Alexander Zaitsev (chess player)



Alexander Nikolayevich Zaitsev (June 15, 1935 – October 31, 1971) was a Soviet chess grandmaster. He was born in Vladivostok, Russia and was also an electrical engineer.

Chess career
Zaitsev shared first place at the 1968 USSR Chess Championship in Alma Ata. He eventually took the silver medal after losing the play-off to co-winner Lev Polugaevsky.

The website Chessmetrics lists his highest ELO rating as 2661 (January 1969) and his highest world ranking as 21 (achieved in April 1969 and May 1969).

Death
Zaitsev died at the age of 36. The cause of his death was not announced.

Legacy
His name is attached to the "Zaitsev Gambit" (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.h4) of the Grünfeld Defence.