Leonid Stein

Leonid Stein was a Soviet chess grandmaster from Ukraine. He was one of the best players in the world in the 1960s, known for his aggressive and dynamic style. He won three USSR Chess Championships in 1963, 1965, and 1966, and achieved many impressive results in international tournaments. He was also a member of the Soviet team that won the gold medal at the Chess Olympiad in 1964 and 1968. Stein was prevented from competing in the World Championship cycle by a FIDE rule that limited the number of participants from the same country. He died of a heart attack at the age of 38, shortly before the 1973 Moscow Interzonal tournament, in which he had qualified to play. Stein is widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players who never became a world champion.