Bronstein David Ionovich (19.02.1924 – 06.12.2006)
Soviet-Ukrainian Grandmaster (1950), journalist and author. Since 1964 worked as a chess reporter of newspaper “Izvestia”. International Judge in Chess Composition in 1964.
David began playing chess at the age of 6. He got his chess education in the chess club of Kiev Pioneer palace under the head of Alexander Konstantinopolsky. His first success was in Kiev tournament 1938-40 and the Ukrainian Championship of 1939. Being the second behind Isaak Boleslavsky at the 1940 Ukrainian Championship, he got the Master title and the right to participate in the semi-final of 13th USSR Championship in 1941. This championship was interrupted because of the outbreak of the war. He was the winner of the very strong Moscow Championship in 1946 scored +10=3-2. In the 1948 and 1949 USSR Championships he was equal first with Alexander Kotov, and Vassily Smyslov. In 1948 he was the winner of the Saltsjobaden Interzonal tournament. At Budapest (1950) at the first Candidate tournament he shared 1st place with Boleslavsky and having won the tiebreak match with a score 7½-6½, he got the right for the title-match with Mikhail Botvinnik which ended with a draw, 12-12 allowing Botvinnik to retain the title. In the period of 1952-1958 he participated as a member of the Soviet team at the X and XII Chess Olympiads. During the last one he achieved the best individual result +9, -0, =4. Four times was the Moscow Champion (1953, 1957, 1961 and 1982). The result of his play in the Interzonal tournament at Neuhausen and Zurich (1953) was the second place together with Paul Keres and Samuel Reshevsky after Vassily Smyslov. The games of the tournament were analyzed by him and published in his first book. The bestseller was translated into English and published in 1970 as “Zurich International Chess Tournament”. Later appeared also “The Chess Struggle in Practice” in 1980; the 3rd edition in Russia was issued in 1984. Bronstein was an active participant of numerous tournaments. He took the first place in 1950 at Budapest, in 1953/1954 at Hastings; in 1954 at Belgrade (Interzonal tournament); in 1955 at Goteborg Interzonal; in 1957 at Gotha; in 1959 at Moscow; in 1966 at Szombadhelt; in 1968 at Moscow and Berlin; in 1971 at Sarajevo; in 1974 at San- Hose; in 1975/76 at Hastings; in 1976 at Sandomierz; in 1977 at Budapest; in 1978 at Yurmala; in 1987 at Panchevo.
His contribution to chess theory of openings is enormous. His style of play is known for his creative middle game play and fresh strategic ideas.
Botvinnik described Bronstein as “… colorful …a brilliant master of attack and capable of taking the most original decisions.” Bronstein was quoted as saying chess has an almost spiritual aspect: “Beauty is the most important aspect of chess … We are passing our knowledge and our understanding of beauty to the next generations, and thus life goes on forever.” He wrote also A Guide for Young Chess Players published in 1981 and an autobiography with his Belgian friend Tom Furstenberg.
David Bronstein died from a stroke in Minsk at the age of 82.
