It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Vereslav Eingorn, a distinguished Ukrainian chess grandmaster, coach, and author. He was 69.
Born on 23 November 1956 in Odesa (then the Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union), Eingorn grew up in a chess-playing family. He learned the game from his grandmother and began attending a chess club at the age of 12. His talent quickly became apparent, and he went on to establish himself among the leading players in Soviet chess during the 1980s.
Eingorn graduated from Odesa State University with a degree in mathematics, but he devoted his professional life to chess. He earned the title of Soviet Master of Sport in 1976, International Master in 1984, and Grandmaster in 1986.
Eingorn was a consistent, high-level performer in the exceptionally strong Soviet chess scene of the 1980s. He competed in multiple USSR Championships, earning bronze medals in 1984, 1987, and 1989, along with a tie for second through seventh place in 1986.
During the most productive period of his career, Eingorn won or shared first place in strong events, including tournaments in Minsk (1983), Bor (1986), and Moscow (1986), and tied for first at the Cappelle-la-Grande Open in 1986. His peak came in 1987 when he qualified for the Interzonal tournament in Zagreb, where he finished in ninth place.
Eingorn’s contributions to chess extended far beyond his own competitive results. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he became an important member of the Ukrainian national team. He represented Ukraine at three Chess Olympiads, including the 2000 Olympiad in Istanbul, where Ukraine won the bronze medal. In 2001, he was part of the Ukrainian team that won the World Team Chess Championship in Yerevan.
In the mid-2000s Eingorn largely retired from active play and turned to coaching. As head coach of the Ukrainian women’s national team he guided them to gold medals at the 2006 Chess Olympiad in Turin. He was awarded the title of FIDE Senior Trainer in 2007.
A respected author, Eingorn penned several insightful books, including Decision-Making at the Chessboard (2003), Creative Chess Opening Preparation (2006), and Chess Explained: The French (with Valentin Bogdanov, 2008), and A Rock-Solid Chess Opening Repertoire for Black (2012).
FIDE extends its deepest condolences to Vereslav Eingorn’s family, friends, colleagues, and students.