Lev Alburt
GM Alburt lived for many years in Odessa, a Ukrainian city located on the Black Sea. He won the highly competitive Ukraine championship three times, from 1972-1974. He won the European Cup Championship twice, in 1976 and 1979.
In the days when there were still a Berlin wall and a tight KGB-guard on "Soviet" GMs, Alburt defected while at a tournament in what was then West Germany.
In 1979, he came to the U.S., making his home in New York City. He won the U.S. Championship an impressive three times, in 1984, 1985 and 1990.
Famous for providing aspiring players easy access to master-level ideas, Alburt is the only top-echelon GM to devote his career to teaching non-masters.
Coauthors: Al Lawrence
