How the Early Soviet State Turned Chess Into a Tool
A look inside the origins of Soviet chess culture. These articles trace how early USSR institutions and political leaders transformed chess into a tool for education, discipline, and national development, setting the foundation for decades of dominance in world chess.
Vladimir Antoshin
Vladimir Antoshin was a Soviet grandmaster, theoretician, and influential national-team coach. A winner at Baku, Ulaanbaatar, and Zinnowitz, he also developed important opening systems and served as senior coach of the Soviet men’s team from 1971 to 1981.