Mark Danilovich Tseitlin , is an Israeli International Grandmaster of chess of Russian origin.

Mark Tseitlin got acquainted with chess in Leningrad's Pioneers Palace. He is self-taught, having studied without a coach. His peak FIDE rating was 2545 in 1995.

He was awarded the title of International Master in 1978, and became a Grandmaster in 1997.

Tseitlin immigrated to Israel in 1990, and is currently a trainer at the Beer-Sheva Eliahu Levant Chess club, a world-renowned club frequented by many of Israel's finest players.

His chess credo Mark Tseitlin expresses as pursue of relentless attack against opponent's king,
usually through material sacrifices.

Tseitlin has a daughter Ira and two granddaughters, who are living in Germany.

Tournament results

Tseitlin was Leningrad City champion

Leningrad City Chess Championship

The Leningrad City Chess Championship is a chess tournament held officially in the city of Leningrad, Russia starting from 1920. The city was called Petrograd from 1914 to 1924, then Leningrad until 1991, and Saint Petersburg afterwards...

 in 1970, 1975, 1976, and jointly in 1978.

During his playing career he defeated Viktor Korchnoi

Viktor Korchnoi

Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi ; pronounced in the original Russian as "karch NOY"; Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й, born March 23, 1931 is a professional chess player, author and currently the oldest active grandmaster on the tournament circuit...

 four times and beat many famous grandmasters. His best tournament achievements include first place at Polanica Zdroj

Polanica Zdrój

Polanica-Zdrój is a town in Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland.It lies approximately south-west of Kłodzko, and south-west of the regional capital Wrocław...

 1978 (ahead of Andersson

Ulf Andersson

Ulf Andersson is a leading Swedish chess player. FIDE awarded him the International Master title in 1970 and the Grandmaster title in 1972 .-Career:...

), and second at Trnava

Trnava

Trnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres . It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric . The city has a historic center...

 1979 (after Plachetka). Tseitlin is the many-time Beer-Sheva Chess Club Champion.

Coach and assistant

There are many international grandmasters and masters among Tseitlin's apprentices. Among his pupils are such famous chess players as grandmasters Alexander Finkel, Boris Avrukh

Boris Avrukh

Boris Leonidovich Avrukh is an Israeli chess grandmaster. He was the World Under-12 champion in 1990.He has played for Israel six times in Chess Olympiads.* In 1998, at second reserve board at the 33rd Chess Olympiad in Elista ;...

, Ilya Smirin

Ilya Smirin

Ilya Yulievich Smirin is a Soviet-Israeli chess Grandmaster., his Elo rating was 2650, making him the 59th-highest rated player in the world...

, Victor Mikhalevski

Victor Mikhalevski

Victor Mikhalevski is an Israeli chess grandmaster who lives in Beer Sheva. his Elo rating was 2611, making him the #7 player in Israel and the 171st-highest rated player in the world...

 and Dimitri Tyomkin

Dimitri Tyomkin

Dimitri Tyomkin is a Canadian chess grandmaster .In 1997 he won the Israeli Junior Championship and the European Junior Chess Championship in Tallinn...

. Mark Tseitlin assisted the rise of former world champion Anatoly Karpov

Anatoly Karpov

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...

, and strong Soviet grandmaster Rafael Vaganian

Rafael Vaganian

Rafael Artemovich Vaganian, also transliterated Vahanyan is an Armenian chess grandmaster known for his sharp tactical style of play...

.

He is known for his sharp tactical vision at the chessboard, and is an acknowledged expert in many chess openings, such as the Grunfeld Defence

Grünfeld Defence

The Grünfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:-History:The first instance of this opening is in an 1855 game by Moheschunder Bannerjee, an Indian player who had transitioned from Indian chess rules, playing black against John Cochrane in Calcutta, in May 1855: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4...

.

European Senior Champion

Mark Tseitlin has become the European Senior Champion thrice (2004 in Arvier, 2005 in Bad Homerg, and 2008 in Dresden).

Despite this remarkable success, Israeli Chess Federation failed to provide financial basis for Tseitlin to participate in World Senior Championships, preferring to sponsor other lower-rated chess players, both in 2004, in 2005 and in 2008 as well.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Senior_Chess_Championship)

In 2004 Tseitlin won 1st World Senior Team Championship, together with Jacob Murey

Jacob Murey

Jacob Murey is a Russian-born Israeli chess grandmaster. , his Elo rating was 2433, making him the No. 39 player in Israel and the 1449th-highest rated player in the world. His peak rating was 2560 in 1989.-Chess career:...

, Yair Kraidman

Yair Kraidman

Yair Kraidman is an Israeli chess grandmaster.He played for Israel in ten Chess Olympiads.* In 1958, he played at second reserve board at the 13th Chess Olympiad in Munich ....

 and Yedael Stepak.

Notable chess games

The following game illustrates Tseitlin's sharp tactical style.

Tseitlin - V. Karasev

Severodonetsk, 1982

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 cd4 5. Nd4
a6 6. Bg5 Nbd7 7. Bc4 h6 8. Be3 e6 9. O-O Nc5 10. Qf3 b5 11. b4!? bc4
12.bc5 dc5
13. Nf5! Bb7

The following line illustrates dangers of Black's defence: 13... ef5 14. ef5 Ra7 15. Rfe1 Be7 16. Bc5 Rd7 17.Be7 Re7 18. Qc6+ Nd7 19. Nd5! Re1+ 20. Re1+ Kf8 21. Qd6+ Kg8 22. Ne7+ Kh7
23. Qg6+!! fg6 24. fg6!#

14. Rab1 Qc8 15. Ng3 Be7 16. Na4 Nd7 17. Nh5 Kf8

Black cannot castle because of 18.Qg4
18. Nb6 Nb6 19. Rb6 g6 20. Rfb1 Ra7
21. Nf4 Kg7 22. Bd2 Bf6 23. Qg3 Kh7 24. Re6 Bg5 25. Reb6 Be4 26. h4 Bd8
27.Rb8 Qf5 28. Bc3 Bf6?

In time trouble Karasiev fails to find best defence 28.... Re8

29. Nh5!! -It is impossible to fend off such surprise even with
enough time. If 29. ... gh 30.Rh8+ Bh8 then 31. Rb8 is winning.

29. ... Rb8 30.Nf6+ Qf6 31. Rb8 1-0

External links