Legendary Lives That The Chess World Lost Last Year

Several important chess personalities passed away in 2024. All deaths create losses—for families, friends, fans, and communities. In the chess world last year, several notable stars who died, some unexpectedly, will be particularly missed. How well do you remember these lives?

• Oldest Living Grandmaster
• Early Advocate Of Women In Chess
• Mother of Magnus Carlsen
• First Black U.S. National Master
• Playing Career Ended By Stroke During Tournament
• Polish Women's Chess Champion

Oldest Living Grandmaster: Andreas Dueckstein

Andreas Dueckstein, the oldest living grandmaster, died in August at the age of 98. Known for his aggressive attacking style, he was awarded the honorary grandmaster title in February 2024 by FIDE for his consistently strong results in the 1950s and 1970s.

An Austrian grandmaster who was born in Hungary, he won the Austrian national championship three times (1954, 1956, 1977) and represented Austria in seven Chess Olympiads from 1956 to 1988. When GM Mikhail Botvinnik was the reigning world champion, Dueckstein defeated him at the 1958 Munich Olympiad. The loss was the entire Soviet Union team's only defeat at this event.

For more information on his life, see his obituary on Chess.com here.

Lisa Lane: Early Advocate Of Women In Chess

Lisa Lane, who learned to play chess in her late teens, was a U.S. Women’s Chess Champion and an early advocate for the recognition of women in chess. She became the first chess player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated when she was featured in its August 7, 1961, edition. In a manner inappropriate for today, the magazine commented on her presence at the chessboard this way: "At such moments she seems a very serious young woman, but beautifully serious, or seriously beautiful, a side of feminine loveliness that Hollywood has rather neglected." She died in February at the age of 90.

Lane won her first of two U.S. women's championships in 1959 at the age of 26, just a few years after learning the game. She opened her own chess club, The Queen's Pawn Chess Emporium, in New York City in 1963. She abruptly quit playing chess because she was tired of being referred to as a chess player. She commented, "It got to be embarrassing, constantly being introduced as a chess champion at parties." For more information on her life, see her obituary on Chess.com here.

Mother of Magnus Carlsen: Sigrun Øen

Sigrun Øen, the mother of GM Magnus Carlsen, passed away in Oslo in July at the age of 61 after suffering a long illness. Before becoming the mother of four children, she was educated as a chemist and worked for an environmental agency. In addition to her son Magnus, she had three daughters: Ingrid, Ellen, and Signe.

She continually encouraged her son in his chess journey, accompanied him to many tournaments, and provided emotional support throughout his life. With her husband Henrik, she rented a motorhome to travel around Europe when Magnus’s extraordinary chess talent became apparent. Two days before she passed away, Magnus withdrew from a Grand Chess Tour event in Zagreb, Croatia. For more on her life, see her obituary on Chess.com here.

Walter Harris: First Black U.S. National Master

Walter Harris, America’s first Black National Master, passed away in October at the age of 83. After he had earned the title, Ebony magazine ran a short article with his photo announcing the feat.

The Chess Drum, the online magazine of Daaim Shabazz, identified Harris as one of his generation of players who used chess as a stepping stone for success in other areas. A tweet by GM Maurice Ashley acknowledges that Harris pioneered the breakthrough for Black chess players in the United States.

Harris was befriended by GM Bobby Fischer who noted his talent at chess. In 2005, Harris said that Fischer had encouraged him to work harder to improve his game. In 1958, Harris was one of the participants in a simultaneous in New York, where he was a member of both the Manhattan and Marshall Chess Clubs, with Fischer (who was 13 at the time). His game (Danish Gambit Declined: Sorensen Defense) ended in a draw.

Ziaur Rahman: Playing Career Ended By Stroke During Tournament

Perhaps the most tragic loss occurred in July when GM Ziaur Rahman passed away while participating in the national chess championship of Bangladesh. He was 50 years old. During his 12th-round game in the tournament, he suffered a stroke. He had a close-to-winning position against GM Enamul Hossain when the game was stopped on move 25.

Rahman competed 17 times for Bangladesh in the Chess Olympiad and was his country’s most decorated chess player. A 15-time Bangladesh Chess Champion, he was pursuing his 16th title and had an excellent chance to capture it because he was on an undefeated score of 8/11.

His son FM Tahsin Tajwar Zia was also playing in the national championship in Dhaka. The two made history in 2022 by becoming the first father and son to compete on the same team in a Chess Olympiad. For more information on his life, see his obituary on Chess.com here.

Polish Women's Chess Champion: Joanna Dworakowska

Joanna Dworakowska, a three-time Polish Women's Chess Champion, passed away at the age of 45 in April after succumbing to an 18-month battle with cancer. She held the FIDE titles of international master and woman grandmaster. She represented Poland six times in Chess Olympiads and was a member of the team that won bronze in 2002. In 1997, she won the silver medal at the World Girls U20 Junior Championship. For more information on her life, see her obituary on Chess.com here.

Other Notable Players

Finally, other grandmasters who died in 2024 include the following:

• Sergei Aslanovich Beshukov, a Russian grandmaster who was also a FIDE arbiter, died in June at the age of 53 after a long illness.
• Zenon Franco Ocampos, a Paraguayan grandmaster who won the gold medal in the 1982 Chess Olympiad at board one by scoring 11 of 13, died in October at the age of 68.
• Krum Georgiev, a Bulgarian grandmaster who was best known for beating future world champion Garry Kasparov in a wild game at the Malta Olympics in 1980, died in July at the age of 66.
• Constantin Ionescu, a Romanian grandmaster who won eight individual Romanian Chess Championships medals, died in July at the age of 65.
• Isa Kasimi, born Igor Kondylev and known as Igors Rausis until 2020, was a Latvian player who held the grandmaster title until it was taken away after he was caught cheating in 2019. He died in March at the age of 62.
• Viesturs Meijers, a Latvian grandmaster who participated in more than 80 international tournaments, died in November at the age of 56.
• Juzefs Petkevics, a Latvian grandmaster who won the 12th World Senior Chess Championship in 2002, died in May at the age of 83.

How well do you remember the last few years? Here are my recaps for the following years:

• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020 

What other chess personalities who died last year were important and meaningful for you? Please add how they inspired you in the comments section.