Kotov Alexander Alexandrovich (12.08.1913 – 07.01.1981)

Soviet Grandmaster (1950) and International Arbiter (1951).  Kotov studied Engineering.  He was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1944 and was joint Soviet Champion with David Bronstein in 1948.
Captain of the Soviet team in few occasions and Chief Arbiter at the 1974 Olympiad.

Best results: Kotov established a record, which he held for 18 years, by winning the 1952 Interzonal three points ahead of Tigran Petrosian and Mark Taimanov. He won in Venice 1950 and in Hastings 1962-63.

The author of A Chess Player Jotting (1957), The Soviet School of Chess (1958), Think like a Grandmaster(1985), Play Like a Grandmaster (1973), Grandmaster at Work (1980) Train Like a Grandmaster (1981) and Alexander Alekhine (1961).

Kotov was a member of the Soviet team that won the 1952 and 1954 Olympiads.

Peak rating: 2500.