Alexander Tolush


Alexander Kazimirovich Tolush was a Soviet chess grandmaster. He was one of Boris Spassky's mentors. Tolush was born and died in Saint Petersburg. He earned the title of International Master in 1950, Grandmaster in 1953, and International Master of Correspondence Chess in 1965.

Tournament career

Tolush won the Leningrad Championship in 1937, 1938, 1946, and 1947.
He played in the USSR Championship ten times. His best result was second place behind Keres in 1950. He finished fourth in 1952 and fourth 1957.
His best international result was first place at Bucharest 1953, ahead of Petrosian, Smyslov, Boleslavsky, and Spassky. In 1968 he was second at Keszthely +7−1=3 behind Portisch.
Tolush never played in the Olympiads, but represented the USSR in two European Team Chess Championships.

Legacy

Although he never reached the very highest level of chess, Tolush was an imaginative attacking player. He worked as a chess journalist, and was a noted trainer whose pupils included Keres and Spassky. His biography Alexander Tolush was compiled by his wife Valentina and includes 92 games.
Tolush introduced the Tolush–Geller Gambit of the Slav Defense to master play in the games Tolush–Smyslov USSR Championship 1947, and Tolush–Levenfish Leningrad Championship 1947.