Vladimir Alexandrovich Alatortsev (15 August 1909–13 February 1987) was a Soviet and Russian chess Grandmaster and International Arbiter. He was born in Saint Petersburg and studied economics at Leningrad University. Alatortsev made his first major mark in chess by finishing second in the Leningrad Championships of 1933 and 1934.
Throughout his chess career, Alatortsev played against many renowned Grandmasters, such as Mikhail Botvinnik, Paul Keres, and Vasily Smyslov. While he mainly stayed in the shadow compared to these chess luminaries, he had several significant wins, including joint victories at Leningrad 1934/35 and Novgorod 1944. Although he did not achieve major success after World War II, his contributions to theoretical chess and opening strategies remained notable.
Aside from playing, Alatortsev was an active organizer and official in Soviet chess. He was a longtime chairman of the Soviet Chess Federation's Qualification Committee and served as an International Arbiter from 1951. He was also a prolific author who wrote chess books and articles and trained several prominent players, including the future World Champions Tigran Petrosian and Anatoly Karpov.
Alatortsev received his Grandmaster title from the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1983 for his lifework in chess, when he was 74 years old. He passed away in Moscow on 13 February 1987.