Blogs
Leonid Stein playing the King's Indian

Leonid Stein playing the King's Indian

introuble2
| 46

I've discovered him while searching some on King's Indian Defense. Against 1. d4 it seemed to be his main choice during his short career and life.

Leonid Stein, born in Ukrania on Nov 12, 1934, won 3 Soviet championships and many international events. He also participated successfully in Interzonal tournaments. Regarding the latter, he should be considered a victim of the limit representation FIDE rule. Although he had great results in Stockholm 1962 & Amsterdam 1964, results that would allow to anyone else to advance in the following candidate cycle, FIDE rules were setting a limit for 3 players of each country who could advance... and Stein wasn't in.

He died on Jul 4, 1973, in Moscow, probably by heart attack, just before going to London for the European team championship and then to Brazil for the interzonal...

Two first paragraphs from his obituary by Yuri Averbakh in Шахматы в СССР 9/1973 p. 16

Russian text

...В то жаркое июльское утро его долго ждали... Вместе со своими коллегами из сборной страны он Должен был вылететь в Лондон на командное первенство Европы. А спустя Две недели ему предстояло отправиться за океан, в Бразилию. Но напрасно его в то утро ждали товарищи...

Я до сих пор не могу поверить, что Леонида Штейна нет в живых, что уже больше никогда мы не услышим его громкий раскатистый смех. Всегда обидно, когда из жизни уходит хороший, Талантливый человек, но обидно вдвойне, когда смерть настигает такого человека в самом расцвете сил, в канун больших свершений, которых от него ждали и которыс могли бы стать поворотной вехой в его шахматной судьбе. Могли бы...

Google translation

... On that hot July morning, they waited for him for a long time ... Together with his colleagues from the national team of the country, he had to fly to London for the European Team Championship. Two weeks later, he was to go overseas to Brazil. But in vain his comrades were waiting for him that morning ...

I still can not believe that Leonid Stein is no longer alive, that we will never again hear his loud rolling laughter. It is always a shame when a good, talented person leaves life, but doubly sad when death catches up with such a person in the prime of life, on the eve of great accomplishments that were expected of him and which could be a turning point in his chess destiny. It could...

_

Two games that I've loved...

Against Viktor Korchnoi within USSR championship 1965

_

One of the few photos I've found with these two together. Arriving in Havana for the Chess Olympiad 1966, found in Bohemia magazine of 28.08.1966, p. 50, in Digital Library of the Caribbean
_

Against Svetozar Gligorić within Moscow international tournament 1967

_

I couldn't find any photo with these two together but around these dates... Svetozar Gligorić in Hague 1966 found in nationaalarchief

_

found in Шахматное обозрение "64" 52/1971, p. 4 where there's an interview

....


             


a misc history blog:

https://introuble2-s.blogspot.com/

 

and for my chess blog index
click the icon below