Alexander Zaitsev (chess player)

Alexander Nikolayevich Zaitsev (June 15, 1935 – October 31, 1971) was a leading Soviet chess grandmaster. He was born in Vladivostok, Russia.

Alexander Zaitsev in 1957

Perhaps his finest achievement was a share of first place at the 1968/69 USSR Chess Championship of Alma Ata. He eventually took the silver medal after losing the (Vladimir) play-off to co-winner Lev Polugaevsky. The Chessmetrics website, which provides estimated ratings for older players, places him as 21st in the world in 1969. Zaitsev died at a young age in a pathetic manner. He had been born with a clubfoot. In 1971, he had an operation to correct the problem. Details are hard to come by, but Zaitsev died of complications from the surgery.