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GM Nicolas Rossolimo

GM Nicolas Rossolimo

Chess FideMaster Bio

FIDE ID
-
Federation Country
United States
Titled Year
1953
Birthplace
Kyiv
Born
28 Feb 10
Died
24 Jul 75

Nicolas Rossolimo (February 28, 1910 – July 24, 1975) was a prominent chess Grandmaster of Russo-French origin. He was known for his opening theories, including the Rossolimo Variation of the Sicilian Defence and the Bb5 systems against the Caro-Kann and Nimzowitsch Defence. He won the 1948 French Chess Championship and directly qualified as an International Grandmaster in 1953, when the title was first established by FIDE.


Rossolimo immigrated to the United States in 1952. He worked as a cab driver in New York City, where he was known for always carrying a pocket chess set. At one time, he ran a chess studio where he offered lessons and held tournaments.


Regarding his notable games, he defeated U.S. champion Larry Evans in 1955 and Grandmaster Samuel Reshevsky in 1952 and 1958. His unique style of attacking chess contributed to his victories over many strong players. Rossolimo was known for his ability to surprise opponents with his deep understanding of numerous opening lines. His revolutionary ideas in the Rossolimo Variation have been widely influential and are still crucial in modern top-level play.


Unfortunately, Rossolimo's career was cut short due to a tragic accident. He died from a head injury sustained from falling down the stairs at his chess studio in Greenwich Village, New York, on July 24, 1975. Despite his untimely death, his contributions to the world of chess continue to be highly appreciated.

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