Leonid Yurtaev (1952 – 2014) was a Kyrgyzstan's grandmaster chess player and trainer, known for his tactical savvy and daring style of play.
Born in Frunze (now Bishkek), Kyrgyzstan, Yurtaev earned his International Master title in 1982. In 1986, he emerged as the USSR Chess Championship semi-finalist, after which he tied for first place in the Moscow Championship. This performance earned him the International Grandmaster title in 1991.
He represented his country multiple times in the Chess Olympiads between 1992 and 2008 and also played in the FIDE World Chess Championships of 2000 and 2004. He was both Kyrgyzstan's first International Master and International Grandmaster.
As a trainer, he served as a coach for the national team and contributed to the development of several leading Kyrgyz chess players. Known for his aggressive strategies and tactical vision, he even has a variation of the Modern Defence named after him: the Yurtaev Variation.
He earned several victories including at international tournaments like the 2001 Pavlodar and 2003 Penang Open. Yurtaev had several impressive personal victories against top-ranked players, including over six-time Armenian champion Rafael Vaganian.
Yurtaev remained a key figure in Kyrgyzstani and Central Asian chess until his death in 2014.