Alla Kushnir


Alla Shulimovna Kushnir was a Soviet-born Israeli chess player. She was awarded the FIDE titles of Woman International Master in 1962 and Woman Grandmaster in 1976.

Biography

Alla Kushnir immigrated from the Soviet Union to Israel in 1974.

Chess career

Kushnir was thrice Women's World Chess Championship Challenger consecutively. She lost matches for the title to Nona Gaprindashvili:
In tournaments, she took 1st-3rd at Sukhumi Candidates Tournament 1964, won at Beberjik 1967, won at Subotica 1967, 2nd at Belgrad 1968, tied for 1st-2nd at Sinaia 1969, tied for 2nd-3rd at Wijk aan Zee 1971, won at Belgrad 1971, won at Moscow 1971, won at Vrnjačka Banja 1973, 3rd at Voronezh 1973, won at Roosendaal Interzonal 1976.
Kushnir was a three-time winner of the Women's Chess Olympiad: in 1969 and 1972 she won the tournament as a player in the Soviet team, both times showing the best result at the 2nd board, and in 1976 she won it as a player in the Israeli team, showing the best result at the 1st board.
She ended 5th USSR Women's Champion in Lipetsk, 3rd-4th with Volpert USSR Women's Champion in Baku, 2nd-3rd with Volpert USSR Women's Champion in Riga, 3rd-4th with Koslovskaya USSR Women's Champion in Baku, tied 1st place with Ranniku USSR Women's Champion in Beltsy. Kushnir in the match playoff to beat 4½-3½ Ranniku at Moscow.

Death

She died in 2013 in Tel Aviv, nine days before her 72nd birthday, from undisclosed causes.