Aleksander Wojtkiewicz
Aleksander Wojtkiewicz | |
---|---|
![]() Aleksander Wojtkiewicz, 2005 | |
Full name | Aleksandrs Voitkevičs |
Country | Poland (before 2000) United States (after 2000) |
Born | Riga, Latvia | January 15, 1963
Died | July 14, 2006 Baltimore USA | (aged 43)
Title | Grandmaster |
Peak rating | 2595 (July 1998) |
Aleksander Wojtkiewicz (Latvian: Aleksandrs Voitkevičs; January 15, 1963 – July 14, 2006) was a Polish chess grandmaster. He was born in Latvia. In his early teens he was already a strong player; a student of ex-world champion Mikhail Tal whom he assisted in the 1979 Interzonal tournament in Riga. He won the Latvian Chess Championship in 1981.[1] His promising chess career was interrupted when he refused to join the Soviet Army. For several years he went undercover but in 1986 he was sentenced to two years in prison. After one year he received an amnesty after the meeting of Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. Following his release he moved from Riga to Warsaw where he won two Polish Chess Championships. He played for Poland in the Chess Olympiads of 1990 and 1992.[2]
He later resided in the United States, whereupon he became one of the most active players on the tournament circuit, constantly flying around the world. Several times he won the annual $10,000 first prize for Grand Prix chess tournaments in the United States.
Wojtkiewicz played in the FIDE World Chess Championship 2004. In his final months, he tied for first at the 2006 World Open in Philadelphia and won the 2006 National Open in Las Vegas. He died on the evening of 14 July 2006 from a perforated intestine and massive bleeding.[3]
Wojtkiewicz's strategies have been investigated in the online series "How Wojo Won" by chess master Jonathan Hilton. The six-part series began in December 2006[4] and continued until April 2008.[5] Hilton has also co-authored a book, Wojo's Weapons: Winning with White, Volume I, focusing on Wojtkiewicz's opening play.[6]
Notable games
- Aleksander Wojtkiewicz vs Robert Kuczynski, Biel 1990, Slav Defense: Modern Line (D11), 1-0
- Aleksander Wojtkiewicz vs Spyridon Skembris, Novi Sad 50/521 1990, English Opening: Agincourt Defense, Catalan Defense (A13), 1-0
- Aleksander Wojtkiewicz vs David Filipovich, 29th World Open 2001, Queen Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation (D02), 1-0
- Jennifer Shahade vs Aleksander Wojtkiewicz, 114th New York Masters 2004, Sicilian Defense: Hyperaccelerated Dragon (B35), 0-1
References
- ^ Championship of Latvia- Riga 1981 - Standings
- ^ "Men's Chess Olympiads: Aleksander Wojtkiewicz". OlimpBase. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ^ "GM Aleksander Wojtkiewicz dies at 43". ChessBase. 2006-07-16. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
- ^ "How Wojo Won: Part I". Chess Life Online. 2006-12-22. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ^ "How Wojo Won: Part VI". Chess Life Online. 2008-04-30. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
- ^ "Wojo's Weapons: Winning with White, Volume I". Mongoose Press. 2009-12-01. Retrieved 2010-06-18.[permanent dead link]
External links
- All articles with dead external links
- Articles with dead external links from June 2017
- Articles with permanently dead external links
- Articles with short description
- Articles containing Latvian-language text
- Chessgames player template with ID not in Wikidata
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- 1963 births
- 2006 deaths
- Latvian chess players
- Polish chess players
- American chess players
- Chess grandmasters
- Sportspeople from Riga
- 20th-century chess players