d4 d6 2. Nf3 Bg4 is commonly known as Wade Defence. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Jacek Bednarski b. 12 Mar 1939 (Cracow), d. 19 Oct 2008 (Wrocław) Legendary Polish IM. POL-ch (1963), 5x Polish Olympic team member (beat a.o. Geller), 7th Capablanca mem (1967), 1st Lublin (1972), 1st Eksjö (1976). Charismatic personality, never coped well with zeitnots. He was of poor health as heavy smoker. Top Elo: 2395. Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Roza Lallemand (nee Te) b. 8 Aug 1961 (Russia), d. 26 Aug 2008 (France) The French player of Russian origin died of a heart attack at mere 47. 1st in 2001 Euro TCh, 3rd in French Ch in 2001 and 2003. WGM 2000. Top FIDE: 86. (2001). Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Karen Asrian b. 24 Apr 1980, d. 9 Jun 2008 (Yerevan) Was GM from Armenia. Allegedly died of a heart attack thoug he was yound and healthy man. 2nd in World U16 Ch in 1996. 3rd in World U20 Ch (2000). 3xCh of Armenia (1999,2007,2008). 5xOlympiads, team gold in 2006, team bronze in 2002. Ind. gold in World TCh in 2005, team bronze in 2001 and 2005. GM 1998. Top FIDE: 61. (2006). Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial

Robert James Fischer b.9 Mar 1943, d. 17 Jan 2008 (Reykajavik) Legendary American GM. 11th World Champion 1972-1975. US jun ch at 13 (1956), US NM at 12 (youngest ever). 8x US Ch (1958-61, 1963-64, 1966-67). In 1964 scored 11/11, only one ever to do so. 4x Olympiad US team member (team silver in 1960 and 1966, 3x individual award). Tied for 5th (6th in the World) in Candidate tourn in Yugoslavia in 1959 (aged 16). 4th in Candidate tourn in Curacao in 1962. Withdrew from 1966 WCh cycle. In 1965 he came 2nd in Capablanca mem in Havana playing by telegraph due to US embargo imposed on Cuba. In 1967 withdrew from interzonal in Tunisia (despite being on firm halfway lead). In 1970 won interzonal in Spain, then beat Taimanov (6-0), Larsen (6-0) and Petrosian (6.5-2.5) to face Spassky in a WCh match in Iceland, which he won 12.5-8.5 to become World Champion. He subsequently retired from pro chess only to appear in 1992 in the revenge match with Spassky. In 1988 filed for a patent for the increment digital clock. As his mental and physical condition began deteriorating rapidly he passed aged 64 due to kidney failure. Buried in Laugardælir cemetary, Iceland. GM 1957. Top FIDE: 1. with Elo 2785 (1972). Record file :: Wikipedia article :: Obituary / memorial