Kushnir Alla Shulimovna (11.08.1941-02.08.2013)

Israeli Woman Grandmaster (1976). Kushnir was born in Russia and is one of the most successful post-war women players. In the 1970’s, she was the only one apart from Nona Gaprindashvili to compete against men with any success. She was the winner of the Women’s Candidates three times, but on each final match, she was beaten by Nona Gaprindashvili (1965 and 1968 with the score 4½:8½ and in 1972 with the score 7½:8½).

She became USSR Women’s Champion in 1970, European Women’s Champion 1973, but she dropped out of the 1973 Candidates series that same year to immigrate to Israel. Subsequently, she achieved one of her greatest successes at the tournament in Lone Pine 1975, by winning two games against Grandmasters. Kushnir’s last attempt at the Women’s World title was in 1978 when she lost the Candidates Final Match to Maia Chiburdanidze with the score 6,5-7,5.

She participated in the Women’s Olympiads in 1969 and 1972 under the USSR flag, each time winning a team victory and a gold medal for the best individual result at board two. In 1976, under the Israeli banner, she succeeded again by winning two gold medals for the team result and individual performance at board one

In 1973 she went to Israel, where she graduated from history and archeology department at Tel Aviv University, taught archeology.