Latvian Grandmaster (1998). Maris holds a law degree from the University of Latvia and works for Linstow Centre Management. Krakops won the silver medal at the World U16 behind Peter Leko in 1994 and won in Gausdal in 2000. A participant in the Olympiads between 1998 and 2002. Krakops is retired from international chess since

Australian International Master (1951), International Grandmaster in Correspondence Chess (1953), the first World Champion in Correspondence Chess 1953-58. A chess writer. Four times he was Champion of Australia -1935, 1937, 1949 and 1951, twice Champion of New Zealand 1924-25 and 1936. Purdy was the founder and the editor (1929-67) of the magazine Australian Chess Review,

German Grandmaster (1991) who was one of the strongest players of East German in the late 1980’s. Best results: Rostock 1981 and 1982, 1st; Poznan 1983, 1st; Trnava II 1985, 1st; Berlin 1986, 1st; Varna 1987, 1st; Leipzig 1988, 2nd; East German championship 1988, 2nd; East German championship 1990, 2nd; German championship 1993, 2nd; Luxembourg

Bulgarian Grandmaster (1964), a Corporate lawyer. Bulgarian Champion in 1954, 1955, 1962 and 1964. He is one of the few foreign players to win their Grandmaster’s title in the Soviet Union. Won or shared first at Varna 1960 and 1965, Polanica Zdroj 1963, Fuengirola 1979, Choka 1981, Kragujevac 1984, Belgrade 1985, Dortmund 1989, and Albena

U.S. Grandmaster in Correspondence Chess (1983). Born in Lithuania, he emigrated to USA in 1949. The winner of the tenth Chess Correspondence Championship (1978-84). Ph.D. in Physics Best results (OTB): US Junior championship 1963, 5thth; US Open 1963, 5thth. For his achievements in correspondence chess, in 1993 he was inducted into the U. S. Chess

Belgian International Master (1989) and Correspondence Grandmaster (1995) born in Congo. Accountant. Best results: Second at Haringey (ENG) in 1988. A participant in the Olympiads of 1992, 2008 and 2010 and in the European Team Championship 2007 and 2009. Peak rating: 2426 in 2000.

U.S. American Master born in New York. A stockbroker. In his early twenties, Pinkus won two important tournaments: the Hallgarten Tournament, 1925, and the Junior Masters Tournament, 1927. In both events he out-pointed Kashdan. Pinkus remained one of the country’s leading players until 1932 when he embarked on a series of ten expeditions to the

Slovakian Grandmaster (1978), trainer, chess journalist, and an engineer. Slovakian Champion in 1993 and vice Czechoslovakian Champion in 1992. Plachetka was equal first at Polanica Zdroj 1975, and first at Novi Sad 1976, Maribor and Vinkovci 1977, Sofia 1979 (VI), Trnava 1979 (VIII), Stary Smokovec 1979, Keszthely 1981, Titograd 1982, Novi Sad 1983, Prague 1984, Strasbourg

Colombian International Master (1957). Best Colombian player in the 60’s and 70’s. Nine times he won the national championship. He was awarded a silver medal for the best second individual result at board 1 at the 1964 Olympiad. Best results: won or shared first  Caracas Zonal 1967, Bogota 1969 and also 3rd at Mar del

Latvian Master. Latvian Champion in 1930 and 1931, Champion of Riga in 1926, 1932, and 1936. Petrovs participated in several strong tournaments during the 1930s, usually with moderate results but with one outstanding achievement, at Kemeri 1937, where he came in first (+9=6-2) equal with Salo Flohr and Samuel Reshevsky, ahead of Alexander Alekhine, Paul