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Officially Legends
World Chess Hall of Fame Inducts Three Members; Shabalov Enters U.S. Chess Hall of Fame
AT AN INDUCTION CEREMONY ON MARCH 31, 2015, FOUR exceptional chess players were recognized as they took their places in history as members of the World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) and the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame. The World Chess Federation (FIDE) nominated and selected
Olga Rubtsova, Lyudmila Rudenko, and Carl Schlechter for the World Chess Hall of Fame. They join 21 other players who have received the honor since the Hall of Fame’s creation in 2001. “Rubtsova and Rudenko were key figures in bringing women’s
chess into the modern era, creating an environment where women evolved into full-time, professional players. Schlechter is respected not only for his brilliant play, but also for his contributions as a theorist, his writing, and his sportsmanship. We are proud to welcome these three players as members of the World Chess Hall of Fame,” said FIDE Vice President Beatriz Marinello. The U.S. Chess Federation Hall of Fame committee considers and sends candidates for the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame to the
U.S. Chess Trust each year. The Trust votes on candidates and selected Alexander Shabalov to join the 54 other players currently in the Hall of Fame. “As a four-time U.S. champion, Shabalov is in rare territory.
His aggressive, creative play is thrilling to watch and has been an important part of igniting American chess since he first came to this country in the early 1990s. He is extremely deserving of this recognition,” said Harold Winston, chairman of the U.S. Chess Trust and U.S. Chess Federation Hall of Fame Committee. Each player is permanently commemorated at the World Chess
Hall of Fame with a plaque bearing their image and a biography of their notable contributions to the game. “Hosting the induction ceremony is one of the highlights of our year and is a great symbol of what our organization is all about. We look forward to honoring these giants of the chess world,” said Shannon Bailey, chief curator of the World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis.
OLGA RUBTSOVA (1909-1994)
Born in Moscow, Olga Rubtsova learned to play chess at age 15 and, only three years later, won her first USSR Women’s Chess Championship, a feat she would repeat in 1931, 1937, and 1949. In 1950, Rubtsova earned the titles of both international master and woman international master. She reigned as women’s world chess champion from 1956-1958 and played first board for the Soviet team that won the first women’s chess Olympiad in 1957. The only player to become world champion in both over-the-board and correspondence chess, Rubtsova won the first Ladies Correspondence Chess Cham- pionship in 1972, which earned her the title of correspondence chess international master. In 1976, she gained the title of woman grandmaster.
LYUDMILA RUDENKO (1904-1996)
Born in Lubny, Ukraine, Lyudmila Rudenko started playing chess at age 10, but did not seriously study the game until a move to Moscow in 1925. Her first major com- petition was the 1927 USSR Women’s Chess Championship, in which she placed fifth. The following year, she won the Moscow Women’s Championship ahead of reigning USSR Women’s Champion Olga Rubtsova. In 1950, Rudenko won the first Women’s Chess Championship held following World War II, becoming only the second women’s world chess champion after Vera Menchik. Two years later, Rudenko won the USSR Women’s Championship. In 1950, she earned the title of international master and in 1976 became a woman grandmaster.
www.uschess.org
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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF WCHOF
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