Famous Trainer Mark Dvoretsky Dies At 68

The world famous chess trainer Mark Dvoretsky died today at the age of 68. The sad news was confirmed by the Russian Chess Federation. Despite a lengthy illness, his death was unexpected. His passing was mourned with a minute of silence before the first round of the Tal Memorial.

"One day I realised that I look at chess in a different way from previously and with other eyes than those of a practical player. But I value variations and exact analysis as highly as before. Without them, any general discussions become indefensible, unprovable, and float in the air. But it is impossible for me not to look for the essence of the position behind the variations and the hidden mechanisms that direct the play. Here we have not only chess ideas and technical devices, but also the rules of thought and the principles of rational searching and decision-taking."

Mark Dvoretsky wrote this in the preface to his very first book, "Secrets of Chess Training," published by Batsford 25 years ago. In all his writings that followed, this approach to chess training would return—in short: the search for the truth by thorough analysis.