Chigorin Memorial Chess Tournament – Chess Covers USSR 1975

Chigorin Memorial Chess Tournament – Chess Covers USSR 1975

Chigorin Memorial Chess Tournament – Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin ( 1850-1908) was a leading Soviet Chess Player. He played two World Championship matches against Wilhelm Steinitz but lost both of them. The Last great player of Romantic Chess Style he served as a major source of inspiration for “Soviet Chess School” which dominated the World Chess in middle and later 20th Century. Chigorin has various chess openings or variations of Chess openings named after him the two most important being Chigorin opening of Ruy Lopez and other Chigorin Defence to Queen’s Gambit. another opening invented by him is now forerunner to King’s Indian set up in French defence.

He was born in Gatchina and later shifted to nearby St Petersburg.

The First Chigorin Memorial Chess Tournament was held in St Petersburg in 1909 after his death and later on in Sochi from 1963 to 1990. It was held in other places between 1947- 1972 before returning to St Petersburg in 1993 and since then being held there.

A pre stamped envelope issued by erstwhile USSR in 1975 in honour of M Chigorin memorial Chess tournament.