Mikhail Botvinnik

MIKHAIL BOTVINNIK d1995. Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster. The sixth World Chess Champion, he also worked as an electrical engineer and computer scientist and was a pioneer in computer chess. He was the first world-class player to develop within the Soviet Union. He also played a major role in the organization of chess, making a significant contribution to the design of the World Chess Championship system after WW2 and becoming a leading member of the coaching system that enabled the Soviet Union to dominate top-class chess during that time. His pupils include World Champions ; Anatoly Karpov / Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik. He died in Moscow aged 83 on May 5th 1995