so they surpassed the older generation in their achievements. Alatortsev moved into a training role in the late 1940s, assisting the rising star Vasily Smyslov. He also became involved in tournament organization and administration. Alatortsev was awarded the title International Master by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, in 1950, when this title was introduced officially. Alatortsev stopped playing major tournaments in the early 1950s, but occasionally took part in lesser events. He served as head of the Soviet Chess Federation from 1954 to 1961, during a time when there were about three million registered Soviet players. From 1943 to 1974, he was the editor of a chess column in the newspaper Vechernyaya Moskva. In 1960, he published the book Modern Chess Theory. His final strong tournament was Tbilisi 1965, where at age 56 he made 8/17. Alatortsev never got the opportunity to compete outside the Soviet Union. He was awarded the Honorary Emeritus Grandmaster title by FIDE in 1983. Alatortsev died at age 77, on 13 January 1987 in Moscow. In the ECO database, the D31 line of the Queens Gambit Declined is named for Alatortsev. References External links 1909 births 1987 deaths Chess grandmasters Soviet chess players Soviet chess writers Soviet male writers Chess administrators Chess coaches