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.
Albert Kapengut
Albert Kapengut was a seven-time Belarusian champion, two-time USSR Championship finalist, influential Modern Benoni theorist, and longtime coach of Boris Gelfand. This profile examines his rise through Soviet chess, restricted international career, analytical work with elite players, and enduring influence on the Minsk chess tradition.