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Happened Today in the Chess World - Mar 26, 2024

UNCLE SAM

World Championship (press room), Moscow 1984:
GM Semon Palatnik, GM Lev Psakhis, GM Sergey Dolmatov, GM Mark Taimanov, GM Artur Jussupow.
Photo: B. Dolmatovsky - Source: dgriffinchess.wordpress.com

Today is Grandmaster Semon (Sam) Palatnik's birthday. He was born in Odesa, Ukraine, on March 26, 1959.
Sam was a Samuel Kotlerman and Roman Pelts student and won four gold medals (two Team and two Individual) with the Soviet Union at the Student Team Championship.
Palatnik was one of the seconds of Nana Alexandria during the 1981 World Championship Match with Maia Chiburdanidze.
Later, Palatknik moved to the United States, where he became a coach: FIDE Senior Trainer, Palatnik coached the US and Indian National teams.
His peak rating was 2520 Elo points, reached in July 1992.
Palatnik authored numerous chess books. In his career, Palatnik defeated champions such as Ivanchuk, Bronstein, Dolmatov, Balashov, Tukmakov, and Geller, who here we see in one of his worst performances:

Semon Palatnik (2500)-Efim Geller (2550), Rostov-on-Don (Soviet Team Championship) 1980
White to move