Aivars Gipslis was a Latvian chess grandmaster and a notable player, trainer, and writer about chess in the 20th century. Born on February 8, 1937 in Riga, Latvia, Gipslis became an International Master in 1961, and was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE (International Chess Federation) in 1967.
Aivars Gipslis is best known for his success at the Chess Olympiads, where he represented Latvia (or formerly USSR). He participated in nine Olympiads, first in 1960 and last in 1992, contributing to the team's success with several medals. In total, Gipslis played in over 150 international tournaments.
Gipslis reached his peak in 1967 when he was included in the World Championship cycle. He also won the Latvian Chess Championship four times. His most prominant chess tournament win came in 1967 at an international tournament in Debrecen, Hungary.
Throughout the 1970s - 1990s, Gipslis focused mainly on chess journalism and coaching. He was closely associated with the careers of famous chess players, such as Alexei Shirov, a well-known grandmaster, whom he trained and coached for many years.
In 2000, while participating in a chess tournament in Berlin, Gipslis suffered a stroke and passed away a few months later on April 13, 2000 at a hospital in Berlin, Germany.