Andor Lilienthal | Chess grand master, 99

Andor Lilienthal, 99, the last survivor of 27 original grand master chess players, died Saturday at his home in Budapest, Hungary.

Mr. Lilienthal was born in Moscow to Hungarian Jewish parents, but moved to Budapest with his mother. He eventually competed for Hungary in three Chess Olympiads in the 1930s and later continued his career in the Soviet Union.

He trained world champion Tigran Petrosian from 1951 to 1963, and was the second to Vasily Smyslov during his successful world championship matches against Mikhail Botvinnik.

During his career, Mr. Lilienthal won matches against six world champions - Alexander Alekhine, Jose Raul Capablanca, Botvinnik, Max Euwe, Emanuel Lasker, and Smyslov.

In 1950, FIDE, the international chess federation, included Mr. Lilienthal on its inaugural list of grand masters, a title awarded to the world's strongest players. The list also included, among others, Soviet Alexander Kotov; American Reuben Fine; and Miguel Najdorf, a Polish-born Argentine.

Mr. Lilienthal retired from tournament play in 1965 and returned to Budapest in 1976, staying active in the chess world until recently. - AP