Chess grandmaster and Writer. He is considered by many experts to be the top player never to have won the World Championship. He won the 1938 AVRO tournament, rated as one of the top tournaments in history. This led to negotiations with then World Champion Alekhine for a World Championship match, which did not happen due to the outbreak of World War II and the conquest of Estonia by the Soviet Union. He finished second in the Candidates Tournament, used to determine the challenger for the World Championship, four straight times in 1953, 1956, 1959, and 1962. He was three time Soviet Champion in 1947, 1950, and 1951. He represented Estonia three times at the World Chess Olympiad, earning a bronze team medal for Estonia in 1939 and a silver individual medal in 1937 as First Board. He then went on to represent the Soviet Union seven times at the same even from 1952 through 1962, winning seven team gold medals and four gold board medals. He was also a noted chess author and game annotator. Upon Estonian independence, he was honored by having his likeness placed on the Estonian 5 krooni banknote. He was selected as the Estonian Sportsman of the Century in 2000, and a street in Tallinn bears his name.
Chess grandmaster and Writer. He is considered by many experts to be the top player never to have won the World Championship. He won the 1938 AVRO tournament, rated as one of the top tournaments in history. This led to negotiations with then World Champion Alekhine for a World Championship match, which did not happen due to the outbreak of World War II and the conquest of Estonia by the Soviet Union. He finished second in the Candidates Tournament, used to determine the challenger for the World Championship, four straight times in 1953, 1956, 1959, and 1962. He was three time Soviet Champion in 1947, 1950, and 1951. He represented Estonia three times at the World Chess Olympiad, earning a bronze team medal for Estonia in 1939 and a silver individual medal in 1937 as First Board. He then went on to represent the Soviet Union seven times at the same even from 1952 through 1962, winning seven team gold medals and four gold board medals. He was also a noted chess author and game annotator. Upon Estonian independence, he was honored by having his likeness placed on the Estonian 5 krooni banknote. He was selected as the Estonian Sportsman of the Century in 2000, and a street in Tallinn bears his name.
Bio by: Kenneth Gilbert
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