Soviet chess Grandmaster who is best known for coaching World Chess Champion Boris Spassky.
He played in his first Soviet Championship at the age of 22.
He excelled in both over-the-board chess and correspondence chess and he was among the 27 players named International Grandmaster in 1950 by FIDE on its inaugural list when the title was first introduced.
He was born and raised in Russia, the heart of the Soviet Union.
He coached Boris Spassky, who for a time was considered to be the top player in the world.
