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Israel Zilber

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Israel Zilber
CountryLatvia
Soviet Union
Israel
United States
Born(1933-06-25)June 25, 1933
Riga, Latvia
Peak rating2430 (January 1980)

Josif Israel Zilber (Latvian: Israels Zilbers; born June 25, 1933) is a Latvian chess player who won the Latvian Chess Championship in 1958.

Latvia chess player

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Zilber was born in Riga, Latvia. He achieved excellent results during the period 1950 to 1973 when he lived in Soviet-occupied Latvia. He represented the Latvian SSR in Soviet Team juniors chess championships in Leningrad in 1951 at first board (5½/9).[1]

He played in Latvian Chess Championship finals in:

He was Riga champion in 1962 and 1974, and "Daugava" champion in 1962[17] and won second place in 1965.[18]

In the Championship of the USSR he reached semifinals in 1956,[19] 1957,[20] 1958,[21] and 1962.[22]

Zilber also represented the Latvian SSR in Soviet Team chess championships in 1953 (second place at seventh board: +4−1=2), 1955 (at fourth board: +2−2=5), 1958 (at first board: +1−5=1), 1960 (at fifth board: 2½/7), 1962 (second place at fourth board: +4−1=3), and 1963 (at fourth board: 6/9).[23]

Zilber played in the Soviet Team chess cup for team "Daugava" at fifth board in 1961 (+0−3=3) and 1964 (+0−1=0).[24]

US career

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After 1974, Zilber immigrated first to Israel and then to the United States. In 1979, he played in Hastings International Chess Congress;[25] in 1980 Zilber won the Masters Open tournament in Biel and a year later he won Limoges tournament. His name can also be found among the participants of Manchester Benedictine in 1980.[26]

However, his life in the United States became fraught with hardship. Zilber would end up homeless on the streets of New York City through most of the 1980s and played chess with strangers in Washington Square Park.[27] This setting was the story about the park in the 1993 film Searching for Bobby Fischer. According to Fred Waitzkin's book Searching for Bobby Fischer, IM Zilber was considered the best player in Washington Square Park with the exception of GM Roman Dzindzichashvili, and would leave the park whenever Dzindzichashvili would arrive there. Details of Zilber's later years are inconclusive – an unconfirmed story states that during a harsh winter he froze to death.[28] A different theory claims that he is not listed in the Social Security Death Index and could still be alive.[29]

Notable games

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  • Mikhail Tal vs. Zilber, URS 1952.[30] First victory over young Mikhail Tal.
  • Zilber vs. Mikhail Tal, URS 1958.[31] The deciding battle in the 1958 Latvian Chess Championship.
  • Zilber vs. Yasser Seirawan, Hastings 1979/80.[32] A notable match with Yasser Seirawan.

References

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  1. ^ "Championship of USSR(team juniors)- Leningrad 7-22.8.1951". narod.ru. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  2. ^ "ch Latvia 1950". Al20102007.narod.ru. April 27, 1950. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  3. ^ "ch Latvia 1951". Al20102007.narod.ru. January 4, 1951. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  4. ^ "ch Latvia 1952". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  5. ^ "ch Latvia 1953". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  6. ^ "ch Latvia 1954". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  7. ^ "ch Latvia 1955". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  8. ^ "ch Latvia 1956". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  9. ^ "ch Latvia 1957". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  10. ^ "ch Latvia 1958". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  11. ^ "ch Latvia 1961". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  12. ^ "ch Latvia 1962". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  13. ^ "ch Latvia 1963". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  14. ^ "ch Latvia 1964". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  15. ^ "ch Latvia 1972". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  16. ^ "ch Latvia 1973". Al20102007.narod.ru. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  17. ^ "Championship of "Daugava"- 1962". narod.ru. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  18. ^ "Championship of "Daugava"- 1965". narod.ru. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  19. ^ "Semifinal of 24 Championship of USSR- Leningrad 1956". narod.ru. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  20. ^ "Semifinal of 24 Championship of USSR- Leningrad 1957". Russian Chess Base. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  21. ^ "Semifinal of Championship of USSR- Rostov-on-Don 1958". narod.ru. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  22. ^ "Semifinal of 30 Championship of USSR- Riga 18.8-15.9.1962". narod.ru. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  23. ^ Wojciech Bartelski. "Soviet Team Chess Championship :: Israel Zilbers". OlimpBase. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  24. ^ Wojciech Bartelski. "Soviet Team Chess Cup :: Israel Zilbers". OlimpBase. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  25. ^ "Hastings 7980 1979 – 365Chess.com Tournaments". 365chess.com. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  26. ^ "Manchester Benedictine op 1980 – 365Chess.com Tournaments". 365chess.com. September 3, 1980. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  27. ^ "New York Daily Photo: Chess Monsters". Newyorkdailyphoto.blogspot.com. August 6, 2009. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  28. ^ "I'll get you Wolfgang Unzicker". Chessmastercoach.com. February 22, 1999. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  29. ^ "Israel Zilber". ChessBanter. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  30. ^ "Mikhail Tal vs. Josif Israel Zilber, Latvian ch (1952), URS". Chessgames.com.
  31. ^ "Josif Israel Zilber vs. Mikhail Tal, Latvian ch (1958), Riga". Chessgames.com.
  32. ^ "Josif Israel Zilber vs. Yasser Seirawan, Hastings (1979/80), ENG". Chessgames.com.
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