Alla Kushnir - Biography

Alla Shulimovna Kushnir (Алла Шулимовна Кушнир; born 11 August 1941, Moscow) is a Russian–born Israeli chess Woman Grandmaster.

Kushnir was thrice Women's World Chess Championship Challenger. She lost matches for the title to Nona Gaprindashvili:

• +3 –7 =3 at Riga 1965;
• +2 –6 =5 at Tbilisi–Moscow 1969;
• +4 –5 =7 at Riga 1972.

In tournaments, she took 2nd at Tbilisi–Suchumi 1962, tied for 1st-2nd at Sinaia 1969, won at Belgrad 1971, tied for 2nd-3rd at Wijk aan Zee, won at Moscow 1971, won at Vrnjačka Banja 1973.

Kushnir was a three-times winner of the Women's Chess Olympiads: in 1969 and 1972 she won the tournament as a player in the Soviet team, both times showing the best result at the 2nd board and in 1976 she won it as a player of the Israeli team, also showing the best result at the 1st board.

She was also joint USSR Women's Champion in 1970.

Kushnir fled from the Soviet Union to Israel in 1974.

Awarded the WIM title in 1962 and the WGM title in 1976.

External links

• Jews in Sports bio